Ponder On the Beauty

We baptized two wonderful ladies today who found the light of Christ's gospel shining through the lives of their friends.  It was my pleasure and privilege to baptize Rebecca and my companion, Elder Bevan, who finishes his two-year tour of duty on Tuesday, baptized Jeanette.  It was the first time in probably 13 months that I was the one doing the actual baptizing--usually I like to have local members of the Church do it so there can be a bond there, but Rebecca insisted that I do it. 

I have to mention one more thing: I've been very blessed as a missionary to have been involved in the baptisms of more than 25 people to date.  Each service has brought an amazing sensation of love and peace that I simply cannot describe, nor can I ascribe it to anything other than the Holy Spirit.  I must confess, it becomes easy for that Spirit, that influx of joy and peace, to be taken for granted or for one to miss the rarity and specialness of that feeling when it is experienced over and over again in a short period of time.  Now don't mistake--every baptism I've been a part of has been a beautiful, wonderful experience for which I would not trade the world.  I am so grateful for the faith and courage the good people with whom I've worked have shown in choosing to be baptized; they are examples to me!  I mention that only as a backdrop to the overwhelming sense of love, joy, peace, and gratitude to be doing what I do that I felt today as I sat in white next to Rebecca and watched the tears of joy stream down her face.  I admit, tears welled up in my eyes as these feelings swelled in my heart. 

After the baptism I looked heavenward, thanking my Father for the tender mercy that was to me.  I looked at the rain-washed sky and drank in the beauty of the purple-and-yellow tango of the clouds and the sunset; as I did, I once again reflected on the great goodness of our Father in Heaven.  From our birth to the day we die He is there--watching, guiding, weeping with us, and waiting to bless.  If ever life seems to become robotic or unfulfilling, just look at a sunset or count your blessings or stop to thank God for that breath you just took.  I know He is in the details of our lives.  I know He loves me and wants each of us Home.  And when you feel alone, just imagine His loving arms around you when you make it back and His gentle, powerful voice whispering in your ear "Welcome Home".

I just can't wait.

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

Image isn't mine, unfortunately... it's from http://www.karoopixel.co.za/gallery.aspx

My Fam

You know, I've been having a lot of those familial feelings lately--you know, where you just feel super close to your family?  It's not that I'm necessarily homesick or that I cry myself to sleep every night or anything, it's just that I've been feeling a particular closeness to them, even though I'm so far away.  I know that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's how I feel right now.

I know I've mentioned this before, but as a missionary I've seen a lot of families that have been broken by various things.  I am so grateful for a good, solid family built on the foundation of Christ and His teachings.  We are working closely with a small family who is trying to do what's right, get married, and build themselves on that foundation right now;  they are finding increased peace, direction, and understanding as they give their lives over to the Savior and try to do what He has asked them to do.  Maybe that's why I've got family on the brain?

Makes me think--have you ever felt those longings for our Heavenly home?  our Heavenly family?  I know I have.  I think that's why families are so deeply important to us as a human race (a "human family", as it were);  we are all God's family!  Our pictures are all on God's refrigerator!  We need to realize that God loves each one of us, no matter how badly we mess up.  That's why He sent our Big Brother, Jesus Christ, to suffer for all of His other children--so we can feel better when we mess up and get back to Him someday.

Our families are there to help us out.  Sure they come in different shapes and sizes, but that's what makes them uniquely ours.  But I know that more than that, we are all a big family.  So do something nice for one of your brothers or sisters you've forgotten.  People aren't "strangers".  They're our brothers and sisters.  My fam.

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

PS Check out what the Mormon Church has to say about the family!  Let me know what you think!

A Stone Cut Out of the Mountain Pt. III

As my Master chiseled and scraped, brushed and polished, I began to see myself how he saw me: worthwhile, important, magnificent, and something great.  As I mentioned before, the pain of the chisel never decreased, but I learned to accept it as my Master's plan and trust that his skillful hands would work untold wonders for my future.  Truly--and I understand this will sound terribly ironic--my heart of stone softened and I learned to respect, and far greater than that, to love my Master, the Great Michelangelo.  The great care he took, the joy he expressed at seeing me become glorious, his detail in carving every intricacy with precision--it all evidences his pouring his whole soul into making me his masterpiece, his work and his glory. 

