Jesus, Help Me Take The Wheel

In the popular song sung by Carrie Underwood she tells the story of a girl who's driving and looses control on an icy road. In desperation she throws her arms up in the air along with a prayer.

Jesus take the wheel

Take it from my hands

I'm letting go

So give me one more chance

Save me from this road I'm on

Jesus take the wheel

While this is a touching story of a woman and her baby who are saved from getting into a horrible car crash the lyrics have caused me to reflect would God really want us to just let go of the steering wheel as we offer up a prayer?

    James 2:17-"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

I do believe God will help us if we pray, but we also need to put forth some of our own effort. There are times, like the story in this song, that He will help us fully and completely, but other times we need to be willing to do our part as well.

     Matthew 7:21-Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

So the next time you find yourself in a tough spot, or driving down an icy road of sin, don't just say Lord, Lord and throw your hands in the air hoping He'll save you. Instead say a prayer, grab the wheel, and take control of the situation as God helps and guides you to safety. In the end this will prove to be way more effective.  

Cause I can't do this on my own

A Leap Of Faith: Mega Ramp

One thing I look forward to every summer is watching the X-games. Though I don't participate in skateboarding, BMX biking, or dirt bike riding myself it was always amazing to watch the things these xtreme athletes could do. One event that always blew my mind was the "Big Air" skateboarding competition. The Big Air competition takes place on a giant mega ramp. A mega ramp is a ramp that has a 30-foot drop in, a 25-foot gap and an 18-foot quarterpipe. 

A Leap of Faith No Doubt!
(Click to view full size)

       As the skateboarder takes off down the 30 foot drop in he starts to fly down the ramp quickly gaining speed. He then approaches the first ramp where he is launched off over the gap and into the air. At this point the skateboarder pulls of a sick first trick. As gravity starts to take hold on his body he is quickly headed back down to earth.  At the point that most humans would worry more about which bones they're going to break the skateboarder lands the trick and then quickly heads into quarterpipe where he hopes to seal the deal with one more gnarly trick, all while riding a thin peice of wood screwed down to four small wheels. All of this will either amount to a skateboard ride of glory or a ride in an ambulance.

     I've thought about this event and have tried to fathom the skills, determination, guts, and potentially lack of brain cells it must take the cause some one to even attempt a big air mega ramp. Then again I think about some of the things I do in my life. Some would call it crazy to believe in and follow the words and commands of what some would label a so called God. There are those out there who would rather place their trust in themselves then someone they can't see. But for me it's simply faith. 
   Just like the skateboarder, it started out as a leap of faith. I had to pray. I had to read the scriptures. I had to go to church. I had to put God, in a sense, to the test. I never really doubted, which crazy enough is how most skateboarders that attempt the mega ramp feel, but I wanted to see that he was truly there for me. And as I prayed, and as I read, and as I went to church I felt something. It wasn't the sense of victory or accomplishment a skateboarder must feel, though that must feel pretty cool. It was the Spirit, The Holy Ghost, that confirmed to me that there is a God who watches over me. And as I continue to go throughout life I find other times when I feel like I'm flying down a spiritual mega ramp on my skateboard. And when that happens I know I can trust in God and he will help me to a safe landing.  

Christlike Attributes—the Wind beneath Our Wings

Have you ever wondered what makes the church move forward and upward as it continues to grow? Is it the structure and organization? Is it the social aspect? or is it something more? President Uchtdorf helps us learn it is something more basic, along with helping us learn how an airplane flies.
     He says "During my professional life as an airline pilot, I sometimes had passengers visit the cockpit of my Boeing 747. They asked about the many switches, instruments, systems, and procedures and how all this technical equipment would help such a huge and beautiful airplane fly.

     As with all pilots, I enjoyed the fact that they were impressed by the apparent complexity of this plane. To the visitors in my cockpit, I would explain that it takes a great aerodynamic design, many auxiliary systems and programs, and powerful engines to make this flying machine equal to the task of bringing comfort and safety to those joining the flight.

    To simplify my explanation by focusing on the basics, I would add that all you really need is a strong forward thrust, a powerful upward lift, and the right aircraft attitude, and the laws of nature will carry the 747 and its passengers safely across continents and oceans, over high mountains and dangerous thunderstorms to its destination."

     So we now know an airplane can't fly off of cool buttons and gadgets alone. Obviously they have a purpose, but when we get down to the basics it's the thrust, upward lift, and laws of nature that help a plane to get up into the sky.

   Just like the church it's members can't survive on organization and social life along. "Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints."

   So what are those basics principles? President Uchtdorf first points out faith and Christlike attributes. He says "Individually, we need to first “follow Him,” and as we do this, the Savior will bless us beyond our own capacity to become what He wants us to be. Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim." 

