I'm a Mormon

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The Cross?

Today I went on a tour of temple square and of the conference center with my mom. It was such a great tour and the spirit was so strong. On our way up to Ogden after the tour my mom mentioned how similar the Catholic faith was to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and how she was disappointed that there weren't any crosses. I froze up, but was driven into deeper thought concerning the matter. 

The cross is something that in Christianity is used as a symbol of Christ, but throughout modern times it has become used in many ways contrary to religion, and has even in some cases been used inappropriately. 

In LDS literature and buildings I think about when we see the cross, and something stood out to me. When we see the cross, it isn't just the cross we see, but Jesus suffering upon it. The cross isn't just a sign for Jesus, but a sign for what he did for us, which is deeper than what happened on the cross.

The atonement. The suffering of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. How he bleed from every pore and how he took upon our sins there. Every pain we have ever encountered he has experienced. Emotional, physical, all of it. The act of his atonement was then finished upon the cross of Calvary. 

So looking back, the cross wasn't all that Christ suffered, there was a lot more that took place in the garden. There are two parts to the most important thing that has ever happened in the history of the world. Taking upon the sins of mankind. It started in the garden, and was then finished upon the cross. 

Why only symbolize one, when so much of the saviors trial was in the other? 

Be Willing.

Be willing to change. Be willing to become the person Heavenly Father wants us to become. Be willing to change through the Atonement of Christ. 

When people said "change through the Atonement" I was confused. How can you change through the act of someone else? The Atonement is much more than an act, the Atonement is everything. It's how we can let go of our trials, guilt, troubles, inperfections, everything. Believing in the Atonement is believing in life after death. The Atonement gives us the ability for our sins to be forgiven. When we repent, it should bring about a change in our hearts, and a willingness to become better people. The first step in becoming like Christ is our willingness to accept that we are nothing compared to the glory we can become. Not saying that we are nothing, and unimportant or insignificant, but that compared to the glory Christ there's a lot to catch up on! 

Be willing. 

Be willing to change. To become something more. To be willing to pray to our father in heaven to help us.

He is there. He is ready. He just wants us to come to him, so he can make us perfect in him. 

CHARITY.

During His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ was asked which commandment was the greatest or most important. He answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” 

When studying the life and ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ there is one attribute of our savior that stands out among the rest. Charity. The pure love Christ showed throughout his entire life. The purest kind of love in the history of the world being shown by him in the atonement. In reading Paul’s words to the corinthians, I ponder the meaning of this phrase “faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” In his farewell message to the Lamanites, Moroni declared “Except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God” And one of the strongest statements in all of scripture (and this occurs twice in Moroni) "For if he have not charity, ye are nothing"

I think what Paul and Moroni meant in these statements was that if we're not acting in love, it's not seen in the eyes of God. We can't go doing good when are hearts aren't moving in conjunction with good. 

Charity is pure love - and more specifically the pure love of Christ. 

President Thomas S. Monson said "There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted. True charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere.

Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others." 

As imperfect human beings obtaining this may seem very difficult and even impossible, but to you brothers and sisters I ask this question. 

What if love were our only motive? 

This past week in studying this topic I have been asking myself this question. As a student, I might be motivated to make good grades. This isn't necessarily an evil motive, but it isn't enough. I might make straight A's, get into graduate school, or land the best job, but again as Moroni taught "if we have not charity, we are nothing" We can even do things with less than lottable motives. 

When my parents ask me to do a simple chore, I can either complain and have a negative attitude about it, or I can go and do the things they ask with the intention of good in my heart. Doing the things they ask me because I love them and more importantly love the lord. 

For the Savior, love and charity were identical. All of His acts of charity were done not from a sense of duty, but from a deep feeling of love for all He encountered. 

Why we do things is more important than what we do. Acts that appear good on the surface may not be pure. And the purest motive of all is love. Is it really possible to do everything out of love? 

Is it possible to do something asked of us that we really don't want to do with full love? 

Is it possible to love someone who has wronged us? 

I think all of us in a way can relate to the story of the prodigal son. One who has gone away, but has come back to the right path. But we can also relate to the brother of the prodigal son, who resented is brother for all the positive attention he was getting from his father. The fathers only motive was love for both of his sons. He forgave one, and helped the other come in and celebrate the return of his brother. 

