Believe in God

     For my last blog post as a missionary, I thought it would be appropriate to share the scripture that has affected me the most on my mission. It is "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." (Mosiah 4:9.)
     Often times I feel like I have a pretty good grip on my life. However, every now and again something happens to make a sudden change of events in my life and from what I can tell for no apparent reason. The way I have learned to deal with this concept is through that scripture. I guess it's the fact that I know that my life is in the hands of my Father in Heaven, who created ALL things, including me, who has ALL wisdom, ALL power and understands exactly why I go through the things I do in my life, that makes it all okay. He also knows how much I can handle and how it will help me to grow. It is so cool to me that my Father in Heaven has a complete understanding of everything and is always in the details of my life to ensure that I am okay and am not given anything that I cannot handle, at least not without His help. The same applies to you. Just remember, HE HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE! I offer this as my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Power to Heal

     Today, I hope to help you understand what the Atonement of Jesus Christ really means. Just the other day, I had someone tell me, "Well, I am so very grateful that Jesus died for me and I am forever in debt to Him for it, but that is nothing like being raped or losing a loved one, so how could He possibly be able to help me get through this?" I didn't realize that people actually thought that. In this post, I hope to have the Spirit help me teach you that ALL things that are unfair in life can be healed and made right through the Atonement of Christ.
     I have used this scripture before, but I feel it is appropriate to use it again. In Alma 7:11-12 it states that He toke upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people so He may know how to succor His people according to their infirmities. Again, the word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid, but how can He do that if the only thing His Atonement entailed was His death on the cross at Calvary. Let me tell you. I would like to begin by saying this, everything Jesus Christ did during His entire life and ministry was for the purpose of being able to "succor" us. He performed miracles, taught true doctrine and served the least of the people yet others still spat on Him and laughed at Him as He took His cross on His own back to the place of martyrdom. He knows what it feels like to be alone as He states, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) while on the cross. I asked the individual I previously mentioned above if they knew what the Garden of Gethsemane was and what had happened there. They told me they didn't know. I feel like this is a very important part of what the Atonement is, so I am going to explain it. In Luke 22:41-44 we read that it is here that Christ actually took upon Him the pains and sicknesses of the world. It talks about how Christ's agony was so great that He bled from His pores. I cannot imagine the amount of pain and anguish one must go through to bleed from their pores, but I can imagine it is more painful than anything you or I have experienced. Even if I may not have mentioned it on here, Christ has been through every negative thing you will go through in this life for the sole purpose of being able to "succor" you. That is charity for sure if you ask me! I love my Savior very much and cannot thank Him enough for all that He has done for me. Of this I testify in His sacred name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

All Creatures of Our God and King!

      Lately, I have been putting a lot of thought into how wonderful of a gift from God our bodies are as well as the blessing that God has allowed us to live and experience life on this beautiful Earth. He spent 5 whole days preparing it and making it suitable for us to live on. The 6th day He made man and woman in His image and gave us dominion over every living thing that moves upon the Earth. (Genesis 1:26-28.) We should feel truly honored that not only did God make this beautiful perfect Earth for us but He made us in His image. Do you understand what that means? We are such a valuable treasure to our Heavenly Father that we were made to look exactly like Him. No other creature was made like Him. We truly are children of God. This gives me a whole different perspective on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."



     A lot of people have tried to tell me "well, this is my body so I can do whatever I want to it." This makes me so sad because like the scripture says our bodies are God's and He loves us enough to let us use them. Lets just say for a moment our bodies were in fact completely ours, with the knowledge that we are made just like God and just the way He wanted us, why would you even want to change anything about your "temple?" Also, since our bodies are the temporary residence of our eternal spirit, what affects one will affect the other. By taking care of our bodies, we make our “temples” an acceptable house for our spirits.
     So what would be considered defiling your body? I would go as far as saying that anything that makes your body look or do things differently than it should would be defiling it. In other word, drugs, alcohol, tattoos, body piercings, immodesty, immoral thoughts and actions, and many more things defile your body and make it unclean.
     I would invite you the next time you think about doing something that might hurt your body in any way, give it one more thought and remember that it is the temple of God that you will be hurting. I know that God loves us as His children and wants us to be happy, so He gives us these beautiful bodies to enjoy life. Of this I am so very grateful and testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.




