Keep on Keepin' On

When you can't seem to tell what's right or what's true
Just keep on keepin' on.

When the sky's stuck grey when you wish it'd be blue,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When there's trials and pain and sorrow, too,
When you don't understand what's happenin' to you,
When you're stuck in a rut and don't know what to do,
Just keep on keepin' on.

Just keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

When you're stressed and you're tired and you feel nearly dead,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When it takes all your strength just to get out of bed,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When you just can't forget something wrong that you said,
When mistakes from the past keep you stuck in your head,
When you feel that your life's hangin' on by a thread,
Just keep on keepin' on.

Just keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

We can't always say why we trip and we fall
When we're doing all we can.

We just trust there's a reason and a time and a season
And it's part of a bigger plan.

So we brush ourselves off, stretch out, and look up
And we find the strength to stand

When we see Him standing right by our side
And we take hold of His hand.

--- --- ---

So we get back on our feet and we try to stand tall
And keep on keepin' on.

We know He'll be there every time that we call
While we keep on keepin' on.

He's our Heavenly Father, and He loves us all
From the great and the big to the humble and small
And he comes when he knows our back's to the wall

And the only thing He asks, at the end of it all,

Is that we keep on keepin' on.

We keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

A little ditty I composed as I sat at the computer on a rather dreary day. In succession, two appointments had cancelled on us, and it was looking like the third one we'd planned was headed the same way. I was a little blue, you could say.

As I sat there, though, a little melody started playing through my head. It didn't have any words, at first, but as I listened to it, the lyrics started coming, based on the motto of my trusty companion, Elder Jensen:

Keep on Keepin' on.

--- --- ---

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He lets us go through the hard times because that's what makes us grow, what makes us better. And I know that He's always there when we find ourselves (literally or figuratively) sprawled out on the ground, wondering what's happened and how we'll ever get back up.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

--- --- ---

New Year, New Look! I wish I'd been able to post sooner. I've been blessed with a new tool to use in the missionary work (there's a picture of it below!), and it makes it so I tend to not be sitting in front of a computer quite as much. But, whenever I get the chance, I still like to blog a bit.

Have a great week!

Proof that Elder Richmond can even look like a doofus when holding the latest in Apple technology.
Photo Courtesy of President and Sister Craig.

Why I'm Here (Part 2)

Happy New Year!

So, recently, we've been looking to answer a certain question: Why Am I Here? As we discussed in the last entry, part of the answer deals with why there's missionaries at all and what we're doing. But, there's a more personal aspect as well.

Let me explain a bit, using my own experiences. Having grown up in the church, all my life I'd heard about missions and missionary work. I heard that it was a Priesthood duty; I heard many people call it "the best two years" of their life. I also heard them say that it was very, very difficult.

As time went on and the time to go on a mission drew nearer and nearer, I found myself asking myself if I really wanted to serve or not. And, I found I did, but my reason wasn't too personal. I wanted to serve a mission because I felt it would be the right thing to do, what was expected of me. So, I made the necessary preparations and started my mission on June 27th, 2012.

Then, in my first few weeks of missionary training, I found out for myself something that I'd heard all my life: missionary work is hard. It was hard in ways I'd never anticipated. I found very quickly that if my reason for doing the work was just that I felt it was the right thing to do, I wasn't going to last very long. The work needed more from me than that.

So, a big part of my mission became finding a personal reason for keeping myself engaged and doing the work. I needed a motivation that would keep me going, no matter how difficult things got.

I needed to know Why I'm Here.

I prayed a lot for this reason. And, as usually happens with answers to prayers, the reason came, but not exactly when I wanted it to. I didn't find it in the Missionary Training Center; I kept searching and pondering as I entered the mission field and began the process of actually trying to bring souls to Christ. It was hard, but I kept going. And, after about two months, I found an answer.

It came after a rather hard blow to my determination to keep serving. We'd been invited to attend a "Welcome Home" get-together for a member of the Church that had just finished his mission. As I looked at all of the pictures of his mission, then saw him happy with his family, it seemed to suck the energy out of me. I still had about 20 months of service left, and at that moment they seemed to stretch endlessly in front of me. I didn't know how I was going to do it.

Later on that night, I discussed how I was feeling with my Trainer, Elder Jones. To my surprise, he couldn't really understand where I was coming from. Elder Jones was coming to the end of his mission, but, unlike many other missionaries, he wasn't thinking about returning home at all. He explained that, as he saw it, he had been called to Florida (originally Georgia) because there were people here that needed his help. And, he wasn't going to stop looking for those people until the day he was released as a missionary. That was his drive.

I was thinking about what he'd told me as I went to bed that night. I had a dream that I was in a party, similar to the one I'd attended earlier that day. In the dream, there was an open window, and a woman was yelling something outside. Suddenly, I woke up and found that it wasn't just a dream; there really was a woman standing below our apartment window and trying to yell something up to us. She was saying the same thing over and over again, but I couldn't make it out. It sounded like she was calling out someone named Lauren.
After a while, she changed up the line, and started calling herself something not very decent (it was 4:15 a.m., and it was pretty obvious that she was drunk). Soon after, it sounded like one of her friends came to calm her down. The yelling stopped, and Elder Jones and I got back to sleeping.\

In the morning, I discussed what had happened with Elder Jones. I mentioned that I hadn't understood what she saying.

"Was she calling out to someone named Lauren or something?"

Elder Jones shook his head.

"No. She was saying 'mormons.' She was yelling 'Save me, mormons!' over and over again."

Save me, mormons.

The words echoed again and again in my head.

Save me, mormons.

She didn't sound mocking or rude; in spite of likely being intoxicated, she sounded sincere.

Save me, mormons.

She knew who we were (Elder Jones suspected she was a fellow tenant he'd talked to before).