We learn in Moroni chapter 7 that charity suffereth long, it is kind, and not easily provoked. We learn that charity never faileth and it endures forever. Charity is strong. 

So how can we obtain this strongest of attributes? 

The way we can become more charitable is by studying the life of Jesus Christ and keeping his commandments. Look at Christ. He lacked selfishness, vanity, ego, self-centeredness, he never sought his own advancement. He looked outwards not inwards. 

The first step in obtaining Charity, would be to pray for it. Don't we take all our imperfections to the Lord and repent ask for his strength?! When we repent of our wrongdoings, don't we desire to become better?! 

Moroni 7:48 reads: "Wherefore my beloved brethren, pray unto the father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with his love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are the true followers of his son, Jesus Christ; that he may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have his hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure." 

I love what Preach My Gospel says about Charity in the Christlike Attributes Chapter, it reads: "Charity is a gift from God. The prophet Mormon said that we should "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that we may be filled with his love" As you follow this counsel and strive to do righteous works, your love for all people will increase, especially those among you labor. You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are struggling or discouraged. Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself." 

I think we can obtain this pure love by being anxiously engaged in seeking it. If we have real intent for obtaining it, then we can. Something I have discovered is that where much is desired, much is given. Our Heavenly Father knows our desires, and will reward us according to the desires or our heart.  

Again I ask, what if love were our only motive? Magnifying that gift of pure love in our hearts will bring an ever increasing love and peace. We will begin to act more like him, and the attributes of natural man will begin to diminish within us and will begin to be replaced by the heart and mind of our savior Jesus Christ. 

Thoughts on Conversion

If you would've told me 2 years ago I would be a Mormon convert I probably would have laughed at you. Really. Prior to investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I didn't care about practicing a religion at all really. The concept of religion is what interested me, not salvation. Sometimes I question why salvation and life after death wasn't something I thought of, or cared about most of my life to this point. Being brought up in the south everything revolves around protestantism,  and mainly the Baptist religion. The main factor in these churches (especially in Alabama) is accepting Jesus Christ in your heart and being saved through that (which I had already done at that time of my life). Another thing that might have led to not questioning my salvation was the lack of Christianity and prayer in public school. When you spend most of your time at school, you spend most of your time thinking about school related things (which most of the time isn't religious).
Which leads me to think that most of your religious influence isn't based on what you truly believe, but who you are around and what is "normal" in the society to live in.
When we come to this earth, we are born into a families who make a great impact in leading the course of our life. Who we become, what we do, where we live, and the society and culture we are around. When born into culture, comes religion. 

Our family and our religion a lot of the time become connected. We want to please our parents and family since we love them very much. Even when we grow older, get married, and have children of our own, the bonds of generations of family still exist. This makes it very difficult for people to change. To be a pioneer in there family, and to embark on a journey that is unknown. When going against what the rest of your family believes, it may cause problems in relationships, and many hardships. I have recently heard the phrase "live the adventure" and when I think adventure I think the unknown. Embarking on something that isn't seen. The times we take the greatest risks in life are the times we are most rewarded. Do something new. Do something right. 

Be a poineer. 

Look to the temple.

I was thinking, why do people say this phrase all the time, to "look to the temple." Those against the church say it's a way of brainwashing and manipulation towards its members. The church says it is because of the sacred ordinances thereof. 

The church is right, it's because of the sacred ordinances. But there is a greater purpose behind why we look to the temple besides the ordinances. 

It's because when we look to the temple, we are looking to Christ. Christ looked after others, not himself. 

Members of the church go to the temple most of the time to complete ordinances for people who have already passed on. 

We are baptized members of the church outside temple walls. Inside temple walls we baptize and confirm others who did not have a chance to do that while on this earth. (See John 3:5)  We are not looking to ourselves when going, but are looking to others. We are helping them do something, and they can accept it. Even if they have left this earth. 

Another ordinance members perform in temples is the endowment. Endowment means gift, or bestowal. It is a blessing recieved from on high. We complete this ordinance for ourselves in the temple, and after that, for others. The same for the sealing (eternal marriage.) 