Here are some of the sources where my thoughts come from:

- Why are our bodies called temples of God in the Bible?
- What is the Mormon Church’s law of health and proper diet?
- How does modesty effect me spiritually?

Opposition and the Atonement

     Why do I have to experience bad days? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why can't life be easy? How come life is so unfair? Why cant I ever get a break? These are all questions I have asked myself along with many others. The answer I might suggest is opposition, and the solution is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Now let me explain using two scriptures, in the Book of Mormon, that have helped me to understand this principle.
     The first states, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one;" (2 Nephi 2:11.) If every day was happy and perfect then that would be "normal." There would be no pleasure behind happiness because there is no reason for there to be. It would just be what we expect, with nothing special about it. How lame would that be! In order to really have a good day, sometimes we are going to have bad days. In order to really appreciate our health we need to experience sickness. There must be opposition so we can understand the difference.
     The second states, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind... He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people... He will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12.) The word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid. So, this scripture is telling us that Christ not only suffered to redeem us from our sins, but He suffered so that He could be there for us as we go through the hard times in life. He did it so that He could run to our aid when we are struggling. He did it because He loves us and wants us to find happiness in life.
     I know that my Father in Heaven knows and loves me and will not let me go through anything that I can't handle, at least not on my own. In a time of need my Savior is there waiting and ready to help me along as I feel I can't go any further. So, when you are going through a hard time, just remember, someone has been there before and is ready to help you through it. "All that seems unfair in life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ..." (The Plan of Salvation.) I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Clutter

     In one of my areas on my mission, we had an exceptionally hard time keeping our apartment clean. It didn't matter what was done, there always seemed to be a mess. I think the biggest reason was because there were 4 of us elders living in a 2 bedroom apartment. This wasn't so much of a problem when we were out doing missionary work. I could focus and keep track of all the things I needed to do and get them done just fine, but as soon as we got home for the night to plan or studied in the morning I had the hardest time doing so. Now keep in mind, there are very few things in this world that distract me more than a big mess. It made me so frustrated! It wasn't until we finally got our own apartment that we were able to keep up on our mess and have a clean apartment. It was so nice to have that change and the spirit in our apartment was so different and it allowed us to keep a clear mind and focus all our efforts on our work. I had never realized how true the teaching of the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley was, which states, "cleanliness is next to godliness,” until I had experienced the beauty of a clean apartment.



     Now I want to relate this to your life. There are many voices in the world that compete for your attention. If you allow those voices to clutter your mind they can easily drown out the things that help you focus on Christ. How on Earth can you expect to focus on Christ throughout your day if you fill the entirety of it with garbage like mindless television, video games, or even Facebook? How could you even try to focus your thoughts on Christ if you cloud your mind with drugs and alcohol? How can others see the Light of Christ in you if you are hateful, dishonest, or judgmental? My invitation to you would be to unclutter your life and fill it with things of eternal worth like reading your scriptures, praying to God, and exemplifying the attributes of Christ. I know that as you do so, you will see changes in your life that will ultimately bring you joy in life and help you have more of a clear mind. This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hearken: New Mission President