It took him three and a half years of working daily and toiling arduously to finish me, but he did it.  In the early summer of 1504, I, David, was completed.  Standing erect in mighty majesty, I was a symbol of hope for the Florentine Renaissance, a budding revival of great human achievement that was endangered by the iron-fisted traditionalists of Italy.  Michelangelo explained to me as he worked that the man I depicted had been a courageous defender of the truth and of God's kingdom long ago.  As a boy, this David had faced a foe many times his size and strength.  I was created to remind the good people of Florence that no obstacle is insurmountable when we put ourselves in the Hands of God, the Great Creator and Master. 



We truly are our Master's masterpiece.



 I am living proof of that.  I was a hard-willed, stubborn block of stone, doomed to crumble in a dusty old warehouse until I was discovered by a Master.  Once I learned to act, to submit my will to his, and not just be acted upon, a world of understanding and hope blossomed before my eyes (so to speak).  No longer was I doomed to impregnable uselessness; no longer was I destined to be rubble; no longer was I consigned to the unfulfillment of my true potential.  This Master, this caring, honest, dedicated craftsman shaped my destiny forever. 

I hope my tale has brought to light the struggles that everyone's heart, stone or flesh, must endure.  Remember, my softer-skinned friends, we are all shaped by a Master.  He knows best.  When we love Him and serve Him and submit ourselves to His will, He will polish us and craft us, and, like a stone cut out of a mountain without hands, we will all become our Master's masterpiece. 

The End

Image from: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/michelangelo-sculptures7.htm

More Fit for the Kingdom: Part II

More Fit for the Kingdom

by Chris Spendlove

"My son... rise, my boy." The knight resurfaced from the depths of a turbulent sleep. His vision came into focus upon the sadly smiling face of his beloved King. The knight had been brought back to the castle and was now lying in the bed of the King Himself! "Oh, my son... you heeded not my counsel and warnings. You have been gravely wounded by that old serpent. But I will make you whole." The King smiled as He said this, and laid a reassuring hand on the shoulder of the knight. The knight wept bitterly.

"O, my King! I have betrayed you! I have turned my thoughts away from the light and meddled with the things of darkness! Forgive me! I beg you...forgive me..." The knight covered his face in his hands--he was too ashamed to be looked upon by the King.

"I will make you whole, my son. But you must put your trust in me. You must not go astray again, and you must re-learn what it means to be a knight. It will be difficult and the poisons of the dragon will sting as they leave your body, but I love you, my son, and I will stay by your side until you are healed." The knight looked into the eyes of his King, and he knew that the King could not lie. He nodded, and embraced the King.

"I will put my trust in you, my Lord. I know that you can do many mighty works and can heal me of this poison and fix my broken body and spirit." The King laid the young man back down, and the knight presently fell asleep.

When he awoke, the King was still by his side. The King was preparing a balm to apply to the wounds of the knight. "You must know that you have lost the trust of the villagers," the King said gravely. "They have lost much in the dragon's attack, and will lose much more while you heal. They have suffered much, but I think they will learn to forgive you in time." The King smiled softly and applied the balm. It seared the knight's flesh, and he yelped because of the pain. "This will be uncomfortable," the King continued, "but it will save your life." The knight, still smarting from the balm, realized that this pain was nothing compared to the anguish that he had caused the poor villagers by his actions.

"They trusted in me," he said softly, "and I betrayed that trust by not being the man they needed me to be. I must repay the debt that I owe them--when I am well again, I will rebuild their houses, work in their fields, and serve them in their homes."

"And you must again face that dragon," the King reminded him. "You must show them that you are capable of defending them from the evils of this world as you did before. I will heal you, my son, but you must then do your part--protect the people, be the true and just defender you were born to be." The weeks passed, and slowly the knight regained his strength. Daily, the King taught him once more how to be a knight; the young man loved being instructed so, and he resolved within himself to be a bold defender. And if he was wounded in his efforts to defend the people, the King promised that He would heal the knight, as long as he would learn from the battle.

