Jesus Visits Us In Our Afflictions!

Wow! I love this song so much. This song can teach us many lessons. But I would like to focus on how the Savior will visit us when we most need him.

Here are the lyrics to this video:

Her parents never took the young girl to church
Never spoke of His name
Never read her His word
Two non-believers walking lost in this world
Took their baby with them
What a sad little girl

Her daddy drank all day and mommy did drugs
Never wanted to play
Or give kisses and hugs
She'd watch the TV and sit there on the couch
While her mom fell asleep
And her daddy went out

And the drinking and the fighting
just got worse every night
Behind their couch she'd be hiding
Oh what a sad little life
And like it always does, the bad just got worse
With every slap and every curse
Until her daddy in a drunk rage one night
Used a gun on her mom and then took his life

And some people from the city took the girl far away
To a new mom and a new dad
kisses and hugs everyday
Her first day of Sunday school the teacher walked in
And a small little girl
Stared at a picture of Him

She said I know that man up there on that cross
I don't know His name
But I know He got off
Cause He was there in my old house
and held me close to His side
As I hid there behind our couch
The night that my parents died


The last 2 paragraphs of this song are really neat. Because I know that the Savior does visit his children when they need him. It reminds me of a scripture. It is Mosiah 24:14. The last part of this verse says "...that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." That is so true. I also think about Alma chapter 7. How is talks about Christ coming into this world to go through all of our pains and afflictions. And then in Verse 12 it says "...that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." So he goes through all of our pains, sins, temptations and all of our afflictions, so that he will know how to help us through our hard times. I bare my testimony that I know that this is true. That Jesus Christ is there for us. That he can help us through anything we are going through.

I Can Only Imagine!

       This Song is awesome. I love it so much. It makes you really think about what it will be like to meet Jesus. We need to live our lives the best we can so it will be a wonderful experience to stand before our maker. Try and think for a minute if you were able to meet Jesus right now. Would we be scared? or would we be excited. I know that if we are living right and doing what we are suppose to be doing then when we meet our maker everything will be amazing. When i hear this song i think of a scripture in Enos. This is the last verse in Enos. I love what he says. 

27And I soon go to the place of my ^arest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall ^brest. And I rejoice in the day when my ^cmortal shall put on ^dimmortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the ^emansions of my Father. Amen.

      I just want to end with my testimony. That I know that Christ lives. That he is the Son of God. I know that he wants whats best for us always. He is there for us. He knows how to help us through hard times. I look forward to the day when I stand before him and Heavenly Father. I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

Act of Courage

This video really touched my heart. This shows the journey of the Martin and Willy handcart companies who got caught in terrible weather in Wyoming. It shows the Heroic efforts of 3 young men, who did everything they could to help these fellow saints across the Sweetwater River. I have been to this river a couple of times. And I was able to cross it. However, when I was there it was the middle of summer and it was quite warm. I couldn't imagine how hard it would have been for them to cross that. This video talks about how when the Pioneers got to this river and they had to cross, that grown men who had once been strong sat on the frozen ground and wept. I have an ancestor who was part of the Martin Handcart Company. I will share a few of his insights about his journey.

From James' journal we learn: they left Iowa City July 26. By Aug. 22 they had reached Florence, Missouri, 300 miles. On Aug. 31 they were 992 miles from SLC. They traveled as many as 23 miles a day but on Sept. 5 a violent storm limited them to six miles and some days they were snow bound, not moving a step for days. On Sept 12 they left a cripple behind.  Sept. 15, James took ill with bloody flux. Sept. 23 and 24 were particularly gruesome days for the company passed scattered blood-stained articles, parts of a human body and remains of the Babbit wagon which had been burned by the Indians.