     A few weeks back I made a post on hearkening to the will of the Lord. Due to another event on my mission, I felt a need to make a second post about this very same principle. A couple weeks ago, we got a call from the assistants to the mission president telling us that we were having a surprise meeting in Nashville 2 days later, and all missionaries from the mission were to attend. This very rarely happens, so of course all the missionaries were making speculations on what was going to happen. Some thought China was going to be opened to missionary work and a good chunk of our mission was going to be sent over there, some thought we were going to head to Oklahoma to help clear up the destruction from the tornadoes or make care packages for them of some sort, and some thought we might have our mission split into 2 missions. As we gathered for this meeting, there was such an energy in the room due to the fact that we had over 200 missionaries (CRAZY) gathered together in the chapel awaiting whatever training was to be received.  We were quickly informed that our mission president and his wife, The Mckees, were being released at the end of the month and that we were going to have a new mission president. I was very saddened by the news, but as the meeting went on and the spirit was so strong I received very quickly a confirmation that it was the will of the Lord. I have been thinking about this for the last month or so and have learned a couple things from it. The thing I wanted to focus on is the principle of "with callings come releases." Today is the days that they are being released from their calling. One thing that President McKee was great at teaching us was that the same priesthood keys that called them to serve as the Tennessee Nashville Mission President are the same priesthood keys that called them to be released from that same calling. I am grateful for the example of the McKee's to serve the Lord and to accept His will in ALL things! Their attitude about it is quite extraordinary as well. I am excited to have President and Sister Andersen here with us as our new mission president and am grateful for their example to accept the call to serve. I sure look forward to meeting them at our zone conference this next week!
     I invite you all to take a look at your life and find something that is not in alignment with the Lord and then change it. Experiment and see the blessing that will come forth! It is great to have a knowledge that the Lord knows exactly what we need in our lives and is always making the changes to it that will ultimately help us grow and learn the most. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Fatherhood: A Glimpse of the Divine

     Watch this video on Fathers and see how the role of our earthly father is synonymous to the role of our Heavenly Father, and how a noble father gives us a glimpse of the Divine.

     I loved this video a ton, because it really helped me to see the love that my Heavenly Father must really have for me. We truly are the children of our Heavenly Father. We are given this beautiful Earth that is our world. We have food and toys and things that we desire that make us happy. We are given trial and sorrow that help us grow. We can communicate through prayer and scripture study. He answers us with what we need. He truly is the perfect Father and wants us to ultimately be happy.

     I too love my earthly father immensely. I cherish every moment that I get to spend with him. He truly is everything I want to be, my role model, my inspiration, my example, and most importantly my best friend. I hope that I can be as great as him one day. He is an amazing man and quite frankly the best dad I ever had. Happy Father's Day! SURE LOVE YA!

Why a Mission?

     As a missionary, many people ask you a very difficult question to answer, "Why did you decide to serve a mission?" Now keep in mind that we serve for 2 years as missionaries, and that covers a good amount of time for someone of my age. When you are like me and have been out for almost 22 months of your mission, the reason you decided to serve a mission is not able to change, but the reason you are still out may have. So, as important of a question as it may seem to be to find out why a missionary decided to serve, the answer you will get may not be as up-to-date as it could be. One of my past missionary companions, Elder Webb, always liked to present this question in contrast, as he felt it would get a more up-to-date answer to virtually the same question, "Why are you still on a mission?"
     Let me share with you how they are different. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve a mission. I was never forced into it, I wasn't bribed, I really had no agenda at all, other than I just really wanted to serve a mission, and be a missionary. I always liked it when the missionaries came over to our house for dinner, because they were so cool to me. I wanted to be just like them. That is a good reason to go on a mission and it got me to go on one, but it isn't the only reason to go, nor is it necessarily the best reason.
     Although my desire to be a missionary has not changed, my list of reasons for still being on my mission have gotten longer. Seeing a family become more united with the knowledge that THEY CAN BE A FAMILY FOR ALL ETERNITY, and being able to carry THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST WITH MINE are just 2 of the many reasons that have been tacked on my list. My most recent reason to stay on my mission was strengthened just last night, when we gathered together in Pulaski, TN at our Family Home Evening (FHE) activity in the park. We had a pretty slim group last night, but as we started to talk about who else could be there that was not, the Spirit under that pavilion changed and excitement filled every person in attendance. These people in Giles County are very desirous to have their own branch (congregation) in Pulaski and you can see it in their countenance as we meet every Monday at 6pm in the park. So right now you could say I am still on a mission, because I AM HERE TO ORGANIZE A BRANCH IN PULASKI!
     Just remember, it doesn't matter why someone decided to serve a mission, what matters is why they are still out. I love being a missionary and love being able to serve my God in His work! There is nowhere else I'd rather be. I write this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hearken: Accepting "Thy Will"

Hear·ken [här k n] v. Listen with the intent to obey.