Save me, mormons.

She believed we could save her.

-------

And that is how I came to discover Why I'm Here. After that day, I realized that there were countless other people in the world like that woman, crying out for help. And we have exactly what they need.

As Church President Ezra Taft Benson put it:

 “We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 167). (As quoted in Preach My Gospel, Chapter 1)

Since I've come on my mission, numerous people have stated that, what with my thick, black glasses and my suit and tie, I look awfully like Clark Kent. And, as I think about it, I realize that I have something else in common with him:

I'm Here to Save the World.

I can't do it all by myself. Luckily, I stand shoulder to shoulder with a force of 80,000 other missionaries. That may seem small compared to a world of approximately 7 billion people, but that doesn't daunt me at all. As Joseph Smith, the first prophet, prophesied (at a time when there were even fewer members of our church):

 "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; … the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (Joseph Smith, as quoted in "The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected" by Boyd K. Packer)

I testify that God loves us and that He has restored His church and His Gospel to this earth. I also testify that this Gospel has the power to save all of us from our sorrows and our sins. I know that what I'm teaching is true, and I know that it can help everyone. And that is Why I'm Here.

Until next time,

-Elder Richmond

Photo Courtesy of LDS.org

Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! I enjoyed mine thoroughly.

So, as I've mentioned, I'm training a new missionary again (his name is Elder Jensen). That means that, every Friday, we have an hour-long conference call to listen to. And what does that mean?

It means I've got more time to make sticky notes.

-------

Brightly beams our Father's mercy

From his lighthouse evermore,

But to us, He gives the keeping

Of the lights along the shore

Dark the night of sin has settled

Loud the angry billows roar

Eager eyes are watching, longing,

For the lights along the shore

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;

Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,

Trying now to make the harbor

In the darkness may be lost

Let the lower lights be burning; 

Send a gleam across the wave,

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

You may rescue, you may save

(Hymns, No. 335)

Like we discussed last time, we believe that God has given us the fulness of His gospel in these latter days. We feel this gospel bless our lives and the lives of those around us. The natural result is that we seek to share it with others. We all start out in the midst of the storm-tossed sea, struggling to stay afloat. Eventually, we catch a glimpse of the light of our Father's mercy. If we stay the course and follow this light, we arrive safely in the harbor. It then becomes our duty to help in the rescue effort, reflecting His light and guiding others to Him. 

It's a work of love. It's God's work.

It is missionary work. 

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He restored His church to the earth in order to bless us. I know that I've been incredibly blessed by this church, and I continue to see blessings as I seek to share it with others. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Until next time,

-Elder Richmond

Notes:

-President Monson has spoken a lot about "The Rescue." His most recent words on the subject are found here.

-Yes, I am aware that I misspelled "sailor" in the third note. 

-Speaking of light, the last note looks different because we swapped out lamps in the room where I make these.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Why I'm Here (Part 1)

So, maybe you've been able to tell from past entries, but missionary work is hard. It's really hard, in a myriad of ways. I'm not going to go into details, because that could turn depressing, but let it be declared: being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is not exactly a walk in the park.

What's that got to do with anything? Well, because missions are hard, there's a question that comes up a lot. Sometimes it comes from other people who find out about what we do. Many times, it's something we ask ourselves. The question is this:

"Why are you here?"

I've asked it of myself a lot. The first time I asked it was around a year ago, when I found myself sitting on a Cuban man's back patio, sweating like a pig in my suit and struggling to understand his conversation with my companion about the Bible. Throughout my mission, I've kept asking that question, and I've found two answers. One talks about the purpose of missionary work; the other talks about why I'm engaged in it.

So, why am I here?

I'm here because over two thousand years ago, a baby was born in a stable in Bethlehem. That baby grew up and learned of His identity. He was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and He came to this earth to fulfill a very specific and special mission. He lived a perfect life. He taught the people His Gospel, or the things that they should do in order to accomplish what God wanted them to do. He performed miracles; he organized His church by calling Twelve Apostles. And, at the end of His life, He carried out the most important event of all time: The Atonement. He suffered for our sins and our pains; he was crucified, and died on the cross. And, after, three days, he resurrected, completing the Atonement, and giving all of us the chance to live the Gospel and become worthy of living in God's presence after this life.

After His resurrection, Christ continued to direct His church through revelation to the Apostles. He commanded them to preach His Gospel over all the face of the earth:

 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the endof the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)

 But, it was prophesied that this wouldn't last.

As the prophet Amos said:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." (Amos 8:11-12)

 Even the Apostles in the time of Christ knew that the church would fall before Christ was to return. Paul wrote:

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) 

So, not too long after Christ ascended into heaven, His church had been taken from the earth, and the people were in spiritual darkness. In this time, God didn't give up on His children; He inspired men and women to speak out against practices that were against the original teachings of Jesus Christ. These people made changes, and because of these changes, the world was eventually prepared to receive the Church of Jesus Christ again.

So, in 1820, in the state of New York, there was a 14-year-old boy. He was honest and pure in heart; he just wanted to do what God wanted him to do. But, he felt inadequate. The many different pastors and ministers of religion in the area each claimed to be the true church on the earth. But, as he put it:

"...So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong."

So, the boy turned to the only religious source he felt he could trust: the Bible itself. He read its pages day after day, and pondered its words in his heart. Eventually, he came to the Epistle of James, and read the following verse:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

The verse struck him deeply. And, we'll use his words to tell what happened next:

 "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith--History 1:12-17)

The boy, Joseph Smith, had received an answer to his prayer. He was, without a doubt, amazed by what was happening, but he still went on with his question: he asked the two heavenly beings before him which church they would have him join. They responded that none of the churches then established on the earth contained all of what had been revealed previously, so he shouldn't join any of them. They then also told him that he had a work to do, and that he would be called to be a prophet on the earth again, in order to restore their church again on the earth.

