The key to a happy family!

Families are a great part of Gods plan. There are many books and people that talk of how to improve your family, or how to have a happy family. None can compare to the words given in the scriptures or to the words of a living prophet. One of my favorite scriptures on prayer comes from the Book of Mormon. "Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;" This is Jesus teaching us about prayer, and that we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, He continues on teaching that we need to ask for things that are righteous. Then my favorite part, "Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed." For sometime I thought we need to ask for blessings for our families, but recently I realized there is more to it. We need to pray as a family, the modern prophets have talked about how important families are. They have also stressed the importance of family time, in the LDS faith we try to have what we call family home evening. This family activity can not only help our families to learn but can bring our families closer together, and instill love in each other. This is all part of Heavenly Fathers plan to help us be happy and become like Jesus Christ. The key is, pray together, study Gods word and love one another.

General Conference Highlights!

Jesus Christ

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.




But 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. 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 subsequent 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. In the future Jesus Christ will return to reign on earth in peace for a thousand years. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He will be our Lord forever.

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For my soul delighteth in the scriptures

"For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them"...and they are my source of comfort during trials.

Many times in my life I have been confused, lost, in need of help, but there seems to never be any source that can give me the help sufficient to support me. I have often wondered what can I do different to avoid these situations. The crazy thing is that I get the same answer everytime, I have prayed so many times for help, and I know God hears my prayers, I think He laughs and shakes His head saying Morgan Morgan Morgan, read your scriptures. I love Heavenly Father, no matter how many times I ask He still loves me and tells me what I need to do to be happy. Im gonna share a few scriptures that I ran into as I was going through one of these times.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
2 Nephi 4

Family History

"Those of us who have been bitten by the family history bug know how fun it can be. But this isn’t why we have the largest genealogical library in the world and why 13 million Mormons are encouraged to research their family roots. Rather, we are driven by our doctrine that teaches that marriage and families can continue beyond this life. But this can only happen when families are sealed together in one of the Lord’s holy temples around the world and united for all eternity.

"That’s fine for all of us today who have the chance to be sealed in a temple, but what about our ancestors who die without the opportunity to receive ordinances like baptism, or the blessings of being an eternal family? Does it make sense that God would simply say, “Too bad, tough luck?” Of course it doesn’t. When Christ organized His Church anciently, it included vicarious work for the dead and the practice of performing ordinances for deceased relatives “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29). Christ’s restoration of his original Church to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith included the ancient practice of performing these ordinances for our deceased relatives in holy temples. The gospel of Jesus Christ includes the same blessings today in holy temples." Mormon.org

"We believe that people can have ordinances performed for them after they have died. We know that these people have the opportunity to accept these ordinances and that many are waiting to gain these ordinances so that they may continue in their progress toward returning to live with Heavenly Father again.

"I have had the opportunity to work on finding my ancestors and feeling their Spirits as I was doing ordinance work fo rthem. This is one of my favorite experiences. I felt the Spirit of the Lord more at that time than at any more in the world." Kathy

Immovable

No power or influence can take away the feelings that I have received from God. My testimony will no longer be tossed to and fro. I have my foundation, the Savior is my rock, I am immovable. I have received salvation. It is offered to all mankind, though it cannot be purchased. I know that He lives, and that His hand is always stretched forth to lift those that have lost there footing in the climb to become better. His arms are open and He bids all to come unto Him. A brother, a friend, a foundation upon which I can become immovable, my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Christ.

The Touch of the Masters Hand

’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile:

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,

“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”

“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two?

Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three—” But no,

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”

And he held it up with the bow.

“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?

Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?

Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,

And going, and gone!” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

“We do not quite understand

What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:

“The touch of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,

A game—and he travels on.

He’s “going” once, and “going” twice,

He’s “going” and almost “gone.”

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought

By the touch of the Master’s hand.

Why do Mormons go on missions?

Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that Mormons want to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency.

"We want to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all the world. Being a part of this missionary service is what we are all about. We feel it is something that each member is called to do--some are officially called for full time service and the rest of us strive to share the gospel as we live our daily lives with those whom we come in contact with. We want others to find the joy that we have and to be able to have forever families even beyond this life." Marsha

FREE!!

