A Year Full of Blessings

Tonight I got to have Family Home Evening (FHE) with my fiance, Tim. We watched a Mormon messages message on the real meaning of Christmas. We had both been having a rough time recently, and Tim had the great idea for us to write about our blessings. I thought I would share some of those here.

Blessings this past year:

• My mom is still cancer free and doing generally well health-wise.
• My dad still has his job and is healthy.
• I finished up my second year of medical school. 
• I took and passed my first step of my medical boards.
• I moved twice, the second time to a much better location due to a very kind landlord.
• I learned how to be more outgoing so that I would try new things.
• I started attending Cornell student ward.
• I met Tim, started dating him, fell in love, got engaged, and have started to plan our futures together.
• I got to travel and drive far distances for rotations and to spend time with loved ones.
• I checked off more states on my travel to list.
• I have learned how to be a bit more patient when dealing with others.
• I got to travel safely home to visit my parent's house for Thanksgiving and learned the importance of power and electricity.
• I will get to take Tim home with me for Christmas to spend time with my family.
• Being able to attend Kenny and Elizabeth's wedding in Dallas and meeting the future in (out) - laws.
• Having my parents accept Tim and help me with the wedding planning.
• Being successful in my rotations and learning that I can handle things that once seemed impossible.

The greatest gift, and hidden blessing that I've been able to enjoy this year was meeting Tim. We really did meet at the perfect times in our lives, and have had so many opportunities for our relationship to grow and blossom. We both have such a strong faith in Christ, and I'm excited to establish a family together under Christ.

131 days to go!!

 

Why I decided to wait for love...and why I'm getting married in the Temple

Meeting my current fiance is not something that happened in the normal way. There's no real reason why we should have met. Timothy Jacob Harbison is from Sachse, Texas and I'm from Nashua, New Hampshire. But, there were definite events that caused us to meet. On my side, I decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I then started to make the necessary changes in my life so that I could, someday, get married in the house of the Lord. The reason why I knew that I wanted to get married in the Temple was so that I could be sealed for all time and eternity to my future spouse. Matthew 18:18, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Here, Matthew is recounting Jesus talking to the disciples about different things, started with the great lesson on who shall be first in the Kingdom of Heaven, and moving to how things will be accounted for in the future. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the few in existence that proclaims to have the same set-up of apostles, prophets, and a direct line of authority from Jesus Christ. Because my church has this authority, we are able to make sacred covenants in the Temple, like done in Biblical times, to bind ourselves more closely to God and Jesus Christ.

On Tim's side, he has always tried to put himself into the best situation possible to support his future family. This has led him to excel in academics and become a very wanted student for internships. He has completed many research projects, and because of this knowledge and exemplary academic skills, he managed to obtain two internships this past summer: one in Ithaca, NY and one in Idaho Falls, ID. We met while he was in Ithaca, at the Cornell student ward. My rotations in medical school caused me to be based out of Horseheads, NY, and I really wanted to meet more people of my age group and stage in life, so I got permission to go to the Cornell student ward. We met shortly thereafter and started dating after about a week or so.

I've been in many relationships in the past, as has Tim, however, for both of us, this one has been very different. For me, I've been more focused on making sure that the Church, the Temple, the Scriptures, and the Godhead are a major part of our lives and our relationship. Some of my favorite memories are just spending time together going to Church, Church sites, or the Temple. We both understand the importance of making and keeping Temple covenants, since we are both endowed and have done the best to live our lives in a manner that exemplifies those covenants. If you are interested in reading/seeing more about our Temple clothing, in a church sponsored article, please click here. Plus, this relationship was more about the eternal possibilities instead of gratifying the flesh in our current life. This has helped us temper our passions for each other, attempting to keep them within the guidelines that the Lord has set forth. 

Tim treats me in a way that I never thought would be possible. He treats me with so much love, affection, and respect. He always places my desires and wishes above his own. He has reworked his schedule to make sure that I was well taken care of this week. He is respectful of my parents, a great delight to my friends, and will make an amazing husband and father to our future children.

This past Saturday was a really special day. Not only that it was our 4 month anniversary, but because of what happened: 

I had finished up my month rotation in McCall, Idaho doing general and orthopedic surgery. My first stop on my vacation month was to spend time with my (then) boyfriend Tim in BYUI. On Friday night, we got to go to a very special masquerade ball held in a couple of the gyms with both a live band playing in one section, and a DJ in the other section. It was really magical.

On Saturday, Tim told me that he had to go take a test, and then got stuck helping people with Physics (because my guy is just that smart and wanted). I was actually getting a bit aggravated with him because he made me wait. He then took me back to the Physics department room, claiming that he needed a notebook for homework from there. As we exited, he walked me by the Planetarium, where the door was opened, and he said that that wasn't supposed to be that way, and went to "investigate" it. I followed, begrudgingly. As I entered down the stairs, he had decorated the place with these heart shaped lights, green and blue, and had a lunch set out for us, a bouquet of roses, and a bottle of sparkling cider. He told me Happy Anniversary, since it has been four months since we started dating. I was amazed by how much work and detail he put into that. I commented to him, that I didn't know how he was going to top that for the proposal. Little did I know....

