Have you ever looked at a "Magic Eye" image? At first glance it just looks like a pattern of jumbled colors and hues. However, when we take the time to look closer and focus, we find that there is more to the image than meets the eye.
This is the same for people we come in contact with everyday or our neighbors. Their image may not seem like much, but when we look closer and take the time to get to know them we may find that there is more than we may initially think. However, before we can get to know and love our neighbors we must first get to know and love ourselves.
When you look in the mirror in the morning what do you see? Do you see yourself as a child of a Heavenly Father who loves and cares about you? Do you see the love that your Savior Jesus Christ has for you as he sweat blood from every pore so that you might have joy? Do you love yourself? If you answered no to any or all of these questions, then it is time that you learn to love yourself! There is more to you than is on the outside surface. You are literally a child of God, "And if [a child], then [an]heir; [an] heir of God, and [a] joint-heir with Christ..." (Romans 8:16-17)
It's time that you see yourself for what you really are and who you can become.
We do this by following Jesus Christ. When we follow him and his teaching then we receive his image in our countenance. We love ourselves because He loves us and we love him. We begin to see ourselves beneath the surface and begin to decipher who we really are.
To learn more about our savior Jesus Christ click on one of the Links below, and begin to recognize who you are.
The other day, my companion and I were driving down a backstreet here in Missoula. I am still pretty unfamiliar with the roads around the city, but I knew what road we were on and I thought that if we just stayed on that road it would lead us to where we were going. Suddenly the road forked, I hesitated for a moment not knowing which way I should go. Luckily my companion who is much more familiar with the area was there to guide me in the right direction, and we reached our destination in quickly and safely.
Often in life we feel like we are doing the best we can, we know where we're at, and we know that we're on the right road. However, many times a fork suddenly appears in our road. We don't know which way to turn, or what to do. Luckily we too have a companion that will tell us which way to go. Jesus Christ has set the example for us in all things that we encounter.
"...Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3) He laid the example before us, and given us his words. The scriptures tell us all things what we should do. If we read them with a sincere heart, willing to act upon and apply their message into our lives, and pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Christ to know if they are true, they will show us the direction to go when we reach the fork in the road.
It takes effort on our part, but if we do our best we will not be left alone wondering whether we should go left or right. With the help of the scriptures and through sincere prayer, we can find our way.
Trust Me! I have asked myself why I am serving a mission more than once. Why to I try to talk to people walking down the street? Why do I knock on strangers doors? Why do I exhaust myself just to share a message?
There are few things that I absolutely without-a-doubt know, such as: 2+2=4, fire is hot, the sun will come up tomorrow, and that the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth by a living prophet. How do I know this you ask? A similar question was asked to a prophet long ago. His name was Alma and he was on a mission similar to what I am. He said, "And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." (Alma 5: 45-46)
Some of you may also ask, how do you know something you can't see exists? Let me answer that by asking you a question that Boyd K. Packer asked members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If I held a red-hot branding iron, would it be more impressive to show it to you and tell you it's hot? Or would it be more impressive to blindfold you and touch it to your chest.
The Holy Ghost works the same way. I can't see him, but because of the feelings that he gives to me I know that he exists, and by that same power I know that Jesus is the Christ, and that he has again restored the fullness of his gospel to the earth in these days just as in times of old. This knowledge however, did not come all at once. Just as the prophet Alma, I have fasted and prayed many days to know of these things for myself, and the Lord has answered me through the power of the Holy Ghost. This knowledge has brought great happiness and blessings into my life.
What does this have to do with why I am serving a mission? Well, I'll tell you. We have a remarkable message of God's love for his children, that the fullness of His gospel has been restored, and he still leads and guides us today through a modern prophet. As I said before, this knowledge has blessed my life in so many ways that it would take me two eternities to count them all. That's why I'm here! To share this message with others so that they can feel and know the same things that I know and feel the love, happiness, hope, joy, comfort, long-suffering, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5: 22-23) that I have felt in my life.
