Look to the Light

  At this Christmas time, and always, our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world for all those that seek Him. Let us put forth an earnest effort to let Him add light to our lives and to let His light reflect towards others through us.

A Prophet's Lesson on Service

  King Benjamin tells us in the Book of Mormon that when we serve our fellow-men, we are also serving God. Christ tells us in the New Testament that when we do something to the "least of his brethren" we are really doing it unto Him. God has given us the most wonderful gift ever - the gift of his precious Son. How grateful I am for that priceless gift. Let us show are thanks and give back to our Heavenly Father by serving His children. President Uchtdorf once said, "love is the altitude of our discipleship." Especially at this holiday season, let us show love to those around us. Let us never pass up an opportunity to serve someone around us.

Christmas Spirit

                     

   At this time of year, It's so easy to get caught up in commercialism and gifts. It seems as though society is losing focus of why we really have Christmas. We all know the true reason, and that is Jesus of Nazareth.
   I wrote the following poem this morning during my personal study time:

"A String and a Tuna Fish Can"

  

The following story is one that I read this morning during my personal study time. I got very emotional while reading it and felt a great sense of appreciation for all that I have. I have taken so much for granted and this story helped me realize how blessed I really am.

What Shall We Give?

  At this Christmas season we must remember Jesus Christ. We must reflect on who he is and the indescribable love and generosity He gave to us by coming into the world to be our Savior.

Desire on Fire

As a mission, we have a goal of saving 1000 souls by the end of the year. We have a little more than a hundred to go. We know we can do it! We just need to keep giving our all and keep the motivation up. Elder Lanham and I felt it necessary to send out an epistle to all the missionaries in our zone to excite them about the work. Our zone theme for this transfer is "desire on fire." We wrote this epistle with our new theme as the main focus. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 1

The zone leaders of the Billings Zone exhort and encourage their fellow missionaries to increase their desire to carry on in the work of God; the definition of desire is set forth;  a plea for kindled desire is issued.

Elders Lanham and Sargent, called to be zone leaders of the Billings Zone of the Montana Billings Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the will of God and Larry Gardner - our President.

2 Unto the Elders and Sisters of Billings and the surrounding areas, to them that are called and set apart as missionaries. We Salute thee.

3 Greetings from your zone leaders. We are grateful for your examples and your diligent, long suffering service. Word has reached our ears of a recent, great celebration of feasting and Thanksgiving, in this the eleventh month, the twenty and fifth day, in the year of our Lord two-thousand and ten. We pray thine merrymakings were satisfactory and fulfilling.

4 Now we come before thee in soberness and in a Spirit of instruction. It pains us that we must use so much boldness of speech, as did Jacob of old; for we have not written unto thee this day that thou shouldst trifle with the words that we shall speak, but that thou wouldst hearken unto our words.

5 Our words shall hiss forth from the border of Canada down to the outskirts of Lander, for a standard unto MBM missionaries.

6 And because our words shall hiss forth – many of the Lord’s anointed shall say: Desire! Desire! We have desire and need no more desire.

7 Thou fools. Have ye obtained desire save it were by fire?

8 Even so Desire, if it hath not Fire, is dead, being alone.

8 And now as we said concerning desire, desire is the condition of being motivated.

 10 If any of you lack desire, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 11 But let him ask with fire, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed, so that it washes upon the fire and puts it out.

 12 Though we speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not desire, we have become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

 13 And now abideth dodgeball skills, effective tracting approaches, desire, these three; but the greatest of these is Desire.

14 Elders and sisters, we have put ourselves upon a pedestal and are determined to save one thousand souls. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except thy desire be kindled, and that apathy be removed. Son of perdition!

 15 Saints of Montana, we say unto thee, lift up your heads and rejoice! Be of good cheer! Do not allow the frozen tundra to hinder your progress! Remember, no unhallowed snowflake can stop the work from progressing! We remind you courageously that many are called, and few are chosen. Along the same lines - many are cold, but only few are frozen. If thy desire be on fire, thou hast no need to freeze!

16 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a desire which is on fire.

17 Well, we sure do love ya. We can make it!

With love,

Elder Lanham

Elder Sargent

Kids and Christmas

    Christ has always loved children. When He was on the earth He interacted with them, talked with them, and blessed them. He even counseled us that we need to become submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love - as a child is. At this Christmas season, let us direct our love and feelings towards the Savior Jesus Christ. We must be like a sweet, innocent child who is full of love.
    This short video brought a smile to my face, and made me stop and realize how grateful I am for the birth of our Savior. 

The Reality of Christ's Atonement

  Approximately 83 years before Christ's birth, the prophet Alma prophecied of the Savior's divine mission. He states in the 7th chapter of the book of Alma that ". . . he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. . . And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
  No passage of scripture, regarding the atonement, has ever been so poignant to me than has this verse from the Book of Mormon. I know that Jesus Christ took upon himself all of my sins. However, the atonement is so much more than that. As I continue to learn more about this great and eternal sacrifice, I have realized that the powerful atonement not only allows us to repent, but it brings us "at one" with our Father in Heaven. Christ knows exactly what we are going through in times of distress and discomfort. He has the power to heal us from spiritual and temporal wounds. We may not be able to ever fully understand or comprehend what He went through, but we can feel of the love and power that comes from his sacrifice on our behalf.