How Has My Family Found Increased Peace, Joy, Unity, and Love?

We live in a world full of turmoil. Most of the time when I get on Facebook I see heated political arguments. I talk to people that are struggling with their finances every day. Evils such as pornography, drug usage, and same-sex relationships are widespread. Many portray these things as acceptable or even desirable. I have watched far too many families get torn apart with nasty divorces. We each have challenges in life. For example, I am almost constantly struggling with medical problems. Even though so many things are going wrong in the world, my family has succeeded at finding great peace, joy, unity, and love. How did we do this? The answer is simple. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.

A while back in the LDS General Women's Conference, Sister Cheryl A. Esplin gave an analogy for what the gospel of Jesus Christ does for our families. She said:

"A Young Women leader held up two soda cans. In one hand she held a can that was empty and in the other hand a can that was unopened and full of soda. First, she squeezed the empty can; it began to bend and then collapsed under the pressure. Next, with her other hand, she squeezed the unopened can. It held firm. It didn’t bend or collapse like the empty can--because it was filled. We likened this demonstration to our individual lives and to our homes and families. When filled with the Spirit and with gospel truth, we have the power to withstand the outside forces of the world that surround and push against us. However, if we are not filled spiritually, we don’t have the inner strength to resist the outside pressures and can collapse when forces push against us."

 How can we fill our families spiritually? The answer is given in a document titled "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." It says "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

I just got home a couple days ago from serving a missionary. While on my mission, I encountered multiple families on the verge of divorce. I found nothing that helped bring these families back together better than getting them to start reading their scriptures and praying as a family every day. There is a lot of truth in the saying "A family that reads and prays together is a family that plans to stay together."

Since the day I was born, my family has always been there for me. My family has been a place of safety and refuge from the world. I testify that home can be a heaven on earth when a family works together to turn their family over to Jesus Christ.

I invite you to read "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." You can find it at https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng

Is Jesus Christ Our Savior?

About one and one-half years ago, I took a tour through the Mormon temple in Phoenix, Arizona just before it was dedicated to the Lord. Some of the nonmembers that took this same tour were surprised to find pictures of Jesus Christ all over the walls of the temple. Some of these people thought that we worshipped Joseph Smith or something like that. That is not true. God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are who members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often nicknamed the Mormon church because of the Book of Mormon) worship.

In one of my previous blog posts titled "Is There a God and Why Does it Matter?" it was shown that God exists. God is our loving Heavenly Father. This Easter season, I hope that we will learn more about and remember one of God's greatest expressions of love:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

God's only begotten Son is Jesus Christ. The most fundamental tenet of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ suffered, bled, died, and was resurrected for us. I have learned for myself that Jesus suffered "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and...[took] upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people" (Alma 7:11) in the Garden of Gethsemane. He later said that this "suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink" (D&C 19:18). Then, "he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world" (1 Nephi 11:33). God sent Him into the world to do so, and Jesus willingly suffered and died because of His great love for us. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Because of this selfless act, we can be forgiven of our sins, be spiritually cleansed and improved, and live again after this life in the presence of God. In remembrance of Christ's sacrifice of His body and His blood, many Christian religions, including the Mormons, offer up their sacraments by partaking of bread and water that has been blessed by priests. Every Sunday, I go to church and offer up my sacraments. As I do so, I try to visualize Jesus Christ suffering and dying for me. In these moments, I can feel the Holy Spirit confirm to me that the Lord Jesus is my Savior from sin, sorrow, and death.

I felt similar feelings last Easter when I viewed a beautiful life-sized statue of Jesus at an LDS temple visitor's center in Mesa, Arizona. I was overpowered with emotion as I saw the spear wound in his side and the nail prints in His hands and feet. I could feel Christ's incomprehensible love for me. I have also had many spiritual experiences that are too sacred to write here that have allowed me to know with absolute certainty that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and my Savior. If I were to deny this, I would deny the very power of God and would be denied entrance into the kingdom of heaven. I cannot utter such a lie.

I know that each of you can also come to know that Jesus is your Savior. Learn of Him. Live like Him. Earnestly ask God for understanding and faith. Answers will come. They may not come immediately or in the way that we think they should have come, but I am certain that they will come. You will grow firm in your testimony of Christ as you yield your heart to Him. You can learn more at https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ

My favorite hymn expresses my feelings for Him:

1.	I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
	Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
	I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
	That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
	Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
	Enough to die for me!
	Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
2.	I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
	To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
	That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
	Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
	Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
	Enough to die for me!
	Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
3.	I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
	Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
	No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
	Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
	Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
	Enough to die for me!
	Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

Does God Still Speak to Us Today?

Some people don't believe that God speaks to mankind today. Others don't believe that God has ever spoken to mankind. However, I know that God loves us because I have seen His hand in my life time and time again. Because He loves us, He wants to communicate with us. I love communicating with my family because I love them. Likewise, it is only logical that a loving Heavenly Father would find joy from communicating with us, His children. God's love is unceasing, so He never stops speaking to us.

