Faith to serve (or beat the aliens)

Today I had the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on faith and experiences from my mission in sacrament meeting at church. I shared a similar talk three times before in congregations near my home. Maybe next time I get asked to talk I should write a new talk instead of recycling an old one. However, I like sharing this.

Returned home from unique mission

• Served 8 months in Slovenia/Croatia
• 14 months in Referral Center Mission

As the first principle of the Gospel. Faith is a principle of power. It gives power to enable all the other principles. How powerful is faith?

• Apostle Paul gives us example“Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Hebrews 11:33-34
  
• With faith the Lord can help us beat the oncoming alien onslaught (pause for laughter)

Become independent...

• If we can take care of ourselves, we leave ourselves more open to receive revelation
• Have independent personal testimony
• Know the scriptures and read the Book of Mormon

D&C 84:85- "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man."

• Eggs served at MTC are the same as at Scout Camp- If you can survive scout camp, you can survive a mission.

To gain faith in the Lord we need to serve 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

I gained experience with this on a mission. When walking through a thick, depressing fog with a
Zone Leader, I was asked, "how do you stay so optimistic when the weather and our lack of success are so depressing." I quoted Buckaroo Bonzai, rocket-scientist, brain surgeon, rock-star comic book hero from the cheesy 80s movie my dad would make me wath, the Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai across the eighth dimension, "No matter where you go, there you are [in the lord's service]."

I broke my foot in slovenia, walking 15-25 miles daily, and how Elder Nelson, a podiatrists son saved my foot from further injury. I shared how I was going to be sent home, and the reassurance that I received after reading D&C 50: 40-42]

40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost.

Trust in Lord provided means to finish my mission.

I was transferred to the Referral Center where I could continue serving online. I had to accept the assignment on blind faith, not knowing what to expect until I arrived there.

Missionary work is being performed through Mormon.org chat, Facebook, Skype, Instant Messenger. Most lessons were typed rather than spoken.

[Joke about asking to have a projector set up and type out my talk rather than delivering it verbally.]

Can you feel the spirit over chat?

Can you feel the Spirit when you read scriptures, Ensigns, conference talks and other inspired printed communications?

The Referral Center Mission has the highest number of baptisms per missionary bringing gospel to all the world. This is fulfillment of the command to “Go ye unto all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature.” Mark 16:15

All who seek full happiness can find it in the gospel of Jesus Christ, taught in His Church. Through Christ’s doctrine, we are taught that we can be part of the great plan of happiness that He has prepared for all of us, His sons and daughters. As we keep His commandments, we are blessed and come to know true happiness. We learn that happiness lies in doing small things that build up, that increase our faith and testimony. - Elder Claudio Costa

Jaz vem da Jezus Kristus je naš Odrešenik in da On

May Be Gone, But Still Wet...

I decided to keep this blog going after returning home from my mission as a way to share some of my spiritual experiences.  I loved blogging as a missionary and I'd like to keep it up now.  Soon I may start a blog for the other aspects of my life or I will do it all on this blog.  You'll be seeing some changes to this blog soon, since I'm not an official missionary anymore.
This morning I went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead for an hour or so with my girlfriend Janell.  I just returned home from serving a mission, so I didn't have an opportunity to do that, or spend time with her in over two years.  As I sat waiting for them to invite us over to the baptistry, where baptisms for the dead take place in the temple, I studied 1 Corinthians 15.  The chapter is focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and how through him everyone will rise from the dead.
My grandma passed away while I was away on a mission, and coming home, I did start to miss her a little bit more again.  I know that she'll rise again though, and that is one of the reasons the Gospel is such "good news."  On my mission, I chatted online with many people who stopped living the Gospel because a family member had passed away.  Aren't those situations what the Gospel is for?   Why would anyone choose the moment they need it so much to give up on it?  The Apostle Paul shared the same idea.  "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins." [1 Cor 15:16-17]
Sometimes on my mission, I wondered why Christ would have us do work like baptisms for the dead.  I've known the answer for quite some time, but it's nice to be reminded of that.  In doing ordinances for our deceased relatives, we are reminded of them and that we will get them back and be together again.  This acts as one of the ways that Christ's Church "turns the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers."

