We Must All Be Born Again

A new year always brings the idea of new year’s resolutions. I have been making new year’s resolutions for many years, but they do not usually last very long. Some of my resolutions include eating better, exercising more, reading the scriptures more, and the list goes on.

New year images also include a new born baby. One of the many news stories for the new year is the first baby born on the first day of the year. We have hope when we see a new born baby; hope for the future of the child. A new born child is fresh and clean, and his parents are there to protect and teach the child everything she will need to know to succeed.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start over like a new born child? Not that I want to repeat growing up or experience my rebellious teenage years; but how would it be if we could forget all our troubles and mistakes and start over? We can, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus was confused and asked if a man could enter his mother’s womb again? Jesus then explained that he was talking of a spiritual rebirth. President James E. Faust explained:

“Our first birth takes place when we are born into mortality. Our second birth begins when we are baptized by water by one holding the priesthood of God and is completed when we are confirmed, and then cometh a remission of [our] sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.” (Born Again).

President Faust tells of a man that had polio for 22 years and was bed ridden. The missionaries taught him the Gospel and he wanted to be baptized. The man asked the missionaries to fast with him so he would have the strength to be baptized. On the day of his baptism the missionaries carried him to the car and to a bench in the chapel. When it came time for him to be baptized he said:

“Elder Peters and his companion picked up Atiati and carried him to the font. As they did so, Atiati said, “Please, put me down.” They hesitated, and he said again, “Put me down.”

As they stood in some confusion, Atiati smiled and exclaimed: “This is the most important event in my life. I know without a doubt in my mind that this is the only way to eternal salvation. I will not be carried to my salvation!” So they lowered Atiati to the ground. After a huge effort, he managed to pull himself up. The man who had lain 20 years without moving was now standing. Slowly, one shaky step at a time, Atiati went down the steps and into the water, where the astonished missionary took him by the hand and baptized him. He then asked to be carried from the font to the chapel, where he was confirmed a member of the Church.

Atiati continued to progress so that he gained the ability to walk only by a cane. He told Elder Peters that he knew that he would be able to walk on the morning of his baptism. He said, “Since faith can move a stubborn mountain, I had no doubt in my mind that it would mend these limbs of mine.”9 I believe we can say that Atiati was truly born again!” (Born Again).

In the Book of Mormon, we read of King Benjamin’s address to his people before he died. His message was so powerful that the people cried with one voice:

“we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

“And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.” (Mosiah 5:2-7)

The prophet Alma described how he repented of his sins and was born again:

“said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.

“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

“And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.” (Mosiah 27:24-26)

The process of spiritual rebirth is not easy, and it does not happen in an instant. It is a process of making the choice to follow the Savior’s example, of keeping the commandments and doing God’s will. Our rebirth may begin because of a spiritual experience as it did with King Benjamin’s people and with Alma, but if we do not have a change of heart and have no “disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” the process will not be complete, and we will not be perfected.

When King Benjamin’s people said that they had no more disposition to do evil, did it mean that they never sinned again? No, that is not possible. We are all imperfect beings and make mistakes. They meant that they would try to keep the commandments and live as God wanted them to live. As it was with them, so we must not expect to live perfect lives. When we sin or make a mistake, we must rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ to wipe away our sins. We must pray daily for forgiveness and continue with our resolve to avoid evil and do good continually.

Years later, Alma asked the people that had been born again after hearing King Benjamin’s address: “if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26)

This is a question we must ask ourselves each day. As we kneel in prayer at the beginning of the day, we should ask The Father to help us to “have no disposition to do evil, but to do good continually”. Then as we close the day we should reflect on our resolve and ask ourselves if we can “feel so now” – if our rebirth process is still on track. If we have failed in any way, we need to repent and rely on the grace of Jesus Christ to help us do better the next day.

As we begin a new year, my hope and prayer is that we will all strive for a new birth in Jesus Christ. I testify that if we have faith in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins everyday that his grace will be sufficient to raise us up, cleansed from all our sins and we will qualify to live with him along with our family.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Wise Men Still Seek Him Today

’Twas the night after Christmas when all through the house

Everyone was posting, and clicking their mouse

The Instagram filters were chosen with care,

In hopes that each image would soon get a share.

The children were all on the couch iPads and tablets in their hands

While images of zombies and Fortnite eat up the WiFi bands.

And mamma with her Mini and I with my Android

Updated our status and sent messages into the void.

