I find it interesting that only one Christian denomination teaches that we lived with our Heavenly Father before we came to earth. I would guess that if you talk to most people they would say that they believe they existed before coming to earth. It is an interesting inconsistency or paradox that most people believe this yet it is not taught by any churches except one. It is a theme found in great literature such as Milton’s Paradise Lost, Maeterlinck’s The Bluebird, and Wordsworth’s Ode on Intimations on Immortality.

Wordsworth penned:

• Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
• The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
• Hath had elsewhere its setting,
• And cometh from afar:
• Not in entire forgetfulness,
• And not in utter nakedness,
• But trailing clouds of glory do we come
• From God, who is our home

There is of course much to discuss and little time for me to write

For further discussion see:http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/heavenly-father-s-plan-of-salvation/you-lived-with-god

I step outside into the quiet serene.

Nature heightens my senses to the pure and pristine

Soothing cool air filled with the freshness of dew

The sun’s invigorating colors on a  canvas of blue.

The birds invite the day with melodic bursts of song

With fearless abandonment they fly, graceful and strong.

Wednesday, June 11th, the call came to organize. Southern Indiana, along with other mid-western states, was experiencing severe flood damage. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known for its quick relief efforts after natural disasters, sent out a call to local priesthood leaders to organize groups that would go down to assist the affected communities. We sent the email to everyone in the quorum and even asked friends of ours if they wanted to join us in provided service. The responses came back and we had a group of 5 ready to go down under the direction of President Hale and a group of 7 to go down Saturday under my direction. Friday was supposed to be the first large effort to organize help from outside groups, under the title of Mormon Helping Hands. Three large trucks were loaded with shovels and cleaning kits had arrived from Salt Lake City. Local groups had been at work since Wednesday. Due to severe thunderstorms, Friday’s expedition was cancelled. However, Saturday provided opportune weather to help in the relief efforts. Our group was assigned to assist the people in Terre Haute, 2 hours away. At the chapel in Terre Haute we were organized into work groups, instructed about safety, briefed with an overview of the situation, and sent off with a spiritual thought from the local Stake President, who you could tell was already exhausted from providing much needed relief in the previous days. Our group was assigned a group of streets located not too far from Deer Creek and had received about a foot of flooding within their homes. Ruined furniture was piled in the streets. Various belonging were spread by the house. Our group leader went door to door and ask if anyone needed assistance. There were quite a bit of rental properties where contractors were working. We started by helping a retired couple move all their furniture into a nearby storage unit, which were becoming increasingly hard to come by. They already had a nice group already assembled from friends and family, but were happy to have the additional help. After moving the furniture we helped rip out the carpet that was fully saturated. Lunchtime came upon us and we were brought sack lunches from those who volunteered at the chapel for this purpose. After lunch we were taken to a street that was more severely affected. The street smelt like sewage, it was nauseating. Again our leader went door to door and we were welcomed by two families right across the street from each other. The house we went to first was in process of tearing out the bottom half of the drywall throughout the house. Carpets had already been removed. It was a tedious job of scoring the drywall, knocking it out, taking out the larger pieces to the road and bagging the smaller pieces, removing nails, and sweeping. After doing this for the whole house we joined the other group across the street. The framing in the house was made with 2×2s and had wood paneling stapled to it in various locating. It was tough work ripping off all the panelling since it would only come off in splintered pieces. At the end of the afternoon we probably had 12 people working hard to help gut the house so it could be cleaned and rebuilt. I talked to the owner a little and he conveyed to me that it was just devastating with what happened. A framed picture of his son was outside drying, but ruined from the dirty water. At 6pm the word came to end. It was suggested that we end with prayer. The person who offered the prayer was Jared, our group leader who first talked to the owner who was a father in his upper thirties. It was a heartfelt plea for Father in Heaven to reach out and take this family and others in His arms and care for them. The love in the room was very tangible and it was a spiritual experience for all. I could not help the tears from welling up in my eyes. The owner was deeply touched as well. We left with our hearts full and with a deep desire to return with more help.

[ga

llery]

I love the radio program on NPR, ‘This I Believe’, because it sets the precedent that there are many beliefs had by the many people of this world and all are meant to be shared and discussed and pondered.

