So I have such a great feeling inside me right now. I could not adequately express them to the world. In fact you very well could put me in the shoes of a Book of Mormon hero who has said, "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth... Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder... But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me." (Alma 29:1-3)
These are the words that I feel inside my heart right now. Alma could not have put them any better. Now as I strive to explain my feelings, please know that there is no way that I could not say all the things that my heart yearns to bring to you all that I love so much. Which reminds me of another hero, who said the same thing, saying that he was not "mighty" in writing like unto speaking, for "when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." (2 Nephi 33:1)
It is my sincere prayer that what I have to say might be "carried" to your hearts like it is in mine, that you will find the joy and love in what I have experienced.
In the past couple weeks I have learned great lessons in perspective. Since I have returned from the mission field, I went through a stage where I honestly thought i was on top of the world. Everything should go my way, life is so great, surely anything I need will be in my grasp at anytime that I desire! It would be safe to say that I sought to find my own way. I went to church and did all that was expected of me, however my prayers and scripture study became slack. I immediately began to worry about things that "mattered" most to me. From work, to school, to dating, and to everything else, I thought i had everything under control. I thought "I could find my way."
Well we can fast forward past the humbling experiences and now I can tell you that the lesson was learned. The message was received; loud and clear actually. We are nothing without Divine help. We are lost without Him in our lives. That is exactly why He told us that He is the "way, the truth, and the light."
Now world, I ask you; Where is the light?
In this season of fast paced, traffic jammed, shopping madness, tempers flying, stress levels rising, and overall just flat out "busy" times... I ask you, Where are our priorities? What is our perspective? Can we find our own way? or do we need to rely on the help that is always there?
I believe it is natural in all of us to find ourselves putting things off and overlooking the things that matter most, while we selfishly try to do our own thing.
Now for the plugs; This Sunday is so special. We have the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. No doubt, we will hear the things that the Lord Himself would have us hear as a friendly reminder these and everyday of our lives. I strongly encourage everyone to find a way to find the message told in the conference center this weekend, with the bold promise, that the spirit will teach you the things you NEED to hear.
Last but definitely not least, I have a plug for the Forgotten Carols. Many of you are blessed to know of this tender mercy we have in our lives. however for those of you who do not know what i am talking about i will try to explain. This is a play that is done every year around Christmas time. It is all centered on Christ, and how we can put Him into our lives more fully. It is so well done that tickets go so fast, and are put up months in advance in preparation.
In this play there is a song that easily puts tears in my eyes every time I hear it. The spirit is so strong, and the message is very powerful in the words. It is the finale of this spiritual lesson that has come to me. Tonight, as I was laying on my bed, listening to my ipod and pondering things, this song came on. It is very clear to me, and will never be forgotten, that "we cannot find our way" without Him.
I give you the link to this song now, but listen to it in an environment where you can allow the spirit to penetrate your heart. I promise great things as you do so.
I love you all. I am so excited for this holiday season. Let us all "find our way"
lets find the Light.
