Man Must Be Called Of God

    "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof"(Article of Faith: 5).

   In every responsibility in the church whether a primary teacher, a bishop, or an Apostle they are called of God by the same prophecy and are given the authority to do what they do by the laying on of hands by those who already have the authority.

   Isn't that wonderful!? However, who gives us the authority to call an apostle of the Lord? Where did it come from? Jesus Christ himself.

   As shown in the picture above, Jesus Christ called and ordained apostles. He gave them the authority by the laying on of the hands. Now that these apostles had the authority of Christ, they were now authorized to preach His Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof, such as baptism and giving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands as well. They were also able to give that power and authority to others that were worthy of it.

   In 1829, Joseph Smith received the same priesthood authority that Jesus Christ had given to His Apostles. John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus, appeared to Joseph Smith and conferred on him the Aaronic Priesthood. Peter, James, and John (three of Jesus Christ's original Apostles) later appeared to Joseph Smith and conferred on him the Melchizedek Priesthood.

    That is why we have a direct line of authority to Jesus Christ. I know that God truly sent these glorious heavenly messengers to confer Gods authority upon the Prophet Joseph Smith thus fulfilling both in ancient times and in modern times the statement written in Matthew 16:19, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven".

    Whenever Christs church is on the earth, his authority will be on the earth and within that very church.

I Know That I Am Nothing

     First off, I just want to express my love and gratitude for my Mother. She is the most wonderful and amazing woman and I am so grateful for her for everything that she has done for me.
    When I was a child, my older brothers and sisters would always tell me that mom said that she didnt think I would be very tall when I grew up, and that I would be a really small person. She never thought that  I would make it above 6 feet tall. I was often times referred to as the Baby of the family.
    Whenever I play basketball with my brothers, I usually play the role as the rag doll out on the court because I was so skinny. I would easily get pushed around the court by my bigger brothers. I will have you know that I always stayed on the court though.

   
    When I played volleyball in high school I was never the strongest, the tallest, or the highest jumper but I was able to get by, especially with the help of all those around me. Everyday I would practice on my different skills such as passing, setting, and hitting. When it came down to playing games I would say a prayer to my Heavenly Father asking him to help me play to the best of my ability. I know because he helped me, I never left the court thinking that I slacked off. I always did my best.
     Since I have been on my mission I have recognized this principle even more so. I have worked as hard as I can to be the best missionary that I can. I study the scriptures, practice teaching, and actually do teach others the Gospel. Over time I have gotten better at being a missionary. At the end of the day, one thing is apparent, especially now that I have been out a while. I need to rely on the Lord to help me be the best I can be. No matter what I do I still need him, and he magnifies my abilities. I pray to my Heavenly Father everyday before I go out to work to help me, to guide me, and to be there for me to comfort me. I am here to let you all know that he has been there for me. I know that God is there, that he lives, and that without him I am nothing but with him I can do anything!
    In a Book of Mormon story, Alma 26. Alma and his Brother Ammon just had an extremely effective time among the Lamanite people and brought thousands to the knowledge of the Gospel. They were rejoicing over the many people that were now believers in Christ but after everything was said and done, Ammon says, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore i will not boast of myself, but i will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things". I know that I am nothing but that through Him I can do all things! I hope that we may all rely on the Lord and trust in Him because he will help you in everything you do that is right.