What I believe

I believe that I am a son of a loving Father in Heaven, who sent me here to earth to gain a body and experience mortality. Mortality stands as a test of our agency. It is a test of our ability to recognize truth and our dedication to follow what we know to be true. The choices which lead us to true peace and happiness, even eternal life with our loving Father aren’t necessarily the most fun, thrilling, or pleasurable. However, they are the choices that allow our souls to be satisfied with those things that only can satisfy: love, light, peace, joy, knowledge, mercy, justice, forgiveness, purpose, and lasting rewards/fruits of our labor. Commandments, rules, or limits are given for our protection and allow us to experience a fullness of joy and help us not to be persuaded by alluring illusions which lead to emptiness and destruction. Like a shepherd who keeps his flock safely within the fence of his protection, likewise, Jesus Christ, our wise and loving Shepherd keeps us safely within his protection. Some may see it as their freedom being denied to them. However, the true freedom comes with patience as the Shepherd leads the flock to green pastures under his protection. The sheep who seek to ‘free’ themselves and leave the protection of the Shepherd risk being lost, hurt and/or devoured by lurking dangers. Prophet’s were called by the Savior to lead and protect his sheep. We have a prophet in our day, just as in days of old, who speaks with God and lets us know His will and admonition that we may be protected. Our day, more than ever before, is in dire need of this guidance. We have the Bible, which sets forth the commandments, principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, words spoken by the Savior himself and His apostles, lessons taught to ancient people of previous times. However, we live in a day far different than those times. Although many challenges we have today are common throughout history, there are new ones today which try the hearts of man. Pornography, for example, and its addictive and destructive nature, is now available to anyone and only a mouse click away and is all around us. Yes, we have the Bible, but thousands of churches professing to follow its teachings understand its principles quite differently from the next church. The Lord did not want this confusion. For this reason he has called a prophet in our day after a long time of famine (See Amos 3:7; 8:11-12). He has restored his authority, the Priesthood (see Hebrews 5:4), and the organization of the Church as it existed in the New Testament when Christ organized it. That we may all “come to a unity in faith” as the Apostle Paul explained (see Ephesians 4:4-14). He has brought to light additional words of His prophets who lived on the American continent while the prophets in Palestine were writing what is recorded in the Bible (see John 10:16). These are recorded in the Book of Mormon. This additional testimony of the Savior and His teachings is the 2^nd and sure witness, as is required in the court of law, to confirm the truthfulness of the first and set down any false notions or doctrines (see 2 Corinthians 13:1). A modern prophet receives revelation on our behalf for our time and clarifies all that which has been recorded in scripture. We hear the words of our living prophet. We can read them and ponder them and ask the Lord Almighty to know of their truthfulness. We can do the same with the Book of Mormon. They are here for our guidance and protection. His promise is that by the power of the Holy Ghost we will know the truth of all things. He will speak peace to our hearts and give understanding to our minds. We will be filled with light and love. It is through the Holy Ghost that we recognize truth (see John 14:26, Moroni 10:3-5). And then once we learn truth it is our challenge and privilege to live the truth.

Why I believe

What I said above may be of strong language, but it is what I believe with all my heart. I believe that we will all come to the same knowledge of truth someday. I found my truth through prayer and supplication to a loving Father in Heaven. In my mind and heart I believe that I have received enough confirmation through the quiet whisperings of the Holy Ghost to have confidence that the path I have chosen will lead back to His presence and His loving arms. I can hardly write this without tears coming to my eyes. As a young man I prayed to know if He was there, if Heavenly Father indeed loved me. The answer I received overwhelmed me with joy and warmth, similar to being held in His loving arms. After having established this connection to Diety I decided to ask additional questions of importance to know if the path that I was on was right or if another path was right. I asked if the Book of Mormon was true; same warm and joyful feeling. I asked if Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God; again the same answer. That was all I needed to have confidence in the direction that I was going. I had always felt good inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had learned many important truths. But it was at this point in my life that I had received all the answers that I needed to construct a foundation that would serve me from then on. Those answers have only been confirmed as time goes on. I have had many sweet, spiritual experiences that have led me even closer to my Father in Heaven. I know He’s there and that He loves all of His children.