In the beginning of the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon it speaks of a great prophet by the name of King Benjamin. He had 3 sons and one of them was named Mosiah. Mosiah was chosen as King. Mosiah made a proclamation throughout the land that people gather and hear the great words of Benjamin. A great number of people came to the temple to hear him speak. So many that there wasn't enough room in the temple to instruct them all. 

They pitched there tents around the temple. Every man having his tent with the door towards the temple. (Mosiah 2:6) Looking to the temple. Looking towards the prophet. Looking to succor the words of Christ. 

I don't think the people in the land of Zarahemla just put the doors toward the temple to sit to listen. It was because they wanted to look unto the temple. Every morning the first thing, to walk out and see it there. To remember it. 

Today we all don't have the luxury of having a temple across the street, or even being able to see it often. But we can remember it in our lives. We can ponder every day what we have felt in the temple, and what we look for every time we go. The temple can be within us. 

So remember the temple. Study the teachings of it. Look towards it always. It will be your beacon of Light in the midst of the things of the world.

(www.ldschurchtemples.com)

Happy Fathers Day!

Today is Sunday and I didn't go to church. I know...you're probably asking why since it's the sabbath, and partaking of the sacrament is super important, but I had something more important to do. Spend time with my family, and in particular my daddy! I love my dad, he's not a member of the church if you can't already tell, but spending time with him is one of the most important things I can do! I don't have much more time with him all the time since I'm moving up to Idaho for college. I love my family. I was put with them for a reason. I learn from them, grow from them, learn from there mistakes (haha :) and are super blessed. Some days I feel sad how I don't sit with them at church every week, and how we're not sealed in the temple. But then I remember: how great is our God?! To bless me with a family that he knows is what I need. I think about the future, and you know what, they may never join the church while they're here on earth but all I can do is love them! I'm so thankful for the plan of salvation, and that God knows EVERYONE. There hearts may not be prepared to hear it right now, but in Heavenly Fathers time they will. 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Becoming Better.

I do wrong all the time. I mean no one is perfect here on earth! Every day I have come into the habit of praying on my knees in the morning and in the night. It's something I think everyone should do! (It makes your day better I think, by starting and ending your day with Christ.) 

Every night when I'm reading my scriptures before bed, I tend to reflect upon my day. What I did, how I did, and how I impacted other people based on my actions. Every time there is at least one thing I did wrong (most of the time A LOT more than that!) 

The first thing to do is pray about it. Ask Heavenly Father how I can do better (and through little things, he will show you!) It's crazy how faith can help you. And Heavenly Father understands your mistakes. 

That leads me to repentance. 

I have noticed some people beat themselves up when they do something wrong. You shouldn't do that, we're all human and make mistakes. But do you know what's amazing? The atonement of Jesus Christ. That you have the power to be forgiven! 

The atonement makes us better people if you use it properly. Noticing your mistakes and wanting to correct them teaches you not to do them again. And when you have that sincere desire to follow Christ, you will do everything you can to follow him. 

For me, the desire to follow Christ has grown. It just doesn't come all at once. But when you start and see how it brings happiness and comfort into your life your desire will grow! 

We're not perfect, but through Christ we can be made better. 

Paul told us:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

(Galatians 2:20)

May 2015 Bessemer Stake Conference Talk

I'll begin with sharing a little about myself and in the process about my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and what I've learned with facing trail while following Gods light. 

I grew up Catholic. People told me the Catholic Church was true because it was the first one established. I was always confused about religion, and why it was a big deal.

I attended Catholic Sunday School, but by the end of it I didn't even know how to find a verse in the Bible. I never really cared about going to church.

My junior year of high school, I got to know a great kid named Daniel in Jazz Band. I found out he was mormon and started asking him crazy questions. 

 I started looking up everything I could find about the church and was drawn to learn more. I watched Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the restoration. I was enthralled by it. Joseph Smith was someone who desired to know the truth. And at the time, maybe I didn't even know it, but I desired to know the truth also. 

When I first met with the missionaries I wanted to know everything. It felt as they taught me like I already knew of this doctrine, I was just being reminded of it. I read the Book of Mormon, and desired to know if it was true. 

