WE ARE FREE!!!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!!!!!

Today is truly one of my favorite holidays, because it is the day where we get to celebrate our freedom!  For those who may be unfamiliar or unaware of why this day is so important; it is because it was the day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the United States of America.  It is the day that we commemorate our freedom from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  It is a very special holiday for american citizens, because it is the day that we celebrate our freedom.  Freedom is one of the greatest things that we have been blessed with living in the United States of America, and it is so special that we devote a whole holiday to it every single year.  Freedom is truly one of the greatest gifts from God!

We have many freedoms in our country.  We have the freedom of press, the freedom of speech, and the freedom of religion just to name a couple.  These are freedoms that we have been able to gain because there were men who were willing to fight for these freedoms.  I am so grateful to those men, and to the men who continue to fight to defend our freedoms right now.  But one of the greatest freedom's that we have, is something that is available to all; not just citizens of the United States.  This is freedom from sin, and it is a gift available to all.  Paul said "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1).  When we sin, it brings us into bondage.  We become subject to Satan and we no longer have the ability to choose for ourselves.  We lose control, and we become slaves to the adversary.  Paul also said "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Sin and temptation binds us down, but God has prepared a way for us to escape, and that is through his son Jesus Christ.  When we come unto Christ, he frees us from all slavery and all bondage.  He has the power to free you from whatever bondage you may be facing.  If you have faith in him, and follow in his example, he will free you from sin.  This is my witness.  He lives, and he has power over all bondage and all captivity.  He can make you free, if you let him. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July!

... And of the Spirit

Last week, I talked about the necessity to be baptized by water.  I quoted a scripture which said "... Except

a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5).  We must be baptized by water, but that is only part of it.  We must also experience what is called a baptism by fire.  In the Book of Mormon it references this baptism when it says "...I know that if ye shall follow the Son ... by baptism - yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost..." (2 Nephi 31:13).  This baptism by Fire, or by the Holy Ghost, is what completes our baptism.  This baptism is necessary in order to receive a remission of your sins like it later says "... then cometh a remission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost." (2 Nephi 31:17).  Once we have been baptized, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, have the unique opportunity to receive what we call the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  This gift is to be able to always have God's spirit with us as long as we are living our lives righteously.  We can literally always have the spirit of God with us when we keep God's commandments.  It is a constant companion for all of those who have had their sins washed away through the blood of our savior Jesus Christ.  It truly is amazing!

The reason why the gift of the Holy Ghost is so important is because it guides and it directs us in our lives, so that we can return to live with our father again.  When we are baptized, and washed clean of our sins, we have to continue to live our lives the way Christ would live his.  Baptism is the gate to a path that leads to eternal life, baptism is not the end goal.  Once we are baptized, we have a life of devoted discipleship ahead of us.  We must have something to help strengthen us as we continue on this path of discipleship.  That strength comes from the Holy Ghost.  It is like if you were to plant a young tree in your yard.  When the first major storm comes, the winds will blow that tree, and cause it to bend and filthy itself in the mud around it.  In order to clean this tree, you must wash the leaves, but if all you did was wash the leaves, then when the next storm came, the tree would get muddy once again.  In order to help keep the tree clean from the mud, you must also strengthen the trunk.  This can be done by placing stakes in the ground and tying them to the trunk of the

tree.  Then when the storm comes, the tree will stay strong and will remain clean from the mud around it.  We are much like this tree.  We have been placed in a muddy world.  When storms or temptations come, we can often times bend to the pressure, and get mud on ourselves.  We can clean ourselves with baptism, but we also need something to strengthen us.  That strength truly comes from the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost directs us away from danger, and helps give us strength to resist the storms of the world.  The Holy Ghost can and always will be there for us, as long as we are living our lives righteously.  I know that the Holy Ghost has truly strengthened me throughout the adversities of my life.  It truly is one of the greatest of all the gifts of God.  It is a gift that God wants to give to all of us, but we must keep his commandments in order to receive that gift.  God does love you, and he wants to help you.  Have a fantastic day!

To be Born of Water...

"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5).  The doctrine is very clear, we cannot enter into God's kingdom unless we enter into the waters of Baptism.  It is the doctrine taught by Christ himself.  But why is baptism so important?  Some people that I have talked to as a missionary have told me about their beliefs, and some have stated the belief that you don't need to have baptism in order to be saved, you just need to have faith in Christ, and accept him in your life.  I do not turn down others beliefs, or seek to put down what anyone believes.  Faith is essential in order to enter God's Kingdom, just like it says in the Book of Mormon "... we are made alive in Christ because of our faith..." (2 Nephi 25:25).  But there is more that is required then just to have a belief or faith in Christ, just like what Christ himself said "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21).  Faith is the first step, but there is so much more expected of us, and that is where baptism comes in.