After our lunch, he said that he wanted to show me one of the movies. He put me in a seat, and then went to choose one, skipping the "sea monsters" version. The lights went down, a song started playing, and a compilation of how Tim felt for me appeared on the dome. He wrote down many qualities of me for why he loves me, and said that he thought I was an angel when he first met me. He had many pictures of us, both together and separate. I started crying. After the pictures and words filled up all the screen, words formed asking, "May I have this dance?". The song, "Waltz for Jennifer" by FFH started playing. We danced, while I was shaking. At the end of the dance, he stopped, dropped down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I was crying when I gave him a shaky yes. It was the best surprise ever. :)

 

We are hoping to get married in the Palmyra Temple on April 25, 2015. Our marriage will not end in death, neither will we be parted. It will continue on, throughout all of the eternities, and I couldn't be happier with my eternal companion.

The Value of Virtue over Virginity

I recently moved into a new ward, located in Elmira, NY. Since I've been a member for awhile now, I've started attending Gospel Doctrine instead of Gospel Principles. In the Gospel Doctrine class, we've been covering the Old Testament. Last week we went over the book of Ruth. She has quite an incredible story. She was married, and then her husband died. She had a sister-in-law, Orpah, who also had a husband who had recently died. Ruth and Orpah were traveling with Naomi, the mother of their deceased husbands.

"And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband" Ruth 1:8-9.

Naomi was aware that she, also being recently widowed, would be unable to provide adequate support for her daughters-in-law, and they were also of an age where they could easily remarry. Naomi wanted the best for them, and she believed that having them leave her would provide the best options. At first, both Ruth and Orpah said that they wanted to stay with Naomi, but after some persuading, Orpah decided to return to her mother's home. Naomi was surprised that Ruth stayed, but Ruth replied, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me" (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth's response was very powerful. She had learned Naomi's true character, how she interacted with others, how she practiced her faith, and knew that she wanted to follow after her. She was willing to give up all she knew, and to move to a new place to continue living the right way.

Later on, Ruth meets up with Boaz, who happens to be a kinsman, and he treats her kindly. Naomi helps with this, and they become acquainted, and later on married. However, Ruth was not a virgin when she married. She had been married previously. Now, for some people, both back then and now, that may have been an issue. But, before I give my opinion on the topic, read what Boaz had to say about Ruth: "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore...And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman" (Ruth 2:11, 3:11). Ruth had been living in the area for not a terribly long period of time, but long enough for people to create an impression of her. Probably initially they were a bit worried, with her being a Moabitish woman, but then they actually met her and learned of her character. She helped out Naomi so much by gleaning wheat for her, and supporting her to the best of her capabilities. People had noticed how she cared more for Naomi than her own needs, by not pursuing younger men that she could potentially marry. Ruth had proved herself loyal, a hard worker, a very caring individual, compassionate, and a woman of good moral character. Plus, she was following the God of Naomi, meaning that she was following after Elohim. All of these are very desirable characteristics to have in a wife. This is an example of a case where virtue outshines virginity.

Now, don't get me wrong, both virtue and virginity are extremely important aspects to have, and both should be striven for. But, say for example, that a young woman is unaware of the consequences of her actions, makes a bad decision in her teenage years, and then has the stigma of not being a virgin following her head for years to come. If she changes her way, puts herself on the right path, starts following the commandments, then shouldn't her past be fully forgiven and washed clean, like how it's written in Isaiah? And shouldn't other people judge her the way that God judges her? If we were to look at the statistics, a very small percentage of teenagers make it through those years of their lives chaste. Now, some commit the act and keep it up, while others do it a few times, are aware of the wrongness of their actions, and truly repent. These people deserve a second chance, and are granted it by God, but not always by society. I think that more people should be compassionate to those individuals who have truly repented and changed their ways. More people need to view people with Christ's eyes.

The teacher of the lesson in my ward made these points. He also mentioned the importance of teaching virtue to the youth in our wards. We need to make sure that the youth know that if they mess up, break the law of chastity, that all hope is not lost for them. Their is forgiveness, a way to right the wrong, and to forgive themselves as well. If someone really repents, they are viewed as a virgin again in the eyes of God. On the flip-side, just because someone is a virgin, does not mean that they live virtuously. They may be a virgin, but they may push the boundaries on what they should or should not be doing. The actions and desires of the heart is the true judge of a person's character, and all of that is evaluated by God. I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope I didn't offend anyone; that was not my intent.

