Sunday, September 25, 2011

I love to see the Temple!

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to go the the Oakland Temple with our whole spanish branch, and a couple other people that are starting to learn about the Church with us.  It was a great day, and an excellent oportunity to feel the spirit surounding the temple and it's grounds.

It made me think about the importance of temples, why we build them, and why they are so important.  Temples are the house of the Lord on the earth . It is a place between heaven and earth, where we can go to feel of Gods love for us,  be sealed to our families for all eternity, and make covenants with God.  I am so grateful for Temples!

For more info, please check out this website!

http://lds.org/church/temples?lang=eng

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Baptism!


We had the oportunity of having a baptism yesterday!  My good friend Ryan had decided to take a step, a big one, on his way back to our Heavenly Father.  At only twelve years old, he had enough faith to make promises with God, to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of his life. It was very inspiring, made me think about why baptism is important.

Ryan's Baptism. (It's not the greatest picture, I know...)


The basic importance of baptism comes, of course, from the teachings of the Savior himself.  Jesus Christ was baptised to "fulfil all righteousness." Which we learn in the Book of Mormon means that He was setting the example, showing us that He was willing to be obedient unto the Father.  Jesus also taught the Pharisee Nicodemus the same principal, in words that cannot be missunderstood:

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be aborn of bwater and of the cSpirit, he cannot denter into the kingdom of God. "  James 3:5

Baptism is something that Jesus taught us is essencial.  Through baptism we make a covenant, or promise, with God.  We promise to take the name of Jesus Christ upon us, to always remember Him, and to live His comandments.  In return God promises us a remission of our sins, a spiritual Rebirth, and that we can have His Spirit to be our constant companion.

I am so grateful for baptism! For the chance that we have to change and start over new.  I am grateful to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who set the example and made all this possible for us.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

With all the Certainty of my Soul

This is my first entry as an Online Missionary, trying to invite people to come unto Christ.  Hopefully this goes well, I am not the most qualified,  nor am I the best writer, but I hope this Blog will help anyone out there who is searching for the truth.

The title of this blog, " With all the Certainty of my Soul" comes from a story in my family history.  John Tanner, one of my ancestors, was the first in my family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He was originally in another Christian religion and very devout in it.  John was a very wealthy self-made business man.  He also had a horrible infection in his leg, that doctors could not cure, although many told him that the infection would eventually kill him if it was not amputated.  He refused to amputate the leg.

When the Mormon missionaries came to his town,  John went and listen to their sermon, hoping only to defend his brethren from what John considered to be false doctrine.  But their preaching was so powerful, John felt the Holy Spirit, the "Comforter" that Jesus Promised he would send.  Intrigued, John purchased a copy of the Book of Mormon, and began to study it along side of the Bible.  When he had read and prayed, he knew that the message was true.  He requested to meet with the Mormon missionaries once again, but, unfortunately, he could not get baptised because of the infection in his leg.  Trusting in the Lord, the missionaries asked John if he had the faith to be healed.  They asked him "Do you believe that Jesus Christ healed the lame and blind".  His response gives me the chills, "With all the certainty of my soul."  John Tanner was healed, and baptised, that very night, through his faith, and the restored priesthood which the missionaries held.

Today, I want to echo his declaration.  I also know, with all the certainty of my soul, that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.  That he paid the price for our sins, so that we may live in the presence of our loving Heavenly Father once again.  I know that Jesus Christ restored his church on the earth today, through the Prophet Joseph Smith. 
 


Come unto Christ
Jesus healing a blind man