"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—" -Joseph Smith, D&C 76:22-23

we are beloved sons and daughters of our heavenly father

We do not walk alone 

when we choose to follow Christ.

healing by brian kershisnik

"And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone;
for I do always those things that please him."
John 8:29





last supper by simon dewey

"No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love. ... Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!" 

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Forget Me Not."

by rose datoc dall

winter dancing by brian kershisnik

Merry Christmas, dear friends!

Silent Night, 

Liz Lemon Swindle

"Guard Him, Joseph" - 21 December 2011

LOVE LIFE IS A BATTLEFIELD!

There are few things I love more than connections to '80's pop songs (with the gospel, and maybe diet coke being exceptions). And besides Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield," there are very few things about war that I really do appreciate. None, really. Honestly, I'm a big fan of hugging trees, petting cats, and sending love letters to people. Can't everyone just love each other?

I am currently reading the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. For the first time, this passage stood out to me as a comparison to my own life:

"And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after; and in this city they did guard the prisoners of the Lamanites; yea, even within a wall which they had caused them to build with their own hands." (Alma 52:5).

The Lamanites were taken prisoner, built a huge fortified wall around the city of Bountiful, then were kept prisoner therein. They basically built the walls of their own prison.

Sometimes we become prisoners, and sometimes,

the walls that contain us are built with our own hands.

Why would we build our own walls? It sounds illogical. But it's not our doing alone. Satan knows our weaknesses so well. He knows perfectly how to build upon even the tiniest things that pull us down, helping us to dig further and further, until we're to the point that we don't know how to climb back out. We each have different struggles and temptations, but it's the same concept: if we don't cling to gospel principles and the promises we have received, (and sometimes, even if we do), Satan is right there ready to step in. This video demonstrates that perfectly:




Just as the video says, we have to watch our step. Even one slip up can have eternal consequences. While the above video references pornography (as does this insightful article), check out this article about prescription drug abuse, "When a Loved One Struggles With Addiction"- which deals with general addictions- and one of my favorite sermons, "The Atonement Covers All Pain."

As President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, recently stated: "If the adversary should take you prisoner due to misconduct, I remind you that you hold the key that will unlock the prison door from the inside. You can be washed clean through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ." Even though I have not mastered this concept in my own life, I know that it is true. I know that no matter what we struggle with, there is a way out, and that way is through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

A scattered post about trials, pain, and the hope we find in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ

Get Ye Up into the High Mountain, O Zion

by Minerva Teichert, 1949

Last week baby Afton Jean Bigler passed away. It broke my heart. I'm not totally up to date on blogs, as I'm most importantly a missionary, not a blogger-- but this is one that I've tried to keep up with. I've read NoBiggie since before my mission. I remember when Kami shared her struggles with infertility. I remember the joy I felt when I found out that she was pregnant, and that the baby was doing okay! And I was shaken to the core when I logged onto blogger one day to see two new posts from Kami-- one about Afton being born, and another about Afton's death. But I know, as Kami knows, that families can be together forever. That is such a key principle of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and it's what pulls me through the tough times-- the hope and knowledge that we can be together forever with the people who matter most to us.

It is also such a comfort to know that God has a plan for each of us, His children. Afton needed to be on this earth as long as she was, but she just has work to do elsewhere. God has a bigger plan for her than we can understand.

Seeing even a glimpse of an eternal perspective is incredible. There are so many people who just wander through life, not knowing why they are here, how to live now, and where they are going after this life. Hard times just come and go. My friends, there is more.

In times of hardship, I am reminded of the early pioneers. Because of religious persecution, they traveled hundreds of miles across the plains to establish and settle in Salt Lake City, Utah. They faced unimaginable trials because they knew that this gospel was true, and they had already found the eternal peace that such a truth provides.

A glimpse of their hardships, sacrifice, and subsequent blessings is found in the book Daughters in My Kingdom:

At the October 1856 general conference [in Salt Lake City, Utah], President Brigham Young announced that handcart pioneers were stranded hundreds of miles away. He declared: “Your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains, and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal, or temporal duties, otherwise your faith will be in vain.”

Sister [Lucy Meserve] Smith recorded in her autobiography that after President Young’s exhortation, those in attendance took action to provide relief for their brothers and sisters. Women “stripped off their petticoats [large underskirts that were part of the fashion of the day and that also provided warmth], stockings, and every thing they could spare, right there in the Tabernacle, and piled [them] into the wagons to send to the Saints in the mountains.”

They continued to gather bedding and clothing for Saints who would arrive with only a few belongings in small handcarts. Sister Smith wrote: “We did all we could, with the aid of the good brethren and sisters, to comfort the needy as they came in with handcarts late in the fall. … As our society was short of funds then, we could not do much, but the four bishops could hardly carry the bedding and other clothing we got together the first time we met. We did not cease our exertions [un]til all were made comfortable.” Sister Smith said that when the handcart companies arrived, a building in the town was “loaded with provisions for them.”

This gospel is truly the gospel of happiness. Despite the pain, sadness, and uncertainty that this life certainly brings, we have hope in our Savior, and a firm knowledge that He has already provided a way for us to repent of our sins, be clean, and return to live with our Heavenly Father again. We can endure life's trials because we understand God's plan, and that there is more to this life. We can endure life's trials because we know that we are children of our Heavenly Father, who loves us. All is well, all is well!

The Book of Mormon and the Native Americans

by Minerva Teichert

Did you know that the Book of Mormon is a record of Christ's relationship with the Native Americans?

And while the Native Americans kind of got the raw end of the "First Thanksgiving" which we now celebrate annually, we can still remember their people through this record.

Find out more about the Book of Mormon here.

He Lives!

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

-The Living Christ