The Reason Why

Have you ever felt strongly about something that you know has changed your life??  Whether it be the a speech, a speaker, a book, a soap opera, an acne cream, or whatever that something may be, you want to share it with everyone that will lend you an open ear. Thousands of people share their stories over the media to uplift and help others live better lives and have courage to stand for what is right. That is exactly how I feel about the message that we share as missionaries. This message has changed and sculpted my life in such a way that I know this can and will help anyone who applies it in their life. Henry David Thorough once said," Grief can take care of itself, but to have a fullness of joy there must be somebody to divide it with."

Harry Potter's Real Identity

Back in the day when Harry Potter was the cool thing to read, and not just to watch, I read just about all the books I could get my hands on. As I look back now, each new Harry Potter book had a reoccuring theme. Harry goes to school, gets in trouble, finds out more about himself, and has to overcome great evil.

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Our lives are not much different. We come to this earth, get in trouble, we find out more about ourselves, and we can overcome great evils. Like Harry Potter, we each have our own evils to overcome. This life is all about learning how to overcome that opposition. Will we shrink when the battle turns our way? Or will we turn and face live's challenges? Everyday we make one of those 2 decisions.

Sometimes we want and look for a middle ground. We look for a way that we can have one foot on the one side, and our other foot on the other. Well I'm sorry to say that there is none. The natural of this earthly conflict is such that there can be no neutrals, just as Harry had to choose for himself which side to take. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

My first semester in College, I was invited to go with a couple of buddies of mine and go to the local dance. We were at my buddies dorm, when right before we could leave, one of the other guys we were with pulled out a Vodka bottle. He took a long swig and then offered some to me. I motioned that I would pass. He then looked at me weird and said,"Well I definitely can't dance sober, and I'll never meet anyone special if I can't dance!". I told him that I was sorry that he felt that way, and that if he truly needed alcohol to make him feel good about himself, then he had no game to start out with. We went to the Dance, and soon after entering I left. I knew as soon as I walked in there that I should have never went. As I rode home alone that night I knew I hadn't made any new friends, nor did I look cool to all those we went to the dance with me, but I knew that I had fought the good fight.

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Choosing to stand up for the right things will never win us popularity, nor worldly recognition. But I know that when we decide to serve god with all our hearts, we can find true happiness. We also find our true identity, just like Harry Potter did. I know that we are children of God! There is no greater knowledge that a man can obtain. 

"Come and See"

Something on my mind today comes from a scripture that has become one of my favorites as a missionary.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom ^aMoses in the law, and the prophets, did ^bwrite, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

As Philip went to Nathaneal to invtie him to see what he had seen and experience what he had experienced, Nathanael asked Philip," Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?". Philip's amswer was simple, but profound. "Come and See".

Nathanael doubted that anything good could from a city such as Nazareth. It seems to me that he had heard of Jesus before, but had never experienced Christ himself. But Nathanael was willing. And when he came, and when he saw, he knew that this Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Holy one of Israel, the Son of God.

In 1820, a Young farm boy walked into a grove a trees with the purpose of finding the answer to the question of his soul. The young boy prayed, and as an answer to his humble prayer, God the Father and the Son appeared to him. They spoke with him "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"(Exodus 33:11). Through this young boy, Joseph Smith, the Lord Jesus Christ would later restore his true church upon the earth. How grateful I am for the answer to this simple prayer!

My invitation to the world is the same as Philips. Put aside, for a moment what you have heard about this young boy and about his story. Put aside, for a moment, the things that you have heard about this Jesus of Nazareth. Put aside your doubts and your fears, and come, Come and See!

I know for myself that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that Joseph Smith was his prophet. I know this message is true because I have read the Book of Mormon, and prayed to my father in heaven to see if it was true. I received my answer, and you can recieve yours. The promise is unto all. Read and find out for yourself.

"...and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the ^atree of life."