"..How is it that ye have no Faith?" -Mark 4:40

A few days ago we had a baptism. I've still been thinking about Nikki, her baptism and the light that shined in her face that day. She was SO excited to be baptized. That whole week, she just kept saying how excited she was.
I was happy to see that she was so excited to follow Jesus Christ. I know that she knows that getting baptized was the right thing to do. I thought to myself, "Have I ever been that excited to follow Jesus Christ?" Why don't we, or why aren't we as excited to follow Him?

I was reading this morning in Matthew 14. The disciples of Christ are on a ship in the middle of the sea and a storm comes. Jesus started walking towards them on the sea. "And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, Is is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." Peter then asks the Lord,"...bid me come unto thee on the water." Christ's response to this was,"Come.... he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind.. he was afraid; and beginning to sink.... Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" 

"What would it be like, to have faith to move mountains, faith to walk on water?"

I know we can all be excited to follow Jesus Christ. It is our faith in Him as the Son of God that leads us to do whatsoever He asks of us. Sometimes we do not always know the reasons, but He will help us and support us as long as He sees we are doing our best to follow Him.

Remember who you are and what you stand for!

"Follow thou Me"

Today we were able to see a wonderful woman take that next step and follow Jesus Christ. Yup, she was baptized!

Earlier that morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon, I had left off the night before in 2 Nephi 30. So I started reading and read chapter 30 and 31. Chapter 31 talks about baptism, which was a little ironic because we had a baptism today. I read through each verse as carefully as I could. I feel like I should have this chapter memorized because I've read it so many times. I've come to like this chapter the more and more I read it.
The prophet Nephi explains in chapter 31 why Christ was baptized, and how important it is for us to be baptized. One of the GREATEST things about getting baptized, isn't just taking upon ourselves the name of Christ, but we also receive a wonderful gift! The gift of the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit to be a constant companion to us. To help lead and guide us through the rest of our lives as long as we live worthy of it. What an AMAZING gift our Father in Heaven has given us!
As I was reading however there was a question that Nephi asked that caught my attention. " And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the work of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighter to save." 2 Nephi 31:19

What an interesting question. Are we done once we enter the waters of baptism? Nope, life still goes on. We will still have trials and struggles, and that's why the atonement of Jesus Christ is so great. We are able to repent, and return to live with Him. In the next verse it says,"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." I love this last part.. "If ye shall press forward, and endure to the end...We shall have eternal life."

Just like in my last post, we are not perfect but we can be clean and I know that baptism is a way that we can be clean. We can be as clean as we were when we were first baptized as long as we repent and keep going forward following Christ.

I know that Christ lives and I know that we will one day return to live with our Father in Heaven again and we can be with our families forever.
Remember who you are and what you stand for!

Remember.. The Light of Christ is in EVERYONE!!

What an amazing weekend, I thought I would share it with all of you.

We had a baptism on Saturday!!!!  

We started teaching this young man a little before Christmas. But, the Christmas break came up and we didn't see him for a long time. We got a hold of him and began teaching the gospel to him. 

Time and time went on and we started noticing a change in him.

The light of Christ, that is within ALL of us, started shining brighter and brighter. In Doctrine and Covenants 50:24 it says,"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter...."

This scripture means alot to me now, because I've seen that light grow brighter and brighter within this young man!

He showed up the morning of his baptism and was just smiling the whole time. After he was baptized that smile just got bigger.

On Sunday, he was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and he received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

That light just got brighter! I'm so happy for this young man that chose to,"Follow thou me[the Savior]." 

I'm grateful I was able to see this change happen within this young man. I know the Spirit has touched him and his family. I love him and his family very much, and I know that the Lord loves them. I know the Lord is mindful of all of us and our prayers.

We love you Tyler!!! And Brother and Sister Bowen!

Remember who you are and what you stand for!!