I testify that this happened, and that, through Joseph Smith, God and Jesus Christ restored their church to the earth, as well as the complete and perfect Gospel that had been preached anciently. With this great blessing came a great responsibility: the task of sharing this Gospel with the whole world.

"Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor." (D&C 88:81)

And so, nearly 200 years ago, without airplanes, cars, or even trains, missionaries began to go to all nations, teaching the Gospel of faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

So, this is all very nice, but what does it mean for us?

Well, as I talked about last time (you know, the one where I talked a bunch about oatmeal?), the Gospel allows us to become better people, little by little, until we can eventually meet the standards set by our Heavenly Father to return to live with him. And, the only way we can know of the Gospel is through missionary work. Sure, I'm a multi-generational member of the church: my parents are members, as are their parents, and so on and so forth. But, that all started with a missionary preaching to my ancestors, way, way back.

The fact is, we live the Gospel, and we know how it blesses our lives. It's our duty, then, to share that with the world.

And that is why I'm here...

---

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He has always loved His children, and I know that He has given us the Gospel in order to bless us in this life. I know that the sweetest peace that can be felt on this earth comes from living the Gospel and serving others. I know that I've been called to help other people feel as good as I do. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

---

...But that's not the whole answer to the question. Stay tuned!

-Elder Richmond

Oatmeal and the Natural Man

Welcome back! Today, we're going to start off with a little glimpse into my missionary life...


So, in my apartment's kitchen right now, there are two microwaves, stacked one on top of the other. Why do we have two? Well, that's a long story. Maybe another time we'll talk about it another time. For now, we'll just say that we have two microwaves. The bottom one is newer and bigger, the top is older and smaller.

For a while, the top microwave just sat on the bottom one, unused and unappreciated. Recently, though, I've found a use for it. Throughout my mission, I've enjoyed a nice bowl of oatmeal to start off the day. However, when I came to this apartment, I ran into a problem. The big microwave worked a little too well; my oatmeal would boil over if I left it in too long. I tried taking the oatmeal out before it boiled over, but then found that it was undercooked. There wasn't any way to adjust the power level on the microwave, so I had to give up the oatmeal for a while (you can make it on the stove, but I generally don't have enough time in the morning to do that and get all my other things done on time).

One day last week, though, I noticed that the top microwave had an adjustable power dial on the front. I changed the settings, put in some oatmeal, and Viola! I had the perfect bowl of oatmeal!

So, what does all of this have to do with the Gospel? Nothing.

Yet.

See, the other day, I was getting my oatmeal ready, but I had something I wanted to do while waiting for it to cook. I put my oatmeal in the microwave, turned the timer dial, and then went about doing whatever else. When I finished, I went back to the kitchen, opened the door to the top microwave...and found that my oatmeal was gone.

I was more than a little bit confused: I'd heard the microwave "ding!" when the timer ran out. I knew that I'd cooked my oatmeal; so where was it?

It dawned on me that perhaps Elder Pope was trying to pull some kind of joke on me. I was about to call him out, but then figured I'd look around the kitchen first to see where he'd hidden it. I opened the door to the other microwave, and smiled as I found my bowl. I was about to make some sort of comment on Elder Pope's silly little joke, when I noticed something: my oatmeal wasn't cooked. The bowl wasn't warm at all.

I stood there for a few seconds, puzzling over what was going on. Then, it finally dawned on me. Elder Pope hadn't moved my oatmeal bowl at all: I had placed it in the lower microwave out of habit, then started the timer on the higher microwave.

I had a good laugh at myself, told Elder Pope what had happened, then actually cooked my oatmeal. If that had been all, it would have just been a funny little experience, something to write home about so that the family could laugh at my absent-mindedness. Definitely not something worth a blog post.

But, the thing is, not too long after, I did it again! I put my oatmeal in the lower microwave, then started the timer on the higher one. Except, this time, I caught myself before I left the kitchen. I laughed again, then cooked my breakfast. I thought to myself, "Well, next time I'll just try a little harder to do a little better," paraphrasing a quote from former church president Gordon B. Hinckley.

And that's what I'd like to talk about today.

In the church, you'll often hear people talk about how we need to repent every day. That can seem a bit strange, especially if you think like I did before the mission. Before, I thought repentance was only for those that were seriously violating God's commandments: killing, stealing, commiting adultery, etc. I'd hear all of these stories about people being weighed down by the burden of their sins and feeling incredibly relieved when they felt the power of the Atonement in their lives and repented.

So, this is what confused me: I was going about, living my life, and I wasn't breaking any of those commandments. That meant I didn't need to repent, right? But then, everyone always said that we all need to repent daily so that we can always feel the Savior's influence in our lives. But...how could I do that if I wasn't sinning?

Since becoming a missionary and helping other people repent, I've come to learn a lot about what sin and repentance really are. See, it's not just deliberately breaking the commandments that keeps us out of God's presence. Because of the Fall of Adam, all of us are born into this world as imperfect mortals, or Natural Men. Mosiah 3:19 teaches us that the Natural Man is an enemy to God; in other words, all of us, no matter how hard we try, will fall short in this life, and that keeps us out of God's presence. However, that same scripture also gives us hope: through the Atonement of Christ, we can stop being Natural Men and become saints, worthy to be in God's presence.

Every time we do something wrong, every time we act imperfectly, we sin, and fall short of the glory of God. However, this is why we have repentance. When we repent, we recognize that we've done something wrong, plead forgiveness from those we've wronged (including God), stop doing whatever we've done, seek to restore any damages we've incurred, and then keep moving forward in our lives, not sinning again. Every time we go through this process, we become better, less likely to sin. As we keep doing this throughout our lives, we become more and more saintlike, more and more like our Heavenly Father.

