The Strongest Witness

Truth. I have written about it in the past and today I learned a little more. Knowing the truth is important, but how do we know it? The answer is found in The Book of Mormon:

We find answers as Spirit testifies to us of truth. But that also means that we have to work for it. We must study, pray, ponder, and search. Also we must be willing to act. Then the Lord will send the Holy Ghost to you and He will witness to your spirit the truth. And that truth will carry you. There are two quotes that I recently found and love.

"You can receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ only by the power of the Holy Ghost. His communication to your spirit carries far more certainty than any communication you can receive through your natural senses."

True to the Faith

"The Holy Ghost bears witness of the truth and impresses upon the soul the reality of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ so deeply that no earthly power or authority can separate him from that knowledge.”

-President James E. Faust

Both indicate that the knowledge brought to us from the Holy Ghost is the strongest witness. Nothing in this world can prove or convince you of truth as perfectly as the Spirit can. So go find your truth!

Make Their Hearts as Gold

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A few weeks ago I received a letter from my mom and in it she was quoting part of the song, "Consider the Lilies". I have always liked this song but until she wrote about it I have never really listened to what it was saying. The last part is my favorite.

Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth.
The pains of all of them He carried
From the day of His birth.

He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And He will heal those who trust Him,
And make their hearts as gold.

The Savior lived for us and suffered for us and loves us. He is perfectly aware of our pains and sorrows. And we can be healed if we but trust Him. Then will our hearts be as gold, bright and beautiful and whole.  

Afflicted in Any Manner

One of my favorite stories in The Book of Mormon is when the resurrected Savior visits the people in the Americas. I have always wondered what it would be like to be there, to see Him, to listen to the teachings and to witness the miracles. I think of Christ's invitation to the people:

"Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy."

(3 Nephi 17:7)

Would I have gone up? Probably not. I don't fall into any of those categories..... but maybe I do? There is that last one, "afflicted in any manner". What does that mean? Is it simply to cover the rest of the physical ailments or did it mean all affliction, including emotion, mental and spiritual?

Yesterday as I considered one of my nonphysical afflictions I realized that it had been healed. It happened because I went to my Savior. Even though He is not physically here, that offer of healing still is. I took it and He did as promised. All of our wounds, physical or not can be healed. But it required that we go to Him. We must take that action and believe that He can heal us. Only then we can find the solace that only Christ can give.

Kingdoms

Christ said, "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2), meaning that there are different places that we may go once we are judged. These are called Kingdoms of Glory and they are the telestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom and the celestial kingdom.




The telestial kindgom is the lowest kingdom  and is compared to the glory of the stars. Those who do not live good lives and repent of their sins will go here








The terrestrial kingdom is the middle kingdom and is compared to the glory of the moon. Those who lived good lives but did not accept the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ will go here.









The celestial kingdom is the highest kingdom and is compared to the glory of the sun. This is where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ reside. It is also where we can be with our families for eternity. Those who repented of their sins, accepted and lived the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ will go here.


My goal is to make it to the celestial kingdom so that I can be with my Heavenly Father, my Savior, and my family forever. Where do you want to go?

Resurrection & Judgement

After our time in the Spirit World, we all will be resurrected. It is a gift given freely from our Savior to all mankind. I love these scriptures in The Book of Mormon:

"The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt. Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil."

(Alma 11:43-44)

We will be judged based on what we desire to do and our actual actions. Sometimes the term "judgement day" has a scary sound to it. It only needs to be feared if we do not follow Christ and His example. I know that if I strive to follow my Savior and daily repent, then I can be say like the prophet, Enos, "And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father." (Enos 1:27)