Thanksgiving

This week we are blessed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving.  I am grateful for so many things.  I am grateful for family, for our Savior and for hard blessings (challenges and difficulties that bring me closer to Savior).  As I sit here writing, I am particualry grateful for the Book of Mormon and the opportunity I’ve had to read 3rd Nephi recently.

In chapters 18-20, the Lord institutes the sacrament, ordains the Twleve, ministers to the people, prays for them and performs miracles.  Regarding the sacrament, Christ declared it was a “testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me.  And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Nephi 18:7).  As Christ teaches about prayer, He declares that we must “pray always” and “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 18:18, 20).  And as we pray in our families, our wives and children will be blessed (verse 21).  

I couldn’t help but reflect on the faith necessary in prayer.  I’m confident others have felt like I have...that “good” intentions in prayer often seemingly go unanswered.  How often has a righteous son or daughter of our Heavenaly Father prayed for the miraculous recovery of a loved-one (sick or otherwise afflicted) only to witness that very same loved-one’s death or continued spiral into afflication?  How often have we personally asked for help without immediate and obvious response?  I know that life’s experiences can often seem overwhelming.  Sometimes, despite our faith, it’s difficult to see the miracle...to understand the process.  There is much I don’t know.  But, I know a few important things, born of personal experience and confirmed by the Spirit:  1) Jesus is the Christ and our Savior; 2) prayers are answered and answers are understood in the Lord’s timing and in His way; He isn’t keeping things from us but rather he is delivering His peace and His direction according His perfect understanding of our needs.  And 3) this is His church on earth, led by His prophets; as we obediently follow, our faith increases, our sensitivity to the Spirit is magnified and our ability to receive and understand answers to all of our prayers is increased.

Please keep the faith, keep being obedient, and keep praying and the Lord will bless you in the most important ways this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

HCS Book of Mormon Blog Post

Week of Nov. 6th-12th Pages: 420-441

This week’s Book of Mormon reading is some of our most cherished scripture. The time of the Savior’s crucifixion in the Holy Land and the associated manifestations of that event and the resurrection of our Savior are predicted and fulfilled in the Americas. As we read of the destruction of the wicked in the Americas as well as the increase in righteousness among the faithful, increased miracles and powerful preaching of the Gospel. In short, about the same thing is happening in our last days before the Savior’s Second Coming.

We also see how the Lord always fulfills the prophetic words of His prophets. “And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land”

That prophecy, along with all the others, were fulfilled. Storms came, darkness descended for 3 days, entire cities were destroyed, all signifying the end of the Savior’s earthly life and the beginning of the hope of the atonement and His resurrection.

Of all scripture, certainly some of the most beautiful and reassuring moments are recorded in 3 Nephi 11 as it record both the voice of Heavenly Father and then the appearance of His divine son, even our Savior Jesus Christ:

“And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard….it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center….and again the third time they did hear the voice, and did OPEN THEIR EARS to hear it….and it said to them…..”Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name-hear ye him.”

Next we witness through the account of Mormon the wondrous event as the Savior himself visits “His sheep” in the Americas…

“…they saw a Man descending out of Heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe, and he came down and stood in the midst of them, and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon Him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared to them. And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people saying….”Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come to the world.”

With that divine declaration, the Savior confirmed his life and Gospel mission to his faithful. He immediately then organizes His church, calling his Apostles and administering to the people as He delivers His words of gospel principles to them (Sermon at the Temple) as He had done in the Holy Land with the Sermon on the Mount.

Many wonderful lessons and gospel truths were given by the Savior in these verses. To us, his Latter Day followers, may we simply heed His admonition to the saints of old….”Behold, ye have heard the things which I taught before ascended to my Father; therefore, whoso remembereth these sayings of mine and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day.” May that hope dwell with all of us!

-Brother Garrison