Self Control

What is the most precious gift one can give to another person? What is the most sacred gift one can give to another person?

There may be more than one answer to these questions. The answer that I believe fits both questions the best though is, yourself. Physical and sexual intimacy, if it is kept only within the bonds of marriage, is the most wonderful thing you can share with someone else. Exploring and exploiting physical and sexual pleasures before or outside of marriage, with or without someone else, not only destroys the value, sacredness, and meaning of those feelings and actions, but also destroys your self worth, appreciation for life, and essentially you as a person. By indulging in these powerful thoughts, feelings, and actions you enslave yourself to them. Love and respect for people and the body itself erodes and becomes lust for sensual pleasure. Please use self control and self mastery to resist the temptation to abuse your body, or someone else's, and the sacred power God has given us to create life. As you do this you will gain more appreciation, respect, and love for yourself and for others.

Experiencing Opposition

Two days ago it was really hot. I complained vocally and in my mind several times throughout the day. Yesterday it was a little cooler but still hot. Now, today as we were walking to the library I complained about it being relativily chilly. It is also windy which added to the chill factor. Yesterday we were talking to somone and he mentioned how if you never have a bad day, in relation to work and jobs, you never appreciate the good days. That applies to the weather just as well. If I have never been too hot or too cold than I would never appreciate or even realize that the temperature is just right. In fact it applies to everything. The prophet Lehi taught his son this principle of opposition. In a spiritual sense we need the opposition of good and evil in order to choose to be good or evil. Lehi also taught his son that opposition is provided for us so that we can exercise our agency by choosing to follow Christ. These teachings are found in chapter 2 of 2 Nephi. Please use the links to read the scriptures I'm referencing. Though it is super nice to have a perfect day I am grateful for days that are less than perfect. Even when the bad days far out number the good days, they help me appreciate the good days just that much more.

Just So You Know

A lot of people don't know or understand what Mormon missionaries do. It's simple really. We teach people. We teach about Jesus Christ, His gospel, and His plan. We ask people to keep commitments such as reading the scriptures or a pamphlet that we give them. We also ask people to read and pray. Read and Pray. Read The Book of Mormon, and Pray to ask God if it is true. We don't want to take away from the truths that people already know, just build upon those truths by adding more truth. Now you know what we're trying to do when we knock on your door, talk to you on the street, or bus stop, ask you how you're doing, offer to do service for you, and other things. All we'd like to do is help you come unto Christ.

Jesus Christ Will Come Again

The "second coming" of our Lord is something that Christians have known for a very long time. Even though our understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ differ from one another, all of us know and agree that He will come again. "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." Psalms 102: 16. Matthew said this in preparation of His coming, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24: 14.  John the revelator said, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" Revelation 14: 6. There are over 55,000 Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) missionaries, and 13,000,000+ members, around the world preaching the gospel of the kingdom, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. What we, as missionaries and members of The Kingdom Of God On Earth, are doing is summed up in the last two paragraphs of the introduction page of The Book of Mormon. -"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.) Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah." The angel who had the everlasting gospel that John the revelator saw is Moroni. The angel Moroni delivered the gold plates (Book of Mormon) to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament Of Jesus Christ together with The Holy Bible (KJV) contain the everlasting gospel. God wants His children to be prepared for the second coming of the Messiah. This is why He restored the Everlasting Gospel to the earth. Pray and ask if the Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon is true.

