We need to always seek to improve ourselves

I have been looking through various pictures I have taken over the years, whether they be sunsets, landscapes, star pictures, or even pictures of people. One thing I have noticed is that slowly, over time, the quality of composition, color, and image fineness has improved. I can put two very similar photos next to each other from different years, and there is obvious and drastic improvement. In a large way, this has been due to practice, improving my equipment, and seeking out and following advice from those who know more about photography than I do.

Like any skill or hobby, I still have much improvement to make. I am not taking the kinds of pictures found in professional magazines, or such as ones which would be found in fine art galleries. I do hope to reach that level at some point in my life however.

Similarly, we must practice, improve our "equipment", and seek advice from those who know more than us if we want to continue to progress towards eternal life and exhalation.

We must practice the "little things" over and over again, simply doing them once doesn't mean much. Had I stopped at my first night sky picture, and said "Yes; that is good enough, I can tell there are stars in the picture", I would have never seen my first nebula, or enjoyed the vast expanse of the milky way galaxy spreading across the night sky.

I never would have learned how to focus on the fine points of light which indicate the uncountable stars in the sky. Had I decided that I didn't need to continue to find ways of improving my pictures of sunsets, I never would have been able to learn about balancing the size of the aperture of the camera with the shutter speed, and fine tune the sensitivity to light in order to capture not only the bright rays of the sun, but the colors of the landscape around it as well.
Likewise, if we stop at our first, simple prayer, we will never find the relationship with God which will carry us through the times when the world falls apart, and nothing makes sense. We will not be able to withstand the onslaught of influences demeaning and degrading our beliefs if we only have read the first page of the Book of Mormon. Our testimony that God lives will slowly degrade over time due to the evil influences of the world around us if we are not constantly feeding it. Our temple covenants will be meaningless if we do not remember them because we never returned.

We need to have the proper equipment in order to receive revelation from God. Fortunately, we are all given the ability to ask and receive from God. This ability is improved over time as we learn more and refine our approach to asking God for answers. Like how a basic, shaky hand held camera can only catch a glimpse of the glorious night sky, we must also learn that the basics of our talents were never intended to help us make it all the way back to God; but were the starting point.

From observing what others do with their photograph composition, asking questions and talking to others who are clearly better than me, I have learned that finding a beautiful subject is only part of the equation. Two people can take pictures of the same object, and one will have a beautiful, award winning photograph, and one will have a snapshot which happens to include a beautiful object. It is all about how the photograph is composed, colors are balanced, and how the subject is presented. Likewise, we need to "ask" those who know more than us, whether it be seeking advice from a trusted priesthood or church leader, listening to the voices of the prophets, or seeking out answers from the scriptures. One of the consistent failures of humanity is that we often are seeking to go through this mess alone. Only by turning to those who have more experience can we ever hope to have a chance of making it through.

I testify that there are things which we can, and should be doing in order to continue growing in our faith and faithfulness. I testify that God lives. He loves us. He wants us to return to Him. He knows our needs, our pains, our sorrows, our suffering. He knows why we have strayed, and he knows how to bring us back. Not only this, but He knows how to do all of this with all of the love and caring of a tender parent who is far more concerned with our well being than punishing us for our sins. However, if we fight against Him, we will not find joy, but pain, sorrow, and suffering. I testify that as we stand in holy places, we will have an increase of His spirit in our lives, and will find the answers to our prayers. As we work to improve ourselves, practice the gospel, and listen to the prophets and our priesthood leaders, we will find the safety we so desire as we return to Heavenly Father, and will be able to hear His voice saying "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Trials don't have to crush us

The same weight which can crush the life out of you, can build your muscles, prolong your life, make your life easier, and make you stronger. It all depends on how you choose to use the weight. 

Like physical weight, the weight of an assignment, trial, or calling can do the same. If you focus on the overwhelming task before you, let your failures and fall backs crush your spirits, and allow the never ending task suffocate you, you will suffer through, and end up damaged, while never truly benefiting others. However, if you apply the strengths which you possess, find how to make yourself equal to the task, and most importantly, allow God to mold you, you will become stronger, better, happier, and lift others while you enjoy both the task, and the rewards reaped by completing the task.

The best part of all of this is that as you use what strengths you have, they will obviously become stronger, but so will your weaknesses. So choose to use the weight, rather than letting it crush you, and you will find greater success, joy, and peace. I so testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God

I want to get this blog going again. Actually... I feel that I need to get it going again. Last year, I attempted to share my testimony daily. I got through the first month, then ran out. I posted a couple more times, but eventually life took over, and I stopped posting.

I guess I should update some. I recently was called to be the Elder's quorum president in my ward. This calling absolutely terrifies me, as I don't feel like I measure up to what a Elder's quorum president should be. I feel like I struggle more than most would, and that I'm not really the best for this set of responsibilities, however, I feel that God truly did call me to do this, and I am working to trust in His hand, and follow His will as I struggle to balance life and this calling.

