Grin and Bear it.

Sometimes smiling can be a rough thing. We all go through hard times in life and it may seem difficult to keep smiling and look up and move forward. Sometimes it just seems easier to sit still and pout until something comes along to make us happy. My Mom had a simple cure for those days where I just wanted to give up.

"Just Grin and Bear It"

Sometimes just putting a smile on your face can brighten things up. When things aren't going your way, smiling can make them better. In fact, science says that just slapping a smile on increases the chemicals in your brain that make you happy. Pretty neat. Almost like God created it that way hmmm?

We're here to be happy. Sure there will be down days, disappointments, and discouragements, but rather than let those things weigh us down, how about we do away with the frownies and turn those lips upward? Our attitude towards opposition will decide whether the trial was a lesson or a burden. We can either grow from it, or let it weigh us down.

I encourage each of us to "Grin and Bear It". I know that doing so will turn our burdens into blessings. Besides, if the Bears can do it, we can do it also. They Bear it all day (sometimes not so much grinning as growling though. But hey, nobodies perfect!).



Bears Courtesy of Prankster that took them from
Black Bear Diner and stuck them in the church parking lot



I LOVE to see the TEMPLE

Ah what a day! I am just so full of happiness! We got to go to the Oakland Temple. What a treat. As missionaries we don't get to go that often because we're focused on helping others to get to the temple. Or as a plaque (definitely made by a Sister) in a member's home once said "Missionary: Noun; Someone who gives up their own family for a short time, so others can be with theirs Forever".

As we were at the temple today I pondered about all the blessings that have been given to me in my life. I have a great family that loves me and that has taught me the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that His authority to seal families together has been restored to the earths I know that my family can be together even after this life.

While I walked the temple grounds I thought of my people; both past and present. I want them all to have these same blessings. The blessings do not stop at baptism. Baptism is only the beginning of the path that leads to eternal life. This path goes right through the temple where we can receive all the ordinances to prepare us to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father. Yes, I want my people to receive baptism. But I shouldn't stop there. I need to point them to the temple.

The temple is a Holy place, a place of love and beauty. I want everyone to enjoy this sacred place and all of it's blessings. I encourage all those who haven't made it to the temple to get there. Why wait? Blessings are waiting for you that are worth more than anything this world has to offer.

The Tree of Charity

And Now, a Special Blog Post from Elder Brower:

  

   As another beautiful day in August has come and gone, I’ve been once again pondering on the teachings of Christ and the beauty behind it all. I stand in awe at the incredible blessings that are poured out upon us from heaven as we seek to be more like Christ and follow his teachings. The one I would like to focus on tonight is that of Charity: the pure love of Christ. 

   From Alma chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon, we learn of the seed of faith and how it grows to be much more than what it was in the beginning. “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves – it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28). I love the incredible teachings of Alma to his sons as he directs them to follow Christ and be like Him. Faith is that first step to becoming who we are meant to be. Faith leads to a hope inside of us; a hope that Christ is the way and the light.  

   Similar to the way Alma compares faith unto a seed, we can easily compare hope unto that young, vulnerable tree that we all see and patiently ponder on: “When will this youngling grow into a tree bearing fruit?” So I ask, when will our faith grow into hope, and when will our hope grow into that tree of charity? As we live our lives with charity we begin to see the beauty in the world. Fear becomes faith, trials become lessons, and weaknesses become strengths.  

  

   A few months ago as I was serving in Kelseyville, California, my companion, Elder Gengler, and I had an incredible experience concerning charity. One nice Sunday afternoon as we were driving back to Kelseyville from our church meetings in Lakeport, we were headed south on the highway and noticed a white van pulled off to the side of the road with its hazard lights on. As we got closer we realized that the van's back left tire was blown out and a lady had gotten out of the drivers seat to examine the situation. Recognizing this as an opportunity to reach out to someone in need, we quickly pulled off to the side of the highway to offer our help. Little did we know, this was more than just a stranger with a flat tire.  

