The Gift

He is the gift.

Christmas is coming! I love Christmas with all my heart! Not for the gifts, not for the food or treats, not for the lights, or the songs, although I love all of these things too: the reason I love Christmas so much is because of Him. He is the ultimate gift.

Every year at Christmas we are really busy preparing for Christmas morning. The morning we see if we made it on the "nice list", the morning we see what Santa left us, the morning we spend with family and/or friends. Christmas is the biggest morning of the year! Why? Not because of the presents, not because of Santa, not because of parties: but because of Him. He is the ultimate gift.

He led us by His example. He taught us the way. He was a healer. He was a forgiver. He lived for me and you. He died for me and for you. He felt all your pain. He is your big brother. He is the ultimate gift.

Christ is the reason for this holiday season. Did you know that "mas" means "more"? Christmas then, means: MORE CHRIST. He truly is the reason for Christmas. How then, can you and I have "more Christ" this holiday season? I believe the first step is by recognizing that Christ is the gift; the reason for the season. Not Santa, or physical gifts, but rather spiritual gifts.

As I stated earlier, Christ is the ultimate example of what we must become. What did Christ do during His mortal ministry? He served everyone. The rich, the poor, the weary, the crippled, the lost, the homeless, the blind, the broken vessels, and even His apostles. He truly served and loved every single person because He knew He was their elder brother, and He also knew that we are all Heavenly Father's children. He never thought of Himself as better or wiser than others: He simply loved and served all because that is what His Father, our Father, asked Him to do. Have we all not been asked to do the same? Haven't we too been called upon to lift others, serve, and love everyone? What must we do then, during this season of "more Christ"? We must simply follow His example.

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints has made a website for this very purpose. I want to share this page with you in hopes that it will help you this holiday season to know how to follow Him. Click here to visit this page. On this page there is a video. Watch that first. The video is called "HE IS THE GIFT." After you watch this video, scroll down and learn about how you can discover THE GIFT, Embrace THE GIFT, and Share THE GIFT this Christmas.

I know that it is very easy to get caught up in the ways of the "worldly Christmas." It is very easy to forget that the reason we even celebrate Christmas is because of Christ, His life, and His example. However, I testify that if we can truly remember the reason for this holiday season: this holiday will suddenly become so much more to us personally, and we will want to share that joy and goodness with others as Christ did. I know and promise that if we can learn to make Christ the center, or "focus point" of our Christmas, we will be truly blessed. We will see "more Christ", we will be happier, we will feel the spirit, and Christmas will be what Heavenly Father truly wants and needs Christmas to be. We will love others with a more perfect love, we won't be angry, Christmas will become more peaceful, less stressful and more loving, and we will be more willing serve and love all those we meet. I challenge you this Christmas season to invite "more Christ" into your life. I challenge you to fine ways to serve, love, and make a difference this season of Christ. I know this will bring many blessings into your life and you will draw closer to Christ. I promise these things and I testify of their truth,

In the Name Of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

DAILY Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approaches I wanted share a short sweet message with you about giving thanks daily and not just during this time of "Thanksgiving." At this time of year I  think it becomes "too easy" to be thankful, because "everyone is doing it." At this time of year it is all too easy to say "I am thankful for this, this, this, etc." It has become all too easy for us to "make gratitude lists" at this time of year because it's somewhat expected of us. Why? Because everyone is doing it.

I believe that we need to learn to be grateful in any circumstance, no matter the time of year or what season of life we may be in. Being grateful should be a way of life, not a "list" or holiday season. We need to learn that being grateful is not a matter of list making, rather a way of living. Now I am not saying that Thanksgiving isn't good; I love Thanksgiving with all my heart! I'm just trying to say that we need to learn to be thankful always and not just when it is the "common" or "cool" thing to be doing right now.

"How do I get there?" You might ask: well I do not have that answer. However, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf does! In the April 2014 General Conference he gave a talk entitled: "Grateful In Any Circumstance." I have listened to this talk over and over during the past couple of weeks trying to learn how I can be a better daughter of God and learn how to be grateful always and not just during this time of year. I particularly wanted to study how to be grateful during times of trial and heart ache. I wanted to share this talk with you today. Click Here To watch. This talk gave me comfort and helped me to find many answers. Now developing a better attitude is not an over night fix. This is something that can take a long time, with many trial and errors, but I know that we can get there. I am not there yet, but I can say with confidence, I am better now than I was before. I know you can be too. Once you make the decision to change, you can do miraculous things.

