True Joy

I love a good banana split.

Picture this: a nice, long, oval shaped glass bowl. In it is placed a perfectly sliced banana. On top of the banana is laid a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of strawberry. To add to the sweet bliss of this dessert, streams of chocolate and strawberry syrup are gracefully woven atop the ice cream. What seems like a fairly large dish is practically doubled in size by the whipped cream. To give even more color to it, a generous amount of sprinkles is added to the mix. And, of course, in order for it to be complete, there must be a cherry on top.

Who wouldn't enjoy a dessert such as this? It makes me happy just thinking about it. I really cannot explain the pleasure I get out of eating a banana split similar to the one described above. I love to just lose myself in the glory of eating it. But! the thing with a banana split is, you have to have it all for it to be truly glorious. You can't just go with half a banana and a small scoop of vanilla. That just doesn't cut it! Neither can you have the whole deal and only take a few bites. Why would you stop short with just a little bit of enjoyment?

I LOVE the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Picture this: you're in a beautifully white room. You're surrounded by your friends and family, the people you love. Everything is absolutely glorious: you, the people, your surroundings. Everything is peaceful. Everyone is happy. The joy of being in this room is multiplied by the fact the God and Jesus Christ are there as well. The room is filled with ultimate love.

Who wouldn't want to be in a place such as this? The happiness I feel while eating a banana split? Nothing in comparison with the joy I feel by living the gospel of Jesus Christ. It makes me so excited! The fact that my family and I can live with God and Jesus Christ in a perfect, glorious state brings me absolute happiness. Not just temporary happiness, but Eternal happiness. When you can have something as marvelous as that why would you settle for something less? What's a half a banana and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the entire, decked-out banana split? They just can't compare. Neither can anything on this world compare to the glory of God's kingdom. And when you have something this wonderful, why would you only take a few bites? Why stop short of everlasting life and eternal happiness? 

I definitely cannot explain the immense joy I get out of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love to just lose myself in it. I know that the gospel brings TRUE JOY. When we live it Fully we can enjoy All the blessings God has in store for us. I do love a good banana split. But I LOVE the gospel of Jesus Christ even more!!!

Much love,

Hermana Haslam

A Pearl of Great Price: Part VI

Once I had gathered myself and the mingled, bitter-sweet taste of Shiloh's sacrifice for me had subdued enough for me to regain my faculties, I remembered where I was sitting: at the gates of the City of Promise!  A fluttering, palpitating surge of joy and fulfillment coursed through my whole body as I leapt upon my miraculously-healed feet and gazed in wonder at the luster of the place for which I had been searching for so long. 

"I'm here," I whispered to myself, still in disbelief. 

Images of my journey flashed before my eyes:  the night of the sandstorm that left me without shelter, but that had introduced me to the Wanderer's kindness; the day I nearly died of thirst, but was once again saved; when I had the opportunity to help Jesse and Ruth stave off the jackals and return Shiloh's kindness; the blazing sands and circling buzzards that had been my only company for so long; the vicious brutality of the bandits and the icy grip of fear that had clutched my heart as doom drew near, only to find my Savior once again rescuing me--as I reflected on how far I had come, the joy of my arrival at this blessed place grew ever more potent.

It struck me that all those who had gone and returned in vain must not have believed that the destination would be worth the trial to get there.  They must not have been changed by their experience, nor had they grown or become anything different than when they had left. As I reflected thus, my mind caught hold of another idea: perhaps the destination wasn't where the growth was meant to come anyway!  Perhaps, I thought, the reason this place was so blessed was because when men and women who ventured here arrived at these gates, they came tired, beaten, and spent, but they had learned the true meaning of love, of sacrifice, of the joy of selflessness. I had!  I had learned, out in the wastes, that to give of oneself is to receive; that when you strive when your arms are too weary and reach for the seemingly unreachable ideal, you grow to become something more.  I had overcome so much--only, of course, with the help of the Wanderer.  The joy had been in the journey.

I was lost in thought for quite some time, basking in the luminous joy and unspeakable gratitude I felt merely standing where I was.  Presently, I floated back down from my flight-of-fancy and strode through the ornately wrought gates and into the city.

It was so beautiful.

"To Fulfill All Righteousness"

I just created a photo album on facebook with all of the pictures of the people I have helped baptize while on my mission.  **Brief Explanatory Note:  As a missionary, my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by receiving the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end.  Helping people prepare for baptism, the first covenant or two-way-promise we make with Heavenly Father, is central to what I do as a representative of Jesus Christ.  We missionaries invite people to be baptized because it is what Jesus wants all of us to do (we'll talk about this in a minute). **  As I reviewed the photos (quite thankful for the miracle of digital cameras!), what struck me about each photo was the look of peace and happiness on the person's face.  I know that each of the wonderful people I helped prepare for baptism knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that what they were doing was right.  Baptism is such a beautiful, wonderful, life-changing thing;  I am grateful that it is central to what I am called to do.

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).  Period.  Jesus Himself, sinless though He was, perfect in every aspect of obedience though He was, was baptized by John the Baptist "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15, see also 2 Nephi 31:4-7), or to accomplish every single commandment God had given Him.  It is pretty clear from the scriptures that baptism is important.  The Book of Mormon gives us further insight on our need to be baptized: "[Jesus' baptism] showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, [Jesus] having set the example before them.  And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we [are] willing to keep the commandments of the Father...[who] said: Repent ... and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son" (2 Nephi 31:9-11, empahsis added).  It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal.  If we intend to follow Jesus Christ, Nephi says, we must follow the commandments of the Father, i.e. be baptized!  I think I've made my point.

There are so many blessings that come from baptism.  We are promised a newness of life (Romans 6:3-5); we are promised to have the Holy Ghost's companionship (2 Nephi 31:13); eternal life and resurrection (Mosiah 18:9); we are received into Christ's church; the list could go on and on.  All my friends I mentioned above who got baptized are experiencing and enjoying those gifts right now.  I know that anyone who wants to can enjoy those blessings as well.  It takes a little doing, but I can testify that if you will prepare to be baptized by someone who holds the authority to do so (I will explain that further another time), you will enjoy all the blessings mentioned in the scriptures.  You will feel the love of God more abundantly in your life and you will be happier.

MUCH LOVE

Elder Spendlove

"The Words of Eternal Life"

I want to just talk briefly today about following Christ.  There is a big misconception out there that Mormons aren't Christians.  Well I want to make it publicly known that that is absolutely untrue.  As an authorized representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (see, it's His church!) I am called to stand as a witness of Him and His church before all people.  And as such, I want to testify that I know that Jesus is the Christ, that He came and suffered for each one of us individually.  He knows your weaknesses, your pains, your insecurities, your doubts, your fears, your heartaches--all of it!  He suffered and died for each and every one of us so we can be happy and so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father eternally as families after we die.

I love something that Peter said of old to the Savior.  Jesus, after declaring some things about His divinity to His followers who promptly turned and "walked no more with him", asked his apostles, "Will ye also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:66-69, emphasis added)  That's the key, my friends.  If I weren't a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't know where I would be or where to go.  But because He lives, because His truth and His gospel ("the good news") have been restored on the earth through Joseph Smith, a modern-day prophet, I know where I am going--to live eternally with my Father and my family.  I pray you will all find the truth of this message as you study it.  If you have any questions, please comment below or look me up on facebook.  I can get you in touch with some missionaries who, like me, know this message is true and want nothing more than your eternal life with Heavenly Father as well. 

MUCH LOVE,

Elder Spendlove