In the book of Matthew he says this about prophets, " Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20) The fruit of the modern prophet is the Book of Mormon and I promise you that if you study from the Book of Mormon and ask God the Eternal Father in the name of Christ if it is true with a sincere heart, real intent, having faith in Christ. God WILL tell you it's true by the same power that I know it is true, and Alma knew it was true, and the 14 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saint's know that it is true. This is why I'm here.
Today, I feel enlightened to share my testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I know that He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and that he suffered all things so that he would now how to help me in my times of need (Alma 7:11-13).
The other night I was reminiscing about some of the experiences that I have had in my life. In each experience I thought about I felt as though I was unable to reach my full potential because of some outside source. I felt short changed because someone else's freedom to choose had limited my ability to succeed, as often happens throughout the course of life. Then a friend brought the Savior to my remembrance, and the Atonement that he suffered. The mistakes and incorrect choices that you and I make everyday led him to have to suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The choice that someone very close to Christ made to sell Him for the price of a slave caused Him to be lifted up upon the cross and suffer the pains of physical death. However, the Savior's love for us shined forth out of the pain and the torment that He felt during the moments of suffering. He rose on the third day as a resurrected being and conquered physical death.
Though sometimes I feel that other's choices hold me back and bring me down, I stand comforted to know that one day, as long as I keep trying to be the best I can, I will reach my full potential because of the love of our Father in Heaven for us and because Christ suffered all things for me and for you (Romans 8:16-17).
Incredible amounts of rain have poured over the Montana landscape over the passed several days. As a result from the heavy precipitation many streams, rivers, and creeks have flown over their usual boundaries, and water has ended up in the basements of homes and in the streets.
In many of the places where the rivers are beginning to flood, many people have gathered and began to place sandbags, dirt, and other barriers along the banks of the rivers to keep the water from spilling over into the town. If the water did come into town, then many homes would be ruined or even swept away, and many lives would be at risk.
As the floods of affliction and trials pour into our everyday lives, are we taking the time to sandbag and build our barrier against the adversary? Are we built upon the sure foundation, who is Christ, that we will not be swept away in the current of adversity?
In the Book of Mormon, Helaman counsels his sons to build their foundation the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. He says, "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
Life's storms will beat upon us, the winds will rush against us, and the floods will come in. However, if we are built upon the sure foundation, the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ, we will not and cannot fall. Let us build up our barriers against the floods of life by immersing ourselves in the word of God, which is both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Let us call upon God through mighty prayer, not only in the face of trials, but at all times for He knows us, loves us, and with him all things are possible. Let us be built upon Jesus Christ, stand as an "...example of the believers," (1 Timothy 4:12) and be more devoted disciples of our Lord and Savior.
In July 1976, Israeli special forces made a daring raid at an airport in Entebbe, Uganda, in which 103 Jewish hostages were freed. In less than fifteen minutes, the soldiers had killed all seven of the kidnappers and set the captives free.
As successful as the rescue was, however, three of the hostages were killed during the raid. As Israeli commandos entered the terminal, they shouted in Hebrew, "Get down! Crawl!" The Jewish hostages understood and lay down on the floor, while the guerrillas, who did not speak Hebrew, were left standing. Quickly the rescuers shot the upright kidnappers.
However, two of the hostages hesitated and were also cut down. One young man was lying down and actually stood up when the commandos entered the airport. He, too, was shot with the bullets meant for the enemy. Had these three heeded the soldiers' command they would have been freed with the rest of the captives.
Obedience is the first law of heaven. It is an act of faith. You may sometimes be required to do things you do not completely understand. It is important in these situations to remember that "...man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend." (Mosiah 4:9) If we refuse to head to the counsel of the Lord and keep His commandments, we too will become a casualty in the war against sin and temptation.
As we obey we increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection, and freedom. The Lord tells us, " I, the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when you do not what I say, ye have no promise." The Lord has blessings in store for us if we obey his commandments and cleave to his words.