Miracles, How Do They Work?

Magic show I put on

"A miracle is not something that violates the laws of nature, but rather its the excercise of higher laws which we don't understand to achieve a desired aim."

 -James E Talmage

Somehow, many make the assumption that believing in miracles excludes belief in the value of science and objective study.  If anything, my belief in miracles through God's power drives me to take science more seriously.

Audia's Baptism

Not long ago, Audia shared her testimony on this blog before she was baptized.  This last weekend, Audia was baptized after several months of preparation.  I asked her for her testimony again to share on this blog.

It's been a couple of days since I was baptized, and I've felt incredible and amazing.  Everyone at church has been so happy for me that I made a great choice.  When I got baptized, it was a dream come true.  That dream was finding a church that liked me and I liked them.  I have no trouble at all with paying attention and focusing like my other church.  I had trouble with that every  day. I look forward to church eagerly.  I really enjoy it so much I'm not leaving. I found where I belong.  

Audia and Elder Kump dressed up for the baptism.

Since I've been going, I can't stop smiling.  I am so amazed on how much I've changed.   Whenever I leave, I leave knowing things I never knew before, and I love it.  There is no way, no how, that I'm leaving this church now that I'm a member.  I'm glad I did that research and gave it a chance. I thought I would have to go from church-to-church looking for the one but not in this case.  It feels good knowing I have true friends that I love, and they love me and care about me. I've never felt so loved.  I never realized I have so many friends, and I hope these feelings I've experienced never end.

Recipe for Faith

Since returning to the Missionary Training Center where I volunteer online, I haven't had the same opportunity/need to cook for myself as I did when I was in Slovenia, or as a college student.  I really enjoy cooking my own meals, and when I was in Slovenia, I'd especially enjoy cooking crepes on Sunday mornings.   Crepes are a French version of pancakes which was popular in Slovenia as well. Since my mother sent me farm fresh eggs from home, I've had a chance to make myself crepes here, and plan to make crepes again Sunday afternoon this week.  I make crepes using a recipe that my mother used my entire life which is as follows:

Recipe for Crepes

4 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cups flour

Pat of butter

Beat eggs, milk, and flower in a bowl until smooth.  Set stove to medium-low heat.  Melt butter on a frying pan and then pour about a cup of batter.  Flip when the top is no longer drippy and remove when both sides are golden brown. Top with fruit or yogurt.

As a missionaries, we study the scriptures for two hours every day after breakfast.  I must caution you that studying the scriptures right after enjoying some delicious crepes produces some interesting results such as the following:

Recipe for Faith [Hebrews 11:1]

Start with Belief (acceptance it could be true)  

 [Hebrews 11:6; Alma 32:18,26]

Mix with Hope (desire for it to be true)

 [Romans 8:24-25; Ether 12:4,32]

Show forth Works (act on what you want to see)

 [James 2:17-20; 1 Thes 1:3; Alma 37:46]

Obtain Confirmation* (evidence it is true)

 [Ether 12:6; Moroni 7:37]

*If you don't see confirmation or results, you need to check that you followed the recipe properly, putting appropriate, sincere effort in or that your ingredients were pure, meaning that you started building faith from a true principle.  Another possible complication may be that you don't know how to identify the product or that additional baking time is needed.

These principles work whether trying to find out the nature of God, finding out if something is from God, applying the scientific method, or trying to find out whether you friend's experience is what its cracked up to be.