    This brings us back to the airplane. President Uchtdorf finishes by saying "I spoke of focusing on the basics. Christlike attributes are the basics. They are the fundamental principles that will create “the wind beneath our wings.” As we develop Christlike attributes in our own lives, step-by-step, they will “bear [us] up as on eagles’ wings” (D&C 124:18). Our faith in Jesus Christ will provide power and a strong forward thrust; our unwavering and active hope will provide a powerful upward lift. Both faith and hope will carry us across oceans of temptations, over mountains of afflictions, and bring us safely back to our eternal home and destination."

     I too know as we look to the basics of faith and becoming more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, that's when our spirituality will really take off and soar!

     

         To read the full talk given by President Uchtdorf Click Here

President Uchtdorf, Pilot Me Mini Series

In 2004 Dieter F. Uchtdorf was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Later, in 2008, he was called to serve as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. But before his time of church leadership President Uchtdorf was a man of flight.
   In 1959 he joined the German Air Force and received his pilot wings in Big Spring, Texas, and fighter pilot training in Phoenix, Arizona. Later he joined Lufthansa German Airlines as a pilot. He worked as an airline captain from 1970 to 1996 holding many executive positions including senior vice president of flight operations and chief pilot of Lufthansa German Airlines.
    Because of his countless hours of flight, and his dedication and love for aviation and God, President Uchtdorf has many stories, and analogies, that he has used in many different LDS General Conference talks, to help us learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this Davis' Daily Bread is taking you soaring through the clouds on the wings of President Uchtdorf and his stories in a mini series titled "President Uchtdorf, Pilot me."
   Check back frequently over the next few weeks to read some of these stories and learn from the wise counsel of Pilot President Uchtdorf.

Click here  to learn more about President Uchtdorf.

General Conference: The Super Bowl of the Church

The 181st semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is this weekend. This is like the Super Bowl of the church! You've got to watch it! We're talking Apostles and Prophets delivering messages to us from our Heavenly Father. General Conference has something for everyone. So watch with an open heart and willing mind and the Holy Ghost will impress upon the things that you need to take from the talks and messages you hear. I love General Conference. I love the chance to hear from these great men of God and I know you will too.

Check it out. Sat. Oct. 1 at 10am and 2pm and Oct. 2 again at 10am and 2pm.
  

The Prompting To Audible In Life

The Prompting To Audible In Life: The Indianapolis Colts recently lost their first game of the NFL season. This, more than likely, was due to them being without their star quarterback Peyton Manning, who recently had neck surgery. Manning is very valuable to the Colts for many reasons but what sets him apart from any other QB is his amazing ability to audible, or change a play before the ball is snapped.
    As Manning leaves a huddle with his team and heads to the line of scrimmage he immediately starts to dissect the opposing teams defense. In his mind he's asking himself what type of defensive formation they are getting into. 4-3? 3-4? Nickle? or Dime? Are there any signs of blitzing linebackers or safeties? Are the cornerbacks playing tight or loose coverage? The answer to all of these questions will determine if the Colts run the play they originally selected or if they audible.
      After looking over all of his options and deciding to audible Manning's magic begins. Manning will then start to orchestrate his offense around to give them the best chance to be successful. He'll start to yell out signals and commands and point in different directions and give hand signals. "Green 18 left Omaha stack strong !!!"As the running back, receivers, and tight ends are moved around and change into position, and before the play clock expires, hike is called, the ball is snapped, and the play is underway.
      In our lives we find decisions to be made all of the time. Some are big while others are little. Others are important and can weigh heavily on our lives while some are trivial and have no impact. As we step up to the line where we have to make a big decision often times we've already made a choice in our mind of what we desire to do. Similar to Peyton Manning stepping to the line of scrimmage having already chosen a play.
      This next part is key though. Just as Manning diagnoses the situation very thoroughly we too need to look over the decision we are facing. Is this what God would have me do? What consequences could come from this decision? Are they good or bad? As we do this the Holy Ghost has the chance to whisper to us, in his still small voice, the "play" we should run. Sometimes, like Manning, we will need to audible or change our course from our original plan. Following the spirit and following through on a potential audible will bring great blessings. We may not recognize it at first but over time these good decisions, prompted by the spirit, will lead us to a "touchdown" of eternal life in the "endzone" with God.
 
Click Here to watch a Mormon Message about the voice of the spirit.
To read more about the Spirit and how to receive prompting from it Click Here.  
       

Tailgating: Feasting on the words of Christ

It's the opening weekend of college football. Along with all of the sights and sounds of this big weekend comes the smells of college football. For many fans this comes in the form of tailgating!
 Tailgating is a long tradition among fans as they congregate together to pump themselves up before the game as well as feed their stomachs. Tailgating is really big in college football, especially in the south, where often they dine on ribs, pulled pork, and good ol' southern cookin'. Out west often you'll find hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, chips, dips, and drink. You name a food and a tailgater has it.

