Mountains and Temples



Heaven's Peak, Glacier National Park

I love beautiful landscapes. I'm sappy and sentimental, maybe, but I love it. Serving a mission in Montana has provided me with many opportunities to see incredible scenery. This picture above was taken in the Summer of 2010 in Glacier National Park. Notice the "angel staircase" shaft of light coming down through the clouds. That was a great day.
I love the closeness to God that I find  in Nature. His fingerprints are everywhere.
In ancient times, prophets would go into the mountains to feel the presence of God, and to communicate with Him. Moses went into the mountains to recieve the commandments from the Lord. There are several accounts of prophets in the Book of Mormon who also went in the mountains to pray and communicate with God. There is something sacred and special about praying out in nature.

There is only one place where I have felt the Spirit more strongly than in the mountains, and that is in the Lord's House.

Look to the Light

As a boy scout, I once set out on a backpacking trip in the mountains of northern Utah. The drive was long to reach the trail head, and our troop arrived much later than we had anticipated. We decided it would be best if we set out anyway, and we thought that if we hiked quickly, we could reach our campsite before dark.

We were wrong. The sun went down just as we scaled a rocky plateau, and we were completely exposed to the cold night wind.

Many of us had brought flashlights; we flipped them on, following the beams along the trail. Reaching the edge of the plateau, we began to descend into what we hoped was the valley in which we were to camp. The trail had many switchbacks to soften the slope, but we were all worried that one of us might slip and fall down the steep shale mountainside. It was a pitch black night. I was shivering from the cold. We relied entirely on the light from our flashlights, though we could only see just ahead of us. We had no idea how long it would be until we reached our destination.

I remember that we began to sing.

The Pursuit of Truth

There are many perceptions in the world of Jesus Christ.
Who is Jesus Christ?
There are many perceptions in the world of what Jesus Christ taught.
What did Jesus Christ teach?
There are many perceptions in the world of what the purpose of life is.
Many wonder, "Where did I come from? Why am I
here? Where am I going after I die?"

Searching to find the answers to these questions can be difficult because so many people hold different opinions. The world is changing every day. Perceptions, cultures, ideas and standards change.
If God loves His children, He will provide them with the answers they need to make their way through life.

We are all the children of God.

I know that God loves His children.

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (1 Cor. 14: 33)
But there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph. 4: 4-6)

There is one truth.

We can learn the truth by study and prayer. We can ask our Father in Heaven for the answers we seek, and He will answer. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God...and it shall be given him. (James 1: 5) Ask Him in faith, and you will receive.

I bear my testimony that the truth of God can be found on the earth today. I testify that God speaks. Christ is real. We don't have to be confused about His teachings.
To learn more, visit
www.mormon.org

Internet Proselyting

The Missionary Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints recently chose 8 missions to pilot online proselyting. This has never been done before by full-time missionaries of the church. We're so excited for this chance that we have to serve.

The internet is an incredible tool. Think of the advantages we have today having access to instant communication around the world. The internet provides exciting new avenues for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and furthering His work.
However, there are also negative applications of the internet. We know what they are.
Our hope as missionaries and members of the Church of Jesus Christ is to bring the truth to the world. With the help of the internet, the work is greatly hastening.