The White House... of the Lord

After being closed for several weeks because of the holidays, the temple reopened this week.  On Thursday mornings I volunteer with my mission in the temple to help make the temple a reverent place where people there can worship.  We assist people through a ceremony that outlines for them God's plan for our happiness and the means by which we can return to him.  Today we were able to do that again, and I loved it so much that we're probably visiting again tomorrow morning.



With the Christmas season well over now, it's wonderful to have the temple as a reminder of Christ to keep the Christmas spirit going.  I really do feel close to God in His temple.  I wonder, if it feels that good to visit the temple after it was closed for several weeks, it must be so much more of a difference between a world where there was no temple to our God after the temple in Jerusalem and now when God has enabled His people to build a temple again.

1 Nephi 14 - Bible + Book of Mormon = Good

The Name's Elder: 1 Nephi 14 - Bible + Book of Mormon = Good: "The prophecies in these chapters are beautiful. They feel good. Towards the end of this chapter, Nephi is told that he shall not write the remainder of the things which he has seen, but that one of the Apostles of the Lamb of God shall write them. Hopefully this sounds familiar, but if not, verse 27 leaves no room to err. The Apostle's name would be John. Let me think for a moment, where was it again that I've read about the end of the world and the events preceding Christ's second coming? I believe that would be the Book of Revelation, written by the Apostle John.

Let us also reflect on some of the teachings of the preceding chapters - that many of the plain and precious truths and covenants contained in the record of the Jews (Bible) would be lost.

So - for events concerning the end of the world, we turn to the Bible. For a more clear and all-encompassing collection of the doctrines of Christ's Gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, endure...), we turn to the Book of Mormon. For a more detailed description of the life of Christ, we turn to the Bible. For a second testament of His life, we open the Book of Mormon. And so on, and so forth.

What I mean to suggest by all this is that BOTH are very desirable. Both have much to offer us. We need these two testimonies as one in our hands, as prophesied would be the case in Ezekiel 37:15-17. One supports the other. What a blessing to have such access to the precious word of God. May we all be overcome with gratitude in so much that we take advantage of these wonderful blessings. "



Posted by Elder Kunz
See his blog at http://thebookisblue.blogspot.com/

My Gift of Love to You: My Testimony

A Brief Introductory Documentary of Me When I was 15

In the spirit of this holiday, the best gift I can give to everyone is my testimony of this glorious Gospel.  I have been given many blessed gifts in all of my life and I want to express to you my gratitude of all those blessings I have.

Leaving the orphanage brought about so many new experiences for me.  It was a whole new life as my mom mentioned in her writing.  Even with all the miracles of the adoption story alone, the blessings didn’t stop there.

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/