The day came when the knight was fully healed and ready to face the dragon again. "The dragon said he would come back to watch me die," the knight told the King. "Perhaps he will return today, thinking that I am soon to perish."

"You must be ever watchful, my son, for the day when the dragon comes. You must be prepared. I want you to have these," said the King, presenting the knight with a bright new set of armor, a sharpened sword of excellent craftsmanship, and a large shield, upon which was emblazoned the Crest of the King. "The best knights are those who get back up when they fall, who put their trust in their King, and face the challenges of life with hope. You have the makings of a great knight.  I love you.  I have confidence in you. Now go, my son, and be the defender you were born to be."

It was with confidence that the knight strode past the portcullis and out onto the drawbridge of the castle. The King had taught him to have hope, to put his best foot forward, and to keep moving forward in the face of opposition. The knight knew he had a solid foundation in the love of the King, and that no matter the circumstances, the King would be there to heal his wounds.

The villagers looked rather angrily at him as he walked through the town, and he heard them whispering under their breaths. The knight tried to offer apologies to them for the sorrow he had caused, but many of the townsfolk turned angrily away without a word. Others looked at him sadly, as if longing for the old knight to return, the knight who had defended them so bravely. "I will be their knight. I will use what I have learned from the King to protect these people from harm. It is my charge. It is my duty."

The knight spent the afternoon seeking to make amends with the people. As the sun set, the knight retired to his tent, seeking to get some rest in preparation for the oncoming confrontation with the dragon.

The morning came early; the golden fingers of dawn caressed the eyes of the young knight, beckoning him to rise. He polished his armor, sharpened the sword, and cleaned the shield with the same meticulous care as before, and headed out into the clear morning. No sooner had he set out, than the cry of "Dragon! dragon! who will save us?!" rang out from the square. The knight was ready. he had been anticipating this moment for weeks, had been preparing himself mentally, spiritually, and physically under the care of the King, and was now ready to prove himself to the villagers--he would show them that they could once again rely on him for support and defense. It was his duty.

The dragon roared with laughter as he spewed flames from deep in his gullet. "Where is you precious defender now?" he cackled, torching a cart of apples. "Your knight is dying! Fear, peasants! fear!"

"STOP!" shouted the knight. The dragon wheeled around to face the man in bright armor, sword ablaze with the morning sun. "I will defend these people, even if it costs me my life! Either you or I or both of us will die right here, right now!" The knight stared the dragon straight in the eyes, and, brandishing his sword with mighty conviction, rushed at the dragon.

"Hmph! Impudent boy! I crushed you once, I will crush you again!" The dragon reared up on his hind legs and barred his teeth.

Sword met claw, sending sparks into the air. The young knight fought not for himself, but for the safety of the people and for the honor of the King; he contended bravely against the evil dragon, using his shield to protect him from the dragon's fire and from the sharp fangs and claws. His sword was a piercing ray of light, scoring the black scales and flesh of the dragon with each stroke. The dragon was surprised at the courage of the knight--he had been so weak in their last encounter that the dragon underestimated the new-found bravery and conviction of his opponent. The dragon began to fear for his life as the knight blocked his swipes and parried with powerful blows to his neck and shoulders. Letting out a mighty roar, the dragon retreated toward his cave. "I will return, knight, and you will pay dearly for

this encounter!!"

The villagers slowly appeared in the doorways of their homes and shops. The knight was burnt in some places, scratched and bruised in others, but he was alive and well; his armor had served him well against the vicious attacks of the dragon. As he looked into their faces, the young knight could see gratitude in the eyes of the people. Slowly, they began to applaud their defender. As the cheering grew, tears welled in the eyes of the young man--it was for them that he had fought so mightily, and it was for them that he lived. The knight realized that day that his life was meant to be lived for others, and that there were people who depended on his strength and stability. He would, with the King's support, defend these

people until the day he died, because it was with His support that he lived, and it was because of His gifts that he continued to fight.

