The Miracle of Forgiveness

Because our Heavenly Father loves us, He sent His son Jesus Christ to provide a way for us to become clean and live with Him again. A way has been provided for us to overcome our weaknesses and to get rid of the guilt, pain, and remorse that accompanies sin; that way is called Repentance.

No matter where we are at in life, no matter what we have done or what we have been through, we can always repent and come unto Christ. We learn in the Book of Mormon that "...as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." (Mosiah 26:30) But why does He offer that? Why will He always forgive us and why does He want to forgive us? Because He loves us. He wants us to feel joy and peace and that can only come by the power of repentance. I testify that He stands with open arms waiting to receive us. If we will get on our knees and plead with Him, He will be there to comfort us and to fill us with peace, happiness, and love. This is the Miracle of Forgiveness.

We Lived With God

Science and Religion are often seen as forces that don't agree. Listen to this scientist and his experiences with religion and science. 

Every time I go outside or think about nature all I end up thinking about is how great our Heavenly Father's creations are. Everything is so beautiful and works so ornately together, that only a Supreme Creator could have done this. In the Book of Mormon a prophet named Alma says this.. "...Yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." (Alma 30:44) 

Understanding that we didn't just evolve or happen to develop into humans, but that we were created by a loving Father in Heaven fills me with me love and helps me realize how important we all really are. That's why our Heavenly Father loves and cares about us; because we aren't just people, we are all His children.

90 Minutes

In the game of soccer, whether it's a thrashing victory, a sore loss, or even a tie, 90 minutes is all you've got. There aren't any second chances or extra tries, you have 90 minutes to be the best you can be. You can choose to work hard and use the skills you have developed, or you can fall along the wayside with regrets and excuses. After playing soccer my whole life, this simple lesson is now engrained into my mind.

In the Book of Mormon a man named Amulek teaches us a very important lesson. "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors... for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed." (Alma 34:32-33) 

Just like in soccer, we only have this life to be the best we can be. At the end of this life if we are tied with Satan, we don't get overtime or extra years to help us sort it all out. We were prepared for this test and learned many skills while we lived with our Father in Heaven and now is the time for us to use them. We may not realize our full potential, but our loving Heavenly Father does and He will help us reach it as we fight to be our best. I testify that if we choose to try our hardest, to give our all, and rely on our Savior for the rest, that He will lift us up and we will be rewarded eternal life "...which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." (D&C 14:7)