Inviting All To Come Unto Christ

As a missionary I'm asked frequently why I decided to leave home for two years to become a missionary. This video is a perfect answer and explanation for my decision, watch it!

This story reminds me a lot of the Tree of Life vision that Lehi has in (1 Nephi chapter 8). As Lehi goes forth and partakes of the fruit he says "And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." (1 Nephi 8:12) This fruit that Lehi partakes of is symbolic of the gospel of Jesus Christ or the Atonement, which was the fruit, or action, of our Savior. Once Lehi is filled with the joy that was found in the fruit, he instantly wants to share it with the rest of his family! He knew that he had the most precious fruit so why would he not want to share that with those that he loves? 

This is the same reason that we as missionaries choose to set aside our lives to share the gospel with all the world. After experiencing the joy and happiness that comes from exercising the power of the atonement and after being filled with comfort from the sweet promises and knowledge that His restored gospel brings, I would be tremendously selfish if I did not do everything in my power to spread that knowledge. That's why I'm here, to testify that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was His prophet who was called to restore the fulness of our Savior's gospel to the earth once more. To invite others to partake of this fruit and come unto Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

God Still Speaks To Us Today

 Are the Heavens closed? Or does God continue to speak to us today just as he did in Bible times? This talk by a living apostle of Jesus Christ tells us the answer.

One of the most glorious blessings that comes from the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the knowledge that the Heavens are still open and that our loving Father in Heaven still speaks to us today. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and testifies, as does the bible, that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Knowing that our Father in Heaven can speak to us allows us to always have an outlet, a source to go to when we've hit the wall and want to give up. I testify that He does answer our prayers and that we can have a personal relationship with Him. He knows us perfectly and can give us specific answers for our specific problems and trials. 

This personal relationship means that we can go to Him with anything and everything. Concerns as small as a lost pencil or matters as large as where to live are all important to our perfect Heavenly Father. He wants to help us, He loves to help us, and He loves to hear from us.

I am so grateful for the relationship that I have developed with my Father in Heaven. And I am even more grateful in knowing that anyone can have that bond with Him as well. Through actions like daily prayer, daily scripture study, and attending church each week, we can feel the spirit more abundantly in our lives and can begin building that unity with our Eternal Father. Seek Him out and find out for yourself if He does still love and speak to us today. I know that He does and that He is always there for us if we will reach out and accept His help. But most importantly, I know that He cares.