First chance or last chance.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormon Church we have the opportunity to express our feelings, faith, and convictions at an open mike during services of the first Sunday of each month.  This is part of what we call Fast Sunday.  For years while growing up in the Church, I've watched members line up behind the pulpit to share their feelings about Christ's Gospel, Church, scriptures, their family and so forth.  The line is usually the longest for the first Sunday in December.  There's nothing particularly wrong with shooting for one last chance to offer a testimony to uplift and strengthen the congregation.  In fact, I find it wonderful that many value that last chance to stand up and express their feelings to fellow followers, many of whom just might need that extra encouragement to continue enduring to the end with faith in Christ.
There are some who line up because they haven't taken the chance to share their testimony yet during the year even outside of testimony meetings.  Much more is that there are some who miss even that last chance because they feel they do not want to push the meeting on too long.  Our convictions about our faith are something that we should be sharing with friends, family, and acquaintances openly throughout the year, and not even wait until we have an open pulpit at church, especially not the last chance at an open pulpit.

To me the first chance to offer to my testimony during the year is much more valuable.  Worry that my testimony hadn't been offered to my ward or congregation that year is easily avoided by offering it the first of the year.  I didn't wait until Fast Sunday to offer it either.  Of course it was easy to be prepared to offer my testimony yesterday, because I volunteer full time as a missionary.  However, you don't have to be a missionary to make a chance to share your testimony with someone.
Of course you don't need to be a member of the church to go up to the pulpit on the first Sunday of the month after it has been opened to the congregation by the Bishop.  Visitors are welcome in our Sunday meetings and that welcome includes the invitation to come up and share feelings about faith and the Savior.
To find one of our churches near you, visit maps.lds.org.  If you're unsure what you might offer in your testimony, feel free to chat with a missionary on Mormon.org.

Mighty Men of Valour

1 Chonicles 2

   9 The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.

  10 And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

  11 And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,

  12 And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,

  13 ¶ And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,

  14 Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

  15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: and so on...

Hi, I'm Elder Moxley on Mormon.org

http://mormon.org/me/1KCF-eng/ElderMoxley

My profile is finally available on Mormon.org.  Take a look to learn more about me and what my faith in Jesus Christ means to me.   If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints you can make a profile to and link it to your blog and Facebook page.  To get started or see other profiles go to http://mormon.org/create/eng/

How I Live My Faith

As a teenager in the church, I was eager and ready to follow the example of our savior and serving others.  I did this through my involvement in Boy Scouts, a young men's service organization.  My troop was sponsored by my local ward.  After I moved away from home, I was asked to teach a class for 18-30 year old men.  I was nervous about my first opportunity to serve as an adult, but faith is about being willing to act when you're unsure, and going forward to trust in blessings to come.  While teaching this class, I invited my friends to come to church, and see what I was teaching, which brought the gospel more into their lives.  After seeing the impact that I had sharing message of Jesus Christ, and his restored church with my friends in high school and college, I wanted to sign up to do it full time.  I became a full time missionary, and voluntarily took an assignment to teach about Jesus Christ and His Church in Eastern Europe where I learned to speak Slovene, and served the people there.  After eight months there, I started sharing the good news as an online missionary back in the United States.

"How can i get a closer relationship with God?"

God is our Father heaven and he is more than willing to come closer to us, when we reach out to him.

As we often hear quoted "use it or lose it." Increasing our faith has also been described this way: "Faith is like the muscle of your arm. If you exercise it, it grows strong. If you put it in a sling and leave it there, it becomes weak." -True to the Faith

It doesn't take much faith to get more faith. The Book of Mormon teaches that if you will exercise even a particle of faith it will grow in you to become massive within you [Alma 32]. Concerning the Book of Mormon, the prophet Joseph Smith said, "a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." The Book of Mormon teaches that the commandments Christ gave in his ministry give us an avenue for building that trust. When we keep the commandments that Christ gave we will receive the blessings in our lives he promised in return.

"But if ye keep the commandments of God, ...God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. For he will fulfill all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers." (Alma 37:16)

As time passes, we can see that if he can keep those promises, that he can keep his other promises. That promise is that his grace is sufficient to erase our shortcomings in the eyes of our Eternal Father and allow us to return to live with him.

Some of the first things we can do to exercise our faith are to start praying and opening communication between us and our Father in heaven. As in any relationship, our trust increases when we have to rely on him.

Dirty Laundry

"I live every day like it's my last.  That's why I don't have any clean socks. 'Cause c'mon, who really wants to do laundry on the last day of their life?"