Saving Ordinances

                While on my Mission was I assigned to my second area in about the most rural area on the planet…seriously look it up…go to Google maps and type in “El Sauce, San Julián, Sonsonate, El Salvador”. We didn't have a chapel there, but we rented a house where we held the Sunday meetings. For baptisms we had to go to a close by town called Izalco just to the North West. This was my second area and the first week as being a trainer. Of course I wanted to make sure my new companion felt welcome to the mission.

                The first week was full of great things. We had two families set to be married on Friday, baptized on Saturday and confirmed Sunday. The weddings went great, we loaned the two guys our suits and ties, took pictures and everything was in place for the baptisms the next day. I called to elders that night to fill up the baptismal font for us the next day as we always did. As I woke up the next day I heard some news that would start a fight between the adversary and me for the next 12 hours. The elders in the Izalco area went that morning first thing to fill up the font and the water was not working! In a panic I picked up the phone and called the branch president looking for a pool or something that would be big enough for the baptisms, determined to help these two young families realize their dream of becoming clean once again through baptism. We found a natural spring just a few miles away that was clean enough for the ceremonies. It was however against mission rules to baptize outside the church without permission from the Mission President. I called him and after explaining what had happened he gave us the OK to do the baptisms in the river under one condition. The baptisms had to be in a reverent place where the spirit could reside. I agreed and we were off to gather everyone. No one in the town had a car that we knew so we would always go to the main park and try to find someone with a truck that we could pay for a ride. After some bargaining we found a truck and loaded the two families up along with a few members from the branch to Caluco.

                At that moment I felt like I had won, there was nothing in our way now to stop these baptisms. As we pulled up to the river my heart sank as I heard the voice of my mission president play over in my head. An evangelical church was already there performing baptisms. The electric guitars, drums, speakers, microphones and 30+ people singing and chanting made my presidents one rule echo over and over again in my head. Of course no one with me at the time knew of the conditions so we continues to get ready in hopes that they would be wrapping up and we could have our turn in peace and quiet. Once we were all ready it became apparent they were just getting started too. We walked up stream a few feet and waited. Knowing in my heart we could not perform the baptisms without the spirit I leaned to the Lord for his help. I said a prayer in my heart for something to happen so we could have the spirit long enough to help these two families receive this saving ordinance. Just as I said amen, a quiet struck the river. The power had gone out!! All of the sudden we had all of our members plus 30 “investigators” watching us! It was perfect; the spirit was there, we performed the baptisms as everyone watched. Once the last person had gotten out of the water, the power came back on, not a second later!

               I know prayers are answered. God knows the importance of obedience to his commandments. He will prepare the way for us to follow him so long as we exercise faith and diligence. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. His authority and power was restored on the earth through Joseph Smith to perform saving ordinances once again.

                

The Power of Obedience

               

                Recently married, Brooke and I made a mutual goal to go to the temple once a week. We lived in the Avenues of Salt Lake City and were only about 3 blocks from Temple Square so the goal was even easier. We held to our goal for several months and the blessings were great.

                At the time I was studying at the LDS Business College downtown. I had classes from 7 in the morning until about noon every day of the week. I worked the swing shift from 2:00 pm to 11:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday. The temples of course weren’t open on Sunday or Monday. We would usually go Saturday morning since I didn’t have school on the weekends before I had to go to work. So my days usually consisted of going to school, rushing home to eat some lunch and study for an hour and then head 30 minutes to Sandy in time for work, then getting home at midnight just to start it all over again the next day.

                On one particular week we couldn’t make it to the temple on Saturday morning. I knew if we didn’t make it on Saturday there just wouldn’t be the time in the week to go. On Monday while in my institute class my teacher mentioned priorities. He talked about putting the things that mattered to the Lord first in your life and the things you felt mattered last. If the Lord saw it fit that they were also important they would work themselves into your life just fine or fall out of place just as easily, and both ways you would be better off for it. Often time we spend time worrying in life about things that just don’t matter as much as we think they do and the things in life that really do matter get pushed to the side and forgotten. As he told us this I thought about the Temple and how we failed to go that weekend. Discouraged because of my schedule I didn’t think it was possible for us to go mid-week and keep our goal. Oh, and did I mention I had mid-terms this week!? I thought about what he said for the rest of the day and well into Tuesday. That night I decided that we should go to the Temple the next day. It just so happens that ALL my tests fell on the same day! They were going to be in class on Thursday. Without missing a beat I put my trust in the Lord and put it aside and went to the Temple, not sure when or how I was going to study for these exams. The plan was to use the 2 hours between work and school from noon to 2:00 to go and to leave straight from the temple to work.

                We went to the temple and the experience was great! It felt so good to have kept our goal for another week without fail. Once the session got out I rushed to work. I thought to myself that I would just cram for the tests as soon as I got home. Well once I got home that lasted about 30 minutes until I passed out. I woke up the next morning in a panic. I had not studied for my tests and they were today! I did all I could to find time at a stop light to look over a question or two, and to read while going up the stairs class. As I sat down in my first class the anxiety settled. I wasn’t sure why but the words of my institute teacher kept ringing in my head. As the teacher stood up the first words out of her mouth were “I had a crazy night and wasn’t able to print the tests so we will have the exam next week!”  Astonished at what I just heard, I knew the promise rang true. I must have been dazed as I went to the next class because I couldn’t remember how I got there, but to my surprise it was as if I was in an episode of Groundhogs day. That exam was cancelled too! In fact each and every test that day was cancelled due to some reason or another. To this day I have never had an exam postponed or cancelled but for some reason that day all of mine were, and that reason was because I put the Lord first and my priorities last. The important things feel into place and the not so important things fell out.

