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

My Testimony at Home

Since I'm no longer serving over the internet as a missionary full-time, it's been some time since I've been prompted to share my testimony online. When one of the new members of the church I helped sent me a request on Facebook to use the LDS App, I leaped on the reminder it was to share my testimony.

While I was a full-time missionary in the Referral Center, I calculated one afternoon that I shared testimony online over the internet or phone an average of every three minutes during the day. Fast Sunday is a perfect day to share my testimony, which is as follows:

I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and

perfect Example. Only through following him can we become like him and return to live with our Father in heaven. Jesus Christ overcame death and sin through his birth into mortality, his perfect life, suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the

I know that he has blessed us with this life as an opportunity to build our abilities to become like Him and have true joy. He's given us our families as a great tool to help us do this. Family relationships provide the best environment to practice following Jesus Christ's example. It is my family who taught me to consider "what would Jesus do?"

I know that the Book of Mormon contains Christ's ancient directions for us, as does the Holy Bible.

I know that he has again chosen prophets and apostles, like he did in the Bible, to direct us towards him. Those prophets and apostles give inspired direction and modern scripture in our times, such as is in the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and Official Declarations. God's words never cease.

I know this because I have done my best to serve Christ, and hope through his enabling grace to be able to do better each day. I'm glad for the help and invitation of those around me to follow Christ and hope to offer my help to them.

I offer this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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."

More Than a Comic

This comic gives the primary steps from the Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:3-4 which explain what God expects us to do before he will give us an answer whether the Book of Mormon is true.  To apply this challenge, which I know for myself works, order a free copy of the Book of Mormon.
Made this comic on MakeBeliefsComix.com

Hiking Trip!!!

Getting close to the end of my mission and my foot, while not what it used to be hasn't been bothering me too much.  I went for a short (really short) hiking trip with Elder Ahlstrom and Elder Fallentine up Rock Canyon behind the Provo Temple this afternoon.  It was pouring rain all morning, and stopped as soon as we got out there.  As soon as our ride to take us back arrived, it began pouring rain again.  Got one good hour of sunshine that we'll see today.