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Gal 5:1

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. 2 Nephi 2:27

We are free in Jesus Christ, we can become free through Him. We have all been given the ability to make choices, it is up to us to make the choices that will free us, or bring us into bondage. Through studying the scriptures we can learn how to avoid sin. Through daily prayer we can be filled with the power to over come sin. Our souls are valuble, God wants to make our souls free, while Satan wants to own and destroy our souls. Freedom has a price, we must follow and obey Gods commandments. This may seem as though we are in bondage to God but in reality He makes us free as we obey the commandments. Lets look at some of the basics, stealing, if the offense is bad enough we can be put in prison. Honoring our parents, if the offense is bad enough we can be put in to time-out or even grounded. Lets look at the spiritual side. Worshiping Idols, we become attached to things that cannot and will not be a blessing to us. Covetous living, we become subject to material things. So live life so that you can be free to make choices that will not only make God happy but you as well. Speaking of free, there is a free book that can help you become free.

Missionaries are handing out copies of the Book of Mormon all over the world, even as you read this. So what is this book? If it’s given out for free, why do so many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints count their Book of Mormon as one of their most valuable possessions? What kind of book can cause so many readers to change their lives, their minds and their hearts? What kind of book can answer life's seemingly unanswerable questions? Free Book.

Fundemantal to Our Faith

^{Some times our faith is misunderstood, our faith is in Jesus Christ, our standards are high, and we strive to love all mankind. These principles were taught by Christ himself. This article is a great source of information for those who do not understand our basic beliefs.}   

Fundemantal to Our Faith
By Elder Dallin H. Oaks

We Latter-day Saints know that our doctrines and values are not widely understood by those not of our faith. This was demonstrated by Gary C. Lawrence’s nationwide study published in his recent book, How Americans View Mormonism. Three-quarters of those surveyed associated our Church with high moral standards, but about half thought we were secretive and mysterious and had “weird beliefs.”¹ When asked to select various words they thought described Latter-day Saints in general, 87 percent checked “strong family values,” 78 percent checked “honest,” and 45 percent checked “blind followers.”²

When Lawrence’s interviewers asked, “To the best of your understanding, what is the main claim of Mormonism?” only 14 percent could describe anything close to the idea of restoration or reestablishment of the original Christian faith. Similarly, when another national survey asked respondents what one word best described their impression of the Mormon religion, not one person suggested the words or ideas of original or restoration Christianity.^3more

Favorite Scripture...

A few weeks back my scriptures were stolen. I have since received a new set, but because of that experience, I have felt like I lost all of my favorite scriptures. So the point of this blog is to get all of your favorite scriptures and share them. Please leave a comment with your favorite scripture reference and short explanation of why its your favorite.

My favorite scripture right now. Mormon 9: 7-21, I like these verses because to me it gives a great understanding of who God is, how He works, and so many other things. 21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, ^awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this ^bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth. 

Five Browns Play "Flight of the Bumblebee"

You Can't Change The Past...

I like this video because it shows us two things about life. First, we can't change the past, no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we want to do things differently, we can't. So often in my life I look back and wonder what I could have done differently, or the infamous "what if" comes to my mind. Its hard to look at the past and not get discouraged when we see all the bad or poor decisions we have made. But in my life, and in so many others, there has been something that has changed who we were into who we are. The second thing is Jesus Christ. It is also Jesus Christ that has changed my life, He has changed me from who I was, to who I am now, and He continues to strengthen me in who I can become. We may not be able to change the past but we can choose to change the direction in which we are going. Faith, it begins with faith, as we put our trust in God and ask for His help, we can change who we are or where we are going. It is God's plan for us to be happy, He loves us, He will strengthen us to go forward looking ahead.