I will close by bearing my testimony. I know that Christ's atonement covers all of our sins. I know that I have been washed clean of my misdeeds, and that in God's eyes I am pure. Yes, I still screw up, but I know that as I continue to live my life in a way that is pleasing in his sight, that I will grow closer to Him each day. I know that God loves all of us, and wants us all to return to Him. I am so thankful for Christ's sacrifice, and all things that the Gospel has done for my life. I say all these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Visiting with Sister Sampson and Sister Holmstead, some wonderful missionary friends of mine.

What the Atonement means to me

Easter is such a wonderful time of year. It's when we remember Christ's ministry on the earth, leading up to his betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. It's the most amazing gift ever. That Christ would willingly sacrifice his life so that the whole world would be saved. Before the world was created, Christ was a part of this plan.

There was a council in heaven, before the worlds were created. The spirits were trying to determine a plan to save the world. Two plans were proposed. One was from Satan, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:2). Christ also offered a plan; He  wanted to allow people to have free will, also offered to do whatever the Lord required, and that all the glory would go to God. The council decided to follow Christ's plan. A third of heaven fell away and followed Satan. Christ was willing to do anything that was required, even sacrificing his whole life, so that the world would be saved.

When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed to His Father for strength. He needed strength to be able to go through all the pain and agony that would occur during his betrayal and death on the cross. In the garden, he suffered much. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:18-19, "Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." Christ decided to follow through, because he knew that doing so would save all people. He knew all people that were, are, and that would be, could see them all, and loved each and everyone of them. Both there, and on the cross, when Christ suffered unimaginable pain and agony, he felt all our pains, sorrows, sins, and anguish. Christ bore it all.

By dying, being buried, and rising again from the dead, he atoned for all the sins of the world. He provided a way for us to have eternal life. All are given immortality, but only some will live with God forever. Those that live with God for all of eternity are those that are faithful, have followed his commandments, have made and kept sacred covenants, and have endured through life's difficulties. We will all stand trial before God, and Christ will cover the sins of those who have chosen Him.

This atonement means so much to me. By it and through it, I know that I have been redeemed. All my sins have been wiped away and mean no more. Yes, I have screwed up in my past, and I will make other errors in my future, but as long as I continue to repent and change my ways, I will be forgiven, for each and every one of them. Christ has felt all my pains and sorrows. He knows exactly what I am going through, in every moment of my life. He is the great Comforter and Protector. I know I can always turn to Him in any situation, and that He will guide my life. Through Him, I can become more than I could be on my own. I know that God has a perfect plan for my life, and I strive my best to live it, day by day.

Me on Easter.

Lessons learned from General Conference: Who/what are you ligated to?

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love General Conference! I love listening to inspired words given to us, twice a year, from our beloved Prophet, his counselors, the quorum of the twelves Apostles, members of the Seventy, and other general authorities. Their words share relevant messages for all people. And it's a great reminder that revelation has not ceased, that God is the same today, like He was in the past (Hebrews 13:8). Anyway, I thought I would share some of my highlights from conference, centered around one of the messages, this one presented by Elder Russel M. Nelson, "Who/what are you ligated to?"

Elder Nelson, who was a heart surgeon, mentioned that ligation means to tie something to something else. What a person is tied to is what they focus on, what they strive to achieve, what they emulate their life on. In fact, the word "religion" comes from the  Latin religiōn-  (stem of religiō )conscientiousness, piety, equivalent to relig ( āre ) to tie, fasten ( re- re- + ligāre  to bind, tie; cf. ligament) + -iōn- -ion; cf. rely (dictionary.com). Our religion is what we are tied to.

We should all be ligated to Christ, and should live our lives in a manner that shows that to others. We also need to make sure that we act like we're following Christ daily, not just on Sundays when it's easy, but also when we are faced with adversity, and it is easier to just back down. That's especially when we need to stand firm in our faith. It is better to stand alone than to not stand up at all.

Elder Dieter F. Utchdorf said that we can be grateful when we are burdened or sorrowed. We need to remember that the Lord has never, nor will He ever, leave our side. He is always there, waiting for us to turn to Him. We are commanded to thank the Lord in all tings. Commandments are a way for us to exercise our agency and receive blessings in return. We should seek gratitude as a way of life, independent of whatever may happen. When we are grateful to God in any circumstance, we can experience the warmth of Heaven's grace. One of my favorite lines from Elder Utchdorf's talk was, "Don't wait for the rainbow instead of thanking for the rain." So many people, myself included, pray for deliverance out of a problem, instead of having the strength to make it through. We need to be thankful for the hard times, because it shapes us and helps us develop some good attributes along the way. One day, we will learn the reason for our trials. Through everything, we should stay ligated to the Savior.

Elder M. Russell Ballard pointed out the importance of being persistent and consistent in anything you do. We should be consistently following the Savior, and should be persistently sharing the message of His love and Gospel to our friends, family, and even strangers. We need to replace our fear with true faith, and then the Lord can work even more through us.