     The scriptures often use the word hearken when someone is being counseled to do something. This word is often not viewed as important or as powerful as it truly is. When the Lord tell us to hearken, He expects us to listen and obey. However, the scriptures are not the only place the Lord tells us to hearken to His counsel. We are also expected to hearken the council of the prophets, leaders and ALWAYS the Spirit.

     I would like to share with you an experience of my life that has helped me gain a testimony of this principle. Being a missionary we are expected to be very flexible in where we are to serve as we get moved around quite frequently. A few weeks ago, I got a call from my mission president telling me that I was going to be transferred from Clarksville, TN to Cookeville, TN. I was just stunned at this and really didn't know what to say. I accepted the assignment and change, but I was doing it grudgingly. Now, like I said before us as missionaries get moved around a lot and we expect it, but there is a method to it. Every 6 weeks we receive a call that tells us we will stay for another 6 weeks or go somewhere else. This particular call was in the middle of the 6 weeks, which is what made it unpredicted and which was really this initial cause of my disappointment and frustration. There were also a lot of great things happening in Clarksville that I didn't want to miss out on. I got to Cookeville the next day and struggled there for a week or so. I realized shortly after that I was physically in Cookeville, but mentally still in Clarksville. It wasn't until I realized that, that I knew I needed to willingly accept this change that the Lord had asked of me. After I learned to hearken and accept "Thy will," I was able to enjoy my time there. I truly believe that if I had not changed my perspective I would have wasted the very short time of 4 weeks that I was given there. Yes, I got transferred again that next transfer call to Pulaski, TN, but I know that this is what the Lord wants and I am happy to do it. That transfer prepared me to be called to build a Branch in Pulaski which has not had missionaries for many years. Part of the miracle is that we have had over 20 people attending our little church gathering (congregation) for the last few weeks as a result of Elder Clark and I being called to serve here.

     The Lord tells you, " I...am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D&C 82:10.) Also, that "there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C 130:20-21.) I know this to be true, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Motherhood: A Divine Calling

     I just want to start off by saying, I LOVE MY MOM! Okay, now that I have that off my chest, I want you to watch this awesome video and reflect back on the women in your life who have loved, mentored, and mothered you. Think about the many things those women have done for you! Now WATCH!

     So, I have been told a couple of times in my life that often women do not particularly enjoy Mother's Day. Well, if this is you, then I am going to be speaking mostly to you in this post. As it has been explained to me, it is often the fact that women see how awesome other's mothers are and how much they lack in comparison that makes Mother's Day such a drag; or maybe, it is that the expectations of how Mother's Day should be spent are often not met. Whatever the case may be, put it aside for just one moment. You, by the simple fact of being a woman, have a divine nature that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones, so cherish that. You are doing God's work. Your motherhood is an eternal partnership with Him. In my humble opinion, and as the video explained, a mother is someone who loves, and mentors others. So, I would like to add that you do not have to have children to be a mother. Any woman could have children, but in my opinion, it takes someone who is willing to care for and nurture someone out of charity and love to be a mother. For those who decide to take that divine role upon themselves thank you! Our Father in Heaven has trusted you to work with Him in raising His sons and daughters. How great is your call and how lucky are you. I hope and pray you enjoy your divine calling and have a wonderful Mother's Day! :)

P.S. If I didn't already mention it before, I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

New Year (Don't Live in the Past)