So, that's what me learning from my oatmeal mistakes has to do with all of this. It doesn't matter how many times I fall short of making the perfect breakfast, so long as I recognize what I've done and seek to improve. And, eventually, I know I'll make it to a point where I won't ever boil over a bowl of oatmeal again.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He wants us to become more like Him in every way. I know that He has given us the Gospel so that we can achieve that goal. I know that, as we trust in Him and in His Son, Jesus Christ, we'll feel the saving and enabling power of the Atonement in our lives. We'll become better people, and we'll feel free of all our past mistakes. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

-------

Note: Since the original writing of this post, some exciting changes have taken place. Firstly, Elder Clark found a good home for the smaller microwave. Second, because of the loss of said microwave, I finally found out how to adjust the power level in the remaining microwave. Things are going much smoother, though occasionally I still overcook a bowl.

You Already Said Yes

I've got a question for you: are you having troubles moving on? Does the future and all of its challenges and struggles loom dauntingly before you? Are you sitting, anguished, on the brink of a decision, knowing you need to make the right choice but seeming to lack the courage or strength to move forward?

I've been thinking about you recently. And I want to tell you something: I know you can do it. I know you've got what it takes. How do I know this? Well, it's because I know certain things about you. I know them because they're true of everyone on this earth.

You see, before you or anyone else was born here, you still existed. You lived as a spirit in heaven, with God, your Heavenly Father. He created you; you are and were his child. You grew up as a spirit in His presence, living and learning. You noticed that He, unlike you, had a physical body, and He also had all wisdom and knowledge. Perhaps, on a whim, you may have wondered if you'd ever become like Him, but more often than not you were content with your life with Him and all your brothers and sisters.

It probably surprised you, then, when God called for a great gathering of His family, a "council in heaven." As you took your spot, you may have been a bit apprehensive, but felt your worries ease a little when you saw Jesus, God's firstborn and your older brother, sitting at God's side. You looked up to Him, and trusted Him.

While we don't have a specific record of what happened next, I imagine it went something like this: when everyone was present and accounted for, God stood to speak. He smiled warmly at all of you. He expressed His love for each and every one of His children. He talked of how happy He was to see all of you learning and progressing. He told you how much he cares for you and how often He thinks about what He can do to make you happy.

With that in mind, Heavenly Father announced something incredible. He told you of a plan that He had created, a plan in which every one of His children, you and all of your brothers and sisters, would be given an amazing opportunity. God said He would create a place for all of you to go, in order to gain a physical body (like His) and continue learning and growing in ways not possible in your then-current state. Then, everyone would have the opportunity to return and live with Heavenly Father again, but now with perfect physical bodies and enhanced understanding. It was a plan in which all of God's children could become more like Him.

You likely were taken aback, amazed at this incredible opportunity. Thousands of questions could have sprung to mind, but in that moment, a feeling of peace probably entered your being. You knew, as incredible as it seemed, that this plan was right.

As you pondered these news, though, another voice sounded, one of discontent. Another one of God's older children stood, and, to your astonishment, spoke out against God's plan. Whether or not he'd heard of this plan before the council, you weren't sure, but he seemed to be more familiar with it than most. You listened intently as he pointed out what he saw to be a flaw in the plan. Though all of the spirit children would, indeed, be given an equal opportunity to succeed, to prove themselves worthy of the great blessings God promised, their success wasn't guaranteed. As God had outlined the plan, every one would have Agency, or the ability to choose. And, as this son pointed out, many of God's children could easily choose wrong, and lose their privilege of returning to God's presence, forever.

You were likely stunned; it hadn't occurred to you before that so much of your success would be dependent on on your choices and actions. What's more, God had said that, in order for the plan to work the way He intended, everyone would forget their previous lives. Doubt perhaps crept into your thoughts; could you really choose the right without anything to guide you?

Perhaps, at this point, Jesus spoke up, reiterating that the children of God would not be left completely alone; God had promised to send them blessings such as Prophets, the Scriptures, and the Holy Ghost to aid in their journey. He also described that Agency was what Heavenly Father treasured most, and to take it away would spoil the entire purpose of the plan But this wasn't enough for the other son. In his mind, a plan in which failure was a possibility was imperfect, and to be discarded.

Then, turning to the rest of you, this son began to tell you of his wonderful news; that he had devised a plan as well. The plan was similar to Heavenly Father's, but with one marked difference: there would be no choice. Every child of God would come to the world prepared for them, receive their physical body, and automatically do everything required to merit returning to God's presence. Not a single soul would be lost, he promised, and all he asked for was the credit of coming up with such an amazing scheme.

You pondered this idea in your mind. It seemed to be the perfect solution; and yet, something didn't feel right. That feeling, that assurance that you'd felt before was missing.

Uneasily, you turned to look at God again. He looked sad, pained by His son's proposal. Jesus then spoke:

"Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." (Moses 4:2)

And thus began a war in heaven. Whether it was a war of words or a war of weapons or a war of some other sort, we don't know. What we do know is that a "third part" of God's children sided with the rebellious son. They balked at the chance of losing everything, and flocked to the assurance that his plan seemed to offer. In the end, though, they lost the war. God, Jesus, and the rest of His children fought against the other souls, and won. As a result, all those who rebelled were cast out of the presence of God. They lost any opportunity to receive a physical body and progress. The rebellious son was then known as Satan, and from that point on he and his followers have sought the destruction of God's children.

So, what does all this have to do with you, right here, and right now? Well, before the war in heaven was fought, you and everyone else had a choice to make. Both God's plan and Satan's plan were laid out in front of you completely and thoroughly. You had absolutely all the information you needed. And then you maid a choice. You saw Satan's plan, which appeared easy and attractive. You'd be guaranteed a place back in heaven with God, and you didn't even really have to do anything.

