Sharing Faith in Christ on the Web

There's little stopping most of us from sharing our testimony online like this.  I know that Jesus Christ continues to live today and the major work of preparing for his return is to tell the entire world that he lives and appears to modern prophets.  As Lindsay says in this video, we have the privilege of being able to share our faith.  Let's put it to good use.

Random Thursday post!

I was listening to a talk by an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Bruce R. McConkie today, and it led me to finding this slideshow about our Savior. The talk I listened to is called "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane". It is a powerful witness by a SPECIAL witness of Christ. I would highly recommend it for anybody who wants to know just a little more about the story of Christ's last 24 hours in mortality. For now, here is the slideshow. Comment and give YOUR testimony of Jesus Christ!

A New Beginning

Hope Exists: A New Beginning

It is that dreaded time a year again. It is a new year. Prepare to start messing up the date every time you write it. That is what I do at least. A new year is a time of new beginnings. Not only do we have to be wary in writing the date, but also a time to set goals, to change something in our lives. Whether it be a bad habit or a good habit we want to develop, there is always room for improvement.

With all these resolutions we have to do better, somewhere along the way we screw up. It is inevitable, we are only human. After so many times of messing up, some of us give up. We say it is much too hard to change and I keep failing every time I attempt to do so. That is not true. We can change. The reason we can change is because of our Savior , Jesus Christ.

The true power to change comes from relying on Jesus Christ for our source of support. Experts say the best way to break a habit is by having a support system. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he is the best support system. He knows exactly what it feels like to try to change. 

Trying to quit smoking? He knows what it feels like to have the gnawing need for nicotine. Trying to lose weight? He has borne the pain and sorrows that come from trying to take care of the temple (our bodies) that God has given us.  When we turn to Jesus Christ for help, he gives us the necessary strength to change.

In order to truly change, our hearts need to be changed. When that happens everything else falls into place. That doesn’t mean everything will be perfect, but we will have peace. The peace that in the Lord’s timing everything will work out. We can change and we can improve ourselves, especially if we ask for help from our Savior, Jesus Christ. With His help, we can have hope and experience joy, even in times of troubles.

To learn more visit Mormon.org


Posted by Sister Amanda Kissel
See her blog at: http://hopeexists.wordpress.com/

The Name's Elder: 1 Nephi 7 - Does God Answer Prayers?

"I will call attention to what may be a common insight in chapter 7. But it is common because it is good. It is important. It is powerful. Lets look at verses 17 & 18. Nephi has been tied up and left for dead. What a great situation to be in. I'm sure he's thanking the Lord for these tribulations. Ha!

So what does he do, well of course, he PRAYS for help. He asks the Lord for the strength to "burst" the bands he is held bound with. But are they burst? Not so much. We read that they are but "loosed". Now this is a small difference, but we can learn a big lesson from it. Does the Lord sometimes answer our prayers according to our needs, and not necessarily according to our wants? When it comes down to it, all Nephi needed was to be freed from being bound. He didn't necessarily need strength to break the bands. Do we sometimes ask the Lord for something we want, and he gives us something a little different? Do we recognize that our prayer has been answered, or do we look beyond the mark, having our heart set on what we wanted?

S. Michael Wilcox expounds this principle extremely well in a talk given as a devotional at BYU-Hawaii. He references Luke 11:9-13. When we ask for bread, God does not give us stones. The same principle applies in all things. When we ask for bread, the Lord gives us bread. He fill our needs. But sometimes we may be so focused on getting marble rye, that when He gives us whole wheat, we don't accept it. It becomes a stone. (Read the whole talk HERE, its fantastic but reallylong)

In Nephi's case, I hardly think he's about to be upset about not receiving strength to break the bands as he asked. Surely he is thrilled just to be free. I hope we will all accept the help and guidance the Lord offers us, and not be so focused on what we want, that we don't recognize that He has likely given us, or surely will give us, what we need. The Lord answers in His own way, in His own time. But He does answer. And He does so according to our faith (v.17). May we trust in Him that He will always give us bread, no matter what kind.

Does God Answer Prayers?


By Elder Kunz

See this blog at http://thebookisblue.blogspot.com/