Look to the Light

I really like this video, you can really see the light that Christ can bring into someones life. The sins of the world can darken the brightest persons day, but Christ is an everlasting light, one that cannot be dimmed or hidden. Jesus Christ is that light, the light that can brighten anyones day. After all we go through, no matter how dark it may seem, we can always find the light, we can always find Christ. I am so grateful for that light, that has brightened not only my day but my life, I know that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives, that each of us can find His light and let it shine to all the world, to make christmas this year a little brighter.

Jacob 3:2

Jacob 3:2

O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.

 I thought I would share this scripture, it was pretty much just a random find but I liked it. I really like the middle, "lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love", it made me think of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then I thought that gospel means good news. I have had down days, the ones where your head hangs down, the brightness in my heart was gone and I felt empty. For me, being a missionary is tuff some times, I feel sad when I meet someone who is really awesome, but they wont open their heart to receive this good news. I get discouraged and satan begins to win the battle, but that isn't how our Father in heaven wants us to be, He wants to bless us, and He wants us to be happy. That is when I turn to Him in prayer, and remember the words of David in psalms 18:2, The Lord is my ^arock, and my ^bfortress, and my deliverer; my God, my ^cstrength, in whom I will ^dtrust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
 The Lord will build a fortress around us, He will provide strength when needed, and He will deliver us from the grasp of satan. I love my Savior, and all that He does for me to bear me up to lift my head. I feel this way because of the scriptures, they are the guide for each of us in our journey in life, they are the words of God and through them we can truly be filled with His love.

First Presidency Christmas Devotional

President Monson speaks at the 2009 Christmas devotional

First Presidency Christmas Devotional

December 5, 6:00 p.m.

A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

Prayer

"I saw a pillar of ^clight exactly over my head, above the brightness of the ^dsun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me...When the light rested upon me I ^bsaw two ^cPersonages, whose brightness and ^dglory defy all description, ^estanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My ^fBeloved ^gSon. Hear Him!" Joseph Smith History.


This is the account of Joseph Smith. In this wonderful vision, Joseph saw God the Father, and His Son, the Beloved, Jesus Christ. This visitation was brought on by Joseph's sincere desire to know more. He desired Gods direction in which religious group he should join. In life we all come across time in which we need guidance, either from parents, friends, or even God. I am so grateful for the power of prayer, and the knowledge that my Father in heaven loves me, I have grown closer to God as I have turned to Him for guidance and help. My relationship with Him has become more than just speaking to an unknown being, as I have earnestly looked for Him in everything in this world, I have found His beautiful signature. It is my testimony that God lives, he loves each of us, and He speaks to all. It all begins with a humble prayer.

Fourth Article of Faith

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 In the scriptures we learn of these four essential ordinances. The first being faith, I have learned through the scriptures as well as in my own life, that my faith is there very beginning of everything.  For my prayers to be answered, I must first have faith that God will answer me. To be healed through the atonement I must have faith. As we develop our faith in Jesus Christ, it leads us to do, or to act, one of those actions is repentance.  Repentance, is a sincere and honest desire to change or to turn away from sin, and it is by our faith in Jesus Christ that we have that desire, and it is through Jesus Christ that we are healed or cleansed from sin. The next step is baptism, we are not only baptized to follow the example of Christ, but to receive a remission of our sins or forgiveness of our sins. When we are buried in the water, it is symbolic of the burial of Christ, when we rise out, it is symbolic to the resurrection of Christ, in Romans 6 Paul counseled us to "walk in [a] newness of life" as Jesus, (Romans 6:4). With this newness of life, God has provided a gift to aid us in our daily walk. That gift is the gift of the Holy Ghost, this gift is given as it says in the fourth article of faith, by the laying on of hands. This is done by someone holding the priesthood authority of God, which was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness, along with all the priesthood keys to perform such ordinances has been restored through a prophet as God has done in times of old. I know that these ordinances are essential for us to return to live with our Father in heaven,  the scripture testify of this, Gods chosen servants testify of these things, and I testify of these things.

 3 Nephi 11
32 And this is my ^adoctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear ^brecord of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the ^cHoly Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

Major New Study of Religion Has Much to Say About Mormons

Major New Study of Religion Has Much to Say About Mormons