Finding the power of hope

There was a time early on my mission that I was blessed with the opportunity to teach a younger lady who was going through a lot of rough times. I remember as my fellow missionaries and I helped her slowly get rid of her bad habbits and as she got rid of them, she found so much happiness, it often brought us to tears. She really found so much hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Satan really worked on getting her down though, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong. She wanted to do things right and to get away from her old life, however it kept pulling her back. It is sometimes hard to keep hope in situations like that. Imagine how the Savior felt as he went through what he went through. What a powerful example of keeping hope. He knew there was something better then giving up and that his Heavenly Father loved him and was watching over him. We can have that same comfort as we go through trials. This young lady was able to hold on, through her trials, and it blessed her life because she did not give up. It saved her life as she held on to what she knew to be true, even though her situation made it seem hopeless. 

It is an honor to bring this hope to those who need it. I have hope through my savior Jesus Christ that I will one day live with him and my Heavenly Father again and that I will be clean of all sins and be released from my burdens, sorrows, and fears. I know it.

I love this video because it expresses how I feel towards the power of hope, I hope you enjoy!



There is power in the "doing"

    I read a scripture this morning in the Book of Mormon found in 3 Nephi chapter 27 verse 21 In which Christ says, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;..." It reminded me of the scripture in Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, where Christ says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; But he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven." 

    As I read these scriptures I thought of how often Christ asked us to follow Him. As we follow His perfect example we become like Him. Through repentance and the mercy of our Heavenly Father, we can be washed clean of all our sins and mistakes. In doing what the Lord has commanded us to do and through repentance, we are becoming more like Him.

    Too often can others proclaim faith in Jesus Christ and live a life without following His commandments. Faith has everything to do with doing! If we never do His will, we will never become like Him. President Thomas S. Monson, the living prophet today, continues to invite others to follow Christ's example and become like Him. He has said, "Let each of us learn of Him, believe in Him, trust in Him, follow Him, obey Him. By so doing, we can become like Him."

    I know that as I do the Lord's will and obey His commandments, I can enter into His kingdom of heaven and I can be happy in this life as I prepare for it.

How can we bring strength to our families today?

    Growing up in southern California, I wasn't exactly sheltered from the outside influences of the world we live in today. In high school especially, it seemed like I could try just about any drug or start any kind of addiction with the help of fellow school mates. When I was younger, it always puzzled me to see 14, 15, or 16 year old kids doing the worst kind of things I only thought existed on movies. I always thought, "How can their parents allow them to do this? How can someone think this is ok?" As I've gotten older, my eyes have been opened to the problem. when there is no doctrinal teachings to guide the children's moral judgment, then their moral discipline is weak. In 2011,  it is tough to survive with a weak moral standard.
    That moral discipline can only be sparked and fueled by the doctrine of Jesus Christ. For me and my family, we found so much strength in the words found in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. A testimony of the Book of Mormon and the truth it shares with the world has always been firm within me. I have field tested what it teaches which is the pure doctrine of Christ, Ive taken it's challenge to pray to our Heavenly Father to know if it is more of His scripture, and I know that it is. The Book of Mormon does not get me to Heaven, it doesn't replace the Bible, but what it does is build my foundation in Christ and His Doctrine. It teaches me how to be a disciple of Christ. It strengthens me to be firm in the face of temptation and helps me make the right decisions.

    I know every family can find that same security and strength in the doctrine of Christ, through reading and believing in the Book of Mormon.