I could go on, but I’m sure you can guess the rest of the poem. In many ways Christmas has become a time of getting lost in our gadgets, instead of spending time with family, friends and service. What did you get for Christmas is the question the children ask their friends as we spend time updating our status on Facebook and sharing images on Pintrest and Instagram. How much time was spent talking about the person whose birth we celebrate during this Christmas season? Thomas S. Monson, once said:

“The gifts so acquired are fleeting. Dolls break, dresses wear out, and fun games become boring. Pocketknives are lost, trains do nothing but go in circles, and trucks are abandoned when the batteries that power them dim and die.

“If we change but one word in our Christmas question, the outcome is vastly different. “What did you give for Christmas?” prompts stimulating thought and causes tender feelings to well up and memory’s fires to glow ever brighter.

“Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things.” (“Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings”, Ensign, December 1995).

What Shall I Give Christmas Music Video 

As the Christmas season ends and we look to the New Year, many of us will make resolutions of the things we hope to be able to accomplish during the New Year. Along with the diets, exercise, projects that we want to do I challenge each of us to include service as one of our resolutions. What can we do to help our neighbors, someone that is suffering, lost his or her job or a loved one, or the young mother that is overwhelmed?

President Monson in that same article tells of a family that lived in Star Valley, Wyoming long ago where the father was away from home working trying to support his family. One evening one of the boys overheard his mother praying:

‘Heavenly Father, there is no food in our house. Please, Father, touch the heart of somebody so that my children will not be hungry in the morning.’

“When she finished her prayer, she looked around and saw her son had heard; and she said to me, somewhat embarrassed, ‘Now, you run along, son. Everything will be all right.’ (“Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings”).

 The story continues:

“(the boy) went to bed, assured by Mother’s faith. The next morning, (the boy) was awakened by the sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen and the aroma of cooking food. I went down to the kitchen, and he said, ‘Mother, I thought you said there was no food.’

“All she said to me was, ‘Well, my boy, didn’t you think the Lord would answer my prayer?’ I received no further explanation than that.”

Years later after the boy grew up, went to college and had a family he came home and Bishop Gardner told him the rest of the story. He said:

“I had finished my chores, and we had had supper. I was sitting by the fireplace reading the newspaper. Suddenly, I heard a voice that said, “Sister Ballantyne doesn’t have any food in her house.” I thought it was my wife speaking and said, “What did you say, Mother?” She came in wiping her hands on her apron and said, “Did you call me, Father?”

“‘“No, I didn’t say anything to you, but I heard a voice which spoke to me.”

“‘“What did it say?” she asked.

“‘“It said that Sister Ballantyne didn’t have any food in her house.”

“‘“Well, then,” said Mother, “you had better put on your shoes and your coat and take some food to Sister Ballantyne.” In the dark of that winter’s night, I harnessed the team and placed in the wagon bed a sack of flour, a quarter section of beef, some bottled fruit, and loaves of newly baked bread. The weather was cold, but a warm glow filled my soul as your mother welcomed me and I presented her with the food. God had heard a mother’s prayer.’”

The scriptures tell the story of the wise men that came to see the Christ child and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Matthew tells the story:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

¶And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-11)

I hope that as the memories of this Christmas season fades that we will remember how the wise men followed the star that led them to the Christ Child and when they had found him, they presented him with their gifts. What gifts will we present to him? I do not discount the gifts that the wise men gave, but I don’t believe that Christ would have us give him material things, instead I think he would like us to give gifts of love to others, charitable service to those in need and gifts of comfort to those that need our help.

As we give of ourselves in this way we well receive the greatest gift of all from him when he says to us at the last day:

Well done, thou good and faithful servant . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord…Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25: 21, 45)

I invite you to watch this 3 minute video titled “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. Are we wise enough to continue to seek him?

Your comments and questions are welcome. I would appreciate it if you would share this with your social media friends.

Wise Men Still Seek Him - Modern-Day Story of the Wise Men

The Nativity Story – Which Part Would You Be?

Like many families, one our favorite Christmas traditions was telling the nativity story by each family member, once they were old enough, acting in one of the various parts of the story. I was usually the donkey (for more reasons than being the dad – I fit the part!) that Mary rode to Bethlehem.  Our only daughter, Michelle, was always Mary. Whoever was the newest born child being baby Jesus and Michael our oldest, was normally Joseph. As our family grew or when we had visitors join us for Christmas, we were able to add the shepherds, the inn keeper, the wise men, and various animals. This was always one of the most memorable times during the Christmas season and our children loved participating in the story.

