The Gift of the Atonement

Christmas was awesome! I love this season, for I love how all of Christendom is turned towards Jesus Christ more than they typically would be. Reflecting on this matchless gift, our Savior, I found myself focusing on specific things He has given us. The greatest of them all, is the Atonement. The Atonement consists of His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, the death on the cross on Golgotha, and His triumph over the grave as He was resurrected from the tomb of Arimathea. We cannot begin to fathom the depths or the importance of this selfless gift.
The Atonement was requisite to the plan of salvation our Eternal Father in Heaven set forth for His children. The scripture goes, "For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made." (Alma 34:9) Without the Atonement, we would all unavoidably perish. There would be no eternal life, there would be no remission of sins, there would be no joy, and we would never again step foot into the presence of that God who gave us life. Simple as that.
Have you ever felt the indescribable joy of divine forgiveness? There is nothing sweeter. As Alma, a Book of Mormon prophet, told his son, "And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy." (Alma 36:20-21) I add my testimony to that of Alma's. There is nothing so sweet as the joy of knowing He remembers them no more. This could not be without the Atonement. For it brings to pass the condition of repentance. (Helaman 14:18) A gift we will be eternally indebted to have received.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I hope you ate well, laughed a ton, and spent it with those you love. I invite you to remember this Divine gift: The Atonement of our Lord. It is the gift that keeps on giving. And it is above the riches of the earth. Never allow yourself to take it for granted or treat it lightly. I will be eternally grateful for it. And I know it to be just and true. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love Elder Hill

What is sacred to you?

What is important to you? Your family? Your friends? Think about something that is most sacred to you. Got it? Alright. Now, I wanna talk about something that is sacred to a hero of mine.
Nephi was commanded to keep a record of the history of his people, and of their dealings with God. He loved the Lord and was ready to keep any commandment given. He really didn't know why he was, other than the Lord had a wise purpose for it. He declared, "I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred." (1 Nephi 19:6) Everything that Nephi wrote down, he viewed it as something of great importance. They were sacred to him. He went to great lengths to preserve and protect this record. He told his predecessors that, "They shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." (1 Nephi 6:6) That is what the Word of God meant to him.
What Nephi said following the declaration of the sacredness of this record really hit me. He said, "For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet." (1 Nephi 19:7) It is obvious that Nephi viewed the Book of Mormon as something of great worth. That is not a secret. And he knew that people would set this sacred record of something as naught, and would completely and entirely take it for granted. The Lord has repeatedly warned His Saints for doing this. The early members of the Church, following her restoration, did that from time to time. And the Lord through His Prophet, rebuked them for it. That is what this record meant to God.
I have gained a deep testimony and love for this other Testament, the Book of Mormon. It means everything to me. It is sacred to me. Why? Because it contains the words of Christ. This little blue book, physically, won't do anything for you. Except maybe provide a perfect coaster for your hot cocoa on the table. But in it you will find the doctrine behind eternal life. The message it contains is powerful. It is life changing. I know I have piped this before, but never take it for granted. Read it. Ask God if it is His word. Then, by His Spirit, you will know that it is true. This witness will make it sacred to you.
I love you all. Stay classy.
Elder Hill

I love the Scriptures!

So the other morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon. The apartment was quiet, the heat was on, and I just finished a bowl of Chocolate Marshmallow Mateys. Life at this point, is awesome. I came across a scripture that really struck a chord with me. Seemingly impossible, life got even better. This verse reads, "...whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction." (1 Nephi 15:24) This testimony is given by one of my personal favorite Prophets from the Book of Mormon, Nephi. I paused momentarily, then continued on as the Spirit filled my soul. The next verse reads, "Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things." Nephi has an incredible amount of love for the Word of God. The record that he kept, which we now have, he went to great lengths to preserve and protect. This record was everything to him! Why is that? One may ask. Well, here's why, "...they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good." (2 Nephi 33:10) Jesus Christ is OUR everything. The scriptures, are His words. They teach us what we should do. They strenghten our faith in Him. And they can calm the greatest tempest within our souls. I love the Word of God. I love the Book of Mormon which I know without a shadow of a doubt IS another Testament of Jesus Christ. In these words I find myself. I find peace. And I find the Son of the living God to be more real than I could ever imagine. My friends, feast upon the words of Christ. So many men have risked everything so that we could access them so easily. They are true. And I can promise you that you will 'draw nearer to God by abiding by it's precepts.' Please don't ever allow yourself to take them for granted. I know that I never will. Jesus Christ lives! Read about Him. That promise Nephi gave his brothers in verse 24, is applicable to you and I. I love you all. Stay classy.
Elder Hill

