A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

The Christmas season is the BEST time to remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am SO grateful that our Father in Heaven was willing to send His Son to come to this earth and be our Savior and Redeemer.

Kevin

Jonah and the Whale

The story of Jonah from on Vimeo.

I LOVE this story! :) And I'm so grateful that God is no respecter of persons. He loves us ALL equally and is always willing to give us a second chance. Through our Savior Jesus Christ we can repent and choose to follow Him.

Finding Faith In Christ

The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Listen to this song and read the lyrics. This song by Paul Cardall helped me through a pretty big trial in my life. As I listen to it now I am filled with peace to know that my Savior really is there for us. He loves us and if we let Him, He can take away our pain. We can have a hope for better things to come, and we will see our loved ones again. I love you Sandy!


1. I know that my Redeemer lives.
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead.
He lives, my ever-living Head.
He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.

2. He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.

3. He lives, my kind, wise heavnly Friend.
He lives and loves me to the end.
He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing.
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare.
He lives to bring me safely there.

4. He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

AEBLESKIVERS!!!!

What's your favorite kind of pancake? Banana? Chocolate chip? Maybe blueberry? Well imagine having a pancake in the form of a ball with your favorite topping INSIDE! Kind of like a pancake popper...only there is a name for it...Aebleskiver! A friend of mine introduced these HEAVENLY treats to me! And OH how I love them! Breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of ALL time, so anytime I learn a new dish I love it!
Well because I love them SO much I decided to share this secret with a bunch of other Sister Missionaries that I lived with. We had a BLAST making them together and it was fun to make them with all sorts of fillings! And today for a meeting some more of us missionaries are going to have fun doing the very same thing!
Sure I could keep this recipe to myself and not left anyone in on the fun but then what would happen when I get old and start pushing daisys? No one will EVER know my secret.
The same goes for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here I am, a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I have the secret to happiness. Only it's not a secret at all! We invite ALL men, EVERYWHERE, to come unto Christ and have this joy. It comes from reading The Book of Mormon. It comes from praying every single day to our Father in Heaven. And it comes from learning about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through His servant Joseph Smith.
Secrets out! Now its up to you to see if you like it as much as I do! I know will. Check out our website for more info: lds.org & mormon.org

Patrice Arkins

William Hopoate

195 Dresses

It's so important that we follow our living Prophet dress modestly. I'm so grateful for the council we have been given which helps us to know we truly are children of a loving Heavenly Father.
For more on our beliefs check out our website: mormon.org and lds.org

I Choose to Be Pure

No matter what religion you are you can still have high standards. Our bodies are temples and God wants us to respect ourselves and those around us. To learn more check out our website: mormon.org

The Song of the HEART

I love Marissa's one liner....one song is NOT worth losing the Spirit! It's SO true! The music we listen to should uplift us and allow the Spirit to stay so that it can ALWAYS be with us!

Friends

I was thinking today about one of my dear friends that passed away not too long ago. I remember when she died I felt like no one really cared. They expressed their sympathies and let me cry to them but I remember thinking, "why isn't everyone sad with me?" I wanted everyone to cry, I didn't want my friend to be forgotten.
Luckily that's not how things work. As I look back now I'm grateful that everyone wasn't sad with me. It was their strength that lifted me up. The strength of my TRUE friends who, even when they didn't have the words to say, were there to just let me cry.
Our trials are never easy. In fact often times when we stumble across a trial we often wonder how we'll EVER make it through. Take a look around you though. There are SO many people that LOVE and care about you. Yes you may feel like the only one who is suffering but look at how many people are here to help. And if your not experiencing a big trial right now, take the opportunity to reach out to someone you can see who is hurting.
No matter what circumstance you're in, no matter what trial you are facing, you are loved. Our Father in Heaven is aware of you and He loves you. Let the light of those around you lift you up. Remember that God has a plan for each one of His children, and that you are NOT alone. And keep SMILING :)

My Snowboarding CRASH!