In addition to these basic roles in the nativity story, there are many other participants including Zacharias and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna in the temple, the Angel Gabriel, King Herod, and many others. The nativity story also includes all that parts of the ministry of Jesus including, the disciples who followed Jesus, those who were curious, those who hated him, those who believed his testimony, those who were healed or forgiven, the Roman soldiers, those who betrayed him, and so many others.

I hope that if I had lived during that time that I would have been one of the supporting roles and not one of the detractors or one that rejected him. Because of my faith and belief in Jesus Christ now believe I would have been one of the wise men that knew of the prophecies and had come seeking to know where the King of the Jews was and then finding the child I would kneel at his feet and present him gifts. Maybe I would have been among the Shepherds tending the temple flock of sheep that to whom the Angel announced the birth of the baby and then they said: “let us go see”. I hope that I would have gone to see and then having seen testified to everyone that the prophecies were fulfilled, that the Messiah had come.

I could not see myself in the role of the detractors. I would hope that I would not have been the Innkeeper that said there was no room for Christ in his life, or those that rejected Christ because he was from Nazareth, Joseph’s son, or because he taught hard doctrine. I would not be among those that threw stones at Christ, screamed that he should be crucified, or nailed him to the cross.

I could see me being someone in the crowd that heard him and then chose to follow him, that cried to him as he passed by to stop and heal me, to eat with me, or to bless my child. There are so many ways that we allow the Savior into our lives or shut him out. Do we cry out that we should not believe him because he does not follow what we think is the “law of Moses” or are we looking for a better way to love God and our fellow men?

Having accepted the call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ, my call is to be a witness of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Everyday I put a badge that has his name on it, close to my heart. It testifies to the world that I believe in him, that he is the Christ child that the angels announced to the shepherds and invited them to go and see. He is the Christ child that the wise men presented their gifts to. He is The Only Begotten Son of God, in the flesh. He is our Savior and Redeemer.  

My hope this Christmas season is that whatever role we choose, we choose so that our actions testify to the world that Jesus Christ was born, lived, served everyone, and was crucified so that everyone would have the opportunity to be resurrected and live again. What nativity part would you choose to play?

Your comments and questions are welcome, and I encourage you to share this with your friends and family. I invite you to click on the links below to see some of my favorite Christmas Carols and Hyms. 

Silent Night - Seven Year-old Clair Crosby accompanied by President Russell M. Nelson

The Piano Guys – “O Come, Emmanuel”

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square & David Archuleta – “Joy to the World”

Come and See

In the Gospel of St. Luke, we read the account of the angel’s announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ to the Shepherds. The angel of the Lord said: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). After the angel left the shepherds said: “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass” (Luke 2:15). The scriptures then said the they “came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16).

The shepherds not only came with haste to see the Christ child, but afterwards they then told everyone they met about it and then returned to the flocks “glorifying God for all the things that they had seen and heard” (Luke 2:20).

Later during Christ’s ministry, two disciples asked the Lord where he dwelt. His response was “come and see” (John 1:39).

During this Christmas season, in the midst of all the shopping, the parties, and the decorations are we following the example of the shepherds and going with haste to find Jesus Christ? The reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the baby that was born in Bethlehem long ago. Not only is this the most wonderful time of the year, but it is one of the busiest times and we can get caught up buying gifts and baking goodies that we forget what we are celebrating.

I would like us all to take a break from the hustle and bustle and pause next Sunday and go to church to celebrate Christmas. Show your gratitude for your Savior Jesus Christ by taking the time to worship with your neighbors and friends. I would particularly invite you to come and worship with us; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will be having a special “Christmas” service with music and testimonies focusing on Jesus Christ. 

Like the disciples that were curious about Christ and his ministry, if you have ever wondered what our services are like; I invite you to come and see. Click on the link below for a personal invitation to come worship with us and find the nearest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints service.

Light the World – One by One

One of the best things about a missionary here in Indiana during the Christmas season is that we can testify of Jesus Christ and invite others to join us in our celebration of the birth, the life, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I know that we do this every day, but during Christmas people are more willing to listen to our message. Most days I walk the 2 ½ miles home from the mission office to our apartment. Along the way I meet a lot of people that normally I would just smile, say hi and then go on. But now I stop and ask them I can give them a card (like this). I then tell them about the video “The Christ Child” and ask if they would watch it? On the back of the card is the address to view the video, I also have my contact information and the address and time of our church. I then invite them to come and worship with us during our Christmas Service on December 22^nd. Not one person has turned me down. They have all taken the card and then thanked me.