Just like the Jewish prisoners who were freed when they listened and obeyed the instructions of the Israeli officers, we too can be freed from personal bondage when we heed the instruction of the Lord. We can be made clean from addiction, made spotless from sin, and be led to glorify God through Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.
Ezra Taft Benson once said, "When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, then God will endow us with power from on high." God will give us the strength to do everything, if we are obedient to him. Often in the world today, obedience seems to mean that we are made captive or imprisoned. However, being obedient does just the opposite, it makes us free by allowing us to overcome the captivity that is wrought by sin and disobedience to God's commandments. Ezra Taft Benson also relates this story to the principle of obedience:
While flying a kite, I once asked my father, “Dad, what holds the kite up?”
“The String,” he replied.
“No, Dad, the string holds it down, not up.”
“If you think so, let go of the string,” he said, “and see what happens.”
I let go and the kite began to fall! It seems odd that the very thing which seems to keep the kite down is actually what keeps it up. And this is true not only of kites but of life. Those strings that are tied to us, those rules and regulations that seem to hold us down, are actually holding us up.
And certainly in the realm of the spirit, in the field of faith, this same truth holds with even greater force. The word “religion” is said to come from a Latin root meaning “to hold back” or tie back. And this is what religion does. It provides the string to the soaring kite of our spirit; it keeps us from falling! It binds us to great values; it attaches us to great causes; it helps us fly high in the aid of God’s truth and lifts us until our heads touch the stars and our lives take on the beauty of men and women who are bound closely to God.
I add my witness to Ezra Taft Benson's, that as we strive to be obedient and live the laws of the Lord, we will establish an armor around our spirits that will offer protection from temptation. May we all strive to be more obedient, seek the love that our Savior offers us through obedience to his commandments. Through our obedience, he will rescue us.
One of the greatest football coaches in history once said, "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." Diligence is the principle that drives us to be better, and to work hard for the things that we want to accomplish. It is the steady, consistent, and energetic effort in doing the Lord's work. If we want reap success from the work each of us are involved in, we must be diligent.
Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy at birth as a result from oxygen deprivation . Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no hope of him recovering and living a normal life. The quest then began to help Rick become involved in the community, sports, and education.
In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."
This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days(Team Hoyt)
Just as Dick's diligence is an expression of love to his son. Our diligence is an expression of love to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Pushing forward when we are tired, and living the commandments of the Lord when don't think we can is a great sign of faith.
Through exercising diligence we become more like our savior who was the ultimate example of diligence. He completed his mission on this earth even though he knew that the path he would have to walk would be a long and painful one. When he was about to endure the greatest pain the world has ever known and he said to his father, "..take away this cup from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Mark 14:36) He knew of his divinity and knew the diligence it would take to accomplish the task that was at hand. Yet, he laid the example before us and fulfilled the will of the father by atoning for the sins of the world.
As we press forward with all energy of our hearts, striving to become more like our savior everyday, the love our our Father in Heaven will be manifest through us. We will find that the Lord will make more out of us that we can make out of ourselves. It's not easy, it takes work, but all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us.
I remember being amazed as I was watching a football game. One of the teams had an incredibly talented tail back. He was very quick and agile. He would be carrying the ball in the middle of the field, and just when you thought the defense had him wrapped up, he'd slip through their grasp and scamper for thirty more yards.
The elusiveness of the tailback closely relates to the Christlike attribute of humility. Humility displays the same type of traits that the tailback did in the fact of just when we think we are humble, we learn that we are not. This tricky trait allows us to rely on God without realizing that we are relying on him. Elder Marlin K Jensen of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints said, "Consciously trying to acquire humility is also problematic. I remember once hearing one of my colleagues... say about humility that 'if you think you have it, you don’t.' He suggested we should try to develop humility and be sure we didn’t know when we got it, and then we would have it. But if we ever thought we
had it, we wouldn't"
This is one of the lessons C. S. Lewis teaches in his well-known Screwtape Letters. In letter XIV, a good man who is being recruited by a devil and his apprentice to their side is growing humble, and the devil remarks that “this is very bad.” With great insight, Lewis has the devil say to his associate, “Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact?"
