The Effects Are Finally Over!

In February Elder Nelson and I were in a car accident. Our car has been in the shop for about a month in a half, but we got it back! Yes sir (or ma'am) we have our car back! During the time that our car was in the shop for repairs, because of how huge our area is to cover, we had to borrow a car from another set of missionaries serving in Macclenny. But that car we borrowed, however, had car troubles of its own about a week after we borrowed it! For about a week or so Elder Lang and I had been trying to visit people by walking to them on foot. We were finally able to borrow a bike from Elder Grant, who is serving in Lake City, but we only rode his bike for a little over a mile when the right pedal broke! By this point we were pretty worn out by all the recent events. As we stood staring at the bike with only one pedal, we contemplated our recent difficulties, than decided that we were not going to let trials stand in our way of accomplishing Gods work. So I jumped on the bike with only one pedal and experimented until I could finally master an effective technique to pedal the bike with only one pedal. And guess what? I figured it out! I learned that if I pushed down on the bar connected to the gears, that also holds the pedal, that would produce enough momentum for the other pedal to come up. Then if I pushed hard enough down on the other pedal it would produce enough momentum for the bar to loop around far enough for me to push back down on it. It required a lot of stamina, patience, and positive reinforcement, but I finally figured it out! I showed the technique to Elder Lang then we were off! We would switch off on riding the one-pedaled bike, because of how tiresome it got, but we were able to make it to the different places we needed to go faster than by walking there. Eventually Elder Grant and Elder Tenney were able to come pick us up and take us the rest of the way to our final destination. I remember as I rode the one-pedaled bike thinking about how this relates to repentance. No mortal living in this world right now is perfect. We all make mistakes. Those mistakes will always have a consequence. Sometimes the consequences are easy to bear, other times it takes a lot more stamina, patience, and positive reinforcement to repent. While repenting we may get pretty worn out, but if we continue forward, and are willing to do everything we can to fix our mistakes, we will be able to get to where we need to be a lot faster than just "walking." Repentance is a blessing! We can be relived from our guilt, shame, and burdens through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see also lds.org-Atonement).
"Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven has provided the only way for us to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sins so we can be forgiven if we sincerely repent. As we repent and rely on His saving grace, we will be cleansed from sin...Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said, 'Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool' (Isaiah 1:18). In this dispensation the Lord has promised, 'He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more' (D&C 58:42)...Repentance is an act of faith in Jesus Christ—an acknowledgment of the power of His Atonement. We can be forgiven only on His terms. As we gratefully recognize His Atonement and His power to cleanse us from sin, we are able to 'exercise [our] faith unto repentance' (Alma 34:17)." (see lds.org-Repentance to learn more about how to sincerely repent).                    
As I said before we did get our car back, and boy was I thrilled! After a month in a half, my burdens and trials were relived. Even though the car accident wasn't our fault, we still had to experience trials. But when we got the car back I smiled and thought "Wow! The effects are finally over." After we repent, after wading through guilt, and burdens, after much prayer, each person who allows Jesus Christ to heal them will be able to smile and say "The effects are finally over!" Then continue down the path to Eternal Life. Repentance is a blessing!

To learn more about the blessings of repentance and even hear others stories about how they were able to repent and find happiness go to: mormon.org and search "repent" or lds.org and search "repent"

We Trust God the Eternal Father

We had a mini miracle last week! So this is a testimony to me about planning by the Spirit. Every night when we get back to the apartment we always set goals and make plans, as guided by the Spirit, for the next days activities. Wednesday night as we were planning we were going to try to see a member of our church later in the day, because we knew she worked, but we felt prompted to try to see her earlier in the day. So thats what we planned. On our way to see this member, up ahead on the road we saw what looked like a pickup with a trailer and a bunch of big barrels all over the road. As we got closer we noticed a car parked behind it. As we got even closer we saw that the car parked behind it was other members of our ward here in Branford. We pulled up to the scene and parked the car than got out to offer our assistance. Apparently the guy driving the truck took a turn a little to fast and 8 out of 12 barrels fell off the trailer. The barrels were full of horse feed and each one weighed 220 pounds. The man had been trying for an hour to put the 8 barrels back on the trailer, but wasn't able to. Then, about 5 min before we came, the members of our church came upon the scene and tried to help as well, but they too were not able to do it. Two of the members of our church went off to pray for more help, and as soon as they ended their prayer guess who showed up? Us! Thats when we pulled up and offered our assistance. We were than able to put all the barrels back on the trailer. Its amazing to see how God orchestrated that whole ordeal! He made sure people were placed right where the needed to be to help another one of His children who was in need. 

I know God the Father is the Supreme Being in whom I believe and whom I worship. He is the ultimate Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things. He is perfect, has all power, and knows all things. He “has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's” (D&C 130:22). I know we are all literally children of God, spiritually begotten in the premortal life. As His children, we can be assured that we have divine, eternal potential and that He will help us in our sincere efforts to reach that potential (see lds.org to learn more).  I know God loves each of us personally. He has a plan for each of us! I've seen how much trusting in God can bless our lives. The mini miracle that I shared above is one example. I have also seen it in making difficult decisions in life. Elder Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was faced with a financial challenge that wasn’t resolved for years. “The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years, taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer, and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God,” he said. “I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve.” In making decisions day by day, we can slowly but surely draw closer to the Lord and avoid distasteful influences from becoming a part of our lives. Being consistent in seemingly small, daily steps is a key principle in achieving any great work, including faith in and obedience to the Lord. “And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33).

  

My Friend Will Live Again!

Have you ever had someone close to you pass away? When I was in high school a good friend of mine passed away. He was on his way to work at a ski resort when the slippery Idaho roads caused him to loose control of his pickup and slide off the road. I was shocked when I heard the news, and it took me a while to finally accept it and move on. Throughout my life up to this point I always knew about Gods plan, that we will be able to see our loved ones again, but it never really meant much to me. After the death of my friend however I decided to research that topic a little more. Eventually my research took me to the story of the Saviors death and how those who loved him were able to see him again.After the Saviors death he was placed in a tomb. On the first day of the week the women came to tend to the body of Christ. But when they got to the tomb an "angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow...the angel... said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 28:2-6).
"Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre...she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master." (John 20:11, 14-16).
What I love about Easter is not only do we get to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, be we also get to be reminded that we too get to be resurrected, because of the mercy of a loving God! " Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous" "[In] the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body...The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame." (Alma 11:44; 40:21-23). What a blessing! We will all be resurrected and blessed with a perfected body! I am grateful to a loving God who will allow us, His children, to see those we love again and even have a perfect body just as He does.
Our living Prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, has declared his testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
"My beloved brothers and sisters, in our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: 'He is not here: for he is risen.'
He is risen! He is risen!

Tell it out with joyful voice.

He has burst his three days’ prison;

Let the whole wide earth rejoice.

Death is conquered; man is free.

Christ has won the victory! (Hymn #199)

As one of His special witnesses on earth today, this glorious Easter Sunday, I declare that this is true, in His sacred name—even the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior—amen." (He is Risen, April 2010)