     It's a new year and with that come the chance for a brand new start. Everyone and their dog sets new years resolutions, which are great! The only problem is that we keep them for about a week or 2 and then they seem to disappear. I have been on the search to find the cure to this for a little while now and I can't seem to find it. Let me suggest an idea I have that can maybe replace these failing new years resolutions. Take a look back on this past year (2012) and think of all the many wonderful things you have done for people (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) as well as many of the wonderful things people have done for you. Now think about some things you wish you would have done differently. Maybe it is spend more time with family, or maybe it is give more of your time to God, or it may have even been that you wish you would have let yourself enjoy life more. Whatever the case may be, there is at least one thing in this past year of your life that you wish you could make better, and for some reason it is always so hard to accept that we cannot change the past. Let me repeat that. YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR PAST, however, we can make some changes to our lives so that we will be happy with our future.
     Now here is my challenge. Look back on this past year, not to be back there again or to try to change it, but to make this next year even better. Find one thing that you would like to be better at and do it. When you fail, do it again. Don't give up because you missed one day of being home with your family, or because you forgot to say a prayer one night before bed. Keep working at it till this change becomes you, then find something else and work on that. I know that if we look back on our life, not with the desire to be back there or to change it, but to learn then we will be much happier in our life. Just remember, live in the present.

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas (The True Meaning)

     I had my second Christmas away from home this year and it was great! It wasn't great because I was happy to be away from home, it was great because I was able to share the message of The Savior with so many wonderful people. I did get to Skype my family which was a way fun perk, but that isn't what I want to focus on. I want to focus on what I learned. I learned that my parents know how to give good gifts (what I want). I learned that God knows how to give perfect gifts (what I need). I learned that God has given us the greatest gift that we could ever want, A Savior, to help us get back once again to live with our Heavenly Father. I learned that we have family to spend time with, to learn and grow from, and to share the many joys in life. Most importantly, I learned that the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is Jesus Christ

     The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does a wonderful job of sharing what Christmas is truly about! Visit mormon.org/christmas and get a chance to see what the true meaning of Christmas is, or even get a free copy of the Holy Bible, or download free Christmas Music, and many other things. This website is awesome and is directed specifically to the why and what of Christmas. I hope you check it out! Feel free to share what Christmas is to you at the bottom as well.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

     I have been slacking in my blogging the past few weeks, so I hope to make up for it today! I have been thinking a lot about Christmas lately, probably because it is coming up pretty dang soon, and it will be my second one away from home in a row! I have really come to appreciate the true meaning or Christmas, which is the celebration of Christ's birth, while taking time to celebrate it away from the worldly aspect for a change. It is sad that it took this to really learn, but I am so blessed and happy to really know what it is all about. Being on a mission has helped me to learn about and to share the many gifts our Father in Heaven has given us on this Earth. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Matthew 7:7-11 (3 Nephi 14:7-11), because it tells me about how God knows exactly what we need and how He is willing to give it to us if we just ask. One of those blessings is our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to be able to have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that gave us His Son as a gift, and a Savior who was willing to give Himself as a way for us to return to life with Him and our Father in Heaven once again! It is such a blessing for me to be able to know this and I hope to share it with you. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!

Prayer and Miracles

     I was too slow to make a blog post to announce this, but tons of people around the country were praying for Sister McKee, my mission president's wife, today at 12:00 PM (CST). Now you may be wondering why all these prayers for just one person. This is why! Sister McKee is a very loved woman by her family, friends, mission children and many, many others. She is loved by so many due to all of the love and support she shows to EVERYONE she meets. She truly is a great woman! Ok so now to the reason we were praying. This is from my mission president: 

Dear friends and family,

     We thank you all again for faith, fasting, and prayer. Sister McKee continues to be in a self induced coma. We are all gathering on Thursday at 11AM Mountain Standard Time to kneel in prayer on her behalf. We know the Lord can produce miracles, and pray daily that His miracle will be for her to return to our family. At the same time, we have faith in Him, and trust Him, and will pray for (Thy will to be done) as we know that He knows what is best for all of us, eternally. We have strong faith in Him and testify of Jesus Christ and His atonement. The atonement blesses our lives daily as we use it to heal pain, suffering, and sorrow, and all kinds of affliction. We invite any who are willing to gather in prayer with us on Thursday, and thank you again for your loving support for the McKee family.


With love,
The William McKee Family

     She has had heart related problems for a while now and they have been really bad for over a week now. She has had quite a few tests done and a great deal of surgeries performed on her last week, which have all been successful to my understanding, and we are now in a sit and wait period because she has been in a self induced coma for a few days now. This is why we want your prayers!

