Hot Hot Heat

Because we are mortal, we have passed through the veil of forgetfulness and don't remember what we went through before we were born into this world. But God hasn't just sent us out without help. God has sent down the Holy Ghost to confirm truth to us.
There are lots of people who say "show me a sign" or I'll believe it when I see it. In an answer to a question, Elder Boyd K Packer told this story. If someone were to walk into this room holding a white hot branding iron and told you it was a hot iron, would you believe them more than if they blindfolded you and seared your skin with that same iron? And that is how our testimony of the Savior and truth should be. It should be a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead. John 3:27 "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven."

What does that mean for us? Lets not be a "doubting Thomas", but be blessed because we believe and have not seen. I know that we can receive spiritual witnesses if we will seek. As God has said repeatedly in holy writ "Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 1:3) Another announcement of "Ask and ye shall receive". So if we want to have a spiritual experience we need to prepare ourselves. Is it likely that God will bless us with a spiritual experience if we have not been preparing ourselves? Not likely. So read the scriptures, say your prayers, and live a Christlike life and you'll be happier and have a better opportunity to have a "spirtually searing" experience.

Man or Mouse!

Learning to surf

Growing up in Southern California is pretty fun. You have tons of things to do. Any sport can be played on any day because the weather is so nice. There are plenty of places to hang out, especially the beach. Now when I was just a wee lad (12) I was taught how to surf by a family friend. He would take me out and spent hours in the "whitewash" pushing me on waves and helping me learn. Matt Wright did that until I became good enough to go out and brave the "real" waves.
So then I had to learn how to catch waves by myself. I always had Matt with me helping me and showing me which waves to try and catch and which ones were not gonna be so good. Matt also taught my dad how to surf. So we would all go out and spend mornings before school (when I was supposed to be in Seminary) out surfing.
And as I had this experience with Matt and my dad, I became better. I learned which days I should go out. I learned how to choose the waves that would be the most enjoyable. I learned how to turn down the waves that would "closeout" and wouldn't be much fun. I learned how to recognize when the best time would be to paddle out, to avoid the waves (as much as possible) and where to set up and wait for the "sets" to roll in. (Click here to see why wave selection is important.) And now that I have had this experience I can go out alone and make decisions for myself. And when I go out with Matt and my dad, there is a phrase that gets said more than once, "Man or Mouse?!" We use that phrase to motivate or taunt or coax each other into paddle out into the surf or take off on a wave. The question is "Are you man enough?" Are you going to make the right decision?

Riding the waves of life

And so we too have been taught by a great teacher. We spent eons with Christ and our Heavenly Father before this mortal existence. They taught us the basics so that we could journey out into "real" life. And when we got to "real" life, we were not left alone. We were born to parents who love us and want to help us succeed in this life. And we spend some time with them to continue to learn. Our parents teach us how to select the best things in life. How to understand which "waves" or choices are going to be "closeouts". But soon enough, our time with them is over and we now can brave the vast ocean of life alone. We've been taught which things in life are going to be the best. Which choices are going to bring the most happiness. Now, after all this training its up to the individual. Its up to me, to you, to your kids. Its their choice. Man or Mouse!?

Heart like a lion

What a message. Click here if you want the lyrics.
The takeaway message that I can see in this is get up! Get up and change! Sometimes when we do something we know to be wrong we feel like there is no turning back. That we can't change and repent for knowingly "kicking against the pricks" and disobeying God. But we can! We can change where we're headed and have a change of heart. So i learned something pretty cool in this talk that I read. Because the Bible was originally written in Hebrew and then was translated into other languages, the word that was used for "repentance" was "shub". The Hebrew word "shub" translates to "to turn from". The message of the Old Testament is to "shub", or to turn from sin and back to our loving Father in Heaven- to leave unhappiness, sorrow, regret, and despair behind and turn back to our Father's family. There we can find true happiness, joy and acceptance among his other children.