    For my family and I, all big BYU Cougar fans, we always get to the stadium early before a game to tailgate. We find a place to park the car, set up the grill, throw the pig skin around and have some fun while getting fed. I have many fond memories of tailgating and it has definitely become a family tradition.

   There is something else we need to feast on besides just food in our lives though. Nephi, a prophet in The Book of Mormon, taught us to feast upon the words of Christ when he said "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." If we can learn to have a spiritual feast this will help us have the spirit more in our lives and will lead us to what God would have us do. It's great to enjoy a good tailgate before some football, but whatever you do don't forget to be spiritually fed as you feast on the words of Christ.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Image of Are You Ready For Some Football 3
Are You Ready For Some Football?!! Davis Daily Bread is ready to blitz you with an all out hard hitting, knockdown, drag out version of September football! Here you can get your gridiron and gospel fix with a mix of great stories of touchdowns and testimonies! So "Rise and Shout" and check back frequently through the month of September for all of your football action!   

When Life Hands You Lemons...Make Beef Stew?

All of us have heard the saying "When life hands you lemons make lemonade". There once was a semi popular TV show amongst the young-ins of America that stated in its show's opening song that when life hands you lemons make beef stew. This always confused me because that is not how the saying goes but it also always made me laugh. Lately I have reflected on that statement more, and more and have come up with an explanation.

    When life hand us lemons this represents the trials and struggles of our lives. We then have the choice to turn that into lemonade, complaining or whining, and have a sour life, or we could take those lemons, trials, and throw them away, with the help of Jesus Christ. We then can move on to the happier, more hearty and beefy things in life, or Beef Stew! Let us look for opportunities to do this and live a happy more filling life.  

Like A Rock by Elder Hineman

This blog comes from one of my former mission companion's blogs The Hineman Factor by Elder Hineman. This is his story of how he came to know the Book of Mormon is true. It's a story that I've heard often from him but every time I have it brings the spirit in and is a testimony to me that Elder Hineman truly knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Check it out:

Like A Rock     

Who was George Herman Ruth Jr. ?

          The Sultan of Swat. . .

          The King of Crash. . .

          The Colossus of Clout. . .
          The Great Bambino !!!!
           BABE RUTH !!!!!!!

    Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player that ever lived. He started his career as a pitcher but ended it as a full time right fielder hitting 714 home runs. He was the face of baseball in the 1920's. Still today he is regarded as one of the greatest athletes period.

    Each time Babe hit a home run, he would notch his bat. Needless to say, he had a lot of bats with a lot of notches! The only other baseball player in history to truly pass the Babe's long ball record was Hank Aaron in 1974.

  

       When I was in my younger days, there was a challenge in my priest quorum. That challenge was that whoever could read the entire Book Of Mormon as a priest, would get a louisville slugger baseball bat with their name and favorite scripture on it. The bats were so sweet! I had played baseball most of my childhood so I knew exactly what they were. I wanted one so bad, and as I watched each of my close friends get theirs, my yearning for one increased.

        So I decided one day that I was going to finish reading the Book Of Mormon before it was too late. I was stuck in the book of Alma for a while, but with effort and patience I made it through and continued reading until one Sunday in sacrament meeting I finally finished ! I couldn't believe it.

        I was so excited to finally get that bat! But soon after I finished reading, I felt a different feeling come over me. I kept dwelling on the last few chapters I had read, the testimonies of Mormon and Moroni, and the promise that if I asked God with a sincere heart, I would know the book was true by the power of The Holy Ghost.

        I already knew it was true. At least, I wanted it to be. I knew that it was the word of God and I knew that no man could have written a book like that unless he was inspired and instructed by God to do so. So I took up Moroni's challenge and decided to ask Heavenly Father.

        I went out to the parking lot and got in my truck, hesitated for a little bit, but after I made up my mind what I was going to do I began to pray. I didn't get knocked to the ground, or struck by lightning. What I felt was a peaceful, burning feeling inside. As sweet assurance that I already knew the answer to my question. I knew The Book Of Mormon was true.

       The next week in church I was handed my Louisville slugger, engraved with my name on it and my favorite scripture.  It had a notch right near the label.

    I don't remember hitting a lot of home runs when I played ball, but I remembered how it felt. It felt good, like I'd done something great. This felt the same, like I had accomplished something amazing.

       The more and more I look back on the memory of finally achieving my goal, the more I begin to realize of what I really gained from it.

       As awesome as my bat is, its just a piece of wood. It will hang on a wall or sit on a dresser somewhere someday where I can see it and reