Mormon Missionaries

I was a full-time Mormon Missionary. At the age of 19 I received my mission call from the Prophet (Gordon B. Hinckley at the time) and set off for Birmingham Alabama. It was an amazing experience. I had grown up in a small town in Southern Utah called Kanab. It was a big culture shock to go to the South.. but one I cherish to this day.

The people were full of faith. It seemed like there was a different church on every street corner.

It was the most amazing thing to be able to sit down with people and learn about the things that were closest to their hearts.

My mission encompassed most of Alabama, about 1/3 of Mississippi and a few counties of Tennessee. I met people from all stripes of life. I spoke with adherents and leaders of many different faiths. Each person had a unique view of the scriptures and of faith. I had a lot of doors slammed in my face and I did have a lot of people who simply wanted to argue with me and some people who actively tried to convert me to their faith.

All of this however, is to be expected when you are a missionary. My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ grew in ways that it couldn't have otherwise. I learned to rely more on my Savior. I learned that I could not covert anyone. The only way conversion happens is when a person has a direct experience with God. God has to do the converting. That is one of the unique messages of Mormonism. We are simply the messengers.. but the only way someone will truly believe is if God tells them it is true by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Yes we had to answer questions, and teach the doctrine, but none of it mattered unless the individual was willing to ask God about it for themselves.

If you could prove the Bible was true by simple scientific knowledge then most all scientists would be Bible believers today. Going one step more, if you could prove that your interpretation of the Bible was the correct interpretation by empirical evidence then most people would be a part of your own faith.

However, that is not the case.. the only way to "prove" the Bible, or any interpretation of it is with a direct answer from God. (James 1:5)

Also, God is not interested in just converting our minds, He is interested in converting and writing His Law in the fleshy tables of our hearts (1 Cor. 3:3). So faith is a required ingredient in the recipe of becoming born again. (Hebrews 1:1 and 6)

So missionaries just give the message and simply ask you to pray about it. We believe God will answer your prayer in a way that is personal to you and recognizable to you by the power of the Holy Ghost.

That answer might come as a warm feeling in your heart and pure knowledge in your mind so you just simply know it's true. It might come as an audible voice from God. It might come as a vision. Any of these are possible, but most people simply experience the "still small voice" spoken of in the scriptures. (1 Kings 19:12)

However the answer comes to you, it will be clear and recognizable. And once you know.. you know. Then you need to take action. The actions are simple: Repent, be Baptized by one who is worthy and has the authority to do so, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.

I testify that I have had my answer from God. I hope you will listen to the message of our missionaries so you can pray to God to find out if it's true for yourself.

My hope comes from the joy the message of the restoration has given me. I want to share it with you.

Jesus really is the Christ. He is the Savior. He loves you and He died for you. He is still talking to us today and giving more revelation. He has restored his church through prophets and apostles that are ministering today.

Healing is happening, families are being sealed together forever, new scripture and revelation has been canonized, the lame are walking, the sick are being healed, and the blind are receiving their sight.

I invite you to click on the link below and make an appointment with the missionaries to find out our message. If you will pray sincerely about our message I promise God will answer your prayer.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Click here for Missionaries

Love One Another

Mormon Food Storage

You may have heard that Latter-Day Saints store up food. This is true. the reasons for this are very practical.

1. Food Storage makes the family more stable.
2. When you store food, you can more easily help others in a time of need.
3. When you lose your job, you can live off of food storage.
4. During a disaster, you can secure the needs of your family and others.

I actually work for an Emergency Preparedness company, so I will be linking to them in this post to point you to the different products available.

So here is a little 101 on food storage and emergency preparedness. (Regardless if you are a Latter-Day Saint or not)


1. Grab-n-Go Survival Kits

Make sure you have a 72-Hour-kit that will allow you to have your basic needs met in the event of a disaster that would cause you to have to leave your house.

2. Freeze Dried Food

Unlike regular Food Storage, Freeze Dried Food doesn't need to be rotated because it can last past 30 years. It is a little more expensive up front, but over time, you save big by not having to buy more food to rotate. Also, all you have to do is add water and you have a meal. Very nice!

3. Dehydrated Food

Dehydrated Food doesn't last as long as Freeze Dried Food, but it is less expensive and it will still last from 5-10 years. It can provide those little extras you want in your storage like sauces and cheese.

4. Water Storage

Make sure you have an adequate supply of Water. You can live a lot longer without food than you can without Water. You can get purifiers and filters to obtain clean water from nearby streams or other water sources. You should rotate out your water and make sure it's kept out of sunlight. (So those micro-organisms don't grow in it)

5. MRE

Mre's are a great food source to have on hand. You can use them during an emergency like an earthquake, and they self-heat so you don't need any other cooking supplies to eat them. You can get them in full meals. They last up to 5 years. You can also get them in individual MRE meals.

6. Emergency Supplies

Emergency Preparedness Supplies other than food storage are very important to have on hand. You should have extra flashlights, Dynamo and Solar powered Radios, fuel, tents, etc. A good rule of thumb is to turn off the lights and water in your home for an afternoon and figure out what you are missing.


So this is just a start... but I hope it's helpful. You are only as ready as your neighbor is. This is because in an emergency we all rely on each other.

It's better to be ready years early than 1 minute too late.

HELP HAITI EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

Noah's Ark and the Temple

In our recent family scripture study of the story of Noah in Genesis, I couldn't help but see the parallels between Noah's ark, and the Holy Temple. Here are a few things that struck me:

1. The Lord tells Noah that he will establish his covenant with him.

Genesis 6:18

8 But with thee will I establish ^amy ^bcovenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

2. The Lord gives Noah exact plans for the ark.

14 ¶ Make thee an ^aark of gopher wood; ^brooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16 A ^awindow shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

3. The Lord tells Noah to bring every animal into the ark.

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

4. The Lord saves Noah's Family with the Ark.

Genesis 7

7 ¶ And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

In the temple today, the Lord uses the Holy Temple to accomplish many of the same things:

1. The Lord establishes his everlasting covenant with us.

2. He often has given exact plans for the building of temples through revelation.

3. Within temples we learn, among other things, of the creation of every living creature.

4. The Lord saves and seals families together forever in the Holy Temple.

After the flood, Noah offers sacrifice to the Lord and the Lord gives Noah a "token" (Genesis 9:13) that the Lord will never again destroy the world by flood. That token is the rainbow.

He is also given special promises concerning his posterity:

Genesis 9:7-9

7 And you, be ye ^afruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

8 ¶ And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9 And I, behold, ^aI establish my ^bcovenant with you, and with your seed after you;

The creation (Garden of Eden), the ark, and the temple stories have multiple striking parallels.

There are very many other parallels that could be explored between the similarities of the ark and temple. The very name of the "ark" being one of them, "Ark of the Covenant." The ark itself may have been a kind of temple.

The bottom line is that just as there is safety in the ark, today there is safety in the temple. If you would like to be protected from the onslaught and flood of filth in the world, get you and your family into the temple. The temple of the Lord is a place of refuge and strength. If you keep the covenants you make there, the Lord will protect you and lead you and your family to safety, and joy.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Click here for Missionaries