Then, in the New Testament (which was written in Greek), the writers used the Greek word "metanoeo" to describe "repentance". And "metanoeo" means a change of mind, thought, or thinking so powerful that it changes one's very way of life. This is very interesting to me because I had always had this dreaded feeling about repentance. That it was so painful and it was just going to hurt more. I think I had that perception because of what happened when the Bible was translated into Latin. When they did this, the word "metanoeo" was translated into the Latin word "poenitere". And that word means "to punish, penance, penitent," and finally repentance! So the meaning of the word from turning away from, changed to a "Latin meaning that involved hurting, punishing, whipping, cutting, mutilating, disfiguring, starving, or even torturing!" Its no wonder that it seems so scary for us to repent!
So now that we know what repentance is not, lets get out and do what it is, and what this song is telling us to. Because our lives are not a practice run. We live once on this earth, so we need to act now. Because life is very precious. You never know when something is going to happen, or when you're gonna be leaving. To quote Rebelution "You better get up, You better get out, You better get up and turn your life around, You only live once, You better act now, cause you never know when It's gonna come back around".

What happens when we die?

In Fear and Faith

This a prob the biggest and most debated topic of any religion. And I hope to be able to help you see this clearly. When our spirits are separated from our bodies (physical death) where do our spirits go? Because we are made up of body and spirit right? So our bodies are laid to rest in the ground. Our spirits return to the "Spirit World" where we are to wait until our resurrection and judgment.

The Spirit World is made up of two sections, "Paradise" and "Prison". Paradise is a place where those who have been and done the things that they were supposed to while in this moral existance. Here they rest from, as the scriptures say, "from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow". Those in the other part of the Spirit World have a chance to repent. In prison is where those who have once rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or have not had the opportunity to hear it get that chance. Peter talks about this in his epistle. He says "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."(1 Peter 4:5-6) 

The one who unlocked the door to let us in

These places are only a pit stop for us though. We wait here until we are Resurrected and Judged. Until all that God has for us is accomplished.

We have a loving Heavenly Father, and His plan is perfect. He knows our hearts and our intents. John 3:16, He wants us to live with Him forever in His kingdom. And we all have that opportunity if we will but yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and do what is required of us.

Here is a quote from a song from the band In Fear and Faith, "In this life there's only wrong and right,
So don't forget you have a choice!"

Scarlet Letters

Well its been a while, and I just had an idea, so i think I'll try running with it. But I have been talking about tattoos with my companion (both of us have older brothers with them). Anyways, I was just thinking that they are a lasting reminder of the choice they made at one point in their life. And no matter where they go in life, they will have that to show. My brother has a full sleeve plus some, and getting them removed would be way very painful and way too expensive. So he wears them around always. And others can look at them and (as much as they shouldn't) judge him. He wears his own "Scarlet Letter".
Everyone will make a mistake or two in their lives. And in my case, a couple three billion, but not all of my mistakes are going to be broadcast to the world. Have you ever thought about how there is a constant stream of people, one right after another, who are being caught for things that they've done years ago. I mean just look at the news. First its Jim Tressel getting busted for being dishonest. And furthering his dishonesty with more dishonesty, and now hes trying his hardest to get out of the spotlight by "resigning". Before anything gets any worse. Before anymore damage can be done to his dishonest reputation. So he can try his best to hide from his sins, but my brother can't. But I would rather be in my brothers situation where he doesn't try and hide from his sins like a 6 year old that has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. No, my brother has faced up to his mistakes and has repented, sought forgiveness and made a determination to not repeat those mistakes. On the other hand, we have another public figure who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar the Governator Arnold. He committed adultery and had a child with another woman. But while he was in office when all this happened, did he try and take responsibility? No, he threw dirt on top of it and hoped it would just go away. And now that he has not been honest with those who trusted him with a government position, his wife, or himself, the rest of his life will be negatively affected. The stench of his mistake will last the rest of his life. And the same goes for Jim Tressel. Although Jim may have gotten away and off much easier than he would've, he will still have to face up to those at another time.

So I guess what I'm getting around to is that we all have made mistakes. Mistakes that create feelings of guilt and shame. But the good news is that we can have those burdens lightened (Matt 11:28-30) if we will turn to the Savior. And just because we don't have to wear around a giant sign that says we screwed up, doesn't mean that we don't need to repent. And when we repent, there are steps that we take. It isn't just a "oh I'm sorry" and then just keep going out to do it again. We follow the steps that are wonderfully laid out in this blog by Elder Davis.