 

I have had many people ask me over the years how I can have such great confidence in my religious beliefs; how do I know that I am not wrong? My response is beautifully simple: God has told me so. Now don't worry, I'm not a schizophrenic that needs to be locked up in a high-security psychiatric facility. I am not claiming that God has come down from heaven and made a personal visit to me. God only physically speaks face to face with people in very, very special circumstances. He also occasionally speaks to people through visions and visits by angels. Most of the time, however, He communicates with men, women, and children through the Holy Ghost and prophets.

When we pray sincerely, God listens. When the time is right, He responds to our concerns and questions through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a spirit, so He can speak to us spiritually. We can recognize His answers by listening carefully to our thoughts and feelings. The scriptures tell us what the Holy Ghost feels like: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). I have had the Holy Ghost speak to me many times in response to my prayers.

 

In addition to giving answers to people through the Holy Ghost, God also speaks through prophets such as Adam, Noah, and Moses. God speaks to the prophet, then the prophet delivers the message to everybody else. The prophets words are recorded in the scriptures. 

I once had somebody ask me why we need a prophet if we have the Holy Ghost. I responded by telling him that the world is like an enormous auditorium. God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are on the stage, speaking to the world. Unfortunately, only those that are close to the stage by their obedience to God's commandments can hear Them speaking. However, there is a prophet in the room really close to the stage. He listens to what God is saying and then repeats these words into a microphone. Even though only some people can hear the Holy Ghost, everybody can hear what the prophet is saying.

Because God loves His people today just as much as He loved the people in the time that the Bible was written, God has called a prophet to speak to the people on the earth today. His name is Thomas S. Monson. A few months ago, I watched a video about His life. I felt the Spirit powerfully testify to me that he really is a prophet of God. You can also come to know that he is a prophet. You can watch him speak each April and October during LDS General Conference. You will feel the Spirit and learn how to draw closer to God.

Is There a God and Why Does it Matter?

Whenever I go up in the mountains, I love to find a spot unmarked by human interference and bask in the beauty of nature. I look at the complexity, diversity, and symmetry of everything around me. I consider how it all came to be. It could not have happened by chance. It is illogical to suggest that a bunch of wet concrete, wood, drywall, and glass being dropped down out of the sky could conglomerate into a beautiful mansion. It is equally illogical to suggest that some random explosion of space, time, energy, and matter randomly resulted in this organized, beautiful planet with all of the living things upon the face of it.

 

When a house is constructed, creativity, skill, and hard work are required. There are many details that architects, engineers, and contractors need to figure out in order for the final product to emerge. So much more creativity, skill, and hard work is required to make a world like ours. Who was the Creator of our Universe? The answer is given in the first sentence of the Holy Bible: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

There are many things that testify to me that there is a God that created this Universe. Reason tells me there is a God. The scriptures are laid before me. I have had many powerful spiritual experiences. Indeed "all things denote there is a God" (Alma 30:44, The Book of Mormon).

Why does it matter if there is a God? The answer to this question requires the understanding that God is our loving Heavenly Father. If there is a loving God, then following Him will bring increased peace and joy into our lives. If He is our Father, then we are His children and can grow to become like Him. Knowing that there is a God allows us to have a sense of purpose and direction in life.

You can come to know that there is a God and show your devotion for Him by praying to Him and keeping His commandments. As you do so with a sincere heart, intending to act on the answer you receive, the Holy Ghost will teach you that God is real through your thoughts and feelings.

Visit Mormon.org to learn more about God and how He can improve your life! You can also chat with Mormon missionaries online at Mormon.org/chat and ask them any questions you might have about God.

Why am I a Mormon?

My name is Kacey Leavitt, but my current church title is Elder Leavitt since I am a missionary. I have attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called the Mormon church, since I was really little. I am still a faithful member of the church. I will forever love being a Mormon!

So, what is it about the LDS church that I love so much? It is far more than tradition or years of being brainwashed that keeps me going to church every week. When I was younger, probably about 7 or 8 years old, I decided that I wanted to know for myself if the Mormon religion is true. I had been told at church that a prophet named Joseph Smith translated ancient American records into English in the 19th century. This book has come to be known as The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I was also told that if I read and prayed about it, God would tell me that it is true through my thoughts and feelings. I would then know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the Mormon church is true.

I decided to read the Book of Mormon. I was a little bookworm at the time, but no book had ever touched my heart like the Book of Mormon did. At the end of the book, I read a marvelous promise given by a prophet named Moroni. He said:

"3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:3-5).

I still have never had any words strike me as powerfully as those words did. They penetrated my mind and heart. I knew that, even if the rest of the Book of Mormon was a fraud, there was eternal truth in the concept that, if we ask God in faith, He will teach us truth.

I got down on my little knees and asked God if the Book of Mormon is true. I felt feelings of peace, joy, love, and power and knew that the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and this is God's true and living church upon the earth today.

Since then, many powerful, life-changing spiritual experiences have reaffirmed and strengthened my faith. I will forever rejoice in my knowledge that I am a member of Christ's true church!

Visit https://www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon to get your own free copy of the Book of Mormon. Then, read and pray about it. It will improve your life!