Sister Jean A. Stevens, first counselor in the General Primary Presidency mentioned that you can feel peace in the midst of turmoil. no matter where you are on the path of life's difficulties, you are NOT alone. You are tied to the Savior, and the Savior is tied to you, willing and wanting to help.

Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, from the presiding Bishopric, compared our life to the four or so minutes that people in the Winter Olympics perform their event. The olympians spend many years perfecting their skills to perform for a short period of time. After that time is over, they will reap the benefits of their practicing. So is life. We have such a short time on the earth compared to the amount of time that will be in the life to come. We need to live our lives in such a manner that God will be able to tell us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Elder David A. Bednar also talked about difficulties in life. We need to think and evaluate if the load we're carrying giving us the needed traction to help us return to Heavenly Father. If not, it may not be something that we need to be bearing in our lives. We also need to remember that happiness is not the absence of a load. We can be happy, even through trials.

President Thomas S. Monson reminded us that we cannot fully love God unless we love our neighbors, and we cannot love others fully unless we love God. We need to recognize someone's need and then fulfill it. Just think of how many people's lives we can change by a simple act of kindness. It's vast and innumerable.

There were many other great talks. The best thing about all these talks, with their vast and varied subjects, is that they all pointed back to Christ. This is what our church is all about. It's even in the name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We claim Christ as the center of everything that we say and do. All of the speakers closed their talks with their testimony of the Savior, and how that has been important in their lives. I would challenge each and everyone of you to reread, watch, listen to the different conference talks, and then attempt to live what you learn. You can go to lds.org to learn more,or just click here to learn more about General Conference. Remember, in all things to tie yourself to Christ. He will never lead you astray.

After one of the sessions of General Conference: Sister Holmstead, Sister Sampson, me, Elder Rasmussen, and Elder Linford.

Doctrine of Christ Part 3

Today we will hopefully conclude the mini-series on the Doctrine of Christ, also known as 3 Nephi 27:13-22. I am very thankful to Elder Rasmussen who suggested this for a topic for me to blog on, since I have learned a lot in the process. So far I have covered verses 13-16. I will now commence with verse 17.

"And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father." Now, this sounds like a pretty harsh verse. It's basically commenting that some people will not make it. That some will die out, will not be faithful, and will miss out of the glories of Heaven. It reminds me a bit of the parable of the sower of the seeds, found in Matthew 13. Let me highlight verses 20-23, "But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." This is a sad reality of life. Not everyone who hears the word of the Lord, who accepts it into their life, will remain faithful, and will make it to the end. This is because we are all given agency, or the ability to choose for ourselves what to do. Agency is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it means that we are not forced to do anything that we don't want to do. It is a curse because we may not always choose the right thing to do, and then we have to deal with the consequences.

Let me just clarify that the verses I have just mentioned do not mean that we have to remain perfect in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. No, because that would be impossible to do, at least not in this life. What it is requiring of us, as Christians, is to do our very best to remain faithful to the different covenants that we have entered into, to follow the commandments that the Lord has asked us to do, and to repent whenever we mess up. Repentance is always available for us, so that we can clean our slate and move closer to God. It is part of that wonderful gift of the Atonement when Christ suffered and died for all our sins. Through his Atonement, we can be forgiven for the wrongs we commit, and can bring us back into the fold of God.

Verses 18-19, "And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth his words. And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end." Here Christ is talking about how by having people endure to the end, or by keeping true to what they have committed to do, to the best of their ability, it is fulfilling his Words that He has spoken. Many times in the Bible God or Christ has mentioned how no unclean thing can enter into their presence. It is only by the washing and cleansing of the person, through the acceptance of the Atonement, repentance, faith, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end that we can proceed on. The washing of garments in blood is also mentioned numerous times in the Scriptures. A verse which does a good job of showing both the washing of garments and enduring to the end is found in Revelation 7:14, "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." This is the opportunity that all of us have, if we would but remain faithful until the end.

Verse 20, "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." This verse is part of the reason why missionary work is so important. Think back to the verse known as the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." After Christ ascended to Heaven, He came back to visit some of his disciples and give them some more instruction before He went on to fulfill more of his duties. He urged them about the importance of teaching and preaching the Word of God to all the ends of the earth. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we find that extremely important. This is part of the reason why so many willing and worthy teenage boys and girls sacrifice 18-24 months of their lives committed to gathering in those people who are ready to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that if it wasn't for two amazing missionaries, Elder Colvin and Elder O'Laughlin, I wouldn't be here today. And we don't have to do missionary work just by wearing a black nametag, we can do it through small and simple measures to. For examples of how to do that, please look up the talk, "The Missionary Next Door" by Diana Hoelscher.

