Prophets and The Book of Mormon

 I didn't take any pictures today.  Can you believe it?  I did a lot of thinking today though.

I was remembering about how when I was growing up and my Dad would come up to me after working outside.  He would be dripping with sweat and he smelled really bad.  He would approach me with his arms wide open and say, "If you love me, then you would give me a big hug right now."  He was partly joking, but also serious.  What?  Even with his clothes that were drenched in sweat?  Even with his glistening skin and smelly aroma?  Yes.  Of course, I loved my Dad. Growing up, he was everything to me.  He was my stability.  He was always there for me.  Always.  I could call him at work whenever I wanted.  He would always pick up the phone.  He always knew the answers to everything.  I loved him.  I would do anything for him.  Even something gross like hugging him in his disgusting condition.  You can do hard things for other people if you truly love them.

What about Heavenly Father?  Do I love him?  Of course.  He is my stability.  He is always there for me.  Always.  I can pray to Him whenever I want to and He will always answer.  He knows the answers to everything.  What does God want me to do for Him?  All that He asks is for us to keep His commandments.  That's all.  That doesn't seem like something too difficult, but for so many of us, it's very hard to let go of our favorite sins.  It's hard for us to stop worshiping one of the "gods" that we currently worship (money, material items, addictions, bad habits, etc.) and to fully come unto Him and the Savior.  I know that I love my Heavenly Father.  I know that I can do hard things for Him because I love Him.  I know that I can give up something that I love for someone that I love more.

What am I going to give up today so that I can more fully show my love for my Father in Heaven?

During our Come Follow Me lesson today we talked about Prophets.  We read about Prophets in the Bible Dictionary.  I know that President Russel M. Nelson is a true prophet of God.  I know it with every fiber of my being.  When he held the first press conference a few years ago when He was first ordained to be the president of the church, I watched it in our living room.  The kids were all sick with the flu and I made them all sit on the couch and watch it.  I felt the spirit so strongly testify to me that President Nelson is the living prophet on the Earth today.  I was overcome with emotion.  I love him and am so grateful for him.  I have listened to his biography twice.  I would listen to it again, it was that good.  I am almost done reading every single talk that he has ever given at general conference.  Doing that has increased my testimony of him.  He is an incredible man.  He has taught me that you are never too old to learn.  He has challenged me to look up and read every single scripture that Jesus Christ is referenced in (from the Topical Guide).  He has challenged me to give up Social Media for a time to see how it affects me spirituality.  He has encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon and focus on Jesus Christ.  He has taught us time and time again that we need to do the work necessary to know how the Lord speaks to us.  He has told us that in a coming day we will not be able to survive spiritually unless we have developed the skills necessary to receive personal revelation.  And on and on.  I love President Nelson.

I have recently been joining the Full Time Missionaries who are serving in our ward.  I have been helping them teach an investigator named Morgana.  It has been really nice.  I have loved having this opportunity.  Morgana calls me occasionally to discuss the Book of Mormon.  She just barely started reading it.  I can't wait to go on a mission one day.  In fact, I hope that I can be called as a ward missionary sometime soon.  I want to share the message of the Gospel with others.  I hope that I can keep being a Young Women teacher...but any type of teacher will do.  I love teaching about the gospel.

Today, the Elders were teaching Morgana about how the Book of Mormon fills in the pieces of the puzzle that the Bible is missing.  It's the rest of the story.  I absolutely love the Book of Mormon.  I am so incredibly grateful that I was blessed to be born into the church and that I have grown up for the past 38 years learning about the Book of Mormon Stories.  This past year as we have been studying it for Come Follow Me it has been amazing.   I have read it many times in the past but I am getting so much more out of it this time around.  It's as if I haven't ever read it before.  I want to be one of those types of people who just knows things.  I want to know the scriptures and be able to use them when I talk to people and when I teach them.  I'm getting better, but I'm still not to the point that I want to be at.  I have a hard time remembering references.  I need to figure out some sort of system where I can quickly find the verses that I'm looking for.  I'll have to look into that...

General Conference is about 1 month away.  I have never ever in my life looked forward to conference with such anticipation.  I need to hear the words of our prophet!