Come, listen to a Prophet's Voice...

When I read the Bible, I sometimes have to think to myself  "Wouldn't it have been great to have been part of such a grand story?" I think of how when Moses led the people of Israel through the Red Sea by parting the waters. I think of how Noah built a great ark just before a flood of the entire earth occured. I think of how Daniel was preserved after having been thrown into a lion's den. I think of those type of people, who were quite literally messengers of God, who contained the power of God and were able to use that power for good in order to save their people. We, as Latter-Day Saints, boldly proclaim that those same men who were known as prophets and apostles, who acted under the authority of God to lead and guide His people, exist on this earth today. We faithfully follow the guidance of a living man who has been called of God to fill the office of a Prophet. He does so with the help of 12 Apostles who fill the same office that Christ's original 12 Apostles filled. In the book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul speaks of the structure of the household of God,   

19 Now therefore ye are no more ^astrangers and foreigners, but ^bfellowcitizens with the ^csaints, and of the ^dhousehold of God;

 20 And are built upon the foundation of the ^aapostles and ^bprophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief ^ccorner stone;

 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

   

Might I boldly testify myself that we too are part of a great day and age where great miracles can and do occur around us. We have the opportunity to follow after a man who is called to the same office as Noah, Daniel, Moses etc, who has the same power as they did to accomplish the work of God on the earth. I invite everyone to come and listen to a prophet's voice.

This weekend, President Thomas S. Monson, our prophet of today, will be addressing everyone in a worldwide conference. If you would like to watch or listen to the Conference, you can find more information here:

http://www.lds.org/church/events/april-2012-general-conference-dates-announced?lang=eng

It can be watched live on TV and online. Scroll to the bottom of the linked article to learn more about TV program listings in your area.

Sorry I haven't written in the past few weeks, but I love this video about judging people...

For the Perfectionist...

It is too often that I catch myself trying to run faster than I have the ability to. What I mean by that is that I find that when I take on a task or decide to commit to something, I want to not only do it well, but with perfection. I get caught up in the little details of things, often times losing site of my purpose. My greatest weakness, I think, isn’t that I don’t try hard enough, but that I try too hard to reach a goal of perfection that may not be attainable for me.

I was recently reading in the book of Matthew (Bible, New Testament) when I came across a scripture that hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s in Matthew 9. It is when Jesus Christ is eating with sinners and publicans, that the Pharisees (a religious group of people who prided themselves in their strict observance of the law) ask Him why he chooses to surround himself with those who are so imperfect. Jesus, the perfect man, so simply responds that his purpose is not to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners. He relates himself to a doctor, whose patients are not those who are healthy, but those who are sick…I then came to a realization that since we are all “sinners,” afflicted with the sickness of mortal life, we will never attain that perfection. The purpose of the Christ was to make up for those shortcomings that we humans all inevitably have.

            It has been quite humbling for me to accept my imperfections. Sometimes I just have to give it my all and hope that Christ will make up for the rest. Even in the small things. No one, besides Christ, has attained human perfection. It is through my own tiring efforts of trying to be perfect that I have found that there is something more powerful, more perfect, out there. And that once I’ve created my own imperfect piece of work, I can hand it to Him and he will turn it into a perfect masterpiece.