The Power of God on Earth

Well, let me dust off this keyboard and mouse...

It's been a few weeks since I've written and it's a new area and a new year for me! These past two weeks have been busy and hectic. I want to share an experience I had last week that has helped me to see God's hand in my life.

As a missionary you get used to riding bikes. We do have cars, but it seems that somehow we still end up riding our bikes much of the time. Me and Elder Lee were riding our bikes last Friday on the way to get some dinner. He was riding first and I was following. As I crossed in front of a gas station, a pickup truck pulled in directly in front of me. I slammed on my brakes, not realizing in time that I had only hit the front brake! So next thing I knew I was on the ground, wondering what had just happened. I had hit my arm on the pavement and it was hurting. Elder Lee came back and we walked the rest of the way to Subway.

I sat down in Subway rather dazed. I was in shock and still marveling at what had happened. Luckily there were some members of the church who were summoned to help us out and they took us to the hospital. But before that happened, I was given a blessing by the power of the Priesthood. This is a blessing from someone that God has given His power and authority to act in His name. A man who holds the Priesthood can act in God's name and give blessings to those around him. Elder Lee gave me a blessing of peace and comfort, with the promise that all would be well if I trusted in the Lord. As we rode to the hospital I felt that peace come over me, and came to myself again! Later we found that my arm was not broken, only bruised, and that with a few weeks it would be normal again.

I know that God's power is on the earth today, and that He still reaches out to all of His children in love. This is the power and authority that is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the power that Jesus Christ Himself used to heal the sick, raise the dead, and walk on water. I know that it is real, and that it can heal you if you will have faith in Jesus Christ.

The Greatest of all Gifts

During the Christmas season, there is a lot of focus on the material things: the wrapping paper, the tree trimmings, the lights, the food, and the presents that are given and received. These items and their presence in our holiday celebrations can bring fun memories and make us feel that there is something truly special about the season. In my family we have all of these things as part of our annual Christmas celebrations. But a question that ought to be in the back of everyone's mind at Christmastime is this: Do I have the Spirit of Christmas - or the Spirit of Christ, and His love - within me, and do I show that love to others?

Christmas isn't really about all the presents. (It can be a real nightmare to clean up all of that stuff afterward anyway.) Rather, it is about the presence of the love of Christ in our hearts. The following video from LDS.org is, in my opinion, a perfect illustration of the love of Christ.

This love is also referred to as Charity. Charity is the "pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47). It is the love that Christ has for all of His children. It is because of that love that He bled from every pore, and suffered and died for our sins. It is the most selfless, pure, and infinite love that we could ever have. The boy in this video gained an understanding of that kind of love when he shared his coat with one who needed it more than he did.

Charity is a gift from God. The way to develop it is also found in Moroni 7: "Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love." I have prayed for charity many times on my mission and as I've served people and done my best to love them, I have found much more happiness than I've ever had before. I want to invite you to pray and work to develop charity in your life this Christmas season. I promise as you do so, you will feel just how much God loves you and all of His children. Look outside of yourself and do something for someone else. That is how you can have the Spirit of Christmas in your life!