"For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife." John 3:16

Untitled

 

I think that as we remember and realize what God has done for us in our lives, we become more humble. And because we're more humble, we are better prepared to receive the blessings that He wishes to give us.When we recognize how God has worked in our lives, it will allow us to see the way He is willing to bless us. Then we can ask for the things that He is willing to give us. And thus our will can and will mesh with His, and we will become "one" with God (John 17) 

I think that is a real challenge for us in this life, to develop those God-like qualities and discover in ourselves the things that God has blessed us with. I think if we will take the time to do as Elder Eyring says and recognize God's hand in our lives we will be able to see where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do. And we will develop the qualities that He would have us. God has a very deliberate and specific hand in our lives. He will lead us to truth as we seek. And that is what I invite everyone who reads this to test. See if He is not here. He is here.

My favorite person from The Book of Mormon

Love this picture of Jesus

I think my favorite person from The Book of Mormon would have to be Jesus Christ. I mean he did come and visit the people in the Americas. So that is an obvious no brainer... But for the sake of going in depth into the Book of Mormon, I'll talk about someone else.



So after that being said I would have to say that my favorite person (like so many other people) is Captain Moroni. Captain Moroni was a boss. He was appointed the leader of the Nephite army when he was just 25. Think about that. Being responsible for the lives of an entire army when you are 25 years old. When I turn 25, I'm gonna be in school worried about what classes I need to pass to get a degree to start work.



Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty



So with this trust that was put on Captain Moroni also came great power. I mean think about it, he was the Commander of an entire army of men, who would lay down their lives with him. I think the greatest part about Moroni is that he was given this power and yet it didn't get to him. You know the saying "Power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely corrupts", well that was not the case for Moroni.

Joseph Smith's Vision

When Moroni was out with his army, they had been fighting the Lamenites for a long while and he needed supplies from the cities. But they were not getting the help they desperately needed. And in an epistle to Pahoran he says this "Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country"(Alma 60:36). He is, in my opinion, the 2nd best example of what a man should be like. Even Moroni, while he was putting the plates together and reflecting on what Moroni was like said "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto ^aMoroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the ^bdevil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."(Alma 48:17). What bigger or better complement could a person give another than that? Especially coming from Mormon, the Prophet in charge of collecting and putting the plates together.

The Book of Mormon is full of great men. It is rich with the history, stories, and accounts of those who inhabited the Americas 600 BC to about 400 AD. This record was translated by the gift and power of God through the Prophet Joseph Smith. If you have read this and want to learn more and talk to me directly, click my facebook link and shoot me a message!

God is great! Come and investigate the claims that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints makes.

Grace, Faith, Works

There are many misconceptions about Mormons. One that I run into on a regular basis is that "Mormons believe that you work for your salvation". This is what I want to try and focus on for right now....
So, because those of the LDS faith choose to show their faith by their actions, they are looked down upon by the rest of the Christian world as denying the power that Christ has. Well lets discuss this more. We believe that the Bible is the word of God. We believe all the promises therein. And just like the rest of the Christian world we believe that, "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"(Ephesians 2:8) We do not deny that it is solely by grace that we are saved. Grace is defined as an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation. Because Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), it is only in and through Him that we can receive eternal life and exaltation.

The Reason

And now, because of this, I want to live my life in a way that is pleasing in the sight of God. I want to go out and serve. I want to help others, both believers and non-believers. Why? Why would I want to do that? Because I love God. I love my Savior. This love that I have for them, how do i show it? I show it in how I live my life. Not like the hypocrites who profess to know Jesus, and as the scripture says They ^aprofess that they ^bknow God; but in ^cworks they ^ddeny him, being abominable, and ^edisobedient, and unto every good work ^freprobate(Titus 1:15) But I will show my faith by the way I live my life. And this is not just me and my opinion, this is how your everyday "Mormons" live (or at least try). A perfect example of this is shared by James in the 2nd chapter he says "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that ^afaith without ^bworks is dead?

Was not Abraham our father ^ajustified by works, when he had ^boffered Isaac his son upon the altar?

 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by ^aworks was faith made ^bperfect?" 

I know that it is because Christ is so forgiving that I can receive eternal life and exaltation. That I will show my love for Him by the way I treat others. And I will fail, I will fall short, but because he is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), I can and will be forgiven through my sincere repentance. And I could continue to blab on, but I will stop here. I know the Savior lives and loves. And because of that I am doing the things I'm doing.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow

Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.

"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.


