God's Commandments...Are you playing hooky?

So have you ever wondered why the Mormons have so many rules? Or have you ever wondered why God has given us so many commandments? Well once again a timeless spongebob episode has the answer.

 In the episode "Hooky" SpongeBob learns of a "carnival" that has come to town and Patrick insists that he go with him. When they arrive SpongeBob remembers the warning of Mr. Krabs had given him to stay away from the dangerous hooks.

Placed by the fishermen above, the hooks with alluring baits seem fun and inviting offering harmless fun to those that want to take a ride. "I sense no danger here," says Patrick, "You just jump off before you get too high. " All of Mr. Krabs warnings were just rules meant to restrict their fun. It wasn't so bad. Patrick was doing it and he was safe. Why couldn't Mr Krabs just lighten up a bit and let them have some fun.

Today there are so many hooks in our water trying to catch us with their alluring baits and illusory pleasures. And those who are caught by those awful hooks are reeled away from the freedom and safety they had on the sea floor. God's commandments help us recognize and avoid Satan's hooks that try to ensnare us. When you know what can hurt you, you can easily avoid the pain. that's why God asks us to keep his commandments. He loves us enough to warn us of the terrible dangers in the waters of life, and how to swim safely through Satan's hooks.

Well unfortunately for Patrick at the end of the episode he couldn't let go of the hook in time and wound up vacuum sealed in a tuna can. So don't be a Patrick. Listen to God's commandments. Playing "hooky" may be fun at first, but you'll soon find yourself trapped in a vacuum sealed can of tuna

Soul Meets Body- Death Cab and the Gospel

"Cause in my head there’s a greyhound station
Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations
So they may have a chance of finding a place
where they’re far more suited than here."
     -Death Cab for Cutie, "Soul Meets Body"

So I don't know about y'all but I absolutely love Death Cab. If anyone hasn't listened to them I highly suggest looking into "Plans" one of their better albums. But I didn't write this blog to promote their music-although it's great! I wanted to talk about some insights I had after pondering one of their more popularly known songs.

Well If you're like me, then alot of times you struggle with your thoughts. Sometimes it really annoying, especially when you're trying really hard in the middle of a temptation to keep your mind where it's supposed to be.

I know that thoughts lead to desires, which motivate actions that develop character, so if we can maintain positive and wholesome thoughts then naturally we become optimistic and more Christlike people.

Boyd K. Packer a modern day apostle explained that our minds are like a stage where our thoughts are constantly being acted out. They key to maintaining good, wholesome thoughts is to use discretion as to who we allow to play on our stage.

So for the thoughts we don't want playing on our stage, imagine yourself at a bus station. Picture the bus driving up, and waving goodbye as the unwanted thoughts board the bus to a far away place- a place where they're "far more suited" than in our minds. What powerful imagery his conjures up- to envision the departure of the unwanted and the arrival of the good and the wholesome! So take Death Cabs advice. Send the negative thoughts away. Put them on that bus and wave goodbye. The ticket is one way, and it will allow that stage to feature much better acts.

Busted!

Well this past week, i was driving down the road like I do every week we have the car in whitefish, and all of the sudden I see those infamous lights.

I pulled over and the officer walked up to me asking the usual: "So do you know why I pulled you over?"  I certainly hadn't been speeding so i told him that I had no idea.

As it turned out, I neglected to stop at a stop sign for which I received a ticket. Ah, it was terrible, but he had the right to issue me a ticket because he's the cop. It did, however, make me feel a little better when an ex-cop who worked for the same police department- as he was driving us home the next day- got pulled over in the same spot for the same reason.

Which got me thinking about authority...What would have happened if the situation had gone a little differently; what if I still unknowingly ran the stop sign, but instead of seeing those awful police light I heard children's music blaring and the ice cream man coming up on me fast.

I'd probably pull over not understanding what was going, and maybe to take advantage of an opportunity for ice cream! But if he had gotten out of he car and tried to write me he ticket, I most certainly would have laughed. He can't do something like that; he doesn't have the right authority.

So it is with the gospel of Christ. Christ gave his apostles authority (Luke 9:1) to govern the church and to baptize. How important it is then to have this authority! How much more exciting then is it to know that that authority was lost after the death of the apostles was restored through Joseph Smith.

What a wonderful thing it is to know that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored as well as the authority to act in Christ's name for the salvation of God's children. And you can know too! The evidence for the restoration of that authority is the Book of Mormon. If you read it, think about what it teaches, and pray about, you too will know it's true

Spongebob and the Gospel

The other day a bunch of us missionaries were all talking about cartoons that we used to watch before we came out on our missions. A couple of classics came up, Doug, Rocko's Modern Life, and then someone brought up Spongebob. We all started talking about which episodes were our favorites, and one of he missionaries talked about the episode where Squidward has his first Krabby Patty. As I was thinking about it, i realized that in this "Green Eggs and ham" story there was alot of similarities between Squidwards experience and the experiences of soe of the people I've been able to meet in Montana.

