A little faith goes a long way!

In supplement to yesterday's post, which by the way thank you for viewing and if you haven't done so I invite you to do so now, I wanted to talk a little more about faith and works. Now, remember this is my opinion and no I am not going to try to convert you in any way nor will I be disrespectful to other religions and cultures. And I mean that. Now, Back to Faith and Works, there is a very fine line between what we do and what we think. Sometimes we reference both of these things by words like actions or thoughts or ideas. So with faith comes a hope or even a thought that something unreachable can be reachable or making the impossible possible. A scripture from the Bible speaks more about the power of Faith: Matthew 17: 20 "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." 

       Wow! So this scripture clearly says that if you have faith the amount of a mustard seed you can move mountains or in context to be able to do things that are seemingly impossible! That is amazing! Now what is impossible? Well, not really anything if you have the help of the Lord. He is all powerful and can help us in our darkest hours. So where do Works fit in to the equation? Well, from what I have learned Grace is given to us by Jesus Christ, through His Atonement. I believe that God gave us the Atonement that we might repent of our sins and find peace of mind as we are forgiven of our sins. So how do we repent? Well, I personally think that that is where the works come in. As a Mormon I believe that there are five key principles that we should follow to truly be eligible for Heaven. 

1. Faith in Jesus Christ

2. Repentance

3. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins

4. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands  

5. Enduring to the end or repeating 1, 2 4 and 5

Now I feel that Elder Haggard can better explain this concept through a post he put on his blog recently.

2 Nephi 25: 23 also explains the power of work: “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

So what does "after all we can do" mean? Well that is what I consider the work part of the Equation and the best way to describe faith and works is with a metaphor:

       There once was a man that applied for a job at a local grocery store. He met with the manager and got the Job. The next day the man came to the store and asked that the manager give him a large sum of money. Knowing that the man had not yet worked in the store the manager said "How can I trust that you will work for this money and not run off with it?" the Man answered "I need the money and I will pay you back when I have enough." The manager again explained that He couldn't trust him and that he was a new employee and had little trust in him and would not give him the money. Thus the man was not given the Money.

Was this fair? 

Was it the right thing to do?

What if you were in the manager's shoes what would you say?

       So in this example the manager was Christ and we were the employee asking for money (repentance). Now Christ gave us the Job (Atonement) but we need to show that we truly can repent by forsaking those sins and by promising or covenanting with the Lord that we won't do those things again. If we never work for our salvation, we never will show our gratitude for the Savior and His amazing Atonement. 
       Wouldn’t you feel bad if you were placed in front of Christ and He asked "what good did you do?", "What did you do to lift another?" And you didn't have anything to show for it? I personally would feel horrible, and I don't want anyone to feel like that. Because Christ loves us all and will always love us no matter what. But we need to show our love for him so that He knows that we truly are grateful for His Atonement and for what He has done for us. John 13: 34- "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

       Continue forward in faith and show God that you truly are grateful for His son Jesus Christ and I promise that you will feel of His love for you and will find peace in your life and joy in your hearts, I know it!

-Elder Sheets

Faith

Today, I wish to talk about something that is dear to my heart and something that has changed my life forever. That subject is faith.

       Now before we begin talking about faith I wanted to share something. Now my life has been a great experience and although there have been some rough spots here and there, I still feel that life itself is what I am most grateful for! And although it has been rough and I have had cancer and a variety of other tribulations. I still don't consider myself the worst of the bunch since I know that some of you out there probably have it much worse than I do; Now back to faith. So you’re probably thinking "what's his point?" Well to answer that question I will now bring up faith.

       Faith, one of the many things that I know only so much about is amazing to me. Faith is a power greater than all of us can imagine. Each man, woman and child is given faith and with that faith we can do amazing things that can help us come closer to God and to Jesus Christ. 

       So what is faith? Well Alma, an ancient prophet from the Book of Mormon said of faith: "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." (Alma 32:21)

       So Faith is a "hope for things which are not seen, which are true." So with that in mind I go back to my life. So amidst my trials there was one thing that I did when I had cancer and that was having faith. Now what did I hope for that was unseen in my eyes? That I would be cancer free and free from the pain that it brought. Now it was simple but some things can be simple, but the point is, Faith is there for us and when we have faith that God will help us or maybe have faith that things will get better. God will do His part to help you according to His will. 

       So you see? Without faith we really can't do anything and without God's help we wouldn't be able to progress and grow in life. But that's not all; there is another part of the Formula that allows us to progress. When we came here to earth (or through birth), and I assume you the reader came to earth or were born, Gain two valuable and priceless gifts. One: the Body and two: the ability to choose for yourself or Agency. Now, it may seem a little weird to think that our thoughts and choices are a gift but think of it this way:

God gave us gifts before we were born, he blessed us with the power of Agency or to choose good from evil and when we came to earth we were given a Body that we might use it to choose either good or evil.

       Now, we have talked about faith and faith is really important and with our ability to choose, we can find out for ourselves what is right or wrong. Now back to what I was saying in the fifth paragraph. So it is said that there is a conflict or debate on whether we are saved by faith only or by faith and works. Well I am here not to tell you what is right or wrong and if I do go one way or the other I apologize ahead of time. And for the next few Blog posts that I will Post I will talk about faith and other principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how they apply to the LDS faith and how we use them.   

       I want to invite you to talk with the missionaries about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ask them the questions you have about these principles. I can testify that they can help you and will help answer questions that need attention and rightfully so.

