Good Vs. Evil

Done by John Fackler

" The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I love this quote so much! It is so true! Who's side are you on....? We already know who wins so why are we still trying to decide which jersey to wear and which team to represent? God has give us His jersey... are we wearing it?

Look Unto Me... Doubt Not, Fear Not

D&C 6:36- 37 reads: 36 "Look unto me in every thought: doubt not, fear not." 37 " Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."

A quote given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Concerning the Atonement from the book, Trusting Jesus: "As a reminder of those days, Jesus has chosen, even in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side--signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect; signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn't love you; signs, if you will, that problems pass and happiness can be ours."

The theme for seminary this year has been D&C 6: 36-37 and as I came across this quote, this scripture theme immediately came into my mind. Christ has chose to retain those wounds in His hands, feet, and side to remind us that we are NOT alone. Even the purest and most perfect being, our Savior Jesus Christ, went through painful and hard things. May times when we go through a hard time, we think that God hates us or doesn't love us. Christ chose to retain those wounds so that we can remember that pain in our day is NOT evidence that God doesn't love each of us! God loves each of us in a way that we cannot comprehend in this life. He loves His son Jesus Christ and was willing to let Him go through the worst of pain so that we might be able to return to Him. I feel like the scripture theme goes so well with this quote because as we think of Christ's wounds we may be reminded that painful things happen to perfect people. Let us not doubt what Christ can do for us as our friend and as our Savior. Let us not fear the trials that may come our way because we CAN endure them and we are NOT alone. Let us not doubt the love that Christ has for each one of us. Let us remember that we are all here for a reason and here to make a difference. Remember, " God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son..."

Always remember Him... Its a new week! Make it good :)

D&C 132:12

D&C 132: 13 reads:

"And everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection saith the Lord your God."

President Spencer W. Kimball taught about D&C 132: 13 as follows:

"How final! How frightening! Since we know well that mortal death does not terminate our existence, since we know that we live on and on, how devastating to realize that marriage and family life, so sweet and happy in so many homes, will end with death because we fail to follow God's instructions or because we reject his word when we understand it.

"It is clear in the Lord's announcement that righteous men and women will receive the due rewards of their deeds. They will not be damned in the commonly accepted terminology but will suffer many limitations and deprivations and fail to reach the highest kingdom, if they do not comply. They become ministering servants to those who complied with all laws and lived all commandments.

"[ The Lord} then continues concerning these excellent people who lived worthily but failed to make their contracts binding:

"'For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.' ( D&C 132:17)

"How conclusive! How bounded! How limiting! And we come to realize again as it bears heavily upon us that this time, this life, this mortality is the time to prepare to meet God. How lonely and barren will be the so-called single blessedness throughout eternity! How sad to be separate and single and apart through countless ages when one could, by meeting requirements, have happy marriage for eternity in the temple by proper authority and continue on in ever- increasing joy and happiness, growth and development toward godhood....

"Are you willing to jeopardize your eternities, your great continuing happiness, your privilege to see God and dwell in his presence? For the want of investigation and study and contemplation; because of prejudice, misunderstanding, or lack of knowledge, are you willing to forego these great blessings and privileges? Are you willing to make yourself a widow for eternity or a widower for endless ages--a single, separate individual to live alone and serve others? Are you willing to give up your children when they die or when you expire, and  make them orphans? Are you willing to go through eternity alone and solitary when all of the greatest joys you have ever experienced in life could be 'added upon' and accentuated, multiplied, and eternalized? Are you willing, with the Sadducees, to ignore and reject these great truths? I sincerely pray you stop today and weigh and measure and then prayerfully proceed to make your happy marriage an eternal one. Our friend, please do not ignore this call. I beg of you, open your eyes and see; unstop your ears and hear." (" Temples and Eternal Marriage," Ensign, August 1974, page 6)

All I can really say is WOW! There are no words to express the power and spirit that resides within this quote! I hope you can take this one to heart and share it with others! " I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday..." Have a great weekend! Make it good! :)

The Purpose of Life

A quote given by Ezra Taft Benson in the year 1979 is one of remarkable words and thoughts about our generation. The generation who is preparing the way for Christ's second coming. I love this quote so much because it depicts the fact that there are strong people in the world and with our generation together we have a special impact. I know often times we look at this world as a world of fear, terror, hurt, sadness, and unbelief but this quote goes to show that there is so much good. There are amazing people in this world preparing the way and that is you and I.. We are all here in a time where the gospel is here to stay. We are here in a time where God needs our help to build His kingdom. So as Ezra Taft Benson speaks to you today through this quote I hope more importantly that God may speak to you of just how important you are in His work. You are SO important to Him!

" For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not... God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God.

"All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it--you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a shot period of time as there is of us" (emphasis added)

Come What May & Love It

As I continue to ponder the divinity of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, I feel deep gratitude for all of the hardship I have faced in my life. I love Him and I know more than I ever have that He loves me for who I am. I am grateful for Elder Worthlin's testimony and message to the world. I trust Christ and I hope throughout this week that we may gain greater trust in Him. I hope we can laugh at things that go wrong and that we can just be satisfied with the best we can do. The new week is coming... so make it good :)! Enjoy the lesson taught through this video!

What Think Ye of Christ?

Every week I make goals with a dear friend and try really hard to work on them and my goal this week was to ponder on the things of God. Whether those things of God be scripture, music, quotes, or even conference talks I was determined to set some time aside everyday. I firmly testify that taking time to ponder is a blessing that brings about a new feeling within your life. It is a blessing to me because I have learned more of Christ's love and His ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of His disciples. He is my friend. He is my Savior who will silence all of my fears and wipe away my tears and calm my troubled heart. He lives and loves me to the end. I know that because of the way I have felt while pondering His life and ministry and His sacrifice.

As part of my experience with pondering this week I was challenged in seminary to ponder the question, " What Think Ye of Christ?" There was so much that came to my mind and heart by such a simple question. Within our seminary class there were a few who shared and I was grateful for that because I have felt the spirit so strong from their simple thoughts and feelings. So let's try something and I would like to open this up to whoever is willing to share. I ask each of you the same question "What Think Ye of Christ?" Please place your comments in the space provided and share your thoughts and feelings. You are welcome to do this anonymously. I would love to hear your feelings. By stat results there are a lot who take time to read so there should be a good turn out! I love you all! Its a new week! Make it good :)