Charity: the Pure Love of Christ

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2) What is charity? According to the Book of Mormon Prophet Moroni, it is 'the pure love of Christ.' This pure love of Christ, 'endures forever.' Love is an eternal principle. And our Father gave us the greatest example of this love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ.
The children of Israel were taught to, "love thy neighbor as thyself." (Leviticus 19:18) But this law, as were most of the laws constituting the Law of Moses, was superseded by the coming of the Savior. He gave His disciples a new commandment, which was to, "love one another; as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Greater love has no man than the Savior for us. He was our greatest example in all things. Especially in love for God's children.
The commandment is to love others as He loves us. So how exactly do we do that? Moroni suggests that we, "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love." (Moroni 7:48) That is the first step. Another suggestion, study the scriptures fervantly. Learn just how much the Master loves YOU personally. The learning of that love will instill a desire to emulate it towards others.
Another, look at people through the eyes of God. My favorite example is that of David in the Old Testament. The people looked at him as just a child. But they were reminded, "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) In our lives we will clash with other's personalities. It is inevitable. But that is no reason for you to love them any less. Take a minute and look at them through the eyes of God. Doing so will hep us to be more patient and uderstanding. Remember, God loves all of His children more than we can imagine. That sometimes stubborn child, is just as loved as His most devoted servant. What a great example for us. 
Moroni teaches us, "charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (Moroni 7:45) Those are the attributes of the pure love of Christ. They were manifested in every action, and word of the Savior. Pray with all of your heart to receive this love, then act with all of your power to manifest it. "By this shall men know that ye are my disciples." (John 13:35)
I wish to conclude where I began. If we have not charity, we are nothing. Stay classy.
Elder Hill

Remember Lot's Wife

"Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:32) Without going into a lot of detail, I wish to explain the meaning behind this statement made by the Savior Himself.
Lot and his family were commanded to leave Sodom and Gomorrah. Wickedness prevailed, and after countless warnings by the Lord's servants, it came time to destroy it. And destroy He did. The city was leveled. As Lot and his family left their 'old life,' they were commanded not to look back. Unfortunately, Lot's wife's heart remained in that once great city. We presume this because of her longing look towards their abandoned home and plentiful belongings. This action brought the punishment that was promised. She was destroyed with the city.
The Savior reminded His disciples of this tragic event to teach them a lesson. As we follow Christ, we are to do so with full purpose of heart. To truly follow Him, repentance and the accompanied sanctification is prerequisite. Sanctification comes from "yielding our hearts unto God." (Helaman 3:35) As we yield our hearts unto God, we desire to walk away from our old lives and never look back. Paul taught, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4) My friends, true and enduring happiness comes from yielding our hearts unto God. This I have a personal testimony of. The only way we can sincerely follow Him is to walk away from our old lives. We cannot look book. If we dwell on our past, we cannot turn away from our old life. Nephi, a Prophet from the Book of Mormon, declared, "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, o my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul." (2 Nephi 4:28) If we continue to look back at our old lives, we are giving place for the enemy of our souls.
If we have sinned, we can repent and come unto Christ. Follow Him with full purpose of heart. Be born again. Walk in a newness of life. Sanctify yourself. I can promise you that if you will, He will receive you. And there, in His arms, we will receive a fullness of joy. Isn't that what we all want?
Forgive me for the short length, but I hope that you will recommit yourself to follow the Savior. Here are only a few ways we can truly do so. I love you all. Stay classy.
Elder Hill   