It seems as though humility is always just out of our grasp. So, how do we develop this evasive trait? Christ helps us to understand when his disciples ask him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He responded by placing a little child in their midst and stating, “Whosoever … shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”(Matt. 18:1, 4)
In this passage the Savior teaches that to be humble is to become like a little child. The Book of Mormon teaches us what it means to become as a little child when it says, "For the natural man is an enemy to God... 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."
Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for his divine help. Humility is the ability to become as a little child and submit to will of our Father in Heaven just as children submit to the will of their parents.
Contrary to the world's view on humility, it is not a sign of weakness. Humility is a sign of spiritual strength. When you humbly trust the Lord and acknowledge His power and mercy, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are able to be confident that you can do whatever the Lord requires of you if your rely on Him.
The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and prophet in these days, Thomas S. Monson said, "Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting hat frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required."
Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will ad accept His timing, When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith- you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled.
Patience is needed i everyday experiences and relationships. You must be patient with all people, yourself included, as you work to overcome faults and weaknesses. (Preach My Gospel p. 120)
Patience is essential in our lives. It is the foundation of charity. We learn in Moroni 10:20 that without charity there is no hope, and without hope there is no faith.
Elder Robert C. Oaks describes several aspects of patience in his article "The Power of Patience."
"First, 'charity suffereth long.' That is what patience is all about. Charity 'is not easily provoked” is another aspect of this quality, as is charity “beareth all things.' And finally, charity 'endureth all things' is certainly an expression of patience (Moroni 7:45). From these defining elements it is evident that without patience gracing our soul, we would be seriously lacking with respect to a Christlike character.
In the Bible Job offers the classic portrait of patience. In the face of losing his vast empire, including his children, Job was able, because of his unfailing faith, to proclaim, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' Through all of his tribulation and pain, “Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:21–22).
How often do we hear oppressed souls ask foolishly, 'How could God do this to me?' when really they should be praying for strength to 'beareth' and 'endureth all things.'
The greatest scriptural examples of patience are found in the life of Jesus Christ. His long-suffering and endurance are best demonstrated on that excruciating night in Gethsemane as He uttered, in His atoning agony, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt' (Matthew 26:39). He truly suffered and bore and endured all things.
While nailed to the cross on Calvary, Christ continued in His perfect example of patience as He uttered the singular words, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34).
These examples of patience have greater meaning for us when we consider the admonition [Christ gives] found in 3 Nephi: 'Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am' (3 Nephi 27:27).
In Mosiah, King Benjamin instructs us that we will be a natural-man enemy of God until we yield to the enticings of the Holy Ghost through our patience, plus other virtues (see Mosiah 3:19).
Joseph Smith stated, 'Patience is heavenly' (History of the Church, 6:427).
Is patience important and worthy of our pondering and pursuit? It certainly is if we would avoid the demeaning classification of 'nothing' used to label those without charity. It is if we desire to be less a natural-man enemy of God. It is if we would be heavenly. It is if we would seek to become after the manner of Christ.
The impatient, natural man is all about us. We see it manifest in news reports of parents, in a fit of rage, abusing a child, even unto death. On our highways, incidents of mobile impatience, or road rage, result in violent accidents and sometimes fatalities.
On a less dramatic but much more common level are flared tempers and harsh words uttered in response to slow-moving customer lines, never-ending telephone solicitation calls, or children reluctant to respond to our instructions. Do any of these sound familiar?