Being Fully Converted

As I have traveled and met people around western NY I have noticed something that I don't really understand. Typically when we meet someone new, whether they are interested in learning about what we know to be true or just want to talk, they usually state what religion they consider themselves to be. They state that they are ________ (religion). I usually respond with, "Thats great that you have a belief in Christ." Then I follow up with the question, how often do you attend church meetings? The responses I most get are I don't or, about twice a year (Chirstmas and Easter).  Not everyone is this way but a lot if not most are. After those responses or similar answers I then ask why they don't go very often. There are a few different reasons, but the most common is the one that confuses me. The reason why they don't actually attend the church they belong to is because they don't believe or disagree with the doctrine that is taught at that church. I find it to be a contradiction to say, "I'm a Mormon but I disagree with what they teach in their church." So I ask whoever may read this, "What do 'you' believe?" I ask this because if what 'you' believe differs from what 'your' church believes, or teaches, then are you really that religion? I believe the answer is no. To those of you who do believe the teachings of your church I have the same request of you as those who do not agree with their churches teachings. Do some soul searching! Ask yourself what you believe! However, you need to make sure that you are not forming your own belief. By this I mean that God has given us what we are supposed to believe in. For example, I can choose to believe that after this life I will be reincarnated as an animal or even another person. Is that the doctrine of God? No. So in your search for what 'you' believe make sure that what you believe is true doctrine of God. Many of the people I have met don't know what they believe. If you don't know what you believe you can easily be manipulated into thinking that you believe something when you really don't. Have an open mind to different beliefs and religions. Study the words of God given through His chosen prophets and leaders in scripture. Most importantly PRAY and ASK God what you should believe in. PRAY and ASK God if the teachings of a person, church, or group is HIS teachings and doctrine. PRAY and ASK God for His guidance in your search. We are His children! He wants us to know His truths! He wants us to worship and believe in Him His way, not man's way. Please be open to learning new things so that you can find for yourself His church and know that it really is His.

The Heavens Are Open

As a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I teach a lot of people about Jesus Christ, His gospel and doctrine. Among the topics I teach about is prayer. Prayer is the communication between you and our Heavenly Father. I know that Heavenly Father not only hears our prayers but listens to them. Many people I have met either don't believe this or have a dramatically different definition of prayer and its purpose. Most people believe God answers their prayers. However, at the same time those people believe the heavens are closed and that no more revelation is given to man. I believe this is due to people not knowing what revelation really is. To help us better understand what revelation is let's use the word reveal in place of revelation. When you ask God a question, for help, guidance, direction, knowledge, understanding etc you are asking for revelation. When you ask God to help you choose the best path for you to take He answers you by "revealing" (revelation) the path He knows will be the best for you. Everyone is entitled to personal revelation. Meaning you can receive answers to questions that apply to yourself. You can not receive revelation for other people unless you are authorized by God. There are many accounts in the Old Testament where a king or general will ask the Lord's chosen prophet what God's will is for him and his people. Prophets have the authority from God to receive revelation for others. Apostles of Jesus Christ also have this authority. This is how they knew what to say and how to correct the saints in different areas in their epistles to the leaders of the church in those areas. So it is easy to understand that without that prophetic, and apostalic authority the doctrines of Christ's church were changed over time. This also helps us understand why people believe God answers their prayers yet revelation has ceased. After the apostles died revelation did cease because no one else at that time had the authority to receive the revelation needed to lead and guide The Church of Jesus Christ. In 1820 the heavens were once again opened! God had called a prophet to restore The Church of Jesus Christ to the earth. Jesus Christ called twelve apostles to be His special witnesses in the latter days. Since the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ with His priesthood authority there is an unbroken chain of succession in preisthood authority from the first prophet called in this dispensation (Joseph Smith) to the current prophet Thomas S. Monson, as well as a succession of twelve apostles since the restoration to now. Jesus Christ's chosen prophet and apostles walk and speak on earth today! Please listen to them and then pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him to "reveal" to you if these men are in fact His prophets and apostles. God can not lie and if you believe He answers your prayers then listen to these men, ponder their message, and ask God for confirmation that they are what they claim to be. I know that if you have real intent when you pray and ask in faith for this personal witness from the Holy Ghost He will answer you, I promise you this. I bear my witness and testimony to you that these men are prophets and apostles of Jesus Christ. http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/what-are-prophets-testimonies?lang=eng

HE LIVES!