When I am in a store, I take the opportunity to hand out the cards to as many people as I can. Again, everyone takes the card and tell they will watch the video. One of the things about the people of Indiana is their love for Jesus Christ. They are believing people and love the Lord.

I would like to invite you, wherever you are to join us this Christmas season to “Light the World” one by one. You can go to www.lighttheworld.org and sign up for a daily suggestion on how you can participate.

I testify that the little baby whose birth we celebrate during Christmas is real. He was born as the scriptures say, his life and ministry was an example of how we should live and treat others. He was scourged and crucified so that we can be freed from the results of our sins. On the third day he broke the bands of death and was resurrected. Because of his resurrection, we will all be resurrected after we die. Because of His Atonement, we can be cleansed from our sins and return once again to dwell with our Heavenly Father as eternal families.

As a representative of Jesus Christ, I testify that He lives, that His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is once again on the earth. I invite you to find one of our churches and come worship with us to celebrate Christmas on December 22^nd.

Here is a link to one of my favorite Christmas Carols, “Mary Did You Know” by Pentatonix. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas

Do You Believe in Santa Clause?

As we enter the Christmas season, I would like to share some of my thoughts about Christmas and what it means to my family and me. Sometime ago I was talking to one of my grandsons who did not believe in Santa Clause. I told him I believed he was real and then put together a little booklet about some of the stories around the world about Santa Clause.  I would like to share some of those thoughts with you.

Santa Claus has many different names such as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and as Sinterklaas. Here in America we know him as Santa Claus. He lives at the North Pole with his elves and reindeer. Santa has a naughty and nice list and he takes toys to the good boys and girls in his sleigh that is pulled by eight magic reindeer. Santa is able to enter into the homes by going down the chimney. He loves eating the cookies and milk that the children leave out for him.

We are now living in the 21^st Century. Some people believe the real Santa lived Seventeen hundred years ago in the 4^th Century. His name was Saint Nicholas and he was a Greek Catholic Bishop of Myra. He is also the primary inspiration for the Dutch version of Santa called Sinterklass.

In the Catholic Church, St. Nicholas is the patron saint for children, sailors, and is the friend and protector of all in trouble and in need. One story of St. Nicholas tells of how he saved three children who had become lost and were captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and asks God to restore the children’s life and the three children were given back to their families. December 6th is St. Nicholas Day in many places in Europe and is a day of feasting and giving gifts.

Father Christmas was said to live in the mountains of Finland. He did not give gifts to children, but was known for his good cheer. He did not wear a red robe, but a green one.

Today’s Santa is a combination of St. Nicholas and Father Christmas. In the early 1800’s St. Nicholas’ name was changed to Sante Claus in some publications. Then in 1823 Washington Irving published “A Visit from St. Nicholas” now better known as “The Night Before Christmas”.

In 1897 a little girl wrote to the local paper and asked if Santa was real. She wrote:

Dear Editor—
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon

Well the Sun Times wrote back to Virginia and said:

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love

and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies.  .  . Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there.”

The Real Santa Claus

If you asked me if I believe in Santa Claus, I would answer absolutely. The “real” Santa gave us the best gift ever – His Son.

The real reason we celebrate Christmas is not because of Santa, or St. Nicholas or whatever you call him; it is to remember the birth of the baby Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, John 3:16 it says: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son”. So Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us. Do you remember the story of Jesus’s birth?

The Angle of the Lord came to Mary and told her that she would have a son and she should call his name Jesus and he would be to the Son of God.

Later we are told that Joseph and Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. While they were in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus

In Luke Chapters 1 & 2 we read about the Shepherds:

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

Joan M. Olenycz tells us in the December 2010 Ensign:

“Heavenly Father gave this gift to all of us, young or old, rich or poor. We did not have to search the shops for it. It did not cost a single penny. The most treasured gift of all was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. It was sent to us with love from our Heavenly Father."

Our Heavenly Father is real and so is his Son Jesus Christ. May we always remember this precious gift. My hope this Christmas season is that we will remember that the reason we celebrate Christmas because we have a loving Heavenly Father that gave us the greatest gift of all, the birth of his Son Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas to all.

