One goal

In the 6th chapter of the missionary manual Preach my gospel, you can find a little "check your progress" activity. In this activity there are multiple statements about Christlike attibutes. As you read each statement, you can ponder on your own progress and decide where you are personally regarding each attribute. In the "hope" section, this piercing statement is made: "One of my greatest desires is to inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God". (Link to attribute exercise at the end of the post)

What is eternal life?

"Eternal life is the phrase used in scripture to define the quality of life that our Eternal Father lives. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone will receive this gift. Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in God's presence and to continue as families." (lds.org search "eternal life")

The part of Eternal life I would like to focus on is the following:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) Eternal life is to know God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is to know who they are, it is to know their love, it is to know their attributes and it is to know that God is our Father and that Christ is His Beloved Son.

It is no wonder that all prophets and apostles, past and present urge us to look unto Christ, to pray to God, and to strengthen our relationship with them. We are urged by Moroni, a Book of Mormon prophet, "to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written.." (Ether 12:41) and to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure." (Moroni 7:48)

God said: "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) It is his sole purpose, His work and His glory, to bring to pass our immortality, which is why He sent Christ to live and die for us and to rise triumphant over death. It is His work and His glory to bring to pass our eternal life, that is why He sent Christ to perform the Atonement, to suffer for you and for me, so that He could know how to save US.

I believe that when we die and the time comes to live with God again, we won't automatically receive knowledge of who He is and who Christ is. This is something we have to do here, in this life. "this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state." (Alma 42:10) "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32). "A grand objective of mortality is not merely learning about the Only Begotten of the Father but also striving to know Him." (Elder Bednar, 2016)

So, how do we do this? How do we get to know God and Christ better?

Elder Bednar, an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught the following:


Exercising Faith in Him: "True faith is focused in and on the Lord and always leads to righteous action."

Following Him: "The Savior likewise instructs you and me, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”18 To take up one’s cross is to deny oneself of all ungodliness and every worldly lust and to keep the commandments of the Lord."

Serving Him: "'For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?'(Mosiah 5:13) We more fully come to know the Lord as we serve Him and labor in His kingdom."

Believing Him: "Believing Him is trusting that His bounteous blessings are available and applicable in our individual lives and families. Believing Him with our whole soul38 comes as we press forward along the covenant pathway, surrender our will to His, and submit to His priorities and timing for us. Believing Him—accepting as true His power and promises—invites perspective, peace, and joy into our lives."

I testify that if we seek Jesus, if we try to come closer unto Him, that we will attain rich and lasting happiness. I know that praying unto God will bring peace into our lives. I know that the goal of eternal life is the only goal that truly matters. I testify that God wants all of His children to come back home to Him. "For God so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

I testify of the reality of eternal life and I testify that as we prepare to meet God, that we will feel His love, we will be filled with it! We will have a mighty change of heart. Most of all I testify of the divinity of our Savior Jesus Christ and His ability to save. I testify that He lives, and because He lives we too will live with Him, with God and with our families forever. That has always been the plan.

"Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure." (Moroni 7:48)



References:

Check your progress activity is at the end of the chapter: https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/how-do-i-develop-christlike-attributes?lang=eng

The Book of Mormon: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng

General Conference talk by David A. Bednar: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/if-ye-had-known-me?lang=eng

The same shall save it

When you google "LDS missionary" this is the answer you will get: "Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the LDS Church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and community service."

While that is completely accurate, to me, being a missionary of the church meant being a Representative of Jesus Christ.

I am sparing many, many details in order to get to the purpose this post. Everything I mention is dear and sacred to me and I fee like I should share this with anyone who will listen (read). This is the link to my mission blog, this link will take you to a post I wrote about how I made my decision to serve: http://sistermariachavs.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-mom-always-said.html

I have very deep feelings about the 18 months I spent in Arizona. The impact that the people I met had on me, the experiences I had, the miracles I witnessed and the lessons I learned can be summed up by this verse in the Book of Mormon. This is Ammon speaking, Ammon was a man who also served The Lord and helped teach many about Christ and His Atonement. Ammon says: "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Emphasis added) Alma 26:12

I have heard many return missionaries say something to the effect of: "Missions are not saving ordinances, but they do save lives." I hold my mission close to my heart because it truly saved my life.