Verses 21-22, "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; Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Christ is giving us a huge challenge at the end. He wants us to do and act the way that He acts, to do the things that He does. He knows that it will be difficult, and that we will struggle at times, but he does provide a way for which we can do it. It's through the help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we can do this. Remember, that we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

Christ is our Savior. He has given us the comforter, also known as the Holy Spirit, to be a witness of truth, and to give us peace when we need it. He has asked each and everyone of us to help bring in his fold. To bring others to the wonderful truth of the Gospel. We must do our very best to be an example to others. Think of all the joy and love that has entered your life since you received the gospel. Now, wouldn't it be a shame if that joy couldn't enter your friend's or loved one's life just because you were too nervous to share? Be bold, be courageous, and know that the Lord is on your side. He will help you, and stand beside you, no matter what. I testify to all of my readers, that the things I have been writing are true. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Doctrine of Christ: Part 2

So, continuing on from last week. We're in 3 Nephi 27:16, "And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world." Now, how does a person come to arrive at this point? First off, they need to have faith, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in who He is, what He did, and what He is still doing. That his mission was to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"  (Moses 1:39). To bring a Savior into the world, to atone for all the sins of mankind. Faith comes to people at different points in their lives, and in many different ways. For me, my faith grew in leaps and bounds. I had the knowledge, after the first lesson with the missionaries, that what they were teaching to me was truth, which is why I signed up for all of my lessons and baptism after the first lesson. That was an act of faith, showing my belief on their knowledge, and the Holy Spirit guiding me through the entire process.

After faith comes repentance. Repentance is a lot more than just saying sorry for something wrong that you have done to another person. It's more than just the guilt or shame you may feel. It's apologizing, making amends, and then resolving to not do the action again. When Elder O'Laughlin and Elder Colvin were teaching me, they used this phrase, "admit, be sorry, confess, correct, and don't do it again". We need to confess of our sins to God in prayer. We need to bring our problems to Him, because He can turn our sins from scarlet, to become as white as snow. That is a true miracle in and of itself. Through Christ's pure blood, our sins are washed away. How incredible is that?

Next is baptism. Now, I previously wrote on baptism sometime last year, dealing with some of the specifics on baptism. Baptism is an essential part of us becoming what we need to become, in order to re-enter God's presence, after our life ends here on earth. Also, baptism is not complete unless we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost from the laying on of hands. The Holy Ghost acts as a guide, a comforter, and a witness of truth.

Once we're done with all of that, we should be good, right? We don't need to do anything else.... Well, that's not entirely true. Well, that's not true at all. We need to "endure to the end". That means we hold true to the covenants (obligations) that we have made, so that God will hold up His end of the covenant. We need to follow the Word of God, keep the commandments, and the words of the prophets. We also need to do our part in helping to bring others to Christ. That doesn't mean that we should be necessarily knocking on people's doors daily, but by acting how God would, be keeping true to what we believe, and being a great example, we can influence others for good.

Let me take some time out, for a moment, and just let these past few paragraphs sink in. Heavenly Father made us, and this world, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ knew from the beginning that He would be the way for which people could return to live with the Father. He willingly came into this world to be born, grow, lead, be killed, and resurrected, all for us. All because of His great love for us. He gave up His life, willingly, so that we could live eternally. That is such an amazing gift. And this gift is for us to take. We are not coerced into it. It is up to us. But if we do accept, then it will change our lives forever. And it will change us for the better. By following Christ, and living the commandments, and following in the necessary priesthood ordinances and covenants, we do grow closer to God. I have a testimony of that. From starting out with my good friend introducing me to the church, to the missionaries discussion, to my absolutely wonderful baptism, to my receiving my endowment, and all the other things in-between, my testimony, my knowledge, and my love of God and Christ has grown and deepened. And this is something that no one can ever take away from me. I hope that you all will be able to develop the same for yourself.

Next week, we will continue on!

The Doctrine of Christ

I'm going to take a slight pause from posting about my Elder Bednar challenge for a week, or so, as I gather more information from the Book of Mormon dealing with conversion and seeking for truth in my regular readings. I asked one of the elders serving in my ward what I should post about this week. I told him the different topics I have covered so far, and he suggested that I post about a section of the Book of Mormon called, "The Doctrine of Christ". This is located in 3 Nephi 27: 13-22. There is a lot of information in these verses, and I will do my best to do the subject justice.

Let me start off on giving some background information on what has been happening in 3 Nephi. The Nephites learned about how the Son of God was going to be born in Bethlehem, and the approximate time, by the arrival of a new star in the sky. They witnessed the terrible weather that surrounded the Savior's crucifixion. They were told that Christ would visit them, in the Americas, after He had returned to heaven. Christ reappeared and visited the Nephites, beginning in chapter 11. 

We now jump ahead to chapter 27, verse 13, "Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you - that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me." These are the words which Jesus Christ spoke to the Nephites. He was proclaiming why He was sent into the world, to do the will of His Father. His Father is God, which makes Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God. And He was sent to Earth to proclaim the gospel. Now, what is the gospel? According to the Bible Dictionary, "the word gospel means good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ has made a perfect atonement for mankind that will redeem all mankind from the grave and reward each individual according to his/her works" (pg 682). Jesus Christ came to earth to be that perfect sacrifice. It's up to us to determine whether or not we will accept that gift.