I have been thinking a lot about Baptism recently and why it is important.  One of the greatest moments that missionaries experience on their missions is to see someone make that choice to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who holds the priesthood authority of God.  This is such a wonderful and joyous experience, because baptism is literally the gate that we enter, that puts us on the path that leads to eternal life.  Baptism is the beginning of a new life of devoted Christlike discipleship.  It is turning over a new leaf.  Just as when someone is physically born, their life begins here on earth.  Well when someone is born  through the waters of baptism, they are spiritually reborn.  It is incredible!  Baptism cleanses us, and it makes us clean.  But all these things are done through the blood of Jesus Christ.  It is not really the physical water that washes us clean, but it is truly the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us.  It is only through Jesus Christ that we can enter into the kingdom of God (2 Nephi 2:8).  When we choose to be baptized, we accept Christ as our savior, and we promise that we will follow Christ in all that we do.  That is what cleanses us and makes us free from our sins.  It is truly the Lord

Jesus Christ.  We have the opportunity as missionaries to see one of our friends that we have recently just met, enter into the waters of baptism this Saturday.  It is so exciting because we know that as he makes this choice to follow Christ, he will be washed clean of his sins, and he will be able to enter God's kingdom.  We all have this same opportunity.  I love this gospel, and I know that it is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that we can be enabled to live with God for all eternity.  I Love you all, and I hope you have a Great Day!

                             YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!

Fathers Day

Yep, My Dad's Iron Man

I love my Dad.  Today is Father's day, and it is a wonderful opportunity that we have to be able to remember and give thanks to those men who have acted as fathers, and as dads, in our lives.  It is a great responsibility that all men have to act as a fatherly figure in someone else's life.  I know that if it wasn't for my Dad, then I would not be the kind of person I am today.  I know the cliche thing to say on Father's day is to talk about all of the things that my Dad has taught me, and those things are important.  My Dad has taught me how to work, how to respect others, and how to serve others, but he has also taught me so much more. He has taught me how to follow the example of our savior Jesus Christ.  I have my Father's name.  My last name is Dewey, and in taking that name upon me at birth, I now am a representative of my Dad and my Family.  With that name comes a responsibility; a responsibility to act how my father would act.  That is truly what is expected out of me, because I am a "Dewey" boy.  I love this name and the responsibility that comes with bearing that name.  It is because of the wonderful examples of the men in my life, including those on my Mother's side, that I have been able to learn and grow.  I love the name that I have, and the men that I represent.

Their is another name that I bear as well, and that is the name of Jesus Christ.  I am a christian.  I have been reborn through Christ, and have taken Christ's name upon me with that birth.  I have become his representative, and I am now expected to act the way a good Christian person should act.  In a way, Christ has become a Father to me.  He has provided the example that I should follow.  He has given me life.  He has taught me, and he has always been there for me.  I also have another Father, who is my Father in Heaven, and he is truly the Father of my spirit.  I truly do have Gods countenance upon me (Alma 5:14), just as I have my earthly father's image upon me as well.  Each of us is truly a son or daughter of God (Psalms 82:6), and he loves each and every one of us no matter what.  This is such a great day to remember all of our Father's in life.  I know that I have a living Father here on earth, just as I do in my home above.  I know that they love me, and I know that they will always love me.  I love them, and I love everything that each one of them has done for me.  I do my best to live up to the example that is expected of me, and I strive to follow the example of my Father's each and every day.  I love you Dad!

Self Mastery

Christ has given us a very specific qualification for true Christlike discipleship.  He said in Matthew chapter 16 "... If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt. 16:24).  The path to true discipleship is the path that he walked.  If we truly want to call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, then we must be willing to go through some of the trials that Christ went through as well.  Some of us may have to endure physical abuse for the name of Christ, while others may have to endure the abuse verbally.  Some may have to feel the loneliness of being cast out by peers, while others may have to suffer shame for his name.  Whatever trial comes your way, remember that Christ has suffered it all, and in order for us to come to truly know our savior, we must at least be willing to suffer these "crosses" of the world as well.  Now the cross that I would like to talk about today, is our own Natural Man.  Our own carnal desires to do what is wrong, even when we know it is wrong.  To deny ourselves, is to truly master ourselves.

Self Mastery is something that I have been learning a lot about recently.  To master ourselves is to be able to control ourselves, and whatever desires we have.  It says in 1st Corinthians " And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things..." (1 Cor. 9:25).  Temperance is defined by being moderate in all things.  For us to truly have self mastery, then we have to have moderation in all of our desires and our appetites.  This is also explained in the Book of Mormon when the prophet Alma is speaking to his son Shiblon.  He encourages him to "...bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love..." (Alma 38:12).  To have self mastery is not to eliminate all of our passions from our lives, but it is to bridle them or control them.  Some people love to play the piano, and some people love to draw.  These passions are great, and they are gifts given to us by our loving Father in Heaven, but we must have control over these passions that we have.  We can use these blessings to bless others, but when we don"t bridle our passions, and when they start to dominate our lives, then these passions can become harmful.  We need to remember that our God gives us talents and blessings, so that we can bless others, and so that we can bring greater happiness into other peoples lives.

