A Prophet Today

What would you do if Noah was on the earth? Would you listen up and pay attention to what he said? Why would you do that? I think I can answer all those questions. We have read the story of Noah and the Ark. We know that there is going to be flood.

So if Noah was on the earth we would listen to him. We may not have Noah here on the earth, but we do have a living prophet. If they are both called of God, would it not be important to listen to what he says and do it. When we understand the importance and blessing of having a prophet, we also understand God’s amazing love for us.

We learn from one Old Testament prophet that “the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servant the prophets”(Amos 3:7). God has promised that he will do nothing until he has revealed it unto his prophet.

We have no need to worry. We have an early warning system in the form of a prophet.  As long as we listen to his counsel, and ask God if it is his will,we will never be led astray.

To watch and listen to a prophet, watch General Conference. Its  April 2 & 3 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. MDT.click here to watch General Conference.

Broken…

Ever notice how often we break things. I am constantly remind about how often things get broken. But what amazes me is that after things are broken they can come back better than before.

Now you are probably thinking how in the world can a broken thing come back better. Once a glass window shatters, its done for. But there are other things; broken soil is better able to have a crop, a broken fortune cookie to get the fortune, broken clouds are more likely to give rain, the list goes on and on. The same is true for us. When we are broken-hearted we are more likely to turn to God(3 Nephi 12:19). It is when we are broken that He can build us into something better.

As a missionary, I am constantly in contact with those who are broken. Life has worked at them and they are broken in spirit. They want to be fixed and many times have no idea how. Then we come along. And I will be honest, I don’t know how to fix anyone. But I do know that Christ does know. I don’t fix anyone or heal anyone, I point  them towards Christ. I give them the things the need to follow Christ. Some of those things are simple; the scriptures, prayer, coming to church. As they draw nearer to Christ he fixes them.

It is when we are broken, that we become better. Think about it. Thomas Jefferson failed thousands of times before he succeeded, was he broken.  Albert Einstein, as a child was told that he was stupid, was he broken. Joseph Smith barely had a third grade education, was he broken. In some way or another we are all broken. It is when we are broken that we can be fixed and become instruments in God’s hands(Mosiah 27:36).

To learn more visit Mormon.org

Attitude of Gratitude

Recently, my companion and I were walking down the main road in the community in which we are serving. It was very cold and the wind was bitter. I had a lot to be thankful for, and instead, I complained about the wind. In that moment, I decided to stop whining and  to be grateful for the wind. With the help of my companion, we came up with a list of why we are grateful for the wind. Here are some of our reasons; it moves the clouds away, it is very important in weather, it provides energy via windmills, gets rid of stinky smells,etc.  Even though it was difficult, I was able to be grateful for the wind.

So very often we forget to express gratitude. No matter what situation life finds you, it is possible to have a grateful heart. It may not be easy, but it is possible.  Gratitude is developed over time and takes lots of practice. One way to develop gratitude is by praying. A modern-day prophet has said something to the effect that as we strive to express gratitude to our Heavenly Father, through prayer, we develop a grateful heart. He continued by saying, “This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude”(Thomas S. Monson).

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, I would like to express my gratitude for a multitude of blessings in my life. Some may seem strange but are truly gifts. I am thankful for modern convenience. I have no idea how I would live without electricity and indoor plumbing. There is a reason why I live in the twentieth century. I am grateful for people. Foremost, my parents, then all the amazing people who have touched my life, those here in Western New York and elsewhere. I am grateful for a companion who helps find the blessings in whatever situation we are placed.

Most of all, I am grateful to my Father in Heaven. For his amazing love that he has for each of us and especially me. I am grateful that he loved us enough to send his Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth. I am grateful for my Savior, who made it possible for us to return to our Father in Heaven again. I am grateful for this time that he is allowing me to serve him, in what little way that I can.

To learn more about gratitude visit Mormon.org

Learn what a modern-day prophet says on gratitude.