So in this episode, Spongebob learns that Squidward has never experienced the joy of eating a delicious krabby Patty. Squidward is a stubborn and bull headed as he normally is, drawing on assumptions rather than actual experience to form his opinion of the krabby patty. Spongebob tries to explain to him that he's missing out on a wonderful experience by not even trying the krabby patty to see if it's good.

So, reluctantly Squidward takes a bite. Nervous, afraid that he could have been wrong in his previous assumptions, but also recognizing that he did need to try the krabby patty experiment before he could know for himself whether it was good, he took a bite.

After taking the small bite Squidward's reaction was undeniable. Spongebob noticed right away the transformation in Squidward despite Squidward's attempts to hide it. Even more reluctantly than trying the krabby patty Squidward admitted that he enjoyed what he tasted. But the effects were too much for him to contain.


He couldn't get enough. He loved the experience so much that it began to permeate every thought; he became obsessed with eating more and more crabby patties until he eventually exploded.

While the teachings of Christ won't make us explode when we open ourselves to the beauty of His message, it will stir in us a desire to learn more, to have more fully in our lives his presence, but oftentimes people are afraid to take that small bite. They may think that either because they have already made up their minds like Squidward they do not need to try because they already "know," or they may be afraid of actually enjoying the thing that they're trying.

There is a chapter in the Book of Mormon: Alma chapter 32, which states:

"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words...

  Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed... behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

So don't be a Squidward; try it out! See if you like the taste. See if it grows within you, and see if it is good. 

Don't be afraid the results. The only thing that'll happen is that you'll know for yourself. 

Click on "krabby patty" to try for yourself the experiment, and learn whether or not its good. I know I've tried it, and just like Squidward i can't get enough; that's why out to share it.

 KRABBY PATTY

The Reality of the Resurrection

This past week I've been doing a lot of contemplating on he nature of the Savior's suffering, death, and resurrection in light of some tragic news that I received at the end of last week. My cousin Jay, who was serving in he military, died.

And there's that awful word: Death. The end of our family; the end of all hope; the end of everything. or, so It would be without Christ. 

Chapter 15 in 1 Corinthians gave me tremendous comfort, and I'd like to share what comforted me with any that need that same comfort.

"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present"  (1 Corinthians 15 3-6).

 [But] now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God...

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death

For he hath put all things under his feet." ( 1 Cortinthians 19-27).


Adam may have brought death into the world when he partook of the fruit, but even death has been conquered by the Savior, and we have witnesses to his resurrection all throughout the scriptures. Christ's death- the reason for it- was so that we could all live again. He conquered death so that we too might conquer death. I know I'll see my cousin in the future, and that hope comes through my Savior Jesus Christ. 


He is the "Resurrection and the Life," and because of him, we too will live again.

This is the Christ Musical Fireside

This past Easter weekend the missionaries up here in the Kalispell zone put together a musical fireside about the life and resurrection of the Savior.

Click here to download the audio of the fireside.

Make sure you click the "download file" not the large blue button.

The spirit of that fireside truly was unique; I'd encourage everyone to give it a listen.

Finding Christ in the Old Testament: Noah

So, leaving off with Adam, we move through the Old Testament until we get to one of the most famous prophets, Noah. When we arrive at a description of Noah in Genesis chapter six, we find that he was "a just man and perfect in his generation" ( Genesis 6:9). however, the people who lived at the time of Noah were far from having "found grace in the eyes of the Lord" These people were extremely wicked and Noah was called to preach repentance to them. He warned them of the flood, but instead of heeding his prophetic words of deliverance, they mocked him. After being instructed to build an ark, only he and his family boarded the vessel of safety. He did "all that the Lord commanded him" to do, but only a very few believed on his words.

As the story goes, animals came and boarded the Ark, and a week later the floods came; 40 days and 40 nights it rained, and only Noah and his family survived. After the 40 days and nights had ended and the waters receded, he started anew, and he and his sons were commanded to "replenish the earth" (Genesis 9:1)

So, what does this have to do with Christ? In what ways did the life of Noah mirror that of the Saviors?

Well from the beginning of his description he was "perfect in his generation" just as the Savior was perfect. he preached to people who largely rejected him, yet still he kept all of God's commandments. He built a ark, or a means of saving humanity from death, but only he and his family were saved; the ark then is a symbol of Christ's death for us and when we accept him as our Savior through baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost we take upon ourselves his name, thereby entering into his family, so to speak. So just as those that followed Noah were saved by death, so too are they that follow Christ saved from death. He is our Savior,and we can learn so much about him by reading of him in the scriptures.