My first time snowboarding was a pretty EMBARRASSING experience! Luckily my sweet friend was so patient to help me learn what to do.
It was a beautiful sunny day! I'll admit I was a little nervous going up the ski lift but I didn't want to my fear to show. As I got off the ski lift my friend showed my how to go slowly down the mountain and also how to stop(key information that will be needed later on in this story). Well I got going, VERY slowly! But I got confident too quickly. I decided to turn my board a little more so I could go a bit faster and then all of a sudden I COULDN'T stop myself!!!! I started FLYING down this mountain! My friend shouted for me to slow down. All I could do was shout, "I DON'T REMEMBER HOW!!!"
So there I was zipping down this mountain wishing I knew how to stop when SUDDENLY....my front edge caught something and I now started FLIPPING down the mountain!!!!! YOU KIDDING ME!? I could feel myself tumbling for what seemed like FOREVER when suddenly I stopped!!! I laid there. Partly wishing something had broke so I could have an excuse not to get up, my body just HURT.
Then above me I heard clapping, and not just clapping but people were cheering. I opened my eyes to see the ski lift right above me and they were all cheering for me! One guy even leaned over in his seat and shouted, "that was THE BEST crash I've ever seen!!!"
My friend by now had caught up to me. He reached out his hand to lift me up and as he pulled me up he said, "You know, if you would have listened when I taught you how to stop yourself you wouldn't have had to crash like that." We both just laughed and SLOWLY made our way down the final slope of the mountain.
I know that if we listen to our living Prophet and His Apostles we can be safe and we can prevent ourselves from crashing the way I did my first experience snowboarding.

The Moose DATE!

Do you enjoy "Living on the EDGE"? Are you always looking for the next thrill that will entertain your day? Sure it's nice to have fun in life and live it to its fullest but not when your idea of "living" quickens your chances of DYING!
I went on a date this one time, I'll spare you the details, but to give you a visual ALL the original plans fell through and there I was, at the top of a canyon in Park City. My date had pulled his car off to the side because out in the clearing was a beautiful, HUGE, moose!

We hopped out of the car and grabbed my phone to get a picture of it. Well my date wasn't satisfied with a simple picture. He wanted to see this thing CLOSE UP! He grabbed my arm and told me to come with him. He wanted to sneak up on this moose. I pulled away, knowing how dangerous that would be to get in the moose's territory. He persisted that I come with him but I stood my ground. So he went off towards the moose alone.
I tell you this story not to let you in on my date life but to relate how many influences we have around us that are pressuring us to "live on the edge". With the gospel of Jesus Christ we are lucky enough to have commandments that HELP us to stay protected. They aren't to bind us. God has given us the ability to choose for ourselves what we do and how we live. If we choose to follow our Savior Jesus Christ that is what will keep us safe and TRULY happy.
So next time your out with all your friends remember that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing. You can be YOU, and you can be HAPPY!

God Knows You

We all at times feel alone, and it's as if no one around can help. Remember this, You are a child of a LOVING Heavenly Father. He knows you. He wants to help you and see you succeed in life. Although our trials may seem to be never ending I promise that there is ALWAYS light at the end of the tunnel. And that light is through the hope of our Savior Jesus Christ.
To learn more check out our websites: mormon.org and lds.org

Marco Petrollini

Our belief as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is simple. We believe in God, we believe Christ is our Savior. We believe families can be together forever and we want that for EVERYONE!
Check out our websites to learn more: mormon.org and lds.org

Steve Brouggy

When I watched this it made me think of all the people I've met that truly believe they are stuck in their situation based on what they've been raised with. No matter who you are you can always change your future. Our Savior Jesus Christ has provided a way to be a NEW person and follow Him.
Check out our website mormon.org and learn more about the happiness that is awaiting you.

Alex Boye

I love to see how we ALL go through hard times. No matter who we are. The good thing is that we ALL have a Savior Jesus Christ who can be there to lift us and bring us TRUE happiness.
check out more Mormon profiles at mormon.org

General Conference HIGHLIGHTS!

Check out these clips from Conference. I'm SO grateful that we have a living Prophet and Apostles who speak for God and help us to know what we should be doing!

The Book Of Mormon!

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. This Book has changed my life and I encourage you ALL to read it for yourself and then to pray to know that it is true. I promise that as you do so you will be able to come to know, who you are, what your purpose in this life is, and also that Christ's true church is on the earth today. And I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Brandon Flowers!

TECHNOLOGY!

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

Disney Land!

DiSnEy LaNd….the place where DREAMS come true!
When I was little my family and I went to Disney Land! A kids dream! I was SOOOO excited! I wanted to see Mickey and Minnie and ALL the Princesses, especially Belle! But when I got there my family just wasn’t keeping up with me! “Come on,” I was thinking…I wanted to see EVERYTHING the park had to offer! There was so much to see! When I got a little ahead of my family I turned back to make sure they were following me and then….SMACK! I ran right into a huge pole!!!!! I wish I could tell you what happened next but I honestly don’t remember. I had taken my eyes off of where I was headed and I got hit HARD!
Do you KNOW where you’re headed in life? Do you have a clear view of what’s in front of you? Yes we may not always be able to predict our obstacles but if we have a sure direction we can know that beyond our obstacles is the path closer to our destination!
Jesus Christ is the ANSWER! Our perfect example. And if we follow Him we can KNOW that we’re headed in the right direction.
I invite you to read from the BOOK OF MORMON. It is the ONE book that can bring us closer to Christ than any other book out there.