But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
Myra Brooks Welch

Come to the Savior submissive as a child

Yesterday I heard a missionary quote this poem and it made me think how we are all like this old violin. That we are all imperfect. That we have all been through so much in our lives that have scarred us. The mistakes that we've made have marred us, putting us out of tune, and have caused us to look and sound terrible. But when we realize that we've made these mistakes, its not the end. We can turn ourselves over to the Savior. We can become better. We can be made into who and what the Savior wants and knows we can be. But this is only possible if we are willing to submit to His will and do the things that He has asked and required of us.  Just like the scriptures say, " For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)
Sure, we can add another title to the Savior, how about the Great Musician? But like a musician who is without an instrument, so to, the Savior can not work on us without our submission. So lets develop that motivation to put our desires in line with God's will for us. Then we will be the most valuable to the Savior, and the best instruments in His hands.

Gollum.... and the Godhead

Alright, well its another day, so I guess I'll post another blog. So last night I was talking with Elder Akina and I had some thoughts come to me. We were talking about the TG Godhead, and how others understand the Godhead.
Because in the scriptures Jesus says that He and Heavenly Father are "one", people take that very literally and say, OK they are the same. Well the concept of the "Trinity" is not one found in the New Testament, but rather it is a man formed view of God. Harper’s Bible Dictionary records that “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].” (Paul F. Achtemeier, ed. (1985), 1099)
Anyways, I was thinking about all the different situations that are recorded in the New Testament when Jesus is speaking to  Heavenly Father and how weird it would be to think that He was actually talking to Himself... I mean, when He was hanging on the cross he asked Heavenly Father for the forgiveness of those who were crucifying Him. And then later when he is still there, He cries out "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"(Matthew 27:46)
It just doesn't make sense to me (Heavenly Father and Jesus being the same person). And then I thought about Gollum in the Lord of the Rings talking to himself.. I know that drawing that parallel is boarder line blasphemous, but that is how I see it. God our Heavenly Father is one with Jesus Christ in every sense of the word, other than the same physical body. As Elder Jeffery R Holland stated in his October 2007 General Conference talk, "We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings."
Some of the evidences I gave earlier show this point, also during Christ's prayer for His Apostles after the last supper. As recorded in St John chapter 17 (http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/17?lang=eng) "18 As thou hast ^asent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

 19And for their sakes I ^asanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

 20Neither ^apray I for these alone, but for them also which shall ^bbelieve on me through their word;

 21That they all may be ^aone; as thou, ^bFather, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ^cone in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ^aone, even as we are ^bone:"

If you'll read the whole chapter, it will give you a clearer understanding of the whole verses I just shared. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are two distinct individuals who have their own separate bodies. Another testament to this point is Joseph Smith's first vision in the Sacred Grove where he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ.  I know the scriptures are true and that they are further proof that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom established once again onto the earth preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah!

Once again, if what I said doesn't make complete sense to you and you think I'm wrong, read this and it will explain it much better than I can http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/the-only-true-god-and-jesus-christ-whom-he-hath-sent?lang=eng&query=holland+whom+thou+hast+sent

DO NOT take away from or ADD to.....

OK, so there are people who have legitimate concerns about the Book of Mormon because it "adds" to the bible, and according to Revelations, that is a BIG no no... Well first off, we "Mormons" believe the Bible to be the word of God. So yes we agree with that statement in the Bible... So now let me explain this... (this is all basically being taken from a talk given by Elder Holland an Apostle)

If you will just imagine with me that we are watching all the chaos that is happening when Christ returns to Jerusalem. There is a HUGE gathering for the Passover (a major religious holiday for the Jews). The Pharisees and the Sadducees have just stirred the Jews into a blood thirsty frenzy, and caused a very strict to the rules Jewish people, to completely forget/ignore the proper channels which they were supposed to go through to have a trial, and illegally condemned Christ to death.

So, Christ is crucified and His followers are sent into hiding. Then, the rest of the bible happens. First, we have the acts of the apostles. They go and preach repentance and baptism. We have the account of Saul, who is visited by Christ Himself, and sent to preach. After the acts, we have all of Paul's epistles to people. Along with epistles written by Timothy, James, John, Peter, Jude, and the revelation given to John.

Today, we are lucky enough to have these books from these great men. These epistles were all written at different times and different places. And eventually these epistles all came together, gathered by I don't know who, and put into a volume, and labeled the Bible!

So the scripture in Revelations that says not to take away from or add too is clearly talking about the book of Revelations itself. It was not a declaration for the rest of time saying that the windows of Heaven are shut and no more revelation will be given. On the contrary, the Bible itself says that whenever a man speaks under the influence of the Holy Ghost, it is scripture.