Your comments and questions are welcome

Navigating Our Mists of Darkness

On June 6, 2019 a haboob (dust storm) engulfed the town of Big Springs, Texas. You can see by the picture that it completely covered the town making it difficult to see anything. 

Photo by Jake Orin June 6, 2019

In the Book of Mormon we read of Lehi’s dream of the tree of life (1 Nephi 8). Lehi said he saw a tree that had fruit that “was desirable to make one happy, the most sweet of anything he had ever tasted”. He also saw a straight and narrow path that led to the tree. There was also a rod of iron and a river along the path.

He described one group that was trying to get to the tree and partake of the fruit. He said that they were on the path that lead to the tree but that a mist of darkness arose and “they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost (1 Nephi 8:23). I can understand that if I did not have something to cling to and a haboob like the one in Texas surrounded me, I would get lost. In the scriptures when someone wanders off the gospel path and is lost, they usually are not keeping God’s commandments or not doing the things that will keep the Holy Ghost in their lives.

Lehi also describe two other groups that managed to get through the mist of darkness safely and partook of the fruit of the tree. He said the first group on the path caught hold of the end of the iron rod and clinging to it made it through the mist of darkness and made it to the tree and partook of the fruit. But after they had partaken of the fruit, saw people in a great and spacious building. They were mocking those that were on the path and those that were at the tree partaking of the fruit. The people in this first saw the people in the building, they became ashamed and fell away. 

Lehi's Dream of the Tree of Life

The second group also caught hold on the end of the iron rod, but they held fast to it and when they got to the tree “they did fall down and partook of the fruit”. They also saw the people that were mocking them and making fun of them, “but they heeded them not”.

 Nephi, Lehi’s son, asked to know the meaning of his father’s dream and he was given was shown the same vision and then given the interpretation (1 Nephi 11 & 12). He learned that the tree of life represented the Love of God, or Jesus Christ, that the iron rod was the word of God (the scriptures), the great and spacious building was the pride of the world, the mist of darkness was the temptations of the devil, and the river was the depths of hell.

In a BYU-Idaho devotional Elder Daniel L. Johnson spoke of Lehi’s dream (Continually Holding Fast to the Rod of Iron) and compared the three groups to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said the group that were lost in the mist of darkness because they did not get grasp the iron rod. They did not read the scriptures, pray, attend church or the temple. Because they had no foundation, they became lost and fell away.

The second group, those that made it through the mist of darkness and partook of the fruit but became ashamed and fell away, did everything they needed to get to the tree and partake of the fruit. The problem with this group was that once they made it to the tree and were partaking of the fruit, they got distracted by those in the world that were mocking them. They gave in to the “temptations and attractions of the world”.

The third group held fast to the iron rod and made it to the tree. Once they got to the tree they fell down and partook of the fruit. They realized what the tree was, a representation of the Son of God. They fell down and worshiped him. They were able to partake of the fruit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This group also saw the people in the great and spacious building that were mocking and making fun, but they heeded them not. Their testimony and commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ was firm and unshaken. They continually read the scriptures and words of the living prophets, they were firm and steadfast in keeping the commandments, so their foundation was solid and when temptations came, they did not crumble and fall.

We all experience times in our lives when the mist of darkness surrounds us. We experience the loss of a loved one, we have health difficulties, we lose our job, we are criticized by others, or are accused of something we did not do. The only way to get through them is to hold fast to the iron rod; the scriptures and other basics of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We sustain our church leaders and follow their counsel. We also do not give heed to those who mock and make fun of The Church and our testimony of Jesus Christ and his atonement. Doing these things is the only safe way to stay of the path that leads to the tree of life and be able to partake of the fruit which is life as an eternal family in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

My life has been a combination of the two groups that make it to the tree. There have been times in my life when I get distracted and lose my way. I have managed to find my way back and through the atonement of Jesus Christ and back holding fast to the iron rod and partaking of the fruit. I now realize that the best way to not give into the worlds temptations is to heed them not, just ignore them. My testimony is now strong enough to withstand their mocking. I have tasted of the fruit and know that nothing compares to the sweetness of the fruit because it really does make me happy and is the most sweet of anything else there is.

I would like to hear from you on how you have navigated your mist of darkness and held fast to the iron rod until you made it to the tree of life and fell down and are partaking of the fruit. To those who are still lost in the mist of darkness, I invite you to contact me to find out what you need to do to get through it.

Your comments and questions are welcome.