The dragon was gone, but, they knew, he would return. And when he did, the knight would be there to protect and to defend and to serve them. More importantly even than that, the King would always be there too, watching with unparalleled love, willing to stand beside the wounded and ready to succor the needs of His people. The knight knew that he had a kind, wise Friend in the King, and that, no matter the circumstances, the King would guide and protect him. He could go forward with hope and be the defender he was born to be.

The End.

Prophets: God's Chosen Messengers

My last "real" post was about Joseph Smith, a modern-day prophet.  I've also posted previously about the need for apostles and prophets, the foundation upon which the Church of Christ has always been built.  Today I wanted to briefly explain what a prophet is and why Mormons are so grateful for them that we even have a hymn entitled "We Thank Thee, O God for a Prophet"!

Unfortunately for us, we aren't in God's physical presence--much to Cheryl Crow's dismay, He is not just a "stranger on the bus", walking and talking with us.  Notwithstanding, He wants us to do the things that will bring us true and lasting happiness.  How does He therefore communicate those things to us?  He inspires men, starting with Adam all the way down to today, and gives them His word and His law.  In Amos 3:7, we learn that "surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets [His will, doctrines, etc.] unto his servants the prophets."  Pretty awesome, right?  Well you and I may think so, but repeatedly throughout time, people have rejected the words of the prophets.  I guess they just didn't like getting told off... Does God then say "Well great!  I sent you my prophets and you rejected them--good luck!  Have a nice life!" and leave us?  Of course not!  He wants as many of us back to Him as will choose.  So He sends another prophet when the people are ready.  (By the way, you can read all bout this process in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon!)  There is this pattern of dispensations (when prophets are preaching the gospel) and apostasies (when people reject the prophets and they're taken away for a time) all throughout the scriptures.  Thus, it is reasonable that God would call a prophet to "reveal his secrets" to us--He loves us just as much as any of His children, doesn't He?  And we certainly need divine help in these crazy times!  (See also Hugh B. Brown, "The Profile of a Prophet", Ensign, June 2006, 34–39)

We can have confidence in God's prophets because they hold His authority, the priesthood.  I've mentioned it before, but the priesthood is the power for prophets to definitively say "Thus saith the Lord".  It's the difference between getting pulled over by a county sheriff versus the ice cream man--one has the authority to write you a ticket and the other doesn't, no matter his good intentions (or his "Good Humor"). 



"Do you have any idea how fast you were goin'?"

I testify that God has always and will always lead us in the right direction through His servants, the prophets.  I testify that if we listen to the voices of the prophets, our lives will be blessed.  We will find our way back to Heavenly Father.  God has not left us alone--He really has called a prophet in these troubled times.  And for that I say "thank Thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days!"

Much Love,
Elder Spendlove

For more on prophets, check out this talk and the related ones, from the leadership of the Church!

God is Our Loving Heavenly Father

I have considered many things lately about my posting, and one of the things I want to do is talk about a different principle of the Gospel that we missionaries teach each Wednesday.  So basically until I notify you otherwise, you can expect a little tidbit of simple doctrine every Wednesday.  :)

Today I wanted to talk just a little about our Heavenly Father (God).  Like His name implies, He is literally our Father, not just some ephemeral mass somewhere in the cosmos.  We look like He does--we were created in His image after all-- and we have the potential to become like Him someday.  He really loves us a LOT--check out what Paul has to say about it:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38 & 39)

Pretty cool, right?  Like he says, the love of God is manifested in the fact that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our mistakes and fill in the holes that we or others leave in our lives (see also John 3:16)!  Amazing.  There are many ways that God shows His love for us which we will discuss in the coming weeks; I want to share one way that I feel His love.  I know God loves me because He always gives me a second (third, fourth, fifth...) chance!  Because He will never give up on me, He allows me to come to Him with my boo-boos and be healed through the power of His Son.  Pretty miraculous that somebody as imperfect and foolhardy as I could merit such love and mercy--but that's the thing about God.  He is a God of miracles. 

If you have felt God's love in your life recently, post a reply here so others can feel of His love too, then share the love by inviting your friends to check out my blog and add me on facebook!  We're trying to get a worldwide web of love started here! 

Much love,
Elder Spendlove