Modern Day Prophets

Have you ever heard a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints talk about a "prophet," and wondered what the heck they were talking about? Well, if you are familiar with the Bible, Moses wrote about a few Prophets in the first book of the Bible in the Old Testament; Genesis. Adam, the first man on the earth was a Prophet. There were quite a few more Prophets throughout the rest of the Old Testament like,

Noah, who built an ark before a huge flood.

Abraham, who was asked by God to sacrifice his only son (but didn't have to in the end)

Moses, who received the 10 Commandments and parted the red sea.

Jesus Christ who was more than just a Prophet, he is our Savior

There has always been a Prophet who is called by God since the world began, why would God stop calling Prophets today? God is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever, This is where Joseph Smith comes in.

He was the NEXT Prophet after Jesus Christ. When Christ lived on the earth, the world obviously wasn't prepared to have a Prophet, they killed their Prophet, our Savior. That's why the apostasy took place. God took his Prophets off of the earth to prepare the earth for 1800 years to have a Prophet again. Joseph Smith was called to be this Prophet who restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ that Christ established and taught while he was on the earth 1800 years after Christ's death. Isn't this AMAZING news? The Church of Jesus Christ is ON THE EARTH RIGHT NOW!!! This is why we have a Prophet. He holds the keys to be able to run this church.

In Amos 3:7 it says:

"Surely the Lord GOD would do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets"


That Prophet that God is revealing his secrets to is here.
Thomas S. Monson
Makes sense to have a prophet today doesn't it? I know that Thomas Spencer Monson is our Prophet of the World today and that he's leading and guiding The Church of Jesus Christ with Jesus Christ at the head. Christ lives.

The Effects of Music

I want to talk about one of my loves, music. Music has always been able to deeply touch my soul. I have had some super hard times in my life where I felt like nothing could fix the way I was feeling. Then I would go to my room and lock myself in or to my car and turn on some music and it would make everything seem alright. Have you ever felt that way?

Music has such an effect on us. It can lift us in times of need but it can also drag us down if we're listening to destructive lyrics. My Mission President Jack R. Christianson has written a book called

" The Power of Music: Purify the Spirit or Pollute the Soul."

In his book he talks about making the decision to listen to good uplifting music. It is SO SO hard in our time today to do that. There is so much music out there with great beats or amazing guitar solos that make us want to listen but then it comes to the lyrics and they are just awful.

I myself have been caught in the trap of listening to music that has an AMAZING beat but talks about horrible things. When I was home I loved listening to the radio and I would usually just listen to the things that came on and never really thought about the lyrics. Now when I have a song in my head I'll sing it and sing the lyrics that I never knew that I had imprinted in my head and will realize as certain words come out of my own mouth that it's a horrible song! Yikes! The music we listen to whether we think so or not has a lasting effect on our brain. We can even remember lyrics to a song that we haven't heard in over a year!

My challenge for you is to listen to the lyrics of the music that you do have. Listen to the lyrics and if they are uplifting then keep them, and put only wholesome things into your mind! You will be blessed, I promise listening! If they aren't then STOP immediately. I promise you that you will feel a joy in your life that you have never experienced, if you keep the spirit there with you while you are listening to music. Don't drive the spirit away by listening to destructive lyrics! You can do it, especially if I can! Be the best you can be and you will be blessed, I promise.

Lehi's Dream is Our World Today

I read in an Ensign article a while back about how we can find ourselves in Lehi's Dream and it really impacted me. There is SO much symbolism in the Scriptures. I know that Heavenly Father prompted these men who wrote the scriptures to write certain things so that we today, could relate them to our lives and help better ourselves. I want to touch on a few of those symbols that can really help us in our everyday lives.

