Fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 is one of my favorite scriptures that help me better understand how the Holy Ghost or the third member of the Godhead works. We know the Holy Ghost does not have a body of flesh and bone but is a personage of spirit. This is so that he can be felt by more that one person at a time- just like the sun. There is only one sun, but it can be felt by millions of people all over the world at the same time.

Sometimes it's hard to recognize when the Holy Ghost is telling you something but Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that some of the "fruits of the spirit" are:

Love

Joy

Peace

Long Suffering

Gentleness

Goodness

Faith

Meekness

Temperance

The way we can know something is true is by the things it produces. Or its fruits. For example, Noah's "fruit" was the ark, Moses parted the Red Sea freeing his people, and Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.

So we have all these "fruits," but how do we know if they are true? It's just like real fruit. You have to try it, taste it yourself to know if it is something you like. People can tell you that strawberries are good but you won't know until you actually try it yourself. So test it out! If you want to know if something is true or you don't know what choice you should make- try it- taste it and pay attention to the "fruits of the spirit." Just as there are different fruits you can eat, there are different fruits, or different ways the spirit works in our lives.

If you feel love, peace, goodness, or faith while and afterwards then it is a good fruit.

My challenge to you is to go try it, test it out. Read the Book of Mormon. If you already have, read it again and pay attention to the feelings and thoughts you get while you are reading and praying about it. I have done this and I know it is real, and that it works. I know Heavenly Father wants us to succeed and be happy in this life. That is why he has given us the Holy Ghost to testify of truths. 

The 2,000 Stripling Warriors

I love how every time you read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you think you may have read it, something new always stands out. This time reading the story of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors one major thing stood out.

The battles they were up against were defiantly not in their favor. But they didn't let that discourage them, because they remembered the things their mothers had taught them- that if they would not doubt, God would deliver them. (Alma 56:47)

They go into war and Heleman, their commander, in Alma 56:56 says that after the fight is over,

"to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength..."

They enter into another fight and again they "obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them." and they remembered the things their mothers taught them. (Alma 57:21) Because of this, two hundred out of the two thousand and sixty fainted because of the loss of blood. Heleman says,

"Nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received MANY wounds.

    And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.

    Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually." (Alma 57:25-27)

Just because the 2,000 stripling warriors were righteous doesn't meand they were exempt from receiving many wounds. Infact there wansn't one who didn't receive MANY wounds. the sentence "neither was there one soul among them who had not received MANY wounds" stood out to me. Just because we are faithful and are doing the things we know we should be doing doesn't mean we aren't going to receive wounds along this path we call life. We are in a battle and the wounds we do receive are going to only make us straonger and prepare us for bigger wound thats may come later on down the road. I know we have a loving Heavenly Father who is very much aware of us and our needs. I know we will all receive wounds in this life, and we may even "faint" because of them. But just like the stripling warriors we won't receive any wounds we won't be able to handle. The point of this life is to learn and grow so that we can be more like our Heavenly Father and return to live with him again someday.

Happy 4th of July!!!

The 4th of July is just around the corner. How grateful I am for the men and women who have fought for our freedom and are still fighting today. My heart and respect go out to them. Thank you for all you do!

If you can for a minute and think what it would be like not to have the religious freedoms and rights we have today. I can't imagine! As we continue to put our faith and trust in God he will watch over us and provide us with the things we need. God bless America- My Home Sweet Home!!

Come What May And Love It

Most times the saying"Come what may and love it"  is a lot easier said than done. At least for me anyways. Especially in today's world- we want instant results and control over anything and everything possible. I've found that the more power and control I try to have the more I realize there is a higher power. I know there is a God; and that everything good comes from Him. As we turn to him and try our best to follow the example he has given us true happiness can come.

I pass on Elder Worthlins challange, "...the next time you're tempted to graon, try to laugh instead..." and then come what may... and love it!

Finding the Right Tool

The other day Sister Tuckett and I were helping a member of the ward with some simple service. We were asked to take the old license plates off of a car and put new ones on. We were given the tools necessary to accomplish the job and sent outside to do it. After just a few seconds of trying to loosen the screws I realized we didn't have the right size of screw driver to accomplish the job. Being my stubborn self I tried to make it work. After several minutes of miserably failing I finally gave up and realized I couldn't do it. I needed the right tool. After swallowing my pride I finally went in and asked for a different screw driver. When I had the right tool, what should have taken no longer than five minutes ended up taking close to fifteen minutes, the job was done in no time. As we walked back into the house I couldn't help but think how much easier it would have been had I asked for a different tool right when I realized what we had wasn't going to work.  It made me think; how often have I made things harder on myself because I wasn't using the "right tool"

I know we have been given all the right tools in order to be successful in this life. Its up to us whether or not we choose to use them. When we came to earth we were given tools to help us such as; a family, prayer, the Holy Ghost, the Scriptures, and Prophets. Five major tools but not close to all of the ones that are out there. As we go through life it is up to us to choose to use them. To learn the function of each one and how each one can best help us. Some are better for certain tasks. As we get familiar with them the more we learn and realize how they can help us. I hope I can learn from my mistakes. Learn more about the tools I have available at my grasp and take advantage. I know that as I do, the Lord will bless me and will make anything possible.

Degrees

Often times we wonder how things came about.  You wake up one morning and wonder how you found yourself in this situation. Most incidences or changes don't just happen. They happen in a matter of degrees.

Amalickiah wanted to be a king over the Lamanite people. When given the chance to be a leader over a large army he took advantage of the opportunity. He convinced Lehonti that if he would take his army and surround them Lehonti would be their chief commander and he would be second in command. Lehonti agrees and over takes Amalickiah's army.

"And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer posion by degrees to Lehonti, that he died...." Alma 47:18

Just as Amalickiah poisoned Lehonti by degrees Satan too posions us by degrees. We don't just one day wake up and decide to commit a serious crime or sin. It happens a little at a time. Satan first entices us, making us believe if we follow him we will have more, and that things will be better. We become subject to his will one decision at a time until we have no other choice to but to follow him. Or so he wants us to believe.

"Yielding to his [Satan's] temptations leads down a narrower and narrower range of choices until none remains and to addictions that leave us powerless to resist." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson

I've seen this in my life and in others around me and know that it is true. I also know we don't have to let or allow Satan to poison us. By choosing to be aware of things around us and choosing weather to act or not act can make all the difference.

Hold On

My Senior year of High School I needed a quote to go in the yearbook next to my photo. After searching and thinking for a while I came across a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt that stuck with me.

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on"

When thought about physically, it sounds impossible. I imagine holding on for dear life, not having enough rope to somehow magically tie a knot and "hold on." Just thinking about it makes me tired!

But when thought about spiritually it brings a whole new meaning. The rope once a burdensome thing I have to hold on to is now my faith and my testimony. When I think I am at the end and there is NO possible way I can go any further some how I am able to tie a knot and "hold on". I've come to realize that is doesn't "magically" or "somehow" just happen. It happens
because Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are REAL. They know me (and you) and love me (and you). They know how much rope I really have left. They will never let me fall unless I choose to do so. I know the Atonement of Jesus Christ is REAL. He came to earth, paid the price not only for my sins but for yours as well. And because of that, He KNOWS how I feel. He KNOWS what I'm going through. He has felt my worse and has felt my best, and because of Christ and His Atonement we can all return to live with Heavenly Father and our families for eternity if when what seems impossible, exercise faith, tie a knot and hold on.