Part of the atoning sacrifice that our saviour, Jesus Christ, made was conquering death. He is the only person who was capable of giving up His life in submission to the Father and then take it up again through resurrection. If He had not done this none of us would be able to be reunited with our bodies after death. We would remain as spirits which defeats the purpose of us coming to earth and getting a physical body. How glad and grateful should we be that Jesus not only was capable of breaking the bands of death but, that He succeeded. The atonement, and His death and resurrection was not an easy thing to do. It took a lot of love and a lot of sacrifice from both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for having the Sabbath day set apart to worship our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the Easter Sabbath so that we can remember the resurrection and atonement of our Saviour as we worship Him. I testify to anyone and everyone who reads this that HE IS RISEN! I know Jesus Christ LIVES! and He has once again established His church and kingdom on earth, just like he has done several times before. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is HIS church. He leads and guides HIS church by His chosen prophets, seers, and revelators now in our day the same as He has since the fall of Adam and Eve in their days. Jesus Christ's chosen prophet in our day spoke of Christ and the resurrection last year in April. Please take the time to read and ponder his words. http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/he-is-risen?lang=eng Thank you for your time and reading my blog.

The House Of The Lord

If we have chapels and meeting houses for worship services on Sunday why do we have temples? It is because sacred covenants, ordinances and vicarious work for the dead can only be performed in temples do to their sacred nature. We are so blessed to live in a time where Holy Temples dot the earth. We are so blessed to live in a time where Holy Temples are more accessible than ever. These blessings increase every time a new temple is built and dedicated. A living prophet on earth today, President Thomas S. Monson, spoke about temples in the most recent general conference. http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/the-holy-temple-a-beacon-to-the-world?lang=eng This is a link to his talk. Every person on earth should strive to be worthy to enter into The House Of The Lord.

Overcoming Temptation

All of us who are doing our best to follow Christ know that Satan is trying his hardest to divert us from this path. How he does this is by tempting us. Satan is very very good at this. He knows just what to do so that we start thinking about something that is offensive to the Holy Ghost. Most the time it is very subtle. In my experience most of my thoughts start off innocent. However, by not being mindful of where our minds wander we end up having thoughts that drive the Spirit away. Because of the innocent or curious beginnings we tend to justify delving deeper into our carnal thoughts. By dwelling on carnal and sensual thoughts and feelings, we develop a desire for what we are thinking about. What if Joseph had a different reaction to Potiphar's wife? Genesis 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. What if Joseph, at first, didn't lie with her but what's the harm in hanging out and getting to know her better? At first it would be innocent to simply get to know her and spend more time with her. However, if he had done that how much harder would it have been for him to say no when she asked again. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me (Genesis 39:11-12). Surely beforehand Joseph wouldn't have done it but after spending time with her and becoming closer to her the decision he made would have been much harder to make. and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out (Genesis 39:12). I have come to discover for myself time and time again that the best and easiest way to overcome temptation is to avoid temptation. No matter how innocent and justified a situation or circumstance seems to be. Let us be wise and learn from the example of Joseph of Egypt as well as many other people's experiences and avoid temptations from the beginning.

General Conference

General Conference is coming up! It's this Saturday and Sunday. The first session on Saturday starts at 10:00am MDT. Here is a link for a website that will stream the conference talks http://radio.lds.org/?lang=eng.

General Conference is held twice a year. At each conference we are given inspired counsel and guidance to help us through the challenges of life. Since the creation God has given us advice to help us with our struggles and to come closer to Him and our Saviour Jesus Christ. He lets us know His will for us, commandments that we should obey, and reveals new things. How God has done this is through, "His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). Each prophet gave specific counsel to the people of their time. As Latter-Day Saints we know and bear witness to the world that God has again called prophets to lead and guide His children preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah. We are so blessed to have modern day prophets to help us with the difficult circumstances we are faced with in our lives. Please listen to the messages that will be shared with us this weekend.