Now for the purpose of this post. I was in Ward Council this morning (a meeting where the leaders of my local church group meet to discuss the needs of our community), and we were discussing an activity that is happening in a few weeks, where testimonies of The Book of Mormon will be shared. Every member of the ward council has been asked to contribute our testimonies. I haven't done that yet. As I considered my testimony, I remembered this blog, and felt impressed that I need to start blogging again. However, it would be a good thing to mostly post about my studies in The Book of Mormon. I realized that there are many times where I read, and learn something that is either new to me, or I have understood differently than previous times that I read The Book. I also realized that I understand and love parts that others often say are confusing, hard to understand, or they are unsure why they are present in The Book of Mormon. Now, I don't know if people are just being humble, modest, or making jokes, but I really don't think that Isaiah is that hard to understand. The "war chapters" in Alma are essential to know and understand. Ether may be short and tragic, but it has direct repercussions to our day. The historical accounts are important, but even more so are the spiritual messages contained in them. As a result, I'm going to post what I learn daily on my blog. Today, I'm starting with my testimony:

I believe in the power of The Book of Mormon. It is the most important book in existence, and has the power to change lives more deeply and effectively than any behavioral program. The effects of reading and studying this book are both felt immediately and cumulatively throughout your life. Daily study is the best application of this wonderful book, but even starting small with weekly study will lift and benefit anyone. I testify that as you read the Book of Mormon, you will grow closer to God. As you do, repentance becomes more natural, the spirit will be more abundantly present, and even if life doesn't get easier, there will be more hope. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Forgiveness

To my first companion -

Dear Elder -

You may have been surprised when you got to the MTC in Brazil, and found out that you did not have a companion, and had to be re-assigned. I don't know if you ended up being a "solo" missionary, or if you were re-assigned to a three-way companionship, or if it was such a smooth transition that you did not even know you missed me as a companion. I truly hope it was the last one, and that my absence in no way impacted your ability to learn to share The Gospel. I apologize for missing out on the spiritual experiences we could have shared, for the insight we could have gained from each other, and for the friendship we would have shared. Nothing I can do would ever make up for that difference in our lives.

To my subsequent potential companions -

I truly hope that your mission was not impacted by my absence. I was told in blessings that you would not be, and I trust The Lord that is the case. Either way, I am truly sorry for my absence. It was completely my fault, and I apologize for my actions which could have impacted you negatively.

To the people of Joao Pessoa -

It will always sadden me that I was not able to go and serve in your area. I wanted to; I wished I could; and I worked as hard as I could to get there. Ultimately, my bad decisions made it so I did not ever go. I hope to be able to serve, hopefully in your area, if not; somewhere else. I truly hope that the missionaries that replaced me served even better than I would have. I pray that the gospel will have spread, and filled your hearts as I would have worked hard to do. I'm sorry.




These may seem out of character for this blog; they may not; I don't know. All I know is that I felt a need to do this. If I have harmed, hurt, or otherwise affected you in a negative way; your apology is coming.
Don't worry; I'm not dying or anything... just working to be a better, more Christlike person by repairing all of the wrongs that I possibly can, and let God take the rest.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ; Amen.

We all just need to take a deep breath sometimes.

So... I noticed something today. I think I understand one of the reasons atheists are sometimes so agitated by Christians. I was looking at a scientific picture, which was absolutely gorgeous by the way, and a comment on it went thusly:
"Glorious work of God, for us Humans to appreciate His greatness. The Creator of Space & Time to infinity!"
Now... those of you who read my blog frequently understand that I believe very firmly in God. I have a testimony, and am not afraid to share it. This blog is devoted entirely to my testimony, and sharing it. However, this comment.... well, something just doesn't quite seem right about it. I've noticed that there are Christians out there who refuse to even consider scientific explanations, for fear that it will disprove God, Heaven, and the afterlife somehow. This comment feels like that. It also feels somewhat pushy, and like it was just asking for a atheist to attack it and say something derogatory about God, or a belief in Him, so they can get in a fight about religion vs atheism/science.

Here is my problem with that kind of mindset: More and more, atheists are beginning to hate Christians. The predominant comments I see on stories about Christians being murdered are people applauding it. I'm seeing people say terrible things about our General Authorities. If you mention you are against same gender marriage (which, incidentally, I am), if you mention you are against abortion, (again, me too), or are against pornography (can I raise my hand any higher on that one?!), if you mention that you don't believe in evolution (eh... actually on the fence about that one... I'm starting to believe that we just don't have all the answers yet. Go to the temple thinking about it; and you'll see what I mean), or any of the other religion related hot-button items, you get attacked viciously. It's like there is no way to even comprehend that you could possibly have beliefs that go against the mainstream.

