Farmers of Men

Sometimes, O Lord, I question why
Life is full of thorns and weeds.
As the days go passing by
I find I'm mainly planting seeds.

A few will grow and harvest be;
Yet, most are chocked and killed by weeds.
O Lord, thy field please help me see,
The ground you have prepared for seeds.


When you get discouraged, just look forward in life. Continue with a prayer in your heart. Don't turn back to the things you leave behind. Just look forward to what lies ahead. The Lord has a plan and he will help us to "hasten the work of salvation" as we seek for His help and guidance.

The Family

"THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. 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."-The Family: A Proclaimation to the World

In My Life

Some people may not deem me qualified to speak on this subject because I do not yet have children of my own. I know that I cannot speak as a parent; however, I can speak as a child.

These are things I remember from my early childhood.

Founded Upon the Teachings of Christ

1. I know that the happiest times of my childhood occurred when the gospel of Christ was taught in my home. 
2. I remember gathering as a family every Monday night to spend time together, to laugh together, and to learn together. 
3. On Sundays, we would come home from church to the smell of Mother's roast filling the house. Everyone helped to prepare for dinner. Even the little ones.

Faith, Prayer, Repentance

1. From my amazing mother, I learned the principles of faith, prayer, and repentance. 
2. As a 9 year old, getting up at 5 AM to have family prayer and scripture study before the older kids went off to early morning seminary was not my favorite thing in the world. (Some people may know how long it takes me to get out of bed in the morning.) 
3. However, I look back on that time with fondness. 
4. That time spent together helped me grow closer to my family and feel more secure.
5. It was something I could count on, just like Sunday dinner.

Forgiveness

1. We were also regularly taught to love and care for each other. 
2. When one person was hurt during a game, as often happens in a family of twelve, even if it was an accident, we had to apologize to and forgive each other. 
3. We had to mean it when we apologized.
4. If we said sorry in a mean way, we had to come back later to apologize again.

One time, I had been sent to my room for hitting my sister. I sat on my bed angrily justifying my actions. "She did it first. It's not fair!" I repeated over and over. Then, my eye caught the set of scriptures lying by my pillow. They had been a gift from my grandmother to celebrate my baptism. I did not want to let go of anger, but was getting bored in my room. I picked them up and began to read. I turned to Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-10. It read,

"Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." 

This scripture was exactly what I needed to hear. To this day, I still keep a bookmark at that page of scripture. It has given me strength in times of trouble and helped me find greater peace as I let go of anger towards others.

Welcome!!!

So, a little about me:

• I'm 20 years old.
• I'm from Escondido, CA
• I'm currently a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Not only will this blog chronicle my adventures in the wonderful state of Montana, I hope that it will also be a place of inspiring and uplifting thoughts and messages.

Often, life gets hard. Things are discouraging. Responsibilities are overwhelming.

When this happens, remember one thing: You are never in this alone.

God did not put you here to fail. He wants you to succeed. He is one of your biggest supporters. He has given everything for you.

So, when you are overwhelmed, turn to Him. He will give to you the strength you need to accomplish all that He asks of you. Nephi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon knew this and testified that, "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7).

I know that we can do all we need when we put our strength in the Lord.

Don't forget to pray.