In closing I want to share two more short videos with you. These videos really "hit home" for me. I am not sure why, although I do know that they make me want to try harder to do a little better. May these videos do the same for you, and together each day we can try harder to be a little better, and by doing so we will both help each other come closer to Christ daily.
 The first video is called: Thanksgiving Daily.
The second video is called: President Monson-On Gratitude. 

I just want to say that I know these things are true. I know that if we choose to try harder we can do anything with God's help. I also know that developing an attitude of thanksgiving daily will bless our lives, bring us closer to God, and open our eyes to new and better days to come. I know the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is true.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

We Can Do Hard Things

The past few weeks have been crazy and full of ups and downs for me. The weeks ahead are looking quite busy too. Trying to stay happy about everything when it all seems to be going wrong is really challenging and sometimes quite frustrating. Sometimes it takes all I have to not cry out in anger that things aren't working out the way I planned or hoped they would. I try so hard to remember to turn to my Father in Heaven because He knows all. But I must admit this isn't always easy. I am human, therefore I am no where near perfect. It can be somewhat of a challenge for me to let myself be guided completely trusting in The Lord, without questions. I trust the Savior, but sometimes when I do not know the potential outcome I have a hard time doing what He needs me to do. I must remember to walk by faith and not by sight.

Lately I have been trying to figure out some things in my life and trying to organize my time and use it more wisely so that I can accomplish more in a single day. To do this I have been praying quite a bit more. Some days I feel I can conquer the world, while others I feel like it's all crashing down on me. Some days I feel surrounded by love while others I feel isolated and unwanted. However no matter what, I always know that God is there, even though I can't see Him, and sometimes I am unsure of where He is leading me- I know that He will never lead me somewhere I cannot go, He will never bring me to a mountain I cannot climb. I know He will always be there to catch me when I fall.

I just wanted to share my testimony of this today. I know that although our mountains may seem like we will never get to the top, with God's help: we can conquer any mountain and when we do get to the mighty top: the view will be tremendously glorious. He will take us in His arms and say: "My child, why did you ever doubt me? For I love you. With me, you are always safe. Have faith in Me." And gesturing to the valley and mountains you traveled He will say: "Look, at all you have done. My child, you did it. I love you." Standing there in that moment, you will realize everything was worth it. In that moment, every heart break, every hurt, every pain, every sorrow, every lesson, every thought of giving up- but moving forward anyway, every trouble: will all be worth it.

Brothers and Sisters I want to testify to you that I know He lives. I know He loves each of us as individuals, and He does in fact know you. I know He feels every stress, pain, heart break, and tear you cry, because He already felt it for you. Because of Him: you will never be alone. He knows your name. He knows your favorite food, color, and song. He loves you, and He will lift you up that mountain. He will carry you. You are not lost. You will never be left. No matter where you are in your life, no matter what sin you have committed, no matter what amount of pain you are enduring, He still loves you with an infinite love. You are His child; He loves you with a perfect love, individually and completely. Nothing you can ever do will change that love for you; it is simply and perfectly always there. He is always waiting for you. Don't you give up. You keep on enduring; I know the journey seems long and unbearable, but that day will come if you endure to the bitter end. He will take you in His arms and say: "I love you child. Do not fear, I am here."

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

"Lord, I Believe" By Jeffery R Holland

"Lord, I believe"

Quite honestly, I am not sure why I am sharing this talk with you today.* I was planning on sharing something else, completely different from this, but as I tried to prepare that other idea for my blog, this talk kept coming to my mind. I feel as if I need to share with you this talk today. I am not sure who needs this, or why, but I do know that someone does, and The Lord will direct me to write what I need too.

This talk (Lord, I Believe) was given by Jeffery R Holland, from the quorum of the 12 apostles, in the April 2013 general conference. I remember when this talk was delivered, I felt like it was written for me specifically. At that point in my life I was looking for answers to some very hard questions. I was trying to direct my life where the Savior needed me to be, not quite sure of how to even ask for His help. "Hold fast to what you do believe" has always stood out and still rings in my ears. I wasn't sure if I knew everything I had been told about the church was true; I wasn't sure if I understood. But I did know that I believed something was right, I believed that it was true, but I didn't yet know. I was starting to loose hope; I was getting confused and lost. When Elder Holland gave this talk it was my anchor. I held fast to what I knew was true. I held fast to what I believed and I worked, and am still working to truly gain the knowledge I need to be a worthy disciple of Christ, to be a teacher, and to know for myself that my beliefs are in fact true.