The promise in Moroni 10:4 shocked me. Asking for myself if something was true. It seemed crazy for me to think a 17 year old girl from Alabama could pray directly to Heavenly Father and receive an answer. But I did. I felt such an overwhelming spirit I started crying, something I never did. I knew it was true. All of it. 

I had just turned 17 at the time. My parents were against me going to church and thought the Mormons were the farthest thing from Christianity. I tried to explain to them how these things were of God, but they did not want to listen. 

The day I told my dad I wanted to join the church was the hardest day of my life. He was the one most against it. When I told him he said : "you might as well leave our family if you're going to do this." He wouldn't talk to me for a week. My mother said this was hurting her and our family. 

Time went on and I would sneak out to go to church and to meet with the missionaries. What brought joy to me more than anything was going to church and reading the Book of Mormon. Times got tough. Some days I would ask myself "if this is what God wants me to do, than why isn't this happening?" 

My parents told me they thought they had failed as parents. They would not let me get baptized, something I wanted more than anything ever in my life. 

After over a year of waiting and numerous trials of my faith, they let me get baptized 3 days before my 18th birthday after a lot of prayer and begging, and on  April 11, 2015 I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but the best thing I will ever do. 

Sometimes you have to forget about yourself, and fall into what God has prepared for you. It's already there, you just have to follow him and accept it. 

What got me through numerous trials during that time of my life was faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was holding fast in the hope in Gods light. It was knowing this was what I needed to do. The happiness I feel that comes from the church is something that couldn't come from this world, but from the power on high.  The contrast is HUGE. And the difference is REAL. 

I learned so much in the year I had in waiting to be baptized. Things that if I didn't experience the trials, I wouldn't have learned. This is why Heavenly Father had me wait. 

These trials were actually blessings.

I learned 

patience, to understand that sometimes what you want is small compared to what God has for you later. That what you are experiencing is always temporary, and trials are actually for your benefit, and you just have to wait for the blessings. It may take a while, but as long as you press forward they will come. 

(I learned) Faith, to hope for the best in all things regardless of the circumstance you are in, and to know everything will work out Heavenly Fathers way. Walking in Faith, not knowing what is going to happen, but knowing it's right.

 I learned If you keep His commandments you will grow in faith and in hope. That you will be given strength to overcome all of life's trials. 

(I learned) prayer, that I was able to turn to God at any moment, and that he understands my trails and pain.

(I learned) the power of the atonement, the power to be forgiven of all of life's mistakes through repentance, and slowly becoming a better person through that. 

 

I learned how important the scriptures are, and the blessings and important lessons that come from them. That the scriptures themselves are a blessing to all of us here on earth. And that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

I learned to NEVER take the gospel for granted. 

And the most important thing that I gained was A STRONG TESTIMONY OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. A TESTIMONY THAT THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH.

It says in Luke chapter 6: (Luke 6:48)

"He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock."

The answer to laying your foundation upon a rock is simple. It's like Alma did "knowing these things for myself" Knowing Christ. Making your testimony an anchor of your faith. 

Brothers and Sisters, you will experience trial in your life. That is part of the reason we are on this earth. 

The way to overcome it is your testimony. It's the strongest and greatest thing you will ever possess in this life. So no trail can take you down. 

I have felt the blessings of this gospel. My parents hearts have been softened a lot since I started investigating the church. My mother actually attended my baptism. I will be attending BYU-Idaho in the fall, and plan on serving a mission a year from now. Things do work out in Gods time. 

I testify to you that this is the true church.

That's why I plead with everyone, to ask. To know for yourself. For to stay on the "straight and narrow path and to "stay on the iron rod" is to know. To have a testimony where all you want to do is follow Him and feel of his love. 

Blessings and Nerves

So on Thursday night I got a phone call from President Johnson, our Stake President. I was a little surprised he was calling me, I mean he's an extremely nice person who has a similar conversion story as me. 

I answer the phone and he asks me how I'm doing and everything. Then he asks "Kristina, we have Stake Conference next Sunday on May 31st. And myself and Elder Kopischke (of the 1st quorum of the 70!) would like you to speak." 