Then, you looked at God's plan, and frankly, it didn't seem easy. You'd forget your entire life in heaven from beforehand. You'd be born into a world with natural disasters, sickness, and wars. You'd have to make your own choices and then live with the consequences of those choices. You'd have to walk by faith and not by sight. And there was a very real possibility that you could fail and lose everything you held dear.

But you looked to God, and you said "I'll do it."

Isn't it incredible? Isn't it amazing? All that time ago, you had the faith to accept God's plan. You trusted that He wouldn't ask you to do anything out of your power. You felt that, as hard as His plan appeared, it was the right thing to do. So, unlike so many others, you rejected the offer to do what was easy, what was comfortable. Where countless souls faltered because there was a chance they could fail, you stepped forward with faith, trusting that there was a chance that you could succeed and that God would help you.

When asked to do something that perhaps wasn't easy, but was worth it, You Already Said Yes.

So take courage in this! As much as you've grown and changed throughout your life, you're still that same spirit that accepted God's plan. Look deep within yourself, and find the resolve you've already shown. If you can't seem to find it, then ask God, your Heavenly Father, to help you. He'll aid you to recover what you once had, and then he'll multiply it a thousand times over.

You can do it. I know you can. Keep up the faith. Keep doing your best. Keep Moving Forward.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He created a plan so that we could be happy. I know He wants each and every one of us to succeed, and is actively working to help us do so (see my favorite scripture, 1 Nephi 3:7). I know that he'll help you in whatever trial you face. I know this because He's helped me in countless occasions. He's helped me when I've lacked the strength to do better, to be better. He's helped me when I've been lost and confused, unsure of how to proceed.

He's helped me, even when I haven't felt worthy of it.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

Photo Courtesy of LDS.org

Why I'm glad to be a Drinking Fountain

Goodness, you do not know the writer's block I've had in trying to write this post.

It seemed simple enough: it all started off with an email from my family, describing how there was a group of women who were going to try and attend the Priesthood Session of General Conference a month ago. (What is Priesthood Session? It's a meeting in the conference that all Priesthood holders are invited to attend. Why don't women attend? We'll get to that) It seemed like it would be a good idea to jump on the issue and write a blog post about it. I'd originally wanted to post the entry a bit closer to Conference, but then I got rather busy with missionary things. Sometime last week, I finally sat down to start writing, and I've been stuck ever since.

It's not exactly that I don't have anything to say--if you could see my browser window you'd see that's not the case. It's just that I don't exactly know...what I want to say. And how I want to say it.

I guess I'll start out with the basics. The Priesthood is God's power (the same force that created the world and parted the red sea), coupled with the authority (or His permission) to use it. It's given to men on earth so that they can officiate in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which we believe is God's kingdom here on the earth. So, all the leaders of the basic Church organization, from the President of the Church to the local bishop (like a pastor of other faiths) have this power and authority, and if they use it righteously, the church succeeds and grows.

So, what's the issue? Well, when I said that God gives the Priesthood to men in order to church, I didn't mean it generally, in a mankind sort of sense; only men hold the Priesthood. There are auxiliary organizations in the church that are presided over by women (The Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary), but at the core of everything, the church is presided over and run by men. (And only the men who hold the priesthood attend Priesthood Meeting)

That seems a bit sexist, doesn't it? If this were any other organization, I'd probably be on the women's side, pushing for equality.

BUT...

This church isn't just any old organization. While it has leaders such as the Prophet and the Apostles here on the earth, they're really not the ones in charge. We believe that God, our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is the one calling the shots, and all the Prophets and Apostles do is relay His instructions to His children on the earth.

With this being true, another question pops up: if God is our Loving Heavenly Father, and all of His children are equal in His sight, why does he only want men to hold the Priesthood? Why doesn't He let women hold the Priesthood, too?

The answer (which, admittedly, I've been waiting this whole post to say):

WE DON'T KNOW.

Elder Neil L. Andersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, used a passage of scripture to illustrate this point beautifully (in fact, this topic, of women and the Priesthood, is what he spoke on. You should go read it/watch it/share it with friends here). The following dialogue is between an angel and an ancient Book of Mormon prophet, named Nephi:

 "And he [the angel] said unto me [Nephi]: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:16-17)

Even though I very often do not understand why God does things the way He does, at the core of all my beliefs and testimony is the fact that He loves me and all of His other children, and would never do anything to limit their growth or hold them back.

So, sisters, in a sense we do have an answer for you: you don't hold the Priesthood because God loves you and knows that you don't need it to realize your full potential. And perhaps that's not true of men. Perhaps, without this power from God, with all of the responsibility it carries with it (Uncle Ben was right when he said that With Great Power comes Great Responsibility. You can imagine, then, what kind of weight the infinite, eternal power of God entails), we men wouldn't be able to reach what we're supposed to become.

That's just an opinion, though.

So, what does all this have to do with water fountains, and why am I glad to be one? Well, let's think about drinking fountains: their purpose is to distribute water, a substance necessary for life. Anyone, male or female, adult or child, can come to the fountain and drink. That's not to say that the fountain has any sort of power or control over the people. It's purpose is to serve.

Thus it is with the Priesthood. Though we men hold it, we can't use it to bless ourselves. We can only use it to bless others. We are to use it to serve, and as we do, we obtain indispensable blessings for ourselves as well.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He has an important part for each of us to play. I know that He knows best and has created a perfect plan for each of us to progress in the best way possible. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

----------

Whew, well, that took a while to get out. I hope I've expressed everything in a way that helps you. Even if I didn't, I'll Keep Moving Forward, as I encourage each of you to do. Carry on!