One thing I know for sure is that this Church, The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is true. I know that now. I wish to share that with you every week, that I do in fact know of its truthfulness and I pray that you will know too. If you do not know, hold onto belief, for just as I did, and many have done before me: holding fast to belief will bring you knowledge and truth.

I want to share this talk with you, and share my testimony that although I do not know all things, I know that this church is true. I know Joseph Smith was and is a true prophet, and he did in fact restore the true gospel on the earth today. I know that the power of the Priesthood is real, and I have experienced its power in my life. I know that families can be together forever. I know that we are blessed to have a living prophet, Thomas S Monson, on the earth today and that The Lord still speaks to him. I know that the power of prayer is real. I know Heavenly Father hears us when we pray and He answers us. I know He loves us. I know we are His children. I know these things. And I pray that you at least believe them. I pray that you too will be able to find the truth of these things. I know you can and will if you ask The Lord to answer your questions, to make the truth made known: in His time, He will let you know the truth. Do not give up. Do not let go of the truths you believe to be true. You will know.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

*Click here to listen to the talk "Lord, I believe" by Jeffery R Holland

Don't Let it Destroy You

Today I want to share a "I'm a Mormon" video. This one touches my heart especially because it is about a solider and his survival and how because of the events that took place, he was changed. He let his experience define him, not destroy him. This man's name is Erick, and this is his story: Erick's story.

I just wanted to share Erick's story because when I found this video it made me stop and realize that hard things happen, but that doesn't mean we can't move on, it doesn't mean we can't be happy, it doesn't mean we have to be "destroyed", rather we can be "defined". Erick's story brought me peace and comfort. His story was something that I needed at this time in my life to help me remember that Heavenly Father is watching out for us and He is always there to watch over us and protect us. Don't let the challenges of this life tear you down permanently. Let them build you up, make you stronger, and bring you closer to Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. Don't let them destroy you.

To any of you who are feeling lost, alone, or helpless: I want you to know that you are not. You are not lost, you are not alone and you are not without help. Our Savior Jesus Christ loves you. He wants to be there for you and all you have to do is ask and let Him in. I know that if you pray: He will answer you. If you allow prayer into your life and you allow prayer to change your heart toward God, and you allow His voice to speak to you: you will find the answers you need, no matter how big or small. You are not alone. He will send angels to guide and protect you. There is nothing in this world that you face that Christ has not faced or felt before you did. He understands you perfectly. He loves you perfectly. I know this is true.

In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

Friends

He is your Friend. 

I feel like I have talked about this topic lately, but I want to share it again. Lately I have had to take a step back from the mirror and ask myself: "Samantha, what kind of a friend are you really being?" I have had to take a step back and re-evaluate my life, friendships, and my behavior. "Am I doing what The Lord wants and needs me to be doing? Am the friend He needs me to be?"
As I have been pondering this question I have had some conversations with my friends concerning the matter, and I have been reading and watching things about friends on lds.org. Today I want to share some of that with you in hopes that you will be able to evaluate your life, your friendships and such and see if you too are in need of a little "fix up" in the area.

First I want to share this video with you. In this video a young girl tells how by her Christ like example she made many friends. All she did was live as Christ would have her live and stand firm in her standards and beliefs. Everyone around her looked up to her for doing so and they were impressed by what she was doing so they wanted to be her friend. To me this video tells me that if I can just stand up for what I know to be true and I can live a Christ like example, I will be a light to those around me and I will be able to have many friends who know my standards and who know what I believe so they will want to help me keep those standards and not tear me down. Click here to watch.

Another thing I wanted to share with you is an article by Sister Elaine S. Dalton, former General Young Women President. This article is entitled: "What Is a True Friend?" I really liked this article because it brought some good points for me to think about. A few of them being:

"Choose friends who share your values so you can strengthen and encourage each other in living high standards." (This does not mean that you can't be friends with people of other religions, it simply means to be friends with those who aren't going to ask you to participate in bad things.)