I was shocked. Out of everyone in our Stake (which is huge), me? I thought of this scripture in 1 Corinthians 1. 

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

(1 Cor. 1:27) 

There was only one problem. My family was scheduled to leave for Key West on the 29th. I told President Johnson that I will have to check. I asked my parents if I could fly out late (and use my own money for the plane ticket). They said it should be fine. This is a HUGE honor to speak. And it was by assignment from Elder Kopischke. So I couldn't bring myself to say no. If this was the Lord wanting me to speak, I was going to speak. 

It turns out too that one of the missionaries that I know is going to be playing the violin at the same stake conference! She was supposed to already be home, but she got hurt and had to go home for a little while. (I got to see her while I was in Utah!) 

It's crazy how things work out like they're supposed to. 

Well, it's going to be the craziest thing preparing a talk for 400 people. They want me to speak on my story and what I learned from it. (I'll post my talk on here!) it's a blessing, but I'm going to be very nervous. I just have to pray. And I'm not worried because everything works out in Gods way. 

Family History Blessings

Welllll after about 2 weeks I finally got my church membership record number! It was so cool to log into my LDS account even though there's not really much else I can do (but hey, I can sync my scripture markings on my devices!) 

But then I got to add my church membership number to something even cooler...FAMILY SEARCH. 

I had already had a Family Search account for a few months, but it didn't show any of the temple work stuff on there (you know, you have to be a member to do that stuff). But all the ordinance work finally showed up. Needless to say I spent four hours on there... 

Then something even cooler happened. My great great grandmothers work HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. I started crying. The thought of some of my family already accepting the ordinances of the gospel was incredible. It was a major blessing. 

1 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

2 And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.

(D&C 2) 

5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

(Malachi 4:5-6)

Faith or Works

Before we can understand how we are "saved" from our transgressions, we need to understand about Gods grace and what it means. 

When I think of the word grace, I think about the popular song and hymn "amazing grace" 

Some of the lyrics are "amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrench like me." 

Being Gods loving grace, his sacrifice, his atonement for our sins. HE made it possible so that everyone can be raised up, and be made into something greater than we are now.

Through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins, we can receive assistance to do good works that we would otherwise not be able to maintain by our own means.

Grace is an enabling power that allows people to hold fast on eternal life after they have given there best efforts to keep their covenants and follow our savior Jesus Christ. 

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

(James 2:18-20) 

A great example upon how God's grace makes repentance possible, is expressed in Jesus' parable of the vine and branches. (see John 15:1-11) 

 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: 

Not of works, least any man should boast. 

(Ephesians 2:8-9) 

This scripture in Ephesians 2 has brought unto me a lot of thought about how we are saved. Being born and raised in Alabama around many Protestant religions, most of them teach that if we accept Jesus Christ in our hearts we will be saved. 

This lead me to ask, then why are there commandments? Why did Jesus Christ ask us to "come follow me" and walk in the path of rightiousness and be good people if we could just accept him and move on? 

This is where I thought "works are the true way to discern the true followers of Christ, the ones who speak with there words they are of Christ, but there hearts and disires are far from him."

That's where I though how the three kingdoms of heaven make complete since. We are all raised up after death at the judgement day, and what glory we are placed in depends on our faith and how we accepted His gospel and followed him on earth. (See 1Corinthians 15:40-41) 

Being a disciple of Christ isn't just showing up to Church on Sunday, it's something you yearn to be all the time. Putting Christ first in everything. Really putting your faith in him and following him. That is truly accepting him.

Most likely we are going to make mistakes, that's when grace and faith come in, and we have the beautiful gift of repentance. True repentance isn't just telling God "I'm sorry", it's telling God "forgive me of my mistakes, I am going to try my hardest to do better." Repenting is progression, it's slowly trying to become more like your Father in Heaven. 

(lds.org) 

Works and Faith go together. You can't have one without the other. 

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.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

(Ephesians 4:4-7) 

Why a Temple?

The Holiness to The Lord

The House of The Lord

This verse is engraved on all of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

It was actually written on the first temple, a moveable temple that the children of Israel carried during their travels through the wilderness. They went through all the trouble of carrying a temple, why? To receive inspiration and guidance from The Lord. The same reason temples are used In the restored church today. 