And now, my beloved brethren, and also jew , and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. 2 Nephi 33:10

Appreciating Life

Mortal life is such a precious thing. True, life can be very difficult at times. The trials and hardships we face on a daily basis sometimes feel overwhelming. Even though it seems, at times, like mortal life is a punishment it is actually a great blessing. Becuase we are able to experience hard times, trials, and tribulations we can learn and progress from them. The prophet Lehi teaches us in 2 Nephi 2:11 that without opposition we would not know good. Without experiencing something bad we can't fully appreciate how blessed and happy we are when nothing bad has happened. Consider how good you feel when you start to feel better after having a cold. It feels amazing. You don't notice how wonderful it is to go through the day without needing to blow your nose until you get sick and blow till your nose is beat red and in pain. It's a funny analogy but, it's the same way with life. I don't think any of us will fully appreciate the gift of mortal life that our Heavenly Father has given us until after we die. I am very glad that I chose to come to earth and experience both the good and the bad. None of us really know when our time on earth will be finished. Because of this we need to be grateful for every experience we have, both good and bad.

Eternal Perspective

One of the hardest things of this life is looking beyond it. 1 Corinthians 15: 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Because of the Fall we are mortal. Because we are mortal we will die. Because of the Atonement and Ressurection Christ broke the bands of death. (Mosiah 15: 9,20,23). Because Christ did that we can live immortal lives. (Romans 8:16-17). The amount of peace and joy we receive and have after this life depends on what we do in this life. (Alma 34:32-34). This can be related to the difference between immediate gratification and lasting comfort and happiness. All of the commandments that our Heavenly Father has given us are for the purpose of bringing us the most joy in eternity. From our perspective most see the commandments as things we "can't do". I have been asked repeatedly why I can't do some things. My response is usually, "I CAN do these things. I CHOOSE not to becuase I have enough faith in God to know that by living and obeying His commandments I will have joy tomorrow instead of brief happiness today with guilt and shame tomorrow."

Lasting Happiness

All of us could make a very long list of what makes us happy. If I were to make a list of what made me happy, or what I enjoyed to do, two years ago The Gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it with others would be at the bottom. If I remembered to put it on the list at all. Since I have been out on my mission I've have realized what has made me happier than anything else. That is sharing and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. At times, and overall, it has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I am doing it because I chose to and without getting paid either. I have discovered the peace and joy that comes from "living" the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this is the one thing that can bring everlasting peace and joy into anyones life. That is why I am sharing it with the people I come in contact with. I have discovered the best thing in life and I want to give it to you.

Making Miracles Happen

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass, Alma 37: 6-7. For most of us when we think about acts of God we think of stories from the scriptures about prophets performing miracles. If we look deep enough we find that most everything had a small and simple beginning. A small and simple thing that has changed the entire course of my life is reading and studying the scriptures. Because I started reading I was able to gain a testimony of the reality of Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Because of the testimony I gained I chose to serve a mission. Because I chose to serve a mission I am now in Penn Yan New York. About 2000 miles from my home and family teaching people how to gain their own witness and knowledge of Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. All this because one day I decided to read The Book Of Mormon. If you want to change your life for the better stop waiting for a miracle and make a miracle happen. An easy way to start a miracle is, praying every morning and night. If you have real intent and ask in faith to come closer to God he will prepare you for the time when the fulness of His gospel is brought to you. By doing this a great and marvelous work will be brought to pass.

The Scriptures

Throughout school we use books as guides for learning what's required of us to know to pass a class. We also have a teacher or professor that helps us learn the material in the book. The teacher or professor also gives us more specific knowledge pertaining to their class. So when we have a question or are given one by the teacher or from the book, we search through the book to find a chapter or section that is about that specific question. If we have trouble finding or understanding the answer we ask friends and others in the same class for help. If they can't help us then we usually end up asking the teacher. And we can follow this pattern for several different subjects: math, science, history, language etc. What about the subject of life? such as, What is the purpose of life? What happens after we die? Did I exist before being born? Where we find the answers to these questions is from the scriptures. Scriptures are the writings of prophets, both ancient and modern day. So when we have a question about life search the scriptures for an answer. If you are having a hard time finding or understanding the answer ask a friend. That is where I come in. I have dedicated two years of my life to be your friend. I am here to help you find and understand the answers to your questions. If I am unable to help you than you need to ask the Teacher. The Teacher of this subject is our Heavenly Father. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Heavenly Father wants us to, not only know our purpose in life, but also know Him and His son Jesus Christ. We learn about these things through His servants the prophets and their writings called scriptures.