-Elder Richmond

On Righteous Indignation and Loving Words

It's Conference time, brothers and sisters! By which I mean General Conference time! What is General Conference? It's one of the best things to happen twice a year, in my opinion (for a news release about conference, check out the Mormon Newsroom. Also, check out this nifty infographic )

General Conference is held twice a year. It consists of a series of talks and sermons by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The words of the speakers are powerful, and more importantly, they're for our day (we'll talk about that in a later post).

While all of the speakers (and I mean all) give powerful messages, you tend to see some crowd favorites. One is President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (see his bio on lds.org), well known for his accent and stories about Aviation. Another is President Thomas S. Monson, (his bio), who draws masterfully upon his 50 years of service as an Apostle to tell engaging stories.

And then there's Jeffrey R. Holland, or as some have called him, "The Bulldog of the Lord."

I could talk about what makes Elder Holland an engaging speaker, but I figured I'd show you instead.

We'll first examine a well-known talk of Elder Holland's, entitled "Safety for the Soul." (If you have time, I highly recommend watching the whole talk. If not, watch from around 5:50 until 13:20 (again, you might as well watch the whole thing)) (Full Text Here)

Let that version of Elder Holland settle for a bit in your consciousness, then watch this next clip, from a later conference address entitled "Because of Your Faith." (Again; you might as well watch the whole talk. But, the part we'll focus on runs from 7:03-12:20). (Full Text Here)



That's quite the difference, isn't it? In one talk, Elder Holland is raising his voice and spitting fire, defending the truth of the Book of Mormon (which I also know to be true). In the other, he's calm and quiet, as he humbly thanks his parents for the sacrifices they made to help him have the life he has (which I would also like to do at this time. I'd be nowhere without my two parents. Keep Being Amazing, Mom and Dad. Keep Moving Forward).

Both talks may bring the listener to tears, but here's the question of the day; which one is better? Or, in other words: Elder Holland is an Apostle, a Special Witness of Jesus Christ. It is his duty to teach in a Christlike manner; in which talk did he do a better job of fulfilling this purpose?

To decide, let's examine two examples from the Savior's life depicted in the Bible Videos produced by the church. (Bible Video Home Page) These two incidents, recorded in the Gospel of John, take place one after the other.
First,

Then,
So, let's review. In one of the videos, Jesus tenderly forgives a woman who has committed adultery, a sin that the Book of Mormon prophet Alma says is "an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost." (Alma 39:5)
In the other, he severely chastises a group of Pharisees, calling them children of the devil (if you don't feel that's harsh enough, look no further than this video [Jesus Cleanses the Temple]). So, like Elder Holland, at times he was gentle, at others he was more forceful.

So what do we do? Though we're not Apostles or Prophets, almost all of us find ourselves in teaching moments where we need to instruct or correct someone else. Do we do it gently or forcefully?

As I've discussed this with my current missionary companion, Elder Pope (check out Elder Pope's Mormon.org profile here) we've found two guiding principles for the way in which we teach. Whenever we find ourselves in one of these situations, we must teach:

1) Out of love

and

2) By the Spirit,

As both Jesus and Elder Holland did. There's no one-size-fits-all solution to teaching. Just as we're all individuals, we all learn differently, and we all need to hear the message of the Gospel in our own way. Some of us will respond to a gentle nudge or mild reproof. Others will only listen as they feel the heat of a fiery sermon. No matter what, so long as the teacher seeks to teach his listeners in a loving, Spirit-guided way, the learners will hear what they need to hear and how they need to hear it.

In the end, I have no idea what Elder Holland is going to do this Conference. That goes for him and all of the other Prophets and Apostles. But what I do know is that they have spent countless hours preparing for this occasion, and if we're willing to listen to them and the Spirit, we'll come away edified, with a better idea of what God wants us to do.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He has called Prophets and Apostles in our days, and I know that they teach us in His way. I eagerly look forward to hearing their words this weekend, and I invite you all to do so as well (watch it online here, on BYUTV, or at a chapel near you). I say these things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Happy Conference watching!

-Elder Richmond

How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 3)

Welcome back! This is the final look at Atheism and how it relates to my beliefs (to reiterate: Mormons believe in God and aren't Atheist. Thank You).

We've already examined a couple of statements about God's nature; why He lets bad things happen, and how He can still exist, standing with the laws of science. This post's statement is similar to the first:

"There's so much evil in the world; so many bad people doing bad things. You say God hates sin and evil, and yet I see it all around me. So, I don't believe He exists."

Which, once more, I'll rephrase:

"I don't believe in an all-powerful being who makes everyone live right."

And I don't believe it, either.

To be sure, God wants us to live righteously, and He's overjoyed when we live the commandments and do what's right. But, that doesn't mean that He'll eradicate evil any time He sees it.

Why not? It has to deal with what really matters to God, and that is Agency, or the ability to choose.

Think for a second: what is really yours in this world? What is something that no one, no matter how hard they try, can take from you?

Victor Frankl found the answer as he suffered in a concentration camp. He saw some men turn into animals; fathers would steal food from their own sons. But, he also saw prisoners, starved and emaciated, giving away their crusts of bread to those around them. Impossible as it seemed, they were smiling. What made the difference?

They chose to be happy. They chose not to be controlled by their circumstances. They were as tired and hungry and weak as all the others, but they chose not to let it break them. And nothing in the world could take that ability to choose from that. (For a better description, see "Man's Search for Meaning", by Victor Frankl)

To be sure, God wants us to keep His commandments. He has given them to us for our benefit; He knows that we'll be able to find the greatest possible happiness in this life (and a place to live with Him in the eternities) if we follow them. But He also knows that, in order for our obedience to mean anything, it has to be our choice. Forced obedience means nothing, but chosen obedience means the world. Our wills really are the only thing in this world that God won't ever choose to take away from us, and so our giving them to Him is the ultimate expression of love.