The windows of Heaven are open. God speaks! not spake. And His mouthpiece is the Prophet Thomas S Monson today! If you do not think that there is a need for a Prophet, look at Amos 3:7 and see what that says.

I know that God lives and loves us. That He loves us so much that He sent His only son to suffer, bleed, and die for all of us.

PS: Here is a link to Elder Holland's talk... it'll make more sense than I can http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/my-words-never-cease?lang=eng&query=add+bible#4

A Poem For You

So let me preface this, 1 I am not very good at this, so don't judge. 2 if I combine two words, say it fast to yourself so it will end up rhyming... and 3..... enjoy! (PS: no title... suggestions are welcome in the comment box)

When we cross the veil

we forget who we are

Born to our family

we bring light from afar

But Satan and his angels
know us real well

They know who we were

before we crossed the veil

So they'll do all in their power

to tempt us to sin

We'll fight and we'll struggle

and sometimes give in

But because of our Brother
who offered Himself
We can repent
and gain spiritual wealth

Be healed through His power
forgicen for sin

Have heavenly moments

when the veil is real thin

And as we get older
and grow spiritually
We'll become that Son or Daughter
we're destined to be

Cuz before the veil
when Satan wastossed out
The whole host of heaven
let out a great shout

Cuz we got the chance

to have an earthly home
And God wants to hear from us

so He gave us a phone

Our prayers are answered

by our loving God

He loves all His children
me, you and even Todd

So let us remember
where we came from
The plan God has
and what we can become

Daytons Legs

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves" - Sir James M. Barrie



What an incredible kid. Someone who was taught from the time he was a child to love his neighbors. Whats most impressive is that he applied the knowledge that he had. That kind of loving service and is hard to match. By doing this, by serving his brother, Spencer allowed himself to be the miracle for someone else.

I hope that someday I can look back on my life and see that I have been able to do something miraculous for someone else. I hope that I will be able to apply the lessons that my parents have taught me in my life. So that I can become a better person for it. And then ask myself this question, (taken from Alma 5:14) "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances?" Can we see that we've changed our hearts and have been spiritually born of God? And have we been able to receive His image in our countenances?

As we serve our brothers and sisters, we serve God. (Matt. 25:40) "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have ^adone it unto one of the ^bleast of these my ^cbrethren, ye have done it unto me." I know that as we serve those around us, God is pleased and smiles down on us. So lets receive God's countenance in our image by being His hands here on the earth.

A Testimony

Well I thought it would be a good idea to follow up my last series of posts with something that the others were lacking.... SIMPLICITY!.. You can really go into great details about the Gospel. You can prove points up and down, using the scriptures and even scientific studies and books, but that will not build a "testimony". A testimony is yours. It is what you think, feel, believe, and know. And it is my testimony that Jesus is the Christ. That He is the one who came into the world to fulfill the words of ALL the other Prophets before Him. That He took upon Himself, not only the sins of the world, but ALL the pains, sufferings, and afflictions, both physical and emotional that ALL mankind would endure. Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world. He is the "Bread of Life" and the "Fountain of Water" that is springing up into everlasting life. I know, because of recorded history, study and prayer, that He was literally resurrected from His borrowed tomb, and that He broke the bands of death for His people.

I believe in miracles and that there are miracles all around us. I believe that we can be the miracle for someone else. That if we will live according to the principles set forth in doctrine given by Christ that He can and will help us find those in need. Just like the Good Samaritan, we can be a miracle to someone else. And if we look close enough, we will see God's hand in our lives. We will see the path that we've taken and how we've been guided to those who changed, and will change the course of our lives. I love being a missionary and spreading the Good Word!

Revealed Truth and Science Pt 3: Life and DNA

Life

           Science defines a living thing as one that has form, can reproduce itself, can make or break down complex biomolecules and can take energy in one form and make it into another. Although this is a "definition" it is merely a description of the characteristics of living things. It does not really define life. Revealed truht talks about the "breath of life" (Genesis 2:7) which makes the soul composed of the spirit and the mortal body. Body without spirit is dead. The Gospel also speakes of many inanitmate objects having life- for instance the earth (See Moses 6). Scientists have never succeeded in making a living thing from non-living biomolecules. Recently they have made a piece of DNA in the lab (it took 15 years) which was inserted into a cell whose DNA was extracted, and the cell lived and reproduced itself according to the inserted DNA genetic message. However, synthetic biomolecules do not live, in and of themselves. The essence of life remains an unanswered question scientifically.
    