     (Salt Lake City, Utah Temple) 

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God" - D&C 88:119

Ancient Temples

From the beginning of time The Lord has declared to his people to build temples. 

The best know temple, mentioned in the Bible, was built in Jerusalem during the days of Soloman. This temple was destroyed in 587 B.C. but was rebuilt by Zerubbabel around 70 years later. This rebuilt temple was partially burned in 37 B.C. and was partially rebuilt by Herod the Great, the rebuilding continued in A.D. 64, but was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. 

Some people might think that the building of Temples seized with the coming of Jesus Christ, but by the temple being rebuilt after the coming of Christ we know that this was not the case. The adversary was strong in stopping the growth of a temple so close to after the ministry of Jesus Christ. 

      (Payson, Utah Temple - Under Construction) 

Why so many Temples?

The LDS church has 144 operating temples, 15 under construction, and 14 announced all over the world. The Jews recognize only one temple in Jerusalem. So that may lead people to ask, Why do we need and recognize so many temples as Houses of The Lord? 

Ancient Israelites needed only one temple at the time due to everything being geographically constricted. (You could now fit over 25 Israel's in the state of Alaska!) Now, due to growth in population and migration geographically all over the world it would be extremely difficult for members to go to one central location during there life to partake of these sacred temple ordinances. 

Incidentally, there were also other places of worship in Israel besides the Jerusalem Temple, though worship was centralized in that Temple. 

- Gideon's Shrine in the Easten Jezreel Valley (Judges 6:24-26) 

- Solomon's high place at Gibeon (1 Kings 3:2-5) 

- Elijah's altar on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:30) 

Today there are temples all the way from Utah, to Birmingham Alabama, to Johannesberg South Africa, and even Hong Kong!) 

Baptisms for the Dead

Baptisms for the Dead are one of the ordinances of the gospel performed in The Lords holy temples.

Baptisms for the dead were not performed in the Jerusalem Temple, nor were any ordinances for the dead because Jesus Christ had not organized that work. Not until his visit to the spirit world between his death and resurrection (1 Peter 3:18-19, D&C 138). Baptisms for the dead were mentioned only after Christs resurrection (1 Corintians 15:29). 

I had the blessing of going to the temple to do Baptisms for the Dead a couple of weeks ago. I somewhat knew what to expect, because this is a simple ordinance that I had already partaken of when I received my own baptism. There was just one difference. I went to the House of The Lord to do them for people who did not have the oppourtunity to do them while on this earth. 

It was an incredible experience. With every baptism I could feel the spirit so strong, and it felt a little different. I was acting as an agent for the exhaltation of another persons immortal soul. In the temple, all the things of the world just seem to leave your mind and you can only focus on happy, spiritual things. I encourage everyone who can to go to experience this for yourself, and to gain a testimony of the temple and of the powers within. 

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 

(John 3:5) 

Me.

I guess I should start this out with a little about myself. I'm Kristina, I'm 18 years old and I'm from and currently live in Alabama. And I'm a Mormon. 

I converted to the church a few weeks ago actually. One of the craziest steps I've ever taken in my life, but it's the best thing I've ever done and the best thing I will ever do. 

Growing up I never made the best decisions. I had some problems making friends (mostly because I was that mean). As I hit my early teenage years I started having a lot of depression, gained weight and was seriously unhappy. Once I hit High School things started getting a little better, and I was getting better. 

I was in Jazz Band (and something you've gotta know about me is I'm a musician! I play the saxophone) and there was this kid who annoyed me so much, he was pretty good (though I would NEVER admit that!) What's interesting is that I never knew why I was so mean to this kid, I thought I was mostly happy all the time. His name is Daniel. 

I eventually found out Daniel was Mormon. I thought it was rather "mystical" and started asking him the craziest questions about it. Growing up a Catholic in a very Protestant part of the country I found religion interesting, but rather annoying and I never really thought about it. 

I asked him about G's and if they pray to Joseph Smith and all these insane questions. He mostly blew me off because he thought I was kidding but I was dead serious! I looked up more about it online and it lead to some rather crazy stuff. 