For this reason, God won't simply send down a lightning bolt to eliminate evil. He is sad when we sin. Very, very sad. But He knows that, if any of this world is going to be worth anything, we have to be able to choose.

As Lehi, the Book of Mormon prophet (who we've already quoted a lot in this series) put it:

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)

I know that God lives and that He loves us so very, very much. He loves us so much that He lets us make our own decisions, even when those decisions hurt others and distance ourselves from Him. I also know that He's given us a way to make up for our mistakes and to right our wrongs. And I know that what He wants the most is for all of us to choose to do what it takes to make it back. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Well, thanks for reading everyone! In the next few posts, we'll be gearing up for General Conference, which takes place on October 5-6. The windows of heaven are about to open up and pour out knowledge from our Heavenly Father. Let's get ready for it!

-Elder Richmond

Alma 30:44

In the midst of thinking about my ideas for "Why Atheists are Sometimes Right," I was pondering Alma 30:44 (which I mentioned in the last post), and figured I'd try to do some stickies of it. I'm pretty satisfied with the end result.

--- --- ---

I know that God, our Heavenly Father, created this and all the other worlds, and I know that all of His creations indeed witness that He created them. I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to be here and to enjoy everything He has made. I so say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 2)

[Note: As stated previously, even though I'll be comparing atheism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, members of said church are not atheist. We believe in God, the Eternal Father. Thank you.]

Welcome Back!

So, as we were discussing earlier, I've been thinking about Atheism recently, and pondering how its beliefs sometimes line up with mine. Today, we'll look at another statement, one that hits rather near and dear to me: Science. (If you didn't know, I'm a Physics Major. Check out my mormon.org page for a bit more info about me)

Here's the idea:

"I believe in Science; there's solid, concrete evidence to back it up. And from what we can see from Science, there's no room for God in the equation."


Or, in other words,

"With what we know about Science and Religion, I don't see how the two can mix. I don't know how God and the Big Bang theory (for example) can coexist."

And I don't really know, either. At least, not exactly.

Before we say anything else, I'd like to offer a viewpoint. From studying Physics for only a year, I've run into lots of theories and equations, and I've found something interesting. Science can be beautiful. Science can be elegant. Of all the craziness of this world, there are some very simple and clean principles that govern it. I take that to mean that someone designed everything, that someone took great care into shaping our universe. As Alma put it, "All things [even Physics equations] denote there is a God." (Alma 30:44)

But, on to a more general solution.

The problem with the statements above is that they're static. They assume that we've already learned all we can about a certain subject. This, of course, is foolish. I'd wager that scientists in the 1910's felt pretty confident about what they were studying, and yet they'd be dazzled by everything we know today. And I'll bet that the people in 2113 are going to be pretty far ahead of what we know.

This applies as much to Religion as it does to Science. To quote the Ninth Article of Faith:

" We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." (Articles of Faith 9)

So, we're not done learning about Religion or Science. And, I believe that one day we will close the gap.

The same situation is actually very closely mirrored in the scientific world today. Right now, a big challenge in Physics is to create "The Theory of Everything." This was something that Albert Einstein attempted, but didn't accomplish.

Here's how it goes: There are two overseeing theories in Physics: Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics (I'm over simplifying here). Relativity deals with the motion of really big things; Quantum Mechanics deals with the motion of incredibly small things. Both theories have principles that are true and are measurable. Relativity helps your GPS to work; Quantum Mechanics lets you talk on a cellphone. However, the two theories don't match up snugly. If one is to be completely true, then the other one can't be. But, do scientists stubbornly pick one theory and say the other is ludicrous? No. They admit that they don't know everything, and they keep researching both sides of the coin, working toward a common solution.

This is the same attitude we all need to take on the subject of Science vs. Religion. The two don't have to be stalwart opponents; on the contrary, they're two sides of the same coin. As Latter-Day Saints, we're told to seek after "anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" (Articles of Faith 13). Basically, if anything in the world is true, we believe it to be part of the Gospel.

I know that God lives, and that He created the heavens and the earth. I know that he wants us to learn all we can about everything that is true. I know He loves us, and wants us to return to live with Him again. And I know that we can gain a witness of these things through prayer. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 1)

[Notice: I want to make it completely clear before we start: As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe in God, our Heavenly Father. (See Article of Faith 1). This post will compare and contrast certain beliefs of ours with those of Atheists, but church members ("Mormons") are Christians, and believe in Diety.]

As missionaries, we talk to a lot of people. From what I've seen (which is possibly biased because most of the people I talk to are Hispanic), most of them believe in God. They have different senses of who He is or what He does, but they believe in Him, regardless. Even the few agnostics I've met believe in a higher "something;" they're just not sure whether that something is God or some other force.

Very rarely have I encountered a pure atheist: someone who absolutely believes there is no God, nor a higher power like God. They stand out in the crowd of theology.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we stand out, too. We're Christians, like many, but some of our beliefs, like the Restoration of the Gospel (see mormon.org for more info) put us add odds with those of different faiths.

As I've thought about how the two groups, Mormons and Atheists, sometimes get attacked because of what they believe, it made me think about what exactly we're defending. And, in pondering some of the statements Atheists have made, I find that I agree.

How is this possible? Let's take a look:

Most atheists I know of don't just simply not believe in God; they have reasons for it. We'll consider three common atheistic statements, and see if we can't find some common ground.

Statement 1: "I don't believe that God exists because of all the terrible things that happen in this world. If there really was a loving, caring, all-powerful being governing the universe, He wouldn't let such things happen."

In considering this (and the other statements), I'll rephrase just a bit:

"I don't believe in an all-powerful Being who takes away all of the pains and tragedies in this world."

And neither do I.