The Book of Mormon

The THRIFT Store!

One of my favorite past times with my Grandma is shopping at the THRIFT STORE! When I was younger I lived with her and every time she went out shopping I got to be the lucky one to go with her!
Thrift stores are like little treasure boxes with all kinds of goodies. But what I loved the most at this particular store was their “FUNNY MIRRORS”. You know, the ones that make you look super tall and skinny but then when you step closer you look like a round fat shorty! I could stand in front of those things for hours and be entertained.
As my Grandma would walk around looking, I would silently pray that we would walk past one of these mirrors so I could play for a second until she moved on to the next isle. Well one day my grandma was headed to the store, and sure enough I got to go with! I was SO excited and ready for a good laugh. When we got to the store I found the mirror of ALL mirrors and kept stepping back and forth, cracking up in LAUGHTER each time my body deformed in front of me! I was having a good time. Soon I realized that I have been laughing for a longer time than usual and I looked down the isle to see what my grandma was doing. She wasn’t there. So I looked down the next isle…NO GRANDMA! I tried to jump up to see if I could see her head over the clothes racks. No use, I was too short. So I knelt down and tried to see if I could see her feet. Nothing! I panicked a little. I WAS ONLY 5, what if she left me! What if I never saw my Grandma again!?!? A little DRAMATIC I know…but SHOOT I was scared! So, I tried to be brave. I walked over to a lady with a red vest on and told her I was lost. She asked me what my grandma’s name was. “I DON”T KNOW….her name is Grandma, what do mean what’s her name?” So she picked up a phone and over the intercom I heard her voice echo, “If you lost your granddaughter she’s at the front of the store. She’s wearing pink shorts, a flower shirt, and cowboy boots.” I waited. Did my grandma even know what I was wearing?! I waited some more. “She’s got black hair, she’s was playing by the mirrors. Did someone lose their kid?” You think she would have asked me my name and announced that also! GEEZ! Then finally I see this sweet old lady pop her head around a clothes rack. “Alyssa?” She looks behind her as if to see if I was behind her. “GRANDMA!!!!!” I ran over to her feeling a sense of relief and safety. But what the heck she didn’t even notice I was gone! That didn’t matter though, I was just SO excited to see her! Ever since that day I have a fear of thrift stores! I’m scared I’ll get lost!
As a missionary I have the wonderful opportunity to help those that are lost. Only in my case they don’t always know they need finding. When Christ taught about finding His lost sheep He meant ALL that are lost.
Mormon.org and Lds.org

SARDINES!

I almost DIED the other day! Here's what happened...A bunch of us were playing a hide and seek game called sardines. Only in this version one person hides and everyone else finds the one. If you find the one hiding you then hide with them until the last person is left looking. Well, my companion and I were searching in the attic of this mansion and in it there are these little wooden doors that lead to smaller crawl space areas. My companion crawled in first, I followed. Only I wasn't aware that I was supposed to only step on the wood planks under all the insulation! Whoops! So as I'm following her I go to take a step and my entire left falls through the ceiling!!! Luckily I caught myself and was able to pull myself back up before falling all the way through. When I pulled my leg out I could look all the way down to see the closet I almost fell into! That was a close one for sure!
Why do I share this story with you? Well I hope you get a little laugh at how dumb I can be sometimes. But also to relate how important it is that we have a solid foundation beneath us before we try to move forward. Sometimes we see all that we want to accomplish but we aren't patient enough to establish our grounds first. In the Book of Mormon one of my favorite scriptures is this : And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)
We must remember that it's not IF the devil with come but WHEN. And when he does, with his storm and winds, it won't be pretty. Who better to be our foundation than Jesus Christ our Lord!
I know we all have hopes and dreams that we want to accomplish but remember to first let our Savior be apart of your life. Work on building your foundation before you try for the big things. It'll be worth it :)

Forget Me Not

The Blessing of Temples

As children of God it's important that we set our standards high. God only accepts the best and we too should only accept the same for ourselves. We've been given the blessing of temples because the Lord loves us and wants us to be with our families forever. Let us not take this blessing for granite

The Missionary Smile!