Fortunately, there are seldom-reported but marvelous-to-consider stories of great patience. Recently I attended the funeral of a lifelong friend. His son told a beautiful story of parental patience. When the son was in his youth, his dad owned a motorcycle dealership. One day they received a shipment of shiny new motorcycles, and they lined them all up in the store. The boy did what every boy would like to do, and he climbed up on the closest one. He even started it up. Then, when he figured he had pushed his luck far enough, he jumped off. To his dismay, his dismount knocked the first bike down. Then, like a string of dominoes, they all went down, one after another. His dad heard the commotion and looked out from behind the partition where he was working. Slowly, smiling, he said, 'Well, son, we had better fix one up and sell it, so we can pay for the rest of them.'
I think my friend’s response personifies parental patience.
Patience may well be thought of as a gateway virtue, contributing to the growth and strength of its fellow virtues of forgiveness, tolerance, and faith. When Peter asked Christ how many times he should forgive his brother, Christ replied, 'Seventy times seven,' rather than the mere seven times that Peter had offered (see Matthew 18:21–22). To forgive seventy times seven certainly takes a large measure of patience.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell linked patience and faith together when he taught: 'Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His' (“Patience,” Ensign, Oct. 1980, 28).
We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God’s purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable.
Since impatience is so natural, how do we develop the divine virtue of patience? How do we move our behavior from that of the natural man to that of our patient, perfect example, Jesus Christ?
First, we must understand that to do so is necessary, if we desire to fully enjoy the blessings of the restored gospel. Such an understanding might motivate us to:
1. Read each of the scriptures in the Topical Guide listed under the topic “patience” and then ponder Christ’s patient examples.
2. Evaluate ourselves to determine where we stand on the patience continuum. How much more patience do we need to become more Christlike? This self-assessment is difficult. We might ask our spouse or another family member to help us.
3.Become sensitive to the examples of patience and of impatience that occur around us every day. We should strive to emulate those individuals we consider to be patient.
4.Recommit each day to become more patient, and be certain to keep our selected family member involved in our patience project.
This sounds like a great deal of work, but to achieve any worthwhile goal requires hard work. And overcoming the natural man and working to become more Christlike in our patience is a most appropriate objective. I pray that we will pursue this path with diligence and dedication."
As we grow and learn to become more patient, a greater level of love will come into our hearts. A great amount of charity, hope, and faith will light our souls and help us to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the book of Matthew in the New Testament, a man asks Jesus, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Christ answered him saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all they soul., and with all they mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22:36-39)
Charity is "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47). Charity includes Gods' everlasting love for all His children. We need to seek and strive to develop that kind of love. When Charity fills your life, you obey God's commandments along with helping and serving others.
Charity is a gift from God. The scriptures tell us the we should "pray to the father with all energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love" (Moroni 7:48). As you strive to do this and strive to do good works, your love for all people will increase. You will come to feel sincere concern for the happiness and welfare of other people. You will see others as children of God, and you will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or jealousy. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to hep them when they are struggling or discouraged. Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop Charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself.
Let us all have greater Charity and Love for one another. Finding Charity within ourselves and striving to serve and help others leads us to forget feelings of depression, doubt, fear, sadness, etc. Spencer W. Kimball, a prophet of God said, "The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others--indeed, it is easier to "find" ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!"
What is Hope? Most often, when I would think about what Hope is and what it consists of, I would describe it as a passive feeling associated with doubt and unrest. Most of the time, my Hopes were something I would like to happen, but most surely knew would not come to pass. This is the attitude I had most of my life toward Hope. Until I learned what the word really means.
Hope is more than just a wish, it's a trust. Hope is the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill his promises. Hope is shown through confidence, enthusiasm, optimism, and perseverance. Hope is not only believing, but is also expecting that something will occur. When you have Hope, you work through trials and struggles and difficulties with confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope helps conquer discouragement.
It is not easy to have Hope in this difficult and scary world we live in. It seems as though times are leading us on a downhill course toward destruction. The basic fundamental principles of God or being lost in our society, but we don't have to let the turmoil in the world bring us down in the gulf of misery. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ we can stand with a firm Hope, knowing that all things will work together for our good. He is still the God of the earth and he is mindful of his followers. As long as we do as He asks us and remain steadfast and immovable in our belief in Him and his Gospel, we can have the Hope for a better world. "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." (Ether 12:4) Never give up Hope, with God all things are possible.