To be certain, God is our loving Heavenly Father. As John put it, "God is love," (1 John 4:16), and He has all the power imaginable. If He wanted, he could take away all the natural disasters, all the pains and sicknesses, and all the evils of this world. But, as is apparent from daily life, He doesn't do this. Why not?

We'll turn to the writings of a Book of Mormon prophet, Lehi. In his final words of counsel to his posterity, he spoke at length about happiness and the purpose of his life. In part of his remarks, he firmly decrees that "men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25) In the same sermon, though, Lehi also states:

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so,... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad." (2 Nephi 2:11)

Essentially, Lehi is saying that there have to be two opposites in order to make a comparison. In order to know happiness, we also need to know what sadness is. If we really want to understand joy, we'll have to understand sorrow as well. Lehi teaches us that the point of this life is not to try and make it through with as few bumps or bruises as possible. We need to learn what's bad in this life so that we can more fully appreciate what's good. And, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we always have someone we can turn to when life gets rough. Christ suffered everything that we will suffer (See Alma 7:11-12), and so he knows exactly what we need to feel better. And, if we turn to Him through prayer and obedience to His gospel, He'll make us whole again.

God loves us. He loves us so much that he sent us here to this earth so we could come to understand true happiness. And He loves us so much that he sent his Son to earth, so that all that is unjust or unfair might be made right again.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

---

Thanks for reading! See you next time! Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

D&C 122

Do you feel as if you're falling? 

Do all of your problems seem to be collapsing on top of you, 

threatening to crush your spirit?

Does the light at the end of the tunnel seem to be dimming?

Do you feel a darkness beginning to surround you?

Does it feel as if you're one step away from being swallowed up by

all the dark and gloom in your life?

If so...

---  ---  ---

When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he had a question. He took this question to prayer, and something miraculous occurred: God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him (more info here, on mormon.org)

After this occurred, Satan decided to turn things up a notch:

"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me." (Joseph Smith--History 1:22)

To be clear, Joseph didn't want to harm anyone. His message was of peace, and yet it was responded to by violence. 

Eventually, Joseph found himself in Liberty Jail, a dark, oppressing dungeon in Missouri. His wife, Emma, was left alone to take care of their children. His friends and family were being driven from their homes and beaten and killed. All of this, in effect, because of the vision he had seen.

It must have felt horrible. Stuck in the jail with no light, poor conditions, and nothing really to do but think about his situation. 

Did Joseph ever doubt the veracity of what he had seen? We don't know. We do know, however, that the oppressive circumstances led him to cry out:

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?" (D&C 121:1)

To which our loving Heavenly Father responded:

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

Following these words and other instructions, God counseled Joseph on the reasons for adversity, which we've already described with the stickies (read the full section here)

---  ---  ---

So, what can we take from all of this? Unfortunately, bad things are going to happen to all of us. Part of the purpose of this life is so that we can recognize what sorrow is, because it will help us more fully appreciate true joy. 

What I want to share is that there is truly no suffering that comes upon us without a reason. Things will seem black at times. Very, very, very black. We often won't understand why these things happen to us until some time later, but they key is that we Keep Moving Forward until that day comes. And the day will come. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Richmond

111: Love God

So, we'll start out the post this week with a story.

My mom woke me up later than usual on September 11, 2001. As I climbed out of bed, she told me that my Grandma had called and told us to turn on the news. Gathered together in the family room, we all watched the footage of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centers. Frankly, I wasn't exactly sure what was happening. The gravity of the situation was lost on me. Eventually, I made it to school. As I walked into class, I offered my 3rd grade teacher an explanation of why I was late. I said:

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Anderson. I was watching people blow up our government."

She quietly said "It's alright" and then told me to take my seat.

Flash forward more than a decade, and I feel a bit embarrassed about what I said. Maybe even a bit ashamed. I don't beat myself up about it (I wasn't quite 9 then), but the feeling lingers.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last time I said something I would later regret. I often tend to speak before I think, it seems, and that leads to me putting my foot in my mouth a lot more often than I'd like. Awkward things are said, words are misunderstood, feelings get hurt. All of these, like my 9/11 experience, leave me feeling embarrassed and a little ashamed.

I take comfort in the fact that I'm not alone. Perhaps not everyone has said something they shouldn't have, like me, but, as imperfect human beings, everyone has done something that's made them feel a bit guilty or ashamed (see Romans 3:23). Hopefully it only happens once in awhile; however, sometimes we have bad weeks, and we get rather weighted down with everything we've done in the week. These feelings, if not attended to, can make us tired, make us downhearted. We don't think we'll ever be able to pick ourselves back up again.

So, what are we to do? And how does all this tie in to forgiveness and 111? It's simple: by asking our Heavenly Father for forgiveness, we can start the process of getting rid of these feelings of regret and remorse.

Physical pain is a type of warning for the body: it lets us know that something's wrong, that we're not doing something right (like not eating for too long or failing to avoid the soccer ball that smacks us in the face). Guilt is the same for our spirits. When we do something in a way that God doesn't want us to do it, we feel guilt as a result.

Fortunately for us, we have a way (called "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" (see this page here, starting with the subheading "Faith in Jesus Christ)) to relieve ourselves of these feelings. We first believe that such a thing is possible. Then, as part of the process of leaving that action behind, we ask forgiveness from Heavenly Father for doing something wrong. It takes humility, but I can testify to you all that it works. I've felt my burdens lifted as I've asked God to forgive me, to give me another chance. He is merciful, and if we promise that we'll try our best to do better (through "covenants," or two-way promises. See the above link), he promises us that he'll forget our sins and help us feel better (see D&C 58:42).

If you find yourself bogged down with your mistakes and your regrets, I urge you to pray. To ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness and relief. As you take the right steps to do better, you'll feel a wonderful peace of conscious. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! We'll continue 111 next week, talking about how forgiveness applies to all those around us. See you then!

-Elder Richmond