There was a point in my life where I hit a "fork" in the road. One road would lead me to a "happy" life, wouldn't require much effort, wouldn't require my conversion to Christ, but a "happy" life nonetheless. The other road would require me to give my all to God, it would require me to put in daily effort to read scriptures and pray, it would require my complete conversion to Christ, and it would lead me to a HAPPY, fulfilled, joyous, and meaningful life. The deciding factor became whether or not to serve an 18 month mission.

How could 18 months change SO much in someone's life? How could the outcomes be so different? How could 18 months decide so much?

Those 18 months changed my life so much because they were filled with miracles, angels, tears of joy, tears of sadness, lessons, experiences, turning points, revelation, realizations and so much more. Most of all, they were filled with the love of God and Jesus Christ.

It is because of these 18 months that I can stand as a witness of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He said: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it." Mark 8:35

I plead that you do not read this as me boasting and saying I gave up my life and rendered perfect service during my mission, but I sure tried to every single day. I am grateful for the promise Christ gives to all his servants, meaning every follower of Jesus Christ. The following is how I interpret it personally:

Christ promises His followers that if we choose Him, if we put Him first, that we will get to save our lives. I believe He doesn't mean that He will let us keep our lives intact or as they were before, I know that He means that if we give Him our lives, He will not only save them and but He will refine them, enhance them, and make them joy-filled and meaningful. He did this for my own life.

As a missionary you are asked to leave your entire life behind, your family, friends, school, work and much more. But in turn you are given the following promise: "The Lord will reward and richly bless you as you humbly and prayerfully serve Him. More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among His children." First Presidency Message

I stand before you (figuratively) today and testify that, that promise has been fulfilled in my life and it was fulfilled on my mission. I have tasted of the pure love of God, I experienced the purest joy watching people I loved choose to follow Christ, my heart was filled with God's love, I was guided, I was taught from on high, I met individuals that changed my life, but what I cherish most about my mission is the understanding and perspective I received about the Atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ. On my mission I got to know my Savior.

My life was changed for the better because of my service as a missionary. It is hard coming back and keeping the same level of spirituality as before, but it is possible. As Ammon, I declare to all who will listen that I will praise my God forever because of the miracles I saw on my mission. I will forever be grateful for the short 18 months I got to be a representative of the most loving, humble and perfect being to walk this earth, even Jesus Christ.

I testify that God lives, He really knows all His children. I know and testify that Jesus is the Christ! The promised Messiah and I testify that He lives! He broke the bands of death and rose triumphantly. He is the Christ. He lives. He loves. He blesses. He forgives. He enables.

I thank God for my mission every day and will forever be grateful for the miracles He allowed me to see and for the mighty change He wrought in my heart.

I testify of this in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Father's day Talk

I was asked to speak in church on father's day last month. This is what I shared with our congregation:


Good Afternoon brothers and sisters,

I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to speak this father’s day and to testify of Jesus Christ and of our Father in Heaven.

I have been blessed with great examples of fathers in my life. Today I would like to talk about 3 of the ad how their Christlike love for me changed my life.

1. I would like to begin with my own Father. I feel deep gratitude for my loving and hardworking father. He has always had a great attitude of hope towards life. I owe my sense of determination to him. He taught me by example that every goal I set can be attained with hard work and determination. One of the greatest goals I set for myself was to serve a full-time mission and return with honor. My father’s teaching of determination was what kept me from giving up on those hard days. My dad is not a member of the church, but He loves God, he serves Him to the best of his capacities and prays to Him. He trusts God. I know one day he will enjoy every blessing God has in store for Him.

God knew the challenges I would face and the difficulties I would have, and that is why He sent me a loving determined and hardworking father.

2. Another great blessing and example of a Father is my mission president. President N. has the purest and most Christlike love for all of his missionaries. His main goal for every one of his missionaries is to convert them to The Lord Jesus Christ. He has this same goal and focus for all of his children. He taught me by example how a father should treat his children, and how a husband should treat his wife.

God knew the challenges I would face and the difficulties I would have, and that is why I was called to a mission that was presided by a wonderful father.