No other work in the world brings GREATER satisfaction than MISSIONARY WORK!
My companion and I were teaching a lesson the other night to a young lady. We were discussing the Book of Mormon and reading it together. Everything was going SO good and the Spirit was SUPER strong! Everything was going perfect and we could feel that this girl was ready for more. So my companion leaned forward on the couch and asked this girl if she would follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and be baptized. At moments like this I always feel myself have an outer body experience where I'm looking down and watching everything happen in slow motion. We looked at her, watched her body language, and as her head started to shake she said the one word that makes a missionary smile from ear to ear. She said YES!
Now this ear to ear smile isn't just any type of smile. You literally can not stop it from creeping on your face. We were filled with SO much joy and love. Just to think, another one of God's children is ready to come closer to Him. It doesn't get any better than that!
I LOVE being a missionary and I love that my Father in Heaven has allowed me to be a part of His work for this 18 months of my life

Like Mother Like Daughter

I've always teased my mom for her lack of skills in the kitchen. Good thing she married a man who KNOWS how to cook! If any of you know me well enough, you'd know that my ultimate goal in life is to be a good mother. There's not a single thing that I want more than that. And I want to be the "Super Women" mother. I want to take all my kids to their sports events and dance recitals, help them with homework, play with them at the park, pack their lunches every day, bake cookies for their snack after school, and have dinner on the table EVERY night.
Well one day I decided I wanted to bake a homemade apple pie! YUM! I was SO excited for everyone to get a slice and think it was the BEST pie they'd ever tasted! I didn't realize however, that TSB(tablespoon) is much different than tsp(teaspoon), one being a lot more than the other especially when the ingredient your talking about is salt! Needless to say I put WAY too much salt in the crust and my pie tasted terrible. The only one who would eat it was my older brother, who thinks that dog biscuits are good! So what does that tell you!? You know they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...that was a LONG time ago though. Hopefully I'll get some more practice in before my time of being a mother comes.
No matter what it is that you like to do, or who you want to be, you can acheive it! If you believe in yourself and never give up you can do anything!
I love you MOM! Your the BEST!

Life is Good so I Prayed

I'm horrible at praying! Infact over the past 14 months as I've been on my mission that is the one thing I've been trying to become better at. I want SO badly to have a real relationship with my Father in Heaven and I know that comes through prayer.

I know my prayers are answered, I've experienced many many times when I've been given council through prayer. I know that the Lord will listen to me when I'm struggling, I've also felt the healing power of prayer when things have gone wrong in my life. The thing I haven't mastered is having a good prayer when my life is going well. I feel like right when things start going our way is when we forget to include the Lord in our life. So that has been my ongoing goal, to allow the Lord to be a part of my life ALWAYS! I have SO much to be grateful for. I have SO much good in my life. I know that God loves me and I want Him to be in every second of my life.

I read this scripture this morning: "In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me."

That was definitely for me...I need to not just pray in times of trouble but also in times of peace.

Don't let the good times bring you away for our loving Heavenly Father. Take the time to give a prayer of gratitude.

The Mosquito Bite!

I got the WORST mosiquito bite I've ever had the other night. I was standing by a fire and all of a sudden felt a pinching on my ankle. I looked down to swat the bug away but it was too late. I could see a bump starting to form already. It wasn't bad, and if I didn't scratch it I thought it'd be ok. But it wasn't, I woke up the next morning and tried to look for my ankle but it was gone!!!! It had swollen so bad that it was now considered a CANKLE!(which is when your calf and ankle mesh together so that you don't have a defined ankle) It was bad!
Well I went about my day hoping that it would get better but it didn't. Infact it got worse. It started to hurt and it some how managed to get even bigger! So I thought to myself, "ok if I have enough faith then this will go away." I was thinking about the Israelites and how when they got bit by serpents all they had to do was look at Moses' serpent staff and they would be healed. But they had to have the faith to look.
We too must have enough faith to look to our Savior Jesus Christ and know that He can heal us. If we put our trust in Him ALL things are possible.
I woke up this morning with the bite still there, it's still a bit red but I have my ankle back! :) FAITH works!