LEHI'S DREAM

found in 1 Nephi Chapter 8 of the Book of Mormon

IRON ROD = The Scriptures

The people were trying their hardest to hold to the rod. If you hold to the rod, then you will have the Spirit to guide and direct you. IMMERSE YOURSELF in the scriptures

GREAT AND SPACIOUS BUILDING = The World and Temptations

We have so much temptation around us from the music we listen to or the movies we watch or the things that we allow ourselves to talk about that aren't appropriate. We need to try our hardest to keep ourselves away from the world (great and spacious building). In Lehi's dream some of the people who were on the path were ashamed because they let the people in the great and spacious building make fun of them. People ARE going to make fun and think that our beliefs are strange because we believe in being wholesome. The world is not teaching us to be wholesome. This is why we need to try our hardest to be in the world but not of it.


PATH = The Commandments

God has given us certain commandments not to make our lives miserable but to help us. Think about the commandment to keep the word of wisdom. When we faithfully keep the word of wisdom our bodies are blessed tremendously! We are healthy and don't make stupid mistakes that we would have if we were under the influence of a harmful substance. Stay on the path on you will be happy. It's a promise that I know to be true personally.

MIST OF DARKNESS = Temptation from Satan

Satan is a jerk! He always seems to tempt us when we are trying to be good. Like the people in Lehi's dream who were trying really hard to hold to the rod. Satan puts a mist of darkness over our eyes to make it hard to see the end result (tree of life). He tempts us to give in to our carnal desires especially if it will hurt us and make us fall off the path. Keep holding onto the rod even when it's hard to see the eternal benefits of what you're doing

TREE OF LIFE = Jesus Christ

When I picture the Tree of Life I think of this huge beautiful white tree that has light beaming from every leaf. Our Savior Jesus Christ is Light! He is the Light. Everything that is good comes from Christ! Follow him and you will be happy. You will have eternal life.

FRUIT ON THE TREE: The Gospel/Love of God

The Lord has given us this fruit (the Gospel) because he LOVES us so much. Think about how much he loves us. He DIED and SUFFERED for us. He wants you to follow the path to him and then to partake of his love. Partake of the fruit. I know that if we do this that we will find eternal happiness. What is better than that? Even if the mist gets us confused and we have a hard time on the path at least we can get right back on it! Hold to the rod! Follow the light! And try not to be ashamed after you HAVE partaken of the fruit. This gospel is real and will be for eternity.

Learning to Forgive

The only way to truly forgive is through and with the help of Jesus Christ. This video shows how a man was able to forgive someone for taking away the life of his wife and family. I know that the only way he was able to do this was with the help of prayer. I know that Heavenly Father will always support us when we are lonely and anguished. He is waiting for us to come to him to ask him to help us heal and forgive someone that has hurt us. Watch how this man used the strength of the Lord to get through this horrific trial in his life.

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

This inspired me beyond words. I know that what this man is talking about is real and can be real for anyone who needs to forgive. Holding a grudge is the last thing that our Heavenly Father wants us to do. It hurts us WAY more than it does the other person that we are holding the grudge against. Don't hurt yourself, forgive. Learn how to do it with the help of the Lord. Remember what Christ said when he was on the cross? Rather than saying how mad he was at the Jews for crucifying him he said "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." He forgave these people who did HORRIFIC things to him. Let the Lord help you to forgive those who have done horrific things to you. He loves you and wants to help you. I know that through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ that we can forgive people if only we rely on Him.

Jesus Christ, Our Savior, Our Brother

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. He is our Redeemer. The Holy Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ's mother was Mary, His father on earth was Joseph, that He was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, and labored with Joseph as a carpenter. When he turned 30, He began a three-year ministry of teaching, blessing, and healing the people of the Holy Land. He also organized His Church and gave His apostles "power and authority" Luke 9:1 to assist in His work.

