Plan for the Future

Today I was reading one of my friends most recent blogs. He had put up a post today, it included a picture slideshow of his mission. It wasn't a very long slideshow, but in the middle of it I thought about Gods plan for each and every one of us.

The way that I thought about it in my mind, is that God knows everything. From the beginnning to the end. So if we think in these terms, The slideshow of life is continually being created through the choices we make. The only difference for God is that he already knows how the slideshow ends.

Most of the pictures that I saw were portraying happiness. And with how many smiles that were shown just proves that the scripture 2 Nephi 2: 25 is true. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. It is so amazing that we are here on the earth to experience joy. I am so happy that I can feel the peace that comes when I feel the spirit of the Lord.

So the purpose of this post today is that we must challenge ourselves to create the best slideshow of our life that we can possibly make. I know that sometimes we fall and that we need to repent of our sins. But if we repent then those parts on our slideshows will be 'edited', so to speak.

I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. He knows the beginning from the end. With that said, He knows how to help you get to that end, but we must choose his path to get there. I know that this gospel is true. I know that as we live righteously, we will prosper and we will be blessed.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thirsting After Righteousness

I had the idea for this post this morning when I was getting ready for school. I got up at about 8:00 and started to get ready to go. For some reason this morning, I had a wonderful feeling like I could do a lot of good today. I thought, I want to do right today. I simply wanted it.

So I went to institute today at 10:30, in my book of mormon class, we discussed 2nd Nephi chapters 5-7. Brother Scott(my teacher) told us at the very biginning of class that it must have been really hard for Nephi because his brothers were trying to take away his life. So the discussion was on agency, saying that God will always allow his children to choose for themselves. I think that Nephi did pray very hard for his brothers not to have such hard hearts, but God will not take away anyone's agency. Even Laman and Lemuels.

We started a list on the board, Nephi at the top of one side, and Laman and Lemuel at the top of the other. Under Nephi's side we listed all of the people who went with him when God commanded Nephi to leave. And under Laman and Lemuel, we put several of the names of everyone who stayed. After doing this we read chaper 5 v. 7-19, and we listed many of the blessings that the Nephites had after they left. and in verse 27, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

To put it lightly, the nephites lived happily because they chose to do right and to keep the commandments of God. So what does it actually mean to thirst after righteousness. In a sense that came to me during class was that it is wanting and working toward all of the blessings that are promised to the righteous. So being righteous right now, is working towards those blessings and a happy life.

Today I choose to be righteous, and I choose to be happy. In the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.