My Testimony

I love to hear others share what God has done for them. Hearing my fellow man, on the same journey I am on, bear witness of the reality and divinity of Jesus Christ, strengthens my own faith in Him.
The other day I was reading in the 14th chapter of the book of Acts. It gives the account of Paul calling together the members of the Church in Antioch, and there recounting all that the Lord had done with them in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. I don't know about you, but I would love to have heard the Apostle Paul share his conversion story, and his testimony of the purifying power of Gethsemane. In other words, the change the Gospel has had on his life. Like Paul, I too wish to share with you my testimony.
I grew up a member of this Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Never once did I doubt it, countless times I took it for granted. I enjoyed the Book of Mormon. It's teachings, and the stories contained were wonderful to me. But not well understood. My copy rested on my headboard and collected a fair amount of dust. Regardless, I had many occasions where the restored Gospel brought intense amounts of joy. Entering into the House of the Lord and there receiving the ordinances that will enable my family to be bound for all eternity, was the greatest moment of my life. The Spirit of God was there in great abundance. In my heart I knew that my God smiled from His courts above on my little family. I will never forget that day. Shortly thereafter life went on. The Spiritual high, unfortunately, came to an end. High school and it's various activities encompassed my every thought. My relationship with my Savior, was unrealized. The most sincere prayers uttered were from the batter's box of a baseball field, or from the free throw line in a win or lose situation. Nevertheless, I knew these things to be true. And I chose to go on a mission shortly after graduating high school. There, like Paul, I saw the God of Heaven and Earth work miracles in the hearts of men. Especially, in mine.
After being a missionary for almost a year, now, I have come to realize some eternal truths. First, I've realized this, which can be summarized in the 16th verse of John chapter 3. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God loves ALL of His children. He has used me and other missionaries around me to reach out to people in need, and bring the love of God into their life. His Son, was a difficult sacrifice for Him to make. That sacrifice, was the greatest act of love ever committed on this planet. I know that He suffered for my sins, and for yours. The agony felt in the Garden and on the cross also included our every pain. His Atonement has brought incomprehensible amounts of blessings and strength into my life. The love of God changes lives. I know, because it has changed mine.
I have been deeply humbled by realizing my weaknesses. Far more important than that, I now know that He has given us the strength and means needed to overcome them. I am nothing without my Savior. With Him, I can accomplish all that He desires of me to do.
I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a Prophet in these, the latter days. He went through great amounts of suffering to do the work of the Lord. The Book of Momon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, is the word of God. It contains the words of Christ. As we treasure up these words, He becomes more real in our lives. Peace and love settle in the places in our souls where pain once resided. If you believe in Christ, you will believe in the Book of Mormon, for it testifies of Him.
I am now 20 years old. My greatest desire is to be a Man of God. I know what it takes to become such, and I will do anything to achieve it. I am happy while living the principles of the Gospel. This joy, 'no man taketh from me.' I will be eternally greatful for this mission. My faith is becoming unshakeable. And I am finally converting to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Gospel is, the pearl of great price. And the Savior, is my everything. I love Him. And when I stand before His judgment bar I hope with all of my heart that He says, "Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." These words I have spoken, are true. The Spirit of God, the Spirit of TRUTH, has born witness of them in my heart. As you open yours, He will do the same for you. I love you all. Stay classy.
Elder Hill

The Rock of Our Redeemer

The Wise man built his house upon the rock, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up, and the house on the rock stood still. The foolish man, built his house upon the sand. Again, the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down, the floods came up, and the house on the sand washed away. This story, illustrated in a southern folk song, carries a wonderful Gospel truth. And will be my topic of discussion today.
My favorite scripture of all time is found in the Book of Mormon. It's in the 5th chapter of Helaman, and is verse 12. It reads, "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." What a powerful testimony given by a Prophet of God. One of which I know with all of my heart to be true. Eternal joy is found in living the principles of the Gospel, and standing worthy for the windows of heaven to be opened bringing the Lord's choicest blessings. I turned 20 years old a week ago today. That day I reflected on what I wanted to accomplish in the next decade. Every single goal, ambition, and desire I have for my future will be built upon the rock, or foundation of Jesus Christ and His teachings.
Trials and tribulations come. The adversary will be striking at our every weakness. But just as Jesus Christ who was tempted by the serpant himself, we do not have to succombe. And as we build our lives on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we receive the strength needed to combat those fiery darts. Putting on the full armour of God, as Paul illustrates in Ephesians chapter 6, holds the same principle as building our lives on the foundation of Christ.
So how can YOU build your life on His foundation? Ever thought about that? Here are some suggestions:

1. Study the life of Christ. Find out who He was. Then, copy and paste His attributes to your own self.
2. Live your life in such a way that you can be guided by the Spirit of truth, or, the Holy Ghost to that which is right.
3. Think about who God wants you to become. Set goals. Have a vision of a better, more Christlike you, then do anything to achieve it. If we don't strive to become something, we will become nothing. That desire to improve, founded upon the teachings and life of Christ, will help you stand strong and unwavering when a shaft in the whirlwind comes your way.
4. Have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith, will move mountains. Or, will help you stand firm as a mountain.
5. Finally, live the greatest commandment of all: Love the Lord your God. The Apostle John taught us, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear. (1 John 4:18) If you are full of love for the Savior, there will be no room for fear.

These are just a few suggestions. The principles of this can vary, but the doctrine is set in stone. A life built on Christ will not fall. The very gates of hell may gape at you, but as long as you stand strong, you will come off conqueror. This I know to be true. Christ lives. Eternal joy and purpose is found in His Gospel; the Gospel preached in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love you all. Stay classy.
Elder Hill