Self Mastery is also more then just having moderation in our passions and appetites, but it is also "... to deny ourselves of all ungodliness and every worldly lust, and keep [Jesus's] commandments." (JST Matt. 16:24).  We must bridle all of our passions, but we must also cleanse ourselves from everything which is unclean or goes against God's commandments.  This is not an easy task, but it is possible.  Christ has said "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19:26).  We can master ourselves, as we exercise our Faith in the Master of all.  He gives us the strength to resist all temptation.  He gives us the strength to overcome all adversity.  Through his grace we can become purified.  It is him and only him that can lift us above the world to dwell with our Loving Father in Heaven.  It is possible, and it is real.  I am not perfect, but I know that through Christ I can become perfected.  I know this is true.  Have a Fantastic Day!!!

Look Not Behind Thee

One of the shortest scriptures in the Holy Bible is in Luke 17:32.  Christ reminds us to " Remember Lot's wife.".  Now you may remember the story of Lot, and Sodom and Gomorrah.  In this story, the people of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah were extremely wicked, and God saw fit to destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.  But Lot's family lived within the city of Sodom and Gommorah, and they were still a righteous people.  So God warned Lot and his family to depart from Sodom and Gomorrah, and to "look not behind thee" (Gen. 19:17).  Well, as Lot and his family were departing from the wicked city, Lot's wife decided, for whatever reason, to look back.  Immediately she was turned into a pillar of salt.  I have thought much about this story, and about the phrase "Look not behind thee".

God gave Lot and his family a very strict command, and the command was very clear.  Whenever we disobey God's commands, there are consequences, and in the instance of Lot's wife, the consequence was very sincere.  But what brings the consequence isn't necessarily dependant on our actions, but more dependant on our intentions.  When we are willingly and intentionally disobeying God, that is a lot more severe, then if we were accidentally to disobey one of God's commandments.  So God really looks upon our desires, and the intentions of our hearts.  We can assume that in the case of Lot's wife, she was more then just looking back, but she was desiring to go back.  She had the desire of returning to her old ways, and to return back to who she once was.

In a lot of ways, God is calling us to leave Sodom and Gomorrah ourselves.  He is asking us to leave our old sinful ways behind us, and to not look back.  He is asking us to not even think about looking back.  It is not easy, but it is very rewarding.  It takes faith, and it takes effort, but the reward is so great.  The reward is eternal life.  Christ will help us to leave our own "Sodom and Gomorrah's",  but we have to make the choice whether or not we will look forward with faith, or to look back in doubt.  We must look forward with faith, with a firm belief that what God has to offer us is so much greater then what the world has to offer.  When we do this, we will be given a strength, stronger then our own.  I know that Christ lives, and through him we can move forward and we can leave our old ways behind us.  I love my Savior, and I know that he is real.  I am a witness of these things, because I have experienced them in my own life.  I hope that we can all remember to always look to the future with faith.  Have a wonderful day!!!

If Planted it Will Grow!

As summer has been coming around, I have been seeing a lot more beautiful weather here in North Carolina.  With this beautiful weather comes beautiful scenery.  This is such a great time of year!  Here in North Carolina, there are a lot of different flowers and trees that bloom and grow, and make it a very scenic place.  I love to bike down the roads and just see all of the flowers blooming.  It is truly beautiful!  I have grown to appreciate the scenic things of life a lot more as I have grown older.  I have pondered much over the nature that our loving Father in Heaven has given us.  He is truly a wonderful artist.  But I have also thought about all of this on a much more spiritual basis.  God has given us life, and he gives us life everyday.  But what is Life?  Well life is often defined by growth.  So when we think of life in this way, it makes us think about the scriptures in a very different way.  Christ hath said "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3).  We were meant to Grow.  We were meant to become better and stronger.  That is what our Father in Heaven wants us to do.  He truly wants us to Grow.

This growth can come in many different kinds of ways.  Growth can come physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually.  Our Father in Heaven wants us to grow in these things.  He wants us to become better, and he wants us to become stronger.  All this can be done through his son Jesus Christ, and through his everlasting sacrifice for each one of us.  This sacrifice is called the Atonement, and it's great power is described all over in the scriptures.  Often times, down here in the south, they call it the Grace of the Lord,  and that Grace is designed to help strengthen us and to help us grow.  In the book of Mosiah it says "...For the natural man is an enemy to God,... unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the Natural Man and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord..." (Mosiah 3:19).  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is meant to change us, and it is meant to help us grow.  It is there to help us put away our unrighteous desires, or to put off the Natural man, but it is also there to help us to become saints as well.  So in other words, the Grace of Christ the Lord, is there to help us change from bad to good, and from good to better.  It is there to help us grow.  That is why the Lord came to the earth.  He came so that we may gain eternal life, and so that we could come to know our Father in Heaven.  I know that Jesus Christ lives, and it is through him that you can change and that you can grow, and become what your Father in Heaven has planned for you.  You were meant to be something beautiful, and Christ is there to help.  When we come to him, we find out our potential, and we learn who we really are; Children of a loving Father in Heaven.  You were meant to be great, and you have the potential to do so, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.