Being Healed

Just when you think you have control over your life you are humbled by the Lord and He reminds you that ALL things are in His hands.
My cousin was in a serious car wreck this past week and the passenger in her car didn't survive. When I heard the news I was brought back to a time when someone I love so dearly was taken home to our Father in Heaven. I thought about my cousin and how she must feel given the circumstances of her surviving and her friend not. I realized at that moment that this is why we HAVE to experience pain, so we can then overcome it and help someone else when it's their turn.
Death is never an easy thing to accept but I know that God really does have a plan,an individual plan for each and everyone of His children. The Lord can't take anything from me, because I freely give it. I trust in Him and I know that this life is just a temporary state in which we can grow and learn and prepare for whats to come. My friend and my cousins friend are right where they need to be, as are we all. And if you find yourself struggling or suffering remember that our Savior Jesus Christ has already gone through it. So get on your knees and plead with the Lord to be healed. I know it works because that is what I've found myself doing when I can't make it on my own.

The Power of the Scriptures

It is my hope for all, to come to know the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ through reading their scriptures. They are sacred words written for us, for our day, for our trials. I think sometimes we take the scriptures lightly and forget that they really are the word of God. By reading them is how we can know Him. If ever you feel lost or without direction remember that you can turn to the scriptures. The Lord is willing and waiting to help. WE just have to let Him in.

Let The Holy Spirit Guide

The Lord loves us SO much that He has given us the opportunity to have His Spirit with us....If we keep ourselves worthy of its companionship.
My companion and I have recently learned a valuable lesson on keeping the Spirit with us.
We were in a lesson the other day trying to express the importance of reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it is true. When suddenly our lesson took a turn for the worst. And I literally mean...WORST! One of the lady's we were teaching began to share with us some of her background on religion and then started sharing her thoughts on Mormonism. And they weren't good thoughts. In fact the Spirit was not only gone but it was begging Sister Holm and I to get out. Unfortunately, I'm sad to report that we didn't leave. Instead we sat there and listened while the Spirit was completely gone.
When we got home my insides were very unsettled and I prayed harder and longer than I ever had until I realized that it was way late and I needed to get some rest. The next couple of days seemed to be foggish as I tried to get my mind off the experience we just had and remembering the evil feeling we had while in the lesson.
As I've kept studying the scriptures and praying for the Spirit to be with me it came to my attention that we can trust our feelings and that we should trust them. How does the Holy Ghost speak to us? Through our minds and to our hearts. If we deny our feelings we are denying revelation that is being given to us, direction from the Lord. And in doing so we are rejecting a gift, the companionship of the Spirit, that our Father in Heaven is wanting and willing to bless us with.
So in light of my knew thoughts on the Holy Ghost check out this song that I LOVE!
Let The Holy Spirit Guide

The Book Of Mormon

Think for a moment what makes you happy? What is it that helps you get through each day when trials come? For me it's the Book of Mormon. There are SO many ways it makes me happy.
1. It outlines God's plan for us, which for me is much needed...especially as it talks about what happens to us when we die and I think of loved ones who have passed.
2. It tells us what we need to do in this life to prepare to meet our God. We don't have to wonder or worry about when that day comes. We can know what to do and we can have a hope that the Lord is pleased with us.
3. It brings us closer to our Savior. And this I must say is probably my top reason in loving the Book of Mormon. I want to know my Savior I want to recognize Him and His voice and know who He is when I see Him again. And I know that by not only reading from the Book of Mormon but also living its teaching we truly can fulfill our purpose here and come closer to the one person who has made it possible to have eternal life.

Kevin!

The Song of the Heart

Missionary Work!

I wake up every day to serve the Lord, and His children. I'm not here for 18 months to have a good time I am here because I know Christ lives and I want to share that with EVERYONE!

Alice in Wonderland

I read an awesome talk the other day by our loving Prophet President Thomas S. Monson about making choices. Making choices is something we ALL have to do EVERY day. And what a wonderful gift it is to be able to choose for ourselves our destiny.
President Monson explains that some of our decisions will not matter in the eternal scheme of things but how other decisions we make will and can change our life forever.

Alice was faced with a decision of which path to choose. Yes she may have been in a fantasy wonderland but the Cheshire cat says something very profound. "If you don't know where you're going, then it doesn't matter which path you take." And how true that statement stands.
I know where I want to be, back with my Heavenly Father. And so I strive each day to make decisions that will allow such results. I challenge you to really take a moment to think about your goals in life. Where you want to be, who you want to be and who you want to be with. Are your actions helping or hindering your goals?

President Monson closes his talk with a simple phrase, "Decisions Do Determine Destiny," and I know that is without a doubt a true statement. So next time your faced with a big decision think of Alice and her lack of knowing where she wanted to be and then remember that you know what you want... Eternal Happiness.