A modern day apostle, James E. Faust taught:
"Hope is the anchor of our souls... Hope is trust in God's Promises, faith that if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future... The unfailing source of our Hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death" ("Hope, an Anchor of the Soul," Ensign, Nov. 1999, 59-60)
The scriptures often describe Hope in Jesus Christ as the assurance that you will inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God. " For we are saved by Hope...." (Romans 8:24-25)
Hope now, as we understand it, is in no way encompassed by doubt or fear, but by faith. Just as faith leads us to act it is the same with Hope. Hope is to expect not merely to wish. Let us continue on in the faith and Hope of our Savior Jesus Christ. Knowing will assurance that His promises will be fulfilled, and that we can through Him inherit the Kingdom of God.
I spent a lot of time thinking about what I should call this blog in an effort to make the title simple and meaningful. While I was thinking about it yesterday an experience I had came back to my memory.
Christ appearing to the Lamanites
in ancient America
It was early October of last year. I was attending college at Snow College, and I was going through a difficult time, as many of us often do. I had been through rough times before, but this particular stretch seemed to be taking a toll on me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was in the pit of despair and didn't know how to lift myself out. During this time I had tried diligently to stay close to God. I called on him in prayer every night before I went to bed, and read from the scriptures everyday. Even with all the prayer and scripture study, I still felt an emptiness inside, and I didn't really know if God knew me or knew how I felt. In a final effort, or last gasp of breath, I fell to my knees. I poured the feelings of my soul out to my Father in Heaven. I asked him in desperation to let me know that He is there, that I'm doing what He wants me to do, and that I will be alright. As I was praying an impression or a voice entered my thoughts. It said, "Read Alma 38:2." Honestly, I didn't, without a doubt, know that this was a spiritual prompting. I had read the Book of Mormon all the way through twice in my lifetime, so I knew that I had read that passage of scripture before, but I had no clue, at this time, what it said. I decided to act on the impression and flipped open to page 304 in the Book of Mormon. The verse of scripture I read brought such comfort and peace to my soul that I knew that it was indeed from God. It was something that He wanted me to know at that moment of distress and grief. From it I knew with all the surety of my heart that Heavenly Father knows me, Jesus Christ knows me, and Christs church has again been restored to the earth today with the Book of Mormon as evidence of that restoration. The verse I read said, "And now, my son, I trust that I should have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end."
I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ lives, and as each of us begin or continue to look toward him he will deliver us from our afflictions. I know that Christ's church is on the earth again today as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and that Jesus Christ is at the head of that church. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and we can through that book place ourselves closer to God than by any other means. This blog is not for just the active Latter-Day Saint however, but it is for everyone who wants to place their lives in closer harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and anyone who has, or wants to obtain the hope of living with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ again.
Christ is always there, it's up to us to look toward him
Have you ever looked at a "Magic Eye" image? At first glance it just looks like a pattern of jumbled colors and hues. However, when we take the time to look closer and focus, we find that there is more to the image than meets the eye. 
When you look in the mirror in the morning what do you see? Do you see yourself as a child of a Heavenly Father who loves and cares about you? Do you see the love that your Savior Jesus Christ has for you as he sweat blood from every pore so that you might have joy? Do you love yourself? If you answered no to any or all of these questions, then it is time that you learn to love yourself! There is more to you than is on the outside surface. You are literally a child of God, "And if [a child], then [an]heir; [an] heir of God, and [a] joint-heir with Christ..." (Romans 8:16-17)
We do this by following Jesus Christ. When we follow him and his teaching then we receive his image in our countenance. We love ourselves because He loves us and we love him. We begin to see ourselves beneath the surface and begin to decipher who we really are. 
