Opposition

There is opposition in all things. If there were no sadness then there would be no happiness, if there were no hardships then nothing would be easy. If there were no evil there would never be good.

The Fall of Adam and Eve was a key component to the plan of Happiness. One asks, 'do you think that Adam and Eve were set up to fall?' In answer, 'no, I believe they were set up to succeed.'

The opposition in the beginning was created by God. "The Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowlegde of Good and Evil, the one being sweet and the other bitter." God knew that for man to be tested they needed to choose for themselves, so he created opposition in all things so we may be tried.

Sometimes when we feel like we are doing good, we are tempted by Satan and we fall. But God knew we would fall, so he provided a way to return; the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

When we fall, we feel the loss of the Spirit of God. This is the sorrow we must feel so we can feel the wonderous Spirit of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Alma 36, Alma repents and he says, 'and how bitter was my pain, was how sweet my joy.' I'm paraphrasing. We can all feel that Joy, but sometimes we will feel the pain before we reach that marvelous Joy. And yes, putting effort in is hard, but it is so worth it.

I know that all the pain we feel in this life, will be a Joy to us in the end if we choose to follow the Savior.

Heirs of the Celestial Kingdom

Today I was thinking about what I wanted to study in the scriptures. I thought about our goals that are most important in an Eternal sense. We all want to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. I started reading in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 137:2-4

I saw the transcendant beauty of the gate that the heirs through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
Also the blazing throne of God; whereon was seated the Father and the Son.
I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.

What a great promise for those who inheirit the Kingdom of God. But how do we make sure we are heirs of that kingdom? A couple of the answers are in 2 Nephi 9:18 We must:
Believe and stand as a witness
Be righteous
Endure the crosses of the world (foot note 18 C)

Also in Mosiah 27:26 (25-26) We must be 'Born Again' which is to say that we must be changed from a carnal state to a state of righteousness continually.

In conclusion, since we cannot comprehend the Eternal Life of the Celestial Kingdom, we can know that our trials will be a small price for the "greatest of all Gods gifts" (D&C 14:7)

Beginning the Journey

Welcome to my blog, this is my chance to tell you how I am becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. On this site I will bare my testimony, and share scripture thoughts I have had recently.

I have recently decided to prepare more effectively and efficiently to serve a mission. I went to a YSA fireside last night and I listened to brother and sister Foust talk about running. They used running as a metaphor for life. Brother Foust talked about his experience running the wasatch 100. Really, it is one hundred miles. Our life is a journey, full of ups and downs. And we always need to be on the watch for the deadly snakes on our paths and point them out to others on their way. This is saying that we need to always be on guard for the Adversary, He wants us to be miserable. Also, we need to bear one anothers burdens and help them on their way back to the Lord.

Then Sister Foust spoke about the Disneyland Half Marathon. She prepared with her daughters for this event for two months. They woke up every day and took the time to strengthen their endurance. She thought about how this life is the time to prepare to meet God, and that she could be doing a lot more to strengthen her spiritual endurance. This is why I am starting this blog. I want to strengthen my spiritual endurance and become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I know that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. I know that he has atoned for my sins, and for the sins of the world. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, I have taken Moroni's challenge several times, and every time I have taken the challenge, I recieve a greater resolve to conquer Satan. I know that keeping the commandments is the only way to recieve peace of mind.

May the Lord Bless and keep you.