Pionner Day

To most people, July 24th is just like every other day, however, to me it is a day to remember the sacrifices made by the early pioneers of this church. This past week our family was able to celebrate Pioneer Day by making fig newton, marshmallow covered wagons. Though it is a silly activity, we hope it will be something fun for our kids to grow doing to help remember this special day.

As Christopher Columbus made the voyage to the Americas and the pilgrims followed so long ago, we saw how important it was for people then to have their freedom and the right to practice their religious beliefs. This desire never died as we continue to travel forward in time and Jospeh Smith restored Christ's church to the earth. These early members desired to practice their beliefs but faced much persecution for it.

Early saints were forced from their homes moving from one place to another until they reached Nauvoo, Illinois. It was not the most desirable place to build a community, nevertheless, a place where early members of the Church of Jesus Christ believed they would be able to live in peace with the gospel being a part of their lives. Unfortunately, this was not the case and they made one more trek, the longest of all, westward until they reached the Great Salt Lake 161 years ago in Utah, which is now the church's headquarters.

My family was able to take a vacation a couple years ago and visit many church sites, one being Nauvoo, Illinois. This was such a special experience for me as my testimony and gratitude for these people grew so much. When they arrived there it was a swampy, ugly place, but they turned it into a beautiful city and built a temple to the Lord there. It took a lot of hard work and today many buildings still stand.

It is amazing to see their dedication put forth to build this city and their faith to leave it all, not even knowing where they would end up. The Nauvoo Temple is, in my opinion, the most beautiful. For these people to sacrifice so much to build it and then leave it, near complete, must have been so difficult. Two years after the saints left Nauvoo it was burned and left as rubble by a tornado two years after that. In April 1999 President Gordon B. Hinkley announced a replica of this beautiful temple would be re-built in the same spot. I am so grateful that decision was made so that I could visit this monument which stands as a symbol of their true love of God, Jesus Christ and everything else this gospel stands for. Nauvoo is a special place and the spirit resides so strong there, it was an amazing place to visit and remember my heritage.

Marriage is Ordained of God

"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God" -The Family Proclamation

In the past few months I got the priviledge of seeing my two sisters take the man they love into the House of the Lord and be married. Being in the room with them and watching the ceremony there were two things that stood out to me. At my younger sister's wedding I kept thinking, "she looks SO happy" and at my older sister's wedding I kept thinking, "She looks SO pretty." Now I have pretty sisters and we always smile, but this day I saw something different.

I've thought about it and I came to realize she looked so happy because she was doing what God wants us all to do. "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? / Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh." - Matthew 19:5-6 She found someone she loved and was sealed to him in the temple. I believe God witnessed that and will bless them for making right choices.

Similarly, my older sister was so beautiful because she had the spirit with her. She had that happiness. I was so happy for each of them that they can now share in that joy I have. I know that because this eternal marriage is ordained of God I have responsibility in doing my part to keep God a part of my marriage and keeping the commandments.

Salt Lake Temple Trip

Yesterday, Jill and I were able to go to the Salt Lake Temple. One of my closest mission companions is getting married soon, and his fiance was recieving her endowment--an ordinance or religious rite performed in our temples. The endowment includes covenants that we make similar to those at baptism. We promise to live according to God's commandments, and He promises to bless us. It was a great expirience. When I had some time to myself I was able to sit and ponder for a minute in the temple. I really felt the presence of the Lord. I could feel that it was a sacred place and I knew that the power of God and revelation has been restored today. We feel so blessed to be able to visit these sacred places where the spirit of the Lord is so strong, and where the Lord himself may visit from time to time.

I am a child of God

"Each (person) is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."
-The Family: A Proclamation to the World



Mark 10:16 "And he took them (the children) up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."


This is similar to the baby blessings we perform today. When Christ blessed the children, he did so with the authority from God. Today we have that same authority, the Melchezidek Priesthood, which was restored to the earth to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by Peter James and John. After a baby is born, a Melchezidek priesthood leader, usually the father, gives the child a name and a blessing.



Our child was blessed about a month after he was born. During this blessing he was blessed that he would grow healthy and strong, remember his forefathers and their righteous works and that that righteousness would continue to him. He was blessed to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified for the sins of the world and that he would be a missionary to share that testimony with others.


It was a very special experience for me as I felt the spirit testify to me that he was a son of God who loved him very much. I felt blessed to be trusted to raise this very special spirit. I felt excitement and joy that he would be an instrument in God's hands in sharing this gospel and bringing happiness to many others. I was reminded of my responsibility to raise this child in a home of love and teach him correct principles.


I am so thankful I have a knowledge of the Plan of Happiness, God's plan for each and every one of us. That we lived before we came to earth and that we can return to live with God. We will be judged according to our works and the desires of our hearts. I know God loves all of us and wants us to return to him.

What we believe about families...

One of the reasons that we believe so firmly in the importance of families is because of a document issued by our living prophets and apostles, called "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". We try to live by the guidelines set forth and believe that these words have come from God, Our Heavenly Father, so that we can be happy in this life. To read the proclamation, its only one page long, follow this link: Read the Proclamation

The Name of the Blog...

The name of the blog is a quote from Ephesians 1:10 in the New Testament. We chose this name because it represents the reason why we live the way we do. Why did we get married so young? Why do we have a child so soon? Why do we spend so much time serving in our church, etc?

The apostle Paul in the New Testament (along with so many other prophets and apostles) prophesied that in the last days (our days!) that there would be a "dispensation of the fullness of times"--in other words a period of time when God would reach out to his children again by calling prophets and restoring all the truths from every era in the past. We live in this time.

In 1820, God the father and His Son Jesus Christ personally ushered in this new era. They visited a young man named Joseph Smith and called him to be a prophet just like Noah, Moses or Abraham from the bible.


Through Joseph Smith, Heavenly Father restored, or brought back to mankind, his power and authority to act in religious affairs. God revealed commandments for those who believe in him. We live by those commandments, or try to the best we can. Since Joesph Smith, God has continued to call prophets to guide us and give us a "fullness" of gospel truths. We try to structure our family around those truths. This blog is all about why we do what we do and live like we live.