                Obedience is the key to happiness. Don’t let pride or life get in the way of it. We are not on this earth to work, save money, take mid-terms, and pass through the motions of everyday life. We are here for one thing only, and that is to make it back to our Heavenly Father once more. He has given us the recipe to be successful in this task; all we have to do is follow it. I know He lives and is aware of our circumstances. He knows what is to come and what is best for us, shouldn’t we listen to him then?

                                                                                                

The Value of a Mother

                I was in my first area while on my mission in El Salvador. We were lucky to have a family make us lunch most of the days. I grew to love the family over the 7 months that I was in the area. One of my main goals while in the area was to help this family grow closer together. They weren't accustomed to being active in the church and with their kids starting their teenage years the idea of establishing a gospel related habit was much harder.

                We held several family home evenings with the family in an effort to help them into full activity to the church. On one particular evening we were teaching a lesson to them and as my companion was speaking I couldn’t help but think what else we could do to help them. I felt as if we had taught them everything but kept yielding the same results. I started to day dream I felt as I kept thinking about this and I was took back to my home. Growing up my Dad always left for work before any of us were awake. My Mom made an honest effort to make sure we read the scriptures before going to school. I can still hear her yelling promptly at 7:20 AM each day “its 7:20, time to read!” Without fail she would make sure we were all there to read no matter the circumstances. It took a lot of faith by her to keep it up considering most of the time we came unwillingly. I know several days when she would call on one of us to read and someone would be asleep or completely unaware of our location in the reading. I’m sure it was disappointing most of the time to her, after all the effort she went to. I knew then that it was good to read each day, but didn't ever understand how much good it really did for us until now. I was thankful for her diligence.

                It wasn’t until I “came back” to that room in El Salvador that I realized the impact of reading the scriptures had on our family. I knew then that it was because of my Moms conviction to reading the scriptures that we all stayed closely knit. Once I realized this I couldn’t help but interrupt my companion and share the idea with this family. They started implementing daily scripture study as we visited each day for lunch and it wasn’t more than a few weeks before they started coming back to church as a family and participating as if they never stopped coming. It was gratifying to know that we were able to help them, but even more so to know that my Mom knew the importance of this before it was too late for us.

                Furthermore, to see my wife and mother of my child doing the same thing even though he can’t understand means the world to me. I am lucky to have a Mother that cherishes the gospel and knows the importance of it and even more so to have a wife that knows the same.

                There is strength in the family unit, and the women in our lives are pure blessings from our Heavenly Father. I love you Mom!

The Armor of God

When I was just entering into high school I remember a talk given by President Hinckley about scripture study. He passed by the usual topic of the importance of reading the scriptures, shared some of the stories we all know and love, and everything appeared to be just a normal run-of-the-mill talk on scriptures. Unfortunately, when talks go that direction I have a bad habit of tuning out the speaker and start thinking about other things, but luckily enough for me President Hinckley then said a phrase that has stuck with me to this day. I can’t find the talk he gave today but the words were similar to this; “I promise that if you read the Book of Mormon daily, you will be given the strength to resist any temptation from the adversary that may come upon you.”

To me there are 8 or so life changing events that remove us from one comfort zone and place us in another.  For example birth if an obvious one, then starting school for the first time, getting baptized, receiving the priesthood, starting high school, leaving home for the first time to either college or a mission, getting married, and starting a family. Each time one of these events pass by the need to fit in, to find yourself, and change to fit the new environment grows. We can no longer be the old person that fit in with the previous life section. I feel that Satan knows this all too well, and attacks harder at those who are in these transition stages.

At the time of President Hinckley’s talk I was in one of those transition stages just entering high school. I needed a way for ensure my testimony wouldn’t falter, a way to enter that stage of life confident and focused on making it to the next without stumbling. His promise to me and to all was my insurance plan. As long as I did my part to read the Book of Mormon every single day Satan would not be able to overtake me with temptations. High school introduces us to a new world of temptations, with drugs, alcohol, sex, language, disobedience, and much more all for that security of fitting in with the rest of the crowd. I knew I didn’t want to have any part in those things but also knew my weaknesses. I loved to fit in and have always had a tough time saying no when placed in such circumstances.

I leaned on the Prophets promise and read The Book of Mormon daily without fail. When I stepped foot in the MTC I could honestly say that I had not missed one day of reading The Book of Mormon since his talk. Some days all I could muster was one verse, but I would do at least that to maintain obedience to the promise. Not reading the scriptures became as needed as eating and sleeping. I can remember lying awake some nights having not read the scriptures for the day and having guilt overwhelm me until I would break down and read. At that point I came to realize two things. First, The Book of Mormon was true. How could a false book bring so much emotion to me if it weren’t from God? Secondly, President Hinckley’s promise also rang true. I knew I had to read if I wanted to stay clean from sin. I feared God and that fear led me to follow his words.

Throughout the four years of high school I can remember several situations where I was in the oven of temptation, having choices right before me to fall away from the teaching of the Savior, but each time I felt strength greater than my own remove me from harm and reward me for my preparedness in reading daily. I know that God keeps his end of promises, and he rewards obedience. This gospel is true and The Book of Mormon protects us from the natural man.