     This woman truly is wonderful and just because it is after the set time to kneel in prayer for her, it does not mean it is to late to start praying for her. I love her a lot and it would mean quite a bit if you joined with us in prayer for her. God is still a God of Miracles. "And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles." (Mormon 9:15.)

     Expect a miracle! Have faith! "For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith." (Ether 12:12.)

Thanksgiving

     I have been thinking a lot this Thanksgiving of things I am grateful for. I would just like to give a small list of the things I am most thankful for. I hope y'all enjoy!

I am thankful for:

• My Family that loves and supports me in all that I do.
• My friends that help me be the best I can be.
• A roof over my head, food to eat, and a pillow to sleep on.
• Indoor plumbing.
• A car. (It sure beats a bike on a cold winter day.)
• Electricity.
• Email/Internet. (So I can speak with my family.)
• US Postal Service. (*I love to get mail!!!)
• Holidays. (Like this one, which gives my mom an excuse to send me packages.)
• The water. (As I love to swim sooooo much!)
• The soldiers out there fighting to maintain the freedoms I cherish.
• The time I have been able to spend on my mission and meet great people.
• The Earth and all the beauty that lies within.
• My Heavenly Father and the love that He has for me.
• The Savior, Jesus Christ, and His suffering for me, also His love for me and the relationship I have with Him.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• The Bible and the Book of Mormon.
• Agency. (The freedom to make a choice.)
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• The plan that Heavenly Father has for me.

That is just a small list of the many wonderful things I love, enjoy and am so grateful for in this life.

*If you feel so inclined you should write me a letter:

          Elder Blair Moser

          105 West Park Dr. Ste. 190

          Brentwood, TN 37027

"Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!"

     I am going to end my conference talk theme with this talk called "Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!" I felt it was a proper talk to use to do this. I don't have much to say about it because it is the simple principle of "Ask the missionaries! They can help you!" that I really like so much. There are 2 underlying messages that I see here.
      The first one is simple. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns...well "ask the missionaries!" The Lord has called these young men and women and set them apart to help you grow through trials. They can find an answer or else find someone who can find the answer. Just do it. Ask them!
     The second on is a little harder. This promise puts a lot of pressure on the missionaries. We now have a responsibility to fulfill the promises of the Lord given to us by an Apostle. The Lord gives us the knowledge and ability to be able to do it but it is still a scary thought sometimes.
     I am so grateful to be a missionary right now and I hope to be able to help those who need it. I hope to be that missionary who they can trust enough to ask.

"Of Regrets and Resolutions"

     The next talk I am going to share is titled, "Of Regrets and Resolutions." I was thinking about saving this for New Years Eve, but I decided to do it now because there is no real good reason to wait till then. All goals set then end up failing anyway. I would also probably regret not doing it earlier. ;)
     He begins with an interesting comment that "We are all mortal." It was kind of interesting to hear that and then it was followed with a question of "Do you have any regrets?" He gives three major regrets that are common among most people as they prepared to depart this life.
     The first one was "I wish I had spent more time with the people I love." He talks about how so many people spend so much of their life busy at work or some other project that isn't that important and how they wish they could go back and spend more time with the ones they love. He also talks about how, especially in our day, many people simply pretend to spend time with others, because "with the click of a mouse, we can 'connect' with thousands of 'friends'" without having to be with them. As this can be used for good, it should not replace those physical relationships with have with people. I love my family so much and I am grateful that I get to spend lots of time with them.
     The second is "I wish I had lived up to my potential." He is quick to define that he does not mean climbing the ladder of success in our various professions. He means we miss out on becoming the person our Heavenly Father intended us to be. "When it comes to living the gospel, we should not be like the boy who dipped his toe in the water and then claimed he went swimming." We need to be fully submerged in the Gospel and become that person that God knows we are capable of being. "The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets."
     Lastly "I wish I had let myself be happier." I am not quite sure I can understand this one as well because let me tell you what, I love to be happy. I can't imagine what it would be like to keep myself from enjoying all the many things that I love so much. He uses an example of him and his wife biking (that you will have to read) to get the message across of, "it’s not a race; it’s a journey. Enjoy the moment...Sometimes in life we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey." He makes the point of it is foolish to ruin the enjoyment of an experience, "because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end." My challenge to all is to enjoy the ride that you are on, even if it seems that you have more hills on your trail than the next guy. Take the time to notice the moments that matter most.