"To have a good friend, you must first be a good friend."

"As you seek friends, do not ever compromise your standards." (see above)

"How do you define a friend?" (Social media describes a friend as someone who "follows" you. They could simply be an acquaintance, or a contact. Do you have any personal relationship with that person? Are they really a friend?)

"Sometimes we become too preoccupied by having a friend, rather we should become occupied with being a friend."

"Are your friends making it easier to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you being a friend that allows living the Gospel to be easier?"

"Are you committed to your friends, or are you 'flaky'?"

"True friends influence those with whom they associate to 'rise a little higher and be a little better'".

"As you live the gospel of Christ you will attract people to you who will want to be your friend-not just a contact on social media- but rather the kind of friend the Savior exemplified by His words and His example."

As you read this article I want to challenge you to look for something that you feel you could work on to become a better friend. Write it down and hang it on your mirror so you see it everyday. This way everyday you will be reminded to work on this thing/s. Also include this in your daily prayers to your Father In Heaven. He will see your desire to become more like The Savior and He will bless you with the strength you need to do so. He will help you change. Click here to read the article.

In closing I just want to testify that I know that friends have a major impact on our lives. They help determine who we are, and who we will become. Our friends can change our lives for the better or the worse. We can also be a friend that changes someone's life for good or bad. What kind of friend are you going to be? I hope that you choose to accept my challenge mentioned above and work on something the next couple of weeks or months to become a better friend. I know that Heavenly Father will bless you to become who you and He wants you to be. I know that you will be able to make the changes you want to make with His help. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, and we must never give up and trust in His atoning power to save us and make us better. I know this is true.

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

Some Things To Share (Part 2)

Last week I started a string of posts including the October 2014 General Conference highlights. Last week I added some Saturday Afternoon talks with the Morning session. I didn't realize I did this until later into the week. So this week I will be adding some from different sessions and I will say what session they are from.

"Continuing Revelation" Given by President Boyd K. Packer (Sunday Morning).
This talk tells us how we need not one flash of light to lead our lives, but a continuing flow (stream) of blessings. We, as a church and as an individual, need constant revelation from Heavenly Father; revelation is not a "thing of old" or a "one time happening," rather a continuous flow. Personal revelation is a gift, and we should never take it lightly as it is specifically for us.

"Ponder the Path of Thy Feet" Given by President Thomas S. Monson. (Sunday Morning)
In this talk we are told that "walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking AS He walked." We need to learn to emulate His example and gain His attributes so we can be better disciples and "come follow Him". We can all walk the path He walked if we choose to be like Him. He is the way. Our "decisions determine our destiny" and we must walk as He walked. Learn to do the Lord's will, not yours and always remember that His path will take you safely home.

"Our Personal Ministries" Given by Elder Hugo E. Martinez (Sunday Afternoon).
In this talk we are reminded to "first observe, then serve." We are told that if we see the opportunity to serve, that we must take the initiative to help and be The Lord's instrument. We must allow ourselves to be placed in people's lives to bless and help them. Remember that when you are doing these things unto His children, ye are doing it unto Him.

"Come and See" Given by Elder David A Bednar (Sunday Afternoon).
I mentioned this talk the week of conference. I wanted to share it again because I love it so much. We as Latter Day Saints are not trying to sell you a product, we are not earning "bonus points" with anyone, we are not trying to convince you to believe as we do, we are simply inviting you to come to know for yourself if the things we believe are true. We are not trying to diminish your religion. Bring all that you know to be true and test our message. Come and see if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ enlarges and enriches that which you already know to be true.


These are the talks I wanted to share with you this week. I just want to bear my testimony along with these, that I know that the restored gospel is the true gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a true prophet. I know that there had to be a restoration of the true gospel because the priesthood power was taken off the earth after all the apostles died. I know that Joseph Smith, through the power of Heavenly Father, restored that gospel and now we are blessed again with the true gospel and the power of the priesthood. I am so thankful for this knowledge and invite you to learn more about it. I know that it is true and I hope and pray that you too will find for yourself that is it true. I love it with all my heart and the happiness it brings me is the best thing I will ever experience.

I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

*These are the links to the full talks.

1. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/continuing-revelation?lang=eng
2. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng
3. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/our-personal-ministries?lang=eng
4. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/come-and-see?lang=eng