   We were caught by surprise as the lady's young daughter turned, pointed, and exclaimed “Hey! It's the missionaries coming to help!”. A little confused how they knew us, we got out of our car and went up to them to begin helping. The lady immediately thanked us for stopping and commented that we probably didn't recognize her. She then introduced herself: Sister Hall. A less-active member of our ward that we had been trying to get a hold of for 3 months. We were in awe that the Lord had put us in the right place at the  right time for this to occur. The tire change was a simple one and she knew that the Lord had blessed her by placing us there at the right moment. She asked when they could have us over for dinner and a lesson, and we set one up with out hesitation. A fire seemed to be rekindled in them and we continue to pray that they keep on putting one foot in front of the other towards Christ. In the Bible, Paul teaches that “Charity never faileth” and experiences like this testify to all that it is true. 

   I testify to all that Charity is the pure love of Christ. The scriptures teach: “And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). When we nourish our faith and strengthen our hope, we will possess true charity that this world so greatly needs. Jesus is the Christ and was sent to redeem all who turn to him with full purpose of heart. I urge everyone to have charity, extend helping hands to those in need and think of others before yourself. This is the path back to our Father in Heaven and I leave these things with you in the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The Pine Cone

My Mom sent me this analogy this last week. She is the Young Women's leader and they have been preparing for an activity to help strengthen the youth's testimonies.

Here's the analogy:

"Pinecones start out just a small little woody stem on the end of the branch of a pine tree. They grow and hide among the branches and needles as green, tight, sappy and sometimes sharp cones covered with a tough skin. They hold on very tight to the tree and are hard to pull off a branch. These cones provide a home for growing pine seeds. Although each pinecone is different, one cone can house literally a hundred seeds. They stay on the tree for a couple of years and are rarely noticed. If the tree is nutured right with sun, rain and nutrients from the soil, they will grow, with scales tightly closed, until these seeds mature. In time, the pinecones lose their greenish hue and gradually change to brown and russet as they dry out. Then one day, just like a bird fluffing it's feathers, the cone begins to open its scales. As the scales seperate from one another, they reveal the mature seeds. Not all fall out of the pinecone at once and some remain in the cone for two or three more years. Even a fallen cone frequently still has many seeds inside, but it is usually at this time when most people really notice pinecones, when they are old, dry and empty. Yet we hold value to them."

   "Our testimonies are like a pinecone. They start out ever so small, maybe hanging to a small portion of our parents or leaders or friends branch of their testimony. They might feel hidden or overlooked as they ever so gently start to grow seeds of faith, knowledge and experiences that fill us with desire for more. If we hold on tight to what we already know and nourish it daily with prayer, scripture study, spiritual experiences, our testimonies can grow and mature sometimes still unnoticed, but nonetheless, still growing and filling our lives with many different little seeds of knowledge. Maybe our testimony seeds will be about how prayers are answered, or how paying our tithing has blessed our lives, or how much our Heavenly Father loves us. Every testimony will be just a little different because nobody has the exact same experiences. Then one day, just like the pinecone, we open our hearts and our mouths and the small, yet maturing seed of testimony are shared with others in the simplest ways. By saying what we know to be true, by being the friend that someone needed, by just acknowledging the presence of the Holy Ghost, we are sharing ever so small seeds of our testimony and it feeds others. We start to realize and continue to build upon what we know to be true and more seeds are shared with others. And someday when we feel that we are dry and old and empty, we will realize that our testimony is our most precious and beautiful possession and it has blessed ourselves as well as countless others."

Just like pinecones each one of us are at different levels of our progression in the gospel. It is up to us to plant and nourish the seeds of divine testimony. It will take a little bit of work, but when our testimony opens up and is visible to ourselves and others we will treasure it more than anything else. The knowledge that we gain in this life is the only thing we will be able to take with us to the next. It will be something that we will treasure.

Happiness: The Object and Design of our existence

Who wants to be happy?! You do? Why do you want to be happy?

  

   The reason I want to be happy is because when i'm happy I feel closer to God and the scary world we live in seems a little bit brighter. But have you ever thought about where true happiness comes from and how we can attain it?



   The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and it will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." (emphasis added)

   We are designed  to be happy! Our Heavenly Father created us to be happy! In the Book of Mormon we read that "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25. Emphasis added). God created us to have joy, but will not force us to be happy. He knows the way to be happy and will teach us how to be happy, but it is up to us to choose that path.

"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 emphasis added)

   May we all pursue the path of liberty and eternal life by being virtuous, upright, faithful, holy, and by keeping all the commandments of God. I know that our Heavenly Father desires us to be happy because when I feel His Spirit I am filled with joy. I testify that He lives and loves us. He loves each of us so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die so we might live and find eternal happiness.