I do think that part of this is simply is the gathering of dark forces prior to the second coming of The Lord. That is fact. It was prophesied by multiple sources within the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and it is clearly happening today.

However, I also believe that part of it has to do with the way in which Christians often respond to attacks, or perceived attacks, on their belief system. Rather than seeing if the other side has any legitimacy, there is immediate reaction strongly against the discord of their beliefs. I think it comes down to the brain (I would, wouldn't I?) I think it has to do with cognitive dissonance. Rather than resolving the dissonance by exploring further, and finding common ground, most just go straight to their established beliefs, and violently shut out any opposing view. Saying this, however, I do realize that it is a two way street. I think that atheists do the same thing. This is one of the reasons people react so strongly, they just go with their gut instinct reaction, which is a externalization of their strong emotions. With the relative anonymity of social media and online presence, I think this is happening increasingly because people don't feel like they need to filter out what would be extremely uncomfortable in a face to face interaction, because they won't see how it affects the receiving individual.

So... the "so what?" of this rather long post is this: Next time someone says or posts something that makes you feel upset, violated, or otherwise uncomfortable... give yourself a second or two. Think about it from their perspective. Try to understand why they came to that conclusion. Most people looking for a fight are expecting a poorly thought out, illogical, and pre-canned response, and are waiting with their own poorly thought out, illogical pre-canned version. Even if they aren't looking for a fight; if you give them one, odds are they will get defensive and revert to the prior mentioned version of argument. If you surprise them by showing thought and consideration... well, you might just find yourself having a conversation rather than an argument, and one or both of you may actually get somewhere.

I also want to testify that I do know that there is a God. There is a afterlife, and there are consequences to our actions and words in this lifetime. God cares who we become. He wants us to be good people who make good choices and follow His commandments. Sometimes it is not easy to understand why we need to follow a particular commandment. I get that. I can also testify that if He gives us a commandment, if we follow it, and are seeking reasons behind the commandment, He will reveal them to us. I have found a lot of peace in some things, and strengthened my belief in some of the less popular commandments by doing so. I testify that there truly are good and evil things in this world, and that evil is increasing in strength. Satan will continue his attacks, and continue recruiting any who will listen to his siren's song, but he will never support his followers.
Follow God, follow the prophets. If you are reading the Book of Mormon, listening/reading to General Conference talks, working on keeping God's commandments, and praying daily; you will not be led astray.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ; amen.

God is real

I believe in God, The Eternal Father, and in His son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. This is the first Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I would like to add my voice behind this. He lives. He is real. He loves you, hears your prayers, and wants to help you. He loves you far more than you can imagine, but I know that you can feel His love in your life. God loves us no matter what, even if we sin. He wants to heal us, He wants us to repent and return to Him, not for His benefit, but for ours. He loves us enough that He even sent His only begotten son to earth to atone for our sins. Jesus died for each of us. That is a concept that is hard to understand, and I don't fully understand yet, but he died for my sins. Specifically. He knows what I have done wrong, he knows where I fail, where I fall short, and where I lack. He then customizes my plan of happiness to include what I need to overcome these aforementioned problems and sins. He knows my name, and He knows yours. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Revelation still happens today

There are moments in my life where I have felt strongly that I have received direction from Heavenly Father. One way I personally receive revelation is through dreams. When I have a dream that involves revelation, there is a different feeling than my normal dreams.
Often, the dreams that involve revelation also involve metaphors. Sometimes, the dreams are a little more direct. Several years ago, I had a dream. I was in a large city, and there were multiple monsters attacking the city. They were ultimately coming for me. I ran away, and hid. I was far away, in a different city, watching the monsters destroy lives, and ruin the city. They didn't know where I was, but then I realized I couldn't run forever, and they would eventually find me. I stood tall, and let them know where I was, and they all came to me. I let them attack me, I didn't fight back. They brought me to their leader, who brought me to one of our LDS temples. We were a bit of a distance off, but could clearly see it. The leader of the monsters was loudly proclaiming all of my sins to the group, telling them all why I deserved to die. Suddenly, the clouds around the temple parted, and it was bathed in light. I felt a strong impression that I needed to pray for forgiveness and help. I feel to my knees, and prayed. After I prayed, I stood up, broke my bounds, and faced the leader of the monsters. He attacked me, but it no longer had an effect on me. The clouds over me parted, the sun came through, my words destroyed the leader, and the monsters fled from me, terrified.

At this time, there were several things I was struggling with. However, I felt that if I would attend the temple frequently, I would be given greater power. Looking back, it truly did. I testify that God gives us revealed truth in many ways. He will help us understand what He needs us to do, and will bless us as we follow Him. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.