Verse 14, "And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil-". 

Christ knew from the beginning that He would be sent to the earth to die. It was part of the plan, before He and His Father created the world. Through this choice, of being the perfect sacrifice, the only blameless, sinless, being to ever walk the face of the earth, could he cover the sins of all mankind. By becoming the sacrifice for all of mankind, Christ hoped to draw people towards him. That by His example, people may investigate what He was preaching and teaching, so that He could change their lives for the better. 

When Christ was crucified, men lifted his body onto the cross to die. Since he gave his life as this sacrifice, we now have the opportunity to live, and to use the atonement fully. Part of the way we can use the atonement, is by drawing to God whenever we are in times of need. When Christ was on the cross, suffering pure agony, He not only felt all the sins of the world, He also experienced all our pain, our sorrows, everything. Christ knows exactly how we feel in all situations, because He felt it too. He's been through it all. He's felt rejected, unloved, pushed aside, abandoned, humiliated, ashamed, you name it, He's been there. And He has made it through. Because He has made it through, we can take comfort in the fact that we can persevere as well. Doctrine and Covenants 19:18, "Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore..." He felt everything.

When we have the times of greatest need, when we are suffering, or in a great trial, that is when we need to turn to God. God will lift us up and support us. He might not always take the trial away from us, but He will provide the strength we need to get through the trial at hand.

After death and resurrection, comes the final judgment. That is when each person will be held responsible for all the choices, actions, deeds, basically how they have lived their lives. Christ will be our judge. Verse 15, "And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works." More of the same idea as before. I know it sounds a bit ominous, I mean, nobody is perfect. If I were to stand before Christ today, He could find countless things that I have done wrong that should keep me from entering heaven. 

However....verse 16, "And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world." This verse tells exactly what we must do. We must repent of our sins and be baptized. I feel like this is a good place to end for now...but don't worry! I will come back to address this topic, beginning here, in next week's post, continuing on in the Doctrine of Christ. (And for those of you who were hoping to read more about conversion and seeking truth in the Book of Mormon, I'm still working on that as well, and all will be written on, in subsequent weeks).

And if someone wants a copy of the Book of Mormon, you can get it free by calling 1-888-537-2200.

Week One of My Challenge

Week One of my Book of Mormon Challenge, 

Topic: Conversion and Seeking for Truth

Before I delve into my blue highlighted regions of what I learned about so far on Conversion and Seeking Truth, I need to give a bit of background information of the people who will be discussed in 1 Nephi. Lehi was a prophet in Jerusalem, who prophesied of the destruction of the Israelites, about their Babylonian captivity, and about many other things as well. 1 Nephi follows his family through their different happenings in life. Other important people in his family are Sariah, his wife, and his sons: Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. I have listed the sons in their birth order. At a point, the family will interact with King Laban, who is a wicked man, hoarding an important record from some of the Israelites. This is their story.

In the first verse, Nephi tells the reader that he has a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God. The only way that he could have been able to learn about this is through listening to God. God will, eventually, speak directly to Nephi, and begin to guide him, and his family. Nephi had been learning from the example of his father Lehi (also a prophet), from what he had learned from the Scriptures, and through prayer. In a likewise manner, we today can learn about the "goodness and mysteries of God" by reading Scriptures, praying, and listening to the Prophet of God.

In Verse 3, Nephi states, "And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge." I believe that Nephi put this verse in their for our generation, to let us know that he wrote about true events that happened in our history. That he didn't make these things up, but rather, that they were inspired of God.

Verses 5 and 6 tell of Lehi praying on behalf of his people, and that God answered him. "There came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him." The description of God's presence as a pillar of fire has been used countless times, starting in Genesis, and now in 1 Nephi. Lehi was seeking truth, and because of his faithfulness, the Lord answered and appeared to him. Lehi is given a book to read (verses 11 and 12), which is similar to the book mentioned in Ezekiel 2 and Revelation 5. When Lehi reads this book, he is filled with the Spirit of the Lord. In subsequent verses, we learn that the book, "manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world" (verse 19). Lehi will give many prophecies later on in 1 Nephi about the Messiah and his role in human race. Nephi concludes the first chapter by saying that, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." When we follow God, and what He asks of us, we are his chosen people.

In chapter 2, Lehi follows the guidance of the Lord, and they depart from Jerusalem. In verses 16 and 17, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed my words." I really love these two verses. It shows the great desires of an average guy, wanting to know more of God, pouring his heart out to the Lord, and the Lord answering his faithful disciple. The mysteries of God are for our understanding and knowledge, if we would but only seek them.