3. Lastly I would like to speak about the greatest, most merciful and loving father and the focus of my talk today, our Father in Heaven. I testify of His reality, I testify of His mercy and I testify of His individual love for every single one of you.

Let me begin with reading the parable of the lost sheep first:

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

New Testament, King James Version, Luke 15:4-6

I would like to share with you one of the most sacred experiences I had on my mission that revealed to me just how much God knows me and made the parable of the lost sheep become real to me.

My companions and I had the opportunity to take some of our investigators to the Phoenix Arizona temple open house. It was an incredible and awe-inspiring experience. As we finished the tour and were walking away from the temple, I turned back to get one last look of this beautiful temple. As I saw the temple, I was overwhelmed with the spirit and it seemed like time stopped for a little while. In that moment the spirit whispered to me “I found you.” God wanted me to know that He found ME.

He wanted me to that He sent the missionaries to my home, that He had softened the hearts of my parents to allow me to me baptized when I was 12. He wanted me to know that He lowered the missionary age to allow me to serve a full-time mission.

He wanted me to know that He sought after me and that he found me.

Brothers and sisters, I testify that the God of this universe is the Father of our spirits.

God knew the challenges we would face and the difficulties we would have, He knew our weaknesses and our sins would bring us sorrow and that is why He sent us a Savior!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah! I testify that He is the greatest gift our Father in Heaven has given us and we must receive Him as that gift.

I add my testimony to King Bejamin’s when He said:

And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

Book of Mormon, Mosiah 3:17

I would like to finish with a quote from a Mormon message called “Earthly Father, Heavenly Father.” This is a father speaking about his children and about his family and how his relationship to them allows him to comprehend how God feels about him.

I work that they may grow. They trust so deeply. How I yearn to do the same. They see so little of how it all came to be--never questioning, only trusting. I will be their protector. I will be their gentle friend. I will be my wife's faithful husband. I am a father. I am also a son. And while I may not understand all that He does for me, I do know that all that I am and all that I have is because He's a father to me.

I now stand very aware of how it all came to be.

The video ends with the following quote from the quorum of the 12 apostles:

Of all the tittle of respect and honor and admiration that are given to deity, He has asked us to address Him as Father.

I testify that God is our Father and that He lives! I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Living Son of the Living God and because He lives, we too shall live forever.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Here are some links to scriptures I used and the video I quoted:

Mormon message, "Earthly Father, Heavenly Father": https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-002-earthly-father-heavenly-father?lang=eng

Bible Scriptures: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bible?lang=eng

Book of Mormon Scriptures: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng

The light will come

What a beautiful lesson the sunrise teaches us every single day. It doesn't matter how dark the night is, we have the certainty that the sun will come up in the morning.

While speaking about seeking God's love in times of trial, President Uchtdorf says: "The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, in that moment, the hope of His light will begin to awaken, enliven, and ennoble your soul. The darkness may not dissipate all at once, but as surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come." Just like we can trust in the promise that the night will give way to dawn and that the dark has to yield to light, we can also trust the promise of our Father when He says: "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

There have been moments in my life, and I am sure there will be more, when I physically felt like I was engulfed in darkness. I saw no way out of a trial. I lost hope for the improvement of my situation. I felt complete desperation and longing for it to be over. Discouragement was then followed by anger. I wondered: why me? Why can't I catch a break? I would cry and ask God: "Father, you know the trials I have gone through, you know that I can't handle any more. If you know this, why do they keep coming?"

I felt much like what President Monson describes in one of his talks:
"When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the temptation to ask the question “Why me?” At times there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no sunrise to end the night’s darkness. We feel encompassed by the disappointment of shattered dreams and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We become impatient for a solution to our problems, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required." (General Conference October 2013)

When either I or my husband are faced with a trial, I am prompt to say and even promise "it will all be okay." I truly believe that. I believe that it will all be okay! No matter what trial, what tragedy, what illness, what news we receive, what catastrophe we face, etc. It truly will all be okay in the end! Why? How? Because "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." (Preach my Gospel, Ch.3, Lesson 2)

The question might be posed: Why do bad things happen to good people?
To be completely honest, I don't know. But what I do know with all my heart and being is this: there is a God in Heaven that loves His children. Jesus is the Christ, the Living Son of the Living God. All things will be okay because of those two precious truths. It is hard for me to explain to each one of you who is reading this post how exactly these truths will make your trial "okay", but I know that if you ask God how the sacrifice of His Beloved Son will heal your wounded heart, He will make it known unto you.