     So lets resolve to spend more time with those we love, resolve to strive more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be, and resolve to find happiness, regardless of our circumstances. Just remember "many of the deepest regrets of tomorrow can be prevented by following the Savior today."

"Where Is the Pavilion?"

     I really enjoy this talk and it has helped me significantly with how I have viewed my relationship with God. It is titled, "Where Is the Pavilion?"
     He begins by saying, "The pavilion that seems to intercept divine aid does not cover God but occasionally covers us. God is never hidden, yet sometimes we are, covered by a pavilion of motivations that draw us away from God and make Him seem distant and inaccessible. Our own desires, rather than a feeling of 'Thy will be done,' create the feeling of a pavilion blocking God. God is not unable to see us or communicate with us, but we may be unwilling to listen or submit to His will and His time." It is interesting to think about how much pride it takes to think that it is not our fault we don't hear from God. I am guilty of it myself sometimes. I then have to ask myself, why would God hide from us? He loves us. It only makes sense that we are the ones too proud to take down our "pavilion."
     He tells us that, "We remove the pavilion when we feel and pray, 'Thy will be done' and 'in Thine own time.' His time should be soon enough for us since we know that He wants only what is best." It is as simple as being patient. God knows what we NEED. Just as any good parent he will give us what we need when we need it, and the things that we may WANT may not be things that we will get quite yet or maybe not ever.
     He gives a couple of examples where the desires of men were not fulfilled in their time table, but as God promised they were fulfilled in His time.  I conclude with this, "For any of you who now feel that He is hard to reach, I testify that the day will come that we all will see Him face to face. Just as there is nothing now to obscure His view of us, there will be nothing to obscure our view of Him."

"Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything"

     I cam across an article called, "Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything." It is an awesome article that shares with us how to get though hard times, like it says in the title.
     One of the greatest questions in all of life is, Why do bad things happen, even to good people? Thanks to the scriptures we can answer that question. The first scripture, 1 Nephi 11:17, tells us we don’t have all the answers to explain all the tragedies in the world. "However, we know, we are sure, that God loves His children." So, instead of thinking, "Why did this happen to me?" think, “Well, I know God loves me; I know that. So what can I learn from this experience?”
     The next scripture, Moses 7:26–33, tells us that sometimes our trials are a direct result of someone using their agency to do evil. "Everyone on earth has agency, and sometimes those who misuse it have an impact on many innocent people." He asks a great question that really changes my perspective of tragedies. "Sometimes we see things on the news and ask, 'How could God allow this to happen?' Could it be that one day we’ll discover that God prevented much more than He allowed?"
     Scripture three, Alma 14:10–13, tells us not to let a tragedy define how we live. "You still have your own mission. Like Alma and Amulek, perhaps you were spared because your work is not finished!...Needless to say, Alma and Amulek witnessed an awful scene. I wonder if they were ever able to forget what they saw. How did they survive?"
     Scripture four, Alma 7:11–12, answers that question. "The words “sin” or “sins” do not appear anywhere in those two verses." However, it does say that, "Jesus took upon him: pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities." So, let the atonement help you through your personal tragedies.
     The last scripture, D&C 101:32–36, tells us that we might never get our questions answered in this life, but one day the Lord will return and answer all of our questions.
     The Ultimate answer is not that the scriptures can get us through hard times, it is that Jesus Christ can get us through them. He is the only one who will help us get through everything. And with Jesus we can get rid of the "almost" in the title.

     "We know that God loves His children. We know that part of His plan is to allow evil to exist in the world. We know that if we’re still alive, we have a work to accomplish. We know that the Savior suffered not only for our sins, but also for our pains and afflictions, and we know that one day He will conquer the evil one, answer all our questions, and bless us with a fullness of joy."