           From the Gospel's standpoint we are given to understand that Christ is the light and life of the world. (John 1:4, Mosiah 16:9) Yet we do not understand this very essence of life, other than it comes from the Father (the breath of life) and seems to be coupled with light. We are aware that the body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26), so the spirit is essential. But spirit is light (Doctrine and Covenants 84:45), so light and life are coupled very tightly. Yet we (at least I) really don't understand what this light really is.

DNA

            Much has been made of DNA testing and typing to provide evidence for relationships between individuals or individuals and forensic evidence. When the markers agre, there is a very high likelihood of an individual's identity and lineage. But when the markers don't match, considerable uncertainty exists. In other words, DNA testing can tell you things that are related rather conclusively, but cannot tell you when they aren't to the same certainty at all. With genealogical relationships, as the number of generations increase, so does the uncertainty in a mismatch. The DNA evidence for native American lineage is one such example. Much evidence accumulated since the first studies which indicated that all American Indians came from the far east has led to serious question about this theory.

Find the refrences to the scriptures right here http://lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng

Fashion and 8 Track Players

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

We have a calendar in our apartment and today I just changed it from the month of February to March. The calendar is one that has pictures of beautiful things, mountains, rivers, trees, animals ECT, and it also has a quote. And that is the quote that was for the month of March.

And as I have reflected on it, the quote has really struck me and made me think. To go with the flow in style, but to stand like a rock in matters of principle. I wish we had government leaders who would do that. But that’s beside the point. Because style is constantly changing and new fads are coming out and others fading out, it’s ok for us to move with them. But important things, matters of principle we should stand as a rock. I don't know about you, but for me, this world isn't too hip on having values really. Right now I have the pleasure of teaching this family and they have expressed concerns that they don't like the fact that religious groups don't make a stand because they don't want to offend anyone... And that is something that separates The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from others, is the fact that we stand for something. There are values and virtues that the world tramples under their feet, saying that they are old fashioned, out-dated, and irrelevant in society today. But that is not truth. Sure, the 8 track player in cars is out-dated, and the CD player is going to be pretty soon, but living a chaste life is not. Living an honest life is not. Being a virtuous person is not.

The morals of society will continue to decay, fashion will change, but the values that strengthen individuals, families, communities, societies, nations, and the world will hold fast and stand strong, and if necessary alone. Because God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants nothing more than for our happiness. That’s why He has given us families and the gospel to strengthen us and our families. I know Heavenly Father knows me and answers my prayers. You can too. Just try Him.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”

The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”

- Mary Stevenson

I love this poem because we are human and have faults. And in my case, many faults. And we sometimes do not realize what is taking place in our lives when we feel down and alone. He is there to hold us up, to strengthen us and to give us peace.

Life is tough. Just ask my parents. Things happen that can cause so much pain. But the great thing is that Christ has been there, He has felt our pain and knows how to "succor" us perfectly.

Finish Strong

I chose to talk today about "Finishing Strong". This has been something that has really stuck out to me because it can apply in so many different ways into our lives. While i was at Davis, our coach told us that we would play great. We would do really well, but we would come up short. We couldnt finish the game. And that motto has stuck with me. Even Shawn Merriman has it tatooed on his neck. In football, as well as in life it is important to finish strong.

We all know that Satan is real. We know that he is good at what he does. And just like any foe, he will attack us when we are the weakest. He will go after us when we are tired, when we are down, when we are most vulnerable. This is when we need to finish strong.

In high school, at the end of every football game we had a signal to remind us to finish strong. At the begining of the 4th quarter everyone on our team would hold up 4 fingers. That reminded us that it was now that we would win the game. It was then that we would play our best to finish the game strong and defeat the opponent.

Just like we did for our football games, we can do for our lives. We all have weaknesses and we know where they are. We can set up reminders to help us finish strong. Whether that is a picture of the Savior in our wallet. Or having an escape route to avoid sin, we need those things to help us because we are weak. We must rely on the Savior to help us with those temptations. But we must first help ourselves by having a reminder to finish strong, then the Savior will help us when we are in need. I know God loves us. He loves us so much that he sent His son Jesus Christ to pay the debt that we owe. All they ask of us is to obey the commandments and to reach to them because their arms are always outstreached towards us.