Christ taught:
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(Matthew 7:9-11)

I testify of the reality and the love of God. I proclaim that God lives and that Christ does too! They will guide us and help us through the darkness. Trust in Them. Allow Them to bear you up when you can no longer do so. "As surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come".



Sources and picture from lds.org

I too, am a beggar

The teaching of how we should respond to the poor and the beggar has been weighing heavily on my mind. I have studied this topic and it comes down to the following: As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I am to help the poor, the needy and the beggar because I too, am a beggar.

I stand with Elder Holland (general authority of the LDS church) when he says: “Now, lest I be accused of proposing quixotic global social programs or of endorsing panhandling as a growth industry, I reassure you that my reverence for principles of industry, thrift, self-reliance, and ambition is as strong as that of any man or woman alive.” I feel strongly about self-reliance and the duty we have to keep ourselves afloat, but in some circumstances that is not possible. Whether those circumstances are due to unwanted events or self-inflicted, it is our duty to help those in need if our means allow it.

King Benjamin from the Book of Mormon warns those that say: “The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.”

Why would a prophet include this in his final teachings? Why would this record be preserved for us to read at this time? Could it be because our generation is facing poverty and so many of us are “staying our hand”? I feel gratitude for the following paragraph taken from a talk by Elder Holland that helped me understand why we cannot judge and not help the poor and the beggar.

Elder Holland responds to his rhetorical question: “so how might we ‘do what we can’? For one thing, we can, as King Benjamin taught, cease withholding our means because we see the poor as having brought their misery upon themselves. Perhaps some have created their own difficulties, but don’t the rest of us do exactly the same thing? Isn’t that why this compassionate ruler asks, “Are we not all beggars?” Don’t we all cry out for help and hope and answers to prayers? Don’t we all beg for forgiveness for mistakes we have made and troubles we have caused? Don’t we all implore that grace will compensate for our weaknesses, that mercy will triumph over justice at least in our case?”

I am always overwhelmed with emotion when I read that paragraph. I am filled with gratitude that mercy does trump over justice in my case every time. How grateful am I that when I beg for forgiveness, a loving and merciful Savior who knows I have put myself in this situation, that knows I have knowingly sinned, still forgives me. If we receive one of the greatest spiritual ‘gifts’, forgiveness, who are we to turn away those who beg for worldly ‘gifts’? “Little wonder that King Benjamin says we obtain a remission of our sins by pleading to God, who compassionately responds, but we retain a remission of our sins by compassionately responding to the poor who plead to us.” –Elder Holland

The way we should treat the poor, homeless and beggars comes down to how we should treat all people in general. The world-known philosopher Immanuel Kant taught that all human beings have dignity and that all humans must act in such a way that respects other’s dignity including our own. He used the relationship between “means” and “ends” to teach, in my opinion, one of the most inspired “rules” for how to treat others including ourselves. A “mean” is a step, something that is sometimes insignificant that leads you to complete an “end” or a goal. We see “means” as less important than the “ends”.

Kant says: “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a mean.” We are all important. We are all struggling in different ways, some more severely than others. When we are faced with whether or not to help someone in need, we must see that person not as another insignificant “mean” or step that we have to go through to reach our personal “end”, whatever that may be. We should help if our financial status allows us to.

Even if we were to rely solely on the teachings of a philosopher to decide how to react when we encounter beggars, it is evident that it is our moral duty to help if our needs permit. Those who have a testimony of Jesus Christ as their personal Savior know that we are all beggars, we all beg for the forgiveness of our own self-inflicted sins and we all hope that grace will triumph over justice because we are really sorry for what we have done. This principle taught by King Bejamin in Mosiah 4 has helped me deepen my testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ.

I am a beggar and will always be a beggar to my Savior. I am eternally grateful for a loving Savior that chooses to help me and forgive me. I want to be like Him and help those that beg in the worldly sense.