1 Nephi 3:3, "For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass." Here we learn that the King had a copy of the record of the Jews and there history. This is akin to some of the scrolls which were used to make the Bible. Since King Laban was a corrupt man, these records were probably not going to be used in the best manner, and the Lord sent Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi to go obtain the records. These records, just like our Scriptures today, were very important so that everyone could learn of the Lord, and follow His ways. They are the ultimate source of truth and knowledge. 

In 1 Nephi 4:16, Nephi mentions that the law was engraven on the plates of brass. (This law is similar to the Old Testament law). After some adventures, Nephi obtains the records. 1 Nephi 5:10, "and after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning." This reminds me a lot of when King Josiah (from the Old Testament) found the law of God after the Israelites had been in a period of apostasy. In both instances, the people gave thanks to the Lord for his Word, and then, searched the Word diligently, hoping to learn all they could. These plates of brass, contained in both the Old Testament, and in the Book of Mormon, "should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time" (1 Nephi 5:19).

In chapter 6, Nephi tells some of the reasons why God commissioned him to write of their history on plates. The most important reason is found in verse 4, "for the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved." Shouldn't that be the purpose of all of us?

Chapter 7 tells of how another family that joined Lehi's scoffed at what they were telling, and how it took both different family members, and sometimes visits from celestial beings, to soften their hearts. Chapter 8 has the first mentioning of the vision of the tree of life (which gets explained in a later chapter). Needless to say, the rod of iron, that will be described is referring to the Word of God, which makes this next verse even more meaningful, "But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree" (1 Nephi 8:30). So should we be fervently reading and seeking truth from the Word of God.

Chapter 9 describes how Nephi made two different sets of plates, according to God's purpose. At the end of Chapter 10, Nephi seeks the Lord for the knowledge that God had shown his father. He wanted to know the meaning of the visions that Lehi had seen, and Nephi knew that this knowledge would come to pass through the Holy Ghost. So, he prayed that he would be enlightened. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to comes; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round"  (1 Nephi 10:19).

Well, that's as far as I made it during this first week. I just wanted to end this post by giving a great thanks to all of my readers out there. I like to check my stats periodically, and I've learned some interesting things. For example, there have been many people from the Ukraine reading my blog. Also, others from China, Maldives, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Canada, and other places, to name a few. If you are one of my international readers, I was wondering if you would be willing to leave a comment at the end of this post, telling me where you are from, and how you found my blog. I think that would be really amazing to hear these stories.

Also, if anyone has any questions for me about my conversion, about the church, or any suggestions for topics that you would like me to address, please let me know. This blog is not meant to be for me, but rather, to help bring others to Christ. If there is a topic that can help lead someone to Christ, I would be honored to talk about it.

My latest challenge

I love challenges! This cause me to push myself harder and to stretch myself in ways that I never thought was possible before. They motivate and inspire me. One of the challenges that I did a couple of months ago was to read the Book of Mormon and the New Testament in 40 Days and 40 Nights. It took me a little bit longer than 40/40, but I did finish it! It was incredible! I got to see how much those two sets of Scriptures mesh together. When I would be reading a passage in the Book of Mormon, frequently, it would correspond with my daily reading from the New Testament.

Today, I had the opportunity to attend Mission Prep Class at my ward because the YW President was out of town. The topic of discussion for today was "How to study Scriptures effectively". Bishop challenged the students to try different ways, to push themselves, and to approach studying in a variety of manners. He encouraged me, albeit indirectly, to take him up on a challenge that he had presented to the YW during Girl's Camp this summer. Bishop had challenged the YW and their leaders to read through the Book of Mormon with a topic in mind. Whenever the topic/question gets answered, to mark the references. At the end, he suggested writing a one page summary on what we had learned. I'm going to do his challenge, just a bit differently.

Bishop had suggested the topic of conversion. I'm going to broaden that subject a bit. I'll be looking for conversion and seeking for the truth. I know that many, if not all, people seek for truth, in one form or another. I'd really like to see how the Book of Mormon addresses these subjects, and the knowledge that I glean from it. As I work on this project, I will do my best to post about it, either weekly or every other week (since I'm still in med school, and studying for boards, etc). But, that is my challenge.

Anyone up for joining me?

Lessons learned from the West

From the week of December 28, 2013 through January 4, 2014, I had the amazing opportunity to travel and visit many families in a short period of time. I really love to travel, to see more of the beautiful world that God, through Jesus Christ, made, to learn about people from different walks of life, and to appreciate all that a place has to offer.

I was only able to do this trip because of all the time and effort that I had placed in friendships with those who have served here, in Erie, PA. You can ask almost any of the missionaries here, and they all know that I love to go out and help teach with them. I know how instrumental it was to me, to learn about the Restored Gospel and all the joy that it has brought into my life since then. So, after some of my missionary friends finish their missions, I keep in contact with them, and then (like I did recently) I visit them.