Prophets

The amazing thing about the scriptures is that they are filled with the words of the prophets. The amazing thing about the words of prophets is that they are Christ's own words. The amazing thing about Christ's words is that they are for our profit and learning. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to be happy, filled with joy, and return to live with them. This is why they speak to prophets. So that we can study their words and learn how to be truly happy, filled with joy, and return to live with our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. It has taken me a long time but I have learned to love the scriptures. More importantly I have learned how to teach myself using the scriptures. I'm not the best at it and I'm continually learning how to do it better. I hope that you are able to come to love the scriptures and learn from them. For help learning how to better learn from and apply scriptures to yourself please visit mormon.org or contact me directly through facebook.

Striving to be the best

I read a little about "The House Of The Lord" that Solomon built. It got me thinking about why he went to such great lengths to make it with the finest woods and stones as well as extensive use of gold. For those who are unfamiliar, Latter-Day Saint Temples are very similar to the temple that Solomon built. Similar because of the use of very high quality building materials as well as furniture, decorations, and landscaping. (Check out temples.lds.org for pictures and more). Awhile ago I had the question, "Why do we spend so much money on temples?" The answer is simple really. It is because the temple is not just a building that we worship in. It is "The House Of The Lord." That is why we build them to such high standards. The standards are set by The Lord, not us. In 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 we learn that WE are also temples. Temples that the Spirit of God can dwell in. In Alma 34: 36 (The Book Of Mormon) we learn that The Lord dwelleth not in unholy temples. So in order to have the Spirit of God and The Lord with us we need to be worthy of their presence. Those standards of worthiness are set by The Lord, not us. That is why, as disciples of Christ, we need to continually strive to be the best we can be. How we be the best that we can be is by following the example Jesus Christ gave us, and obeying all the commandments that have been given by our Lord. Please check out mormon.org and look me up on facebook: Elder Myers

Feeling Peace

This morning I was thinking about the atonement. I reflected on how the atonement applies to me and where I would be if I didn't know about it. Like everyone else who has ever lived (except Jesus Christ) I have sinned. Because of the sins I have committed I have felt sorrow and guilt. I have not always had an understanding of the atonement like I do now. I tried several different things to make the guilt and shame go away. Fortunately I was able to avoid physically harmful substances and actions. However mentally I was torn up inside. My pain, guilt, and shame made me very depressed. I didn't ever really show it on the surface though. I had no idea how to relieve the feelings I had. It took several years, but I finally realized that I had to pray to our Heavenly Father and ask for His forgiveness. It was a very emotional process and took a long time before I became fully repentant. It was a marvelous experience feeling the burden I was carrying lifted off of me by our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I have since learned to apply the atonement to myself daily so that I can continually progress closer to Jesus Christ. I want to teach everyone about the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how you can have peace and comfort in your lives through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Please visit mormon.org and look me up on facebook if you have any questions, Elder Myers.

Morning study

I'm studying the Old Testament and, am in 2 Samuel. In chapter seven a lot stood out to me. First, I noticed that The Lord speaks to David through His prophet, Nathan. When I read that I thought of Amos 3:7, "Surely The Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." I really like knowing that God communicates His will to us through prophets. Though, there are several examples of David receiving personal revelation from God, when it comes to things that affect more than us and our domain The Lord speaks through His prophets concerning His will. This is just one of many examples that show how important it is to have living prophets on earth to, not only make His will known to us but also, to help us understand why it is His will and how we can better be obedient to The Lord's commandments. The other thing I noticed throughout the chapter is the manner in which the Lord communicates to David. The Lord speaks in a very kind and loving way. He also declares that His son (Jesus Christ) shall come from the seed of David. After these things are told to David by Nathan he then prays to God and praises Him and gives Him thanks for the blessings he has received as well as the blessings that have been promised to him. I know that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us more than we can comprehend. I know that he wants us to be happy and is willing to give us everything He has if we are obedient to his commandments. If you have any questions about what Mormons believe find me on facebook: Elder Myers. Or visit mormon.org.