What do we mean when we say He is the Savior of the world? The Redeemer? Each of these titles point to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. Jesus suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each of God’s children the gift of repentance and forgiveness. Only by His mercy and grace can anyone be saved. His resurrection prepared the way for every person to overcome physical death as well. These events are called the Atonement. In short, Jesus Christ saves us from sin and death. For that, he is very literally our Savior and Redeemer. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He will be our Lord forever. Does that show why it's so important to read his scriptures that he has blessed us with? Using the scriptures as tools to help us progress we can come to know our Savior better. We can learn about his life, his sufferings and the things he did before his death and after he was resurrected from the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. He not only visited the people in Jeruselem after he was resurrected but he visited those people who were in the American continent as well. Thats what the Book of Mormon is about, those people who were living in the Americas 600 bc-400 ad.

The Sacred Gift of Having a Family

Having and belonging to a family is one of the GREATEST gifts that Heavenly Father has given to us. Families are central to our Heavenly Fathers plan that he has set up for his children, US! What do you think happens to you and your family after we die? Do you think that we make relationships with our families and loved ones and go through all the experiences we go through to just have it all end when we die? I know with all of my heart that it doesn't just end when we die. We have the ability to have our family unit be bound together while we are on earth so that when we do die our family members will be bound to us and we will still be the family that we were on earth. That means that if you are married, you have the opportunity to be sealed to your husband or wife for the rest of your lives on earth and eternity. That also means if you have children that they will be YOUR children for eternity. What a beautiful thing!!!!

Some of you may wonder how this amazing thing is possible. It is possible through modern day revelation. Let me explain what modern revelation is. From the very beginning of the world there have been Prophets. A Prophet is someone that God reveals his will to. The Prophet is the person that reveals Gods will to the people of the earth. Think of Noah the Prophet from the Bible for example. He recieved revelation from God to tell the people that there would be a flood. The people didn't listen. God flooded the earth. The Prophet died and there was a period of apostasy, which means a time when the authority of God was not on the earth. This has been the pattern from the time of Adam untill now. After Christ died and his Apostles died there was no one with that authority of God on the earth (another apostasy) Untill God called another prophet, Joseph Smith, just as he has been doing since the time of Adam. God is the same yesterday, today and forever right? God revealed his will to Joseph Smith and gave him the authority to bind a marriage and family together for eternity in the sacred temple. To the right is a picture of the Salt Lake City Temple. Inside of this beautiful temple families are sealed together for time and all eternity. What a blessing God has given us. These temples are sacred places and are known as the "House of the Lord." I know that God gave Joseph Smith the sacred calling to restore this beautiful sealing ordinace that is performed in the temple. We have a Prophet today and his name is Thomas S. Monson. He leads and guides this church today and through him God reveals his will to his children here on earth.

When you receive inspiration, don't forget it.

Often times I wonder if the inspiration that I have recieved was real inspiration. Have you ever wondered the same thing? I have also had amazing experiences where I will receive an definite answer to my prayers and then days later question the answer that I had recieved. I was reading in this months Ensign, which is a monthly magezine that contains talks or articles that members of the church have written. They are all inspired talks and have carefully been chosen to put into the Ensign magezine before its published. This month I was reading and stumbled along this beautiful quote given by an Apostle of the Lord, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

"Opposition turns up almost anyplace something good has happened. It can happen when you are trying to get an education. It can hit you after your first month in your new mission field. It certainly happens in matters of love and marriage. … There are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. … Face your doubts. Master your fears.‘Cast not away therefore your confidence.’ Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

This is so true isn't it? Satan wants us to think that the answers that we have recieved to our prayers weren't real. He wants us to question the divine relelation that we have recieved from our loving Heavenly Father. This is NOT what Heavenly Father wants for us. He doesn't want us to be confused and question what we've felt, He wants us to be confident in the revelation that we have receieve and act on it.

Take on the challenge to write down the experiences that you've had when you've received answers from Heavenly Father in a journal/notebook or anything! Just WRITE IT DOWN! Then in the future when Satan is working on you and when you question your answer that you have once recieved then you can go back and read about how you felt when you got your answer. The feelings will return and you will be confident in the answer you have recieved. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us SO much more than we can even comprehend. Be confident and find strength to realize and act on the answers that you have recieved from Him.