Thursday, August 23, 2007

Work by faith

Yesterday, I called my families home and my dad answered. It was a pleasure to talk to him. I had not talked to him for a long time because I had been working so hard. I was still on the doors knocking and so I could not talk long but it was still nice to talk to him. He then just out of the blue told me to work by faith. He told me of Jacob in Genesis 30 and how he made a deal with Labon (who he was working for at the time and the Lord had blessed him in abundance for Jacobs sake) that Jacob would have all the speckled and brown flocks. He told me how the Lord blessed Jacob from that time forth with the strongest speckled cattle and an abundance of them.

I am so thankful for my dad and his great inspiration. All day my mind envisioned this story and it gave me greater strength to truly work by faith. I have tried all my life to work by faith but never as hard as with this job. It is absolutely amazing how the Lord has blessed me. The day before yesterday I was so tied because of the heat that for the first time this summer I felt like calling for a ride and go somewhere and just sit for an hour or two. But instead I decided to just pray very hard and after 3 doors I got inside and sold my third door. It gave me the much needed time to rest and recuperate. I can remember on several occasions that I felt that I could not go on and I prayed in faith and was blessed in just a few doors. I have gained such a testimony of faith and the power of God in our lives if we will just qualify ourselves for his help.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Building a personal relationship with our Father and Jesus Christ

Last night I finished reading the book Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph. I have grown to love the Prophet Joseph Smith so much from this book and learned so much about him and his teachings. This book is journal entries of his discourses from many sources including those called to write Joseph's journal. I have also grained a greater testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and understand in greater detail what type of a true relationship that we can have if we seek it out. In one of the last discourses Joseph said, "all can cry Abba Father." If you remember in the garden Jesus cried Abba, Abba which means Father, Father. Joseph in this discourse he talked about our ability to become Gods and how many times in scripture the Lord has designated someone as God over others like Moses who was God unto Aaron and Aaron was his spokesman. Joseph was saying that we all can develop ourselves in like manner. We must of course build a similar relationship with our Father in Heaven.

I for one am going to strive starting today to build a much better relationship with my Savior in two ways, first through sincere and mighty prayer and second through obtaining greater knowledge of my Savior. Joseph Smith has said many many times that we are saved through knowledge. I know that if I can know more about my Savior than I will be more able to draw closer to Him in prayer. I challenge everyone that reads this post to make a new determination starting today to improve your relationship with your Savior through study and prayer. I know that all that accept this challenge will have power from on high given to them to gain a special and personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His and our Father so that we too may feel at home saying Abba, Abba.