       You are the priority of the missionaries; they want to hear from you and want to answer the questions you have. No they aren't going to try to convert you or force you to convert; but they will help you better understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I promise it and I promise that your life will change for good. If you are willing to learn and practice these same principles I know you can find Peace and Joy in your life; and yeah it may be hard but with faith and with doing your part God will lead you to light, and happiness, I know it!           

-Elder Sheets 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all!

       Hello there! If you haven't seen my page yet. I suggest that you subscribe to my blog. It will change your life for the better! Each new day brings an amazing new experience and with those experiences comes joy sorrow, trials, events, happiness, anger, and an assortment of many other emotions. But that is all part of life and sometimes we become frustrated with the way things go. And I admit it sometimes life is not easy but that is where the true joy comes from!

       Today I wanted to mention about my companion here in the Missionary Training Center in Utah (MTC). As I have come to understand more about him and find the good in him the more I have found true feelings of friendship form between us. He has taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ with absolute conviction and knows that God lives and knows that the Gospel has blessed his life. I want to share with you his blog that talks in more depth about him and his experience. He has been an amazing friend and has taught me how to truly love all people. Through his example I have found true understanding of why Christ did what He did and how I can be an example of Jesus Christ.

        My Companion Elder Haggard has taught me to value the Gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I invite you to read what my companion has to offer in honor of his departure to Benin, Africa. And I invite you to read what I have to say and hope that I can inspire you and show you something better than what the world has to offer.

       I end my post for today with the words of an ancient prophet from the Book of Mormon named Moroni and my own words:

Moroni 10: 3-5:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. 

"The ink of a pen is a small portion of the pages of a book. It is the thoughts poured into it's pages that matter most!"

-Elder Timothy Sheets

A brief Overview...

       Today I wanted to share my story and how it has changed my life. When I was twelve years old I had numerous health problems and most of which were unexplained. I went through numerous tests and trials and as I and my parents went through some hard times we stayed together. Then one day after an MRI up in Salt Lake City, Utah, me and my mom were reading in  D&C 121 verses 1-8. These verses talk about the persecutions that Joseph Smith had gone through and this is revelation given to him as he was held in jail. As he pleads with the Lord he is promised strength and peace if he endures the trials and tribulations well. As we read this peace entered my heart and I knew that God was helping my through my many trials and tribulations. As we finished reading my Mom asked that we go and check the phone messages as we were expecting the results back from the Doctor that day. As we checked the messages, the voice of my doctor came on the phone. He left a message saying that he had discovered a large mass at the center of the brain and that it was the size of a golf ball. My mom and I looked at each other in horror knowing that my life had suddenly changed drastically. I felt horrible and felt hopeless knowing that I would spend the next era of my life in a hospital. I cried for a long time and cried and cried and cried. 

       The rest of the Month I hardly remember and now that I look back I am grateful that as all I can remember was a horrible experience but no details of such. As my life went on I was treated at a wonderful place called St Jude Children's Research Hospital . It was one of the most amazing places to be and and after Chemotherapy and Radiation treatment and being there for seven months in 2004, going back for check ups feels like going home. The many nurses there are so sweet and are truly angels aiding the children there with cancer and other terminal illnesses. I am so grateful to have been treated there and know that Heavenly Father lead me and my family to the hospital to be treated for my cancer and to learn how to truly live my life! Looking back on all of this I have found true faith in God and Jesus Christ. And have learned that through Prayer and Scripture Study I have found answers to prayers and trials.
       It was hard to go through those things, I admit it was one of the hardest things I have gone through but looking back now I have grown so much to rely on the Lord and to do my absolute best to do what He asks of me. I may seem daft or stupid to say this but if I could have anything in the world it would be to go back and live that time of life again in a different perspective and to learn more about life and the preciousness of it.

       I love the Lord and know that God the Father and His son Jesus Christ live and that they are there for me and know that President Thomas S. Monson is a true Prophet called of God on the earth today, to lead and guide us to find peace and joy in our lives and I do say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

"Obedience to Law is Liberty."

       To commemorate my first post I would like to share one of my favorite talks from the Recent 183rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.It represents my love for this country and the feelings I have for Freedom and Liberty. I hope you will be inspired by these words and hope that they will touch your life the way it did mine!

Obedience to Law is Liberty

       This Talk has been something very precious to me and feel that the more we obey the Laws of God and do our best to follow the Example of Jesus Christ we can find peace and happiness in our lives. God is there to bless us and help us become better people. The more we rely on God and hand over our lives to Him, the more our lives will change. Midst the evil in the world there are many who are willing to share this sweet message and I invite you to listen to what they have to say as their message is everlasting and true! I know it!
       This button below, "chat with us," will take you directly to chat with a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They can answer any questions you may have about the Church and our beliefs. Take a couple of minutes to get to know one of these missionaries and find out more about the Church. And I promise it will be worth it!!

My Intro!

Hi there! My name is Elder Sheets! And Welcome to my blog! I am a missionary from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
       My life has been filled with trials and tribulations that have sometimes been more than I can handle. As I have lived my life I have found that God has played a large part in my life! He has blessed my life with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I am so grateful that He has helped me find this gospel. I hope you enjoy my Blog!

DISCLAIMER: Some things I may say you may or may not agree with and that is totally fine! As you have the right to believe what you may. But I ask that as a visitor to my Blog if you wish to comment please be respectful in what you say and do on my page. As I will be as respectful to Religions, Organizations and etc. to the best of my abilities. If you have any questions or have any interest to learn more about my blog or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints either click the Button on my second post or please submit your email and questions to the comment box below and I will get back to you within a couple of days after receiving your questions.  Thanks again for visiting my Blog!

-Elder Sheets