I learned that my body can be stretched to the limits. The Friday before I fly to Salt Lake City, I drove from Nashua, NH to Erie, PA, and then to Pittsburgh, PA. I then had to retire to bed early, in order to wake up ridiculously early (~3am) so I could drop off my car, and then fly out at 7am. I was extremely excited because I hadn't been out West since 2006, and definitely not since I joined the Church and made all the amazing friends that I have now in my life. I arrived into SLC around 11am, and my friend Taylor picked me up from the airport. I hadn't seen him for about one year, so it was amazing to see him again. It was so surreal seeing someone post mission who had been instrumental in my conversion. (Taylor Reese had done my baptismal interview about 15 months ago). You make friends with these wonderful missionaries, and then, if you are lucky, you get the awesome experience to see them again in their real life. I was lucky many times over. :)

I then drove to Clearfield, UT to visit Josh Beames' family. His mom, Teri Beames, has been a great influence on my life and has helped me many times when I have struggled. I consider her an extension of my family. I got to meet all of the siblings and tour the outside of the Ogden temple that was getting remodeled, and visited a few stores in the region. I absolutely love the Beames family!

Outside of the Ogden, UT temple.

The amazing Beames family!

I then headed over to Provo, UT to meet up with Linny and Clark Allsop. Linny is Elder Colvin's sister (one of the influential missionaries who initially taught me the gospel). She is pregnant right now and is due in May. We had a fun time, playing board games and then watching a movie. It was good to see his sister again and finally met her husband (who I had been joking didn't exist until then). We had a great time. I stayed up until 11pm MST (1am EST), so I was awake for 22 hours. I became a little crazy at the end, and a little incoherent as well.

Linny and Clark Allsop

The next morning I drove to Draper, UT to meet up with Taylor and his family and go to church. His family was super nice, fed me lunch, and then Taylor did a superb job showing me around SLC. Before then, we headed to see the Draper temple. (I find it so cool that there are so many temples in a short distance. Our nearest temple is 3 hrs away, and that makes it harder to worship as frequently as I would like). Taylor showed me temple square and all it had to offer. We had an absolute blast!

Taylor and I outside of the Draper temple

Taylor and I outside of the SLC temple

That evening I drove and met up with one of Shana Butler's siblings living in Provo, who was willing to put me up for a few nights. That was extremely kind and thoughtful of her, especially since she had never met me before. The next day I met up with another one of Shana's siblings, Adam, who I had been in communication with for awhile. We got to see the Bountiful temple and then he showed me a bit of SLC as well. (It is the place to be, anyway!) That evening I learned a new card game, called The Great Dalmuty.

Bountiful Temple

We had the amazing opportunity to do a live session in the SLC temple the following day. Adam and I got to go, and if any member has never done a live session before, I would highly recommend going. Doing a live one gives a completely different take on the entire endowment session, and allows for the people who are participating to give their own takes on what is happening as well. I absolutely loved it, and wish I could do sessions like that more often. Then, I really wanted to see the Provo temple, and the MTC since all my amazing friends had trained there. Unfortunately, I couldn't actually go into the MTC, but I got to see some young missionaries around there, which was quite the thrill.

Adam and I by the Provo temple

That same day I went to Kanosh, UT to meet up with the Crabb family. Tyler had served in North East, PA, and I had previously taught with him and Mark Meier many times. We got to go shooting! Now, I had never shot a gun before, and it was wicked intimidating to do it initially, but so much fun. (A bunch of my guy friends now joke with me, wondering when I'll buy my own gun). I wasn't the best at it, but I'm no longer scared of doing it. I can now defend myself! That evening we blew up firecrackers, which is something that you can do easily in the middle of nowhere.

Me and Tyler in Kanosh, UT

The following day I drove to Mesa, AZ. It took about 8 hours, and I had to drive through some of the most beautiful landscape that I have ever seen. The mountains are breathtakingly gorgeous out there. And since there was hardly any radio reception there, I got to do a lot of thinking. I met up with Daniel Anderson. We went for dinner, hot tub, and card games. The next day we went hiking with his best friend (after attempting running) and ate at In N Out for the first time ever. Later on that day I took Daniel to the temple. It was his first time going since he had received his own endowment prior to starting his mission in PA. I loved going with him and sharing in that experience.

Daniel and I at the top of the hiking trail

I then went to see the Colvins again (which are like my second family), and got to spend a day and a half with them. I got to go to the temple with Andrea, and talk to her for such a long time in the Celestial room. It was very knowledgeable and inspiring.

After this trip, I learned that I am planning on doing my residency out West. I love it there soo much! I was able to fully be myself, and experience wonderful opportunities there. I have always loved to travel, and I am now going to try very hard to get myself out there. I know that if God wants me there, He will provide a way. This means that I am, and have currently scheduled, both medical exams, both the COMLEX and the USMLE. It is going to be tough, but worth it. I only have a year and a half left before I become a doctor. I still can't believe that I'm here, learning, pushing myself to the limits, and learning so much about the gospel. This has been the hardest, and yet, most rewarding year and a half of my life. I wouldn't change a thing. :)