Oct 2, sighted Chimney Rock and six days later reached Laramie, Wyoming. Oct. 14 crossed the Platte River and again on Oct. 16...flour rations reduced...James noted it was very cold ... they were immobilized 9 days because of heavy snows. Oct 29 they traveled ten miles. Nov. 1, a great deal of snow and in eight days moved only nine miles. Rations reduced again to 4 oz. of flour for adults and 2 for children. James commented, "... a pound for six of us. Through the blessings of our Father we felt as contented as when we had a pound and a half each." Sunday, Nov 9, the company traveled five miles but nearly all of those on foot were left behind. - However , James walked this distance and as a result his feet were "terribly frozen," so badly that he was handicapped for the rest of his life. He was thus forced to ride the rest of the way to Salt Lake City, and Elizabeth pulled the handcart. Rations raised. Fri., Nov. 21, the company reached the Green River. Here near tragedy struck at the Bleak family. Five year old Thomas fell into the river, and when they recovered him, he appeared to be dead. James, Elizabeth and others of the company worked over him trying to revive him; but it was apparently hopeless and members of the company pled with James to bury the child. James refused. He remembered that he had been promised in England that he would bring his family safely to Utah. Both he and Elizabeth prayed fervently and finally Thomas revived. Finally supplies and wagons came to help them and the company entered SLC Nov. 30, six months one week after they left their home in England. It was two and a half months before James was able to walk again.

One member of the company, who was “much worn down,” upon reaching the river asked in a plaintive tone, “Have we got to go across there?” On being answered yes, he was so much affected that he was completely overcome. That was the last straw. His fortitude and manhood gave way. He exclaimed, “O Dear? I can’t go through that,” and burst into tears. His wife, who was by his side, had the stouter heart of the two at that juncture, and she said soothingly, “Don’t cry, James. I’ll pull the handcart for you.”

A story that has been handed down in the family was: One time during the trek, James became very sick. Because of the early snow and thus slow traveling, cold, short rations, etc. many became ill and died. James was so ill they thought he was dead and members of the company told his wife that he must be left behind so the company could keep going. Reluctantly she wrapped her husband in a blanket and left him beside the road. When they pulled into camp that night a sister in the company came to inquire of their well being and when she found out that James had been left for dead back on the trail she reminded them of the promise that had been made when she had spoken in tongues back in England arid the Lord had promised him he'd reach Utah safely with his family. A wagon was sent back for him and they nursed him back to health. The Lord's promise to him was fulfilled.

This is just a few little inserts from a journal which James G. Bleak kept. I am so thankful for James. Had he not joined the church and came across the plains I have no idea where or what I would be today. I am thankful for his faith and determination. I am also thankful for those 3 young men who helped the Pioneers cross that river. I think to often we forget about the things the early saints of the church went through. I am indeed grateful for all of them. It's a testimony builder for me to see the faith they had to literally give their lives for their faith. I love this Church and I love the gosple. It is such a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful cause.

Serving the Lord!!

This Video clip is of a man who gave up a lot to serve the Lord. Bruce was a Professional Golfer and he loved playing golf very much, but he knew that golf would only last a life time and that the gosple last forever. There are currently 52,225 missionaries world wide. Each and everyone of them gave up something they loved and left things behind to serve the Lord. As I have left behind my hobbies and my loved ones back home I have seen amazing blessings. Blessings that could have only come by serving the Lord. Some people ask why we leave behind everything to serve the Lord. Well I will tell you my thoughts about that. As members of Christ's Church we receive many blessings and we want to share those blessings with everyone. I love being a missionary. There is nothing else I would rather be doing right now with my life. I know that this Church is true. I can honestly say that I would not be giving up 2 years of my life if this church was not true.

Unselfish Service!

Jesus Christ said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This doesn't mean we have to die to show our love for our friends. We lay down our lives every time we put someone else's needs before our own. (And the “friends” mentioned in the scripture above can be understood to be everyone we meet, since Jesus also commanded us to “love one another.”)

Service doesn't always have to be physical labor. Just simple acts of kindness can go a long way. Whether its just saying hello to someone or helping and elderly lady at the store. Small acts of kindness can be an answer to someone's prayer and help that person out a lot. As a missionary I always look for ways that I can serve people. I find that when I do service that I am very happy. As a young man I remember doing service activties in my ward. And I can remember how good I felt after we did service for someone. I would just like to end with a very popular scripture, It is Mosiah 2:17 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."