Well a few months later I found myself at the Jazz Educators Network concert in Dallas, Texas. Daniels father was a chaperone. I found this as a great opportunity to completely embarrass Daniel in front of his dad, and started asking him questions about the church. It was kind of funny because I got to her the Brigham Young University Synthesis Jazz Band play too - it was really good! 

A few weeks later I found myself sitting at home during a week off school due to snow storms, I went on Mormon.org and started watching Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration and a few other movies and "Mormon Messages." I don't even know why I started doing that, but I became so fascinated with it. 

That week I sent a text to Daniel saying "Hey, could I come to church with you?" You could say he was surprised. He was like "are you sure you want to come?" Haha really funny. So leading up to that Sunday was crazy because he actually didn't believe I was coming to church. On Sunday he sent me tons of texts like "are you seriously coming" and "do you know where this place is?" 

Now coming from a Catholic we normally get to church like 10 minutes early to pray and stuff, but little did I know Mormons are on there own time system (MDT) - Mormon Standard Time. Which means the entire congregation shows up 3 minutes before church actually starts. 

When I walked into church I saw these two dudes with name badges on and thought "oh hey, they must work for the church." I walked in the chapel and there were about two people there...I thought Daniel was already there...nope. I asked the guys with the name badges on "Is Daniel here?" One of them said "Yeah I think Brother ... is here." I thought "oh my gosh, he's like ordained?!" Haha. 

In walked Daniels father who said "Kristina, what are you doing here?" I was going to kill Daniel. He didn't even tell his own father I was coming?! I was so embarrassed/ angry at him. We went in and sat down and I had him explain the whole brother/sister thing to me, I looked back and saw a woman who I work out with every morning at CrossFit, Lauren. I told Daniels dad "oh, I know her." He was a little surprised. 

It turns out Lauren was called as Young Women's President just weeks earlier. Crazy, because at the time I was 16, just about to turn 17. Turns out she joined the Church when she turned 18 and didn't have the easiest time with that either.

That Sunday it was fast and testimony meeting (for those of you who don't know what that is it's when members fast for 2 meals and the time during sacrament meeting members of the congregation are invited to bear their testimony of the gospel!) Daniel leaned over and told me "people might start crying, so don't be freaked out." You can say that weirded me out a little. But it probably was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. I felt this feeling, and at the time I didn't know what exactly it was, but I had to find out more. 

I asked Daniel for a Book of Mormon afterwards, being very interested in what it said. I wanted to know everything about this religion. 

I kept reading, and it came to a point where I would spend hours studying the Book of Mormon and things online about it. I also became highly fascinated with temples, I wanted to go inside so bad, but when I found out I couldn't I was a little upset. 

About a week later I met with the missionaries, and we had an interesting lesson. I knew almost everything they were saying and it was like I already knew this doctrine, they were just reminding me of it. I decided to take upon myself to pray to know if it was true. 

A few days later I got my answer. I can't really describe how I felt, but it was just an overflow of emotion, something I definitely didn't feel often. I knew it was true. And I never in my life thought this would happen, but I knew I was meant to be a Mormon. 

Things got really challenging after that. It was like the things of the world were going against me. My parents wouldn't let me get baptized. It took every ounce of courage in my body to tell my father, and when I did things got really bad. I had to sneak out to go to church, had constant fighting about church doctrine, and they were very disappointed in me. 

What got me through it was faith. It was knowing this was Gods will and this is what made me happy. These people made me happy. The happiness that came from the church is something that couldn't come from this world, but from the power on high.  

And about year later, on April 11, 2015, after numerous trials of my faith, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Throughout my journey I would ask myself "If this is true than why isn't this happening now?" And the answer was simple. Heavenly Father has prepared a way. It isn't always how you want it to go, or even how you expect it to go, it's wayyyy better than anything you can ever expect. Through my trails and waiting of becoming a member I learned so many things I would have never learned otherwise.

I learned patience, faith, prayer, the power of the atonement, the power to be forgiven. I learned how important the scriptures are, and the power that comes from them. I learned to NEVER take the gospel for granted. I needed that wisdom, and Heavenly Father provided that (just not in the way I expected.) 

This is the way, the truth, and the light.