Come Unto Christ

"Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will ^acome unto me ye shall have ^beternal life. Behold, mine ^carm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me."
3 Nephi 9:14

Each year for the youth of the church, there is a new theme or motto, and this year it is "Come Unto Christ". I was so excited to find out that this was the theme for the year. What better theme to strengthen and uplift than Christ himself. And I have decided to adopt it as my own theme this year. Because of this, I have been really pondering about how I can better come unto Christ. As a missionary, it's really easy to remember to do those small and simple things that we can easily forget in our lives. But there is always room for improvement.
In our missionary meeting today, someone mentioned the need to be re-converted every day. We need to have a new respect for the one who gave us so much. Who really gave us all. We need to have a new perspective on the ways His atonement can apply to us in our individual daily lives.
I know that what I'm doing may be hard, and I may be doing good things. But I want to be better. I want to feel more of Christ's love and light in my life and help others to do the same. And I want to challenge you to do the same. How will you come unto Christ?

 



Like Captain Moroni

  "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto ^aMoroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the ^bdevil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."
Alma 48:17

If you didn't already know this about me, you should know that one of my absolute favorite heroes from the Book of Mormon is the awesome Captain Moroni. Appointed as a chief captain over the Nephite army at the age of 25, he followed the example of the prophet and led his army in righteousness for the liberty of his country. In my opinion, he is one of the greatest examples of being Christ-like that I know. I strive every day to be compared to him, but even more so, like Christ. As I was studying his story in the Book of Mormon, I was inspired yet again. But what are the traits that make him so inspiring? Here are just a few of my favorites:
  "And Moroni was a ^astrong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect ^bunderstanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;

  Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the ^awelfare and safety of his people.

  Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had ^asworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood."

Alma 48:11-13

 

There are so many great examples of faith, courage, and hope in the scriptures. As we study them, we can come to learn to be better disciples of Jesus Christ and better children of God. Who is your favorite hero in the scriptures? How do they inspire you?

 



Do We Feel So Now?

"Behold, verily I say unto you, the ^aangels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to ^breap down the fields;"
D&C 86:5

Today I had the opportunity of working with some youth in a missionary preparation class with my companions, and it was simply amazing. It is great to see the powerful testimonies of this new generation paired with their desire to share it. I am comforted to know that my future and the future of my family is in their hands.
There are so many people who are out in the world walking in darkness. Most don't know that something is even missing from their lives. They are "happy to be content", but are missing the joy that comes from the fullness of the gospel!
I love this scripture because it reminds us that we were excited about this gospel. We were excited to share the message to those who were lost and needed to find there way.
Do we feel so now?

Simple Truths

It seems like there's been one question popping up more than others as of late--Why the Book of Mormon? And it's a legitimate question. There's so much emphasis put on this book, but why? What about it makes it so important? Why should it be important to me in my life?

The Book of Mormon is so important to the members of this church because it is the way we can know of the truth of the church. So much hinges on it. If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith truly is a prophet of God, and God has revealed His gospel again to the earth, which means that the church that Joseph Smith helped to restore is the true church! And that's the simple, logical answer... at least, in my opinion.

But that still doesn't answer the big question: Why should I care?

Because the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel, it contains the truths that my Eternal Father wanted me to know. It shows me the path that I need to follow to return to Him someday.

Not only that, it answers the deep questions of my soul. It's words provide me with peace and comfort. The stories help me learn by example, so that I don't have to learn life's lessons the hard way (usually). Most importantly, it helps me to learn of and come closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ.

What does the Book of Mormon mean to you?

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

Why Not?

"And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?"
~Jacob 4:12 (Book of Mormon)

Today as I was reading my scriptures, this scripture stuck out to me yet again. I love it. On the page of my scriptures, I have written the phrase "Why not?" And it really got me thinking. I'm out sharing the message of Christ full-time on my mission right now, but when I was at home I didn't really share as much as I maybe should have to my friends. And I know that a lot of us do likewise. What stops us from sharing this joyous message?
I think a lot of the time we resist sharing because of fear. We don't feel like we understand the atonement of Christ well enough, we might think that those we share with will turn away from us, or the many other excuses we have. The message we know and love is so dear to us and so much a part of us, and rejection hurts. But if we really love the people around us and want them to know more about us, why don't we share the thing that brings us the most joy and will bring us the most joy?
Through Christ we have a hope for a better life now and in eternity. He helps us to love, forgive, and heal. Because of Him, we never have to walk the path alone. There is so much suffering in this world, and when we are seeking to end the suffering and pain, when we seek to have "world peace", or even just to make the world around us a better place, why not speak of Christ?

"For I am not ^aashamed of the ^bgospel of Christ: for it is the ^cpower of God unto ^dsalvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
~Romans 1:16 (New Testament)

In One Small Moment

Hi! I am Sister Jenkins, serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Oregon Eugene Mission. I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity to go out and share what I know about my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's only for a short amount of time, but I know that many lives can change with the testimony of one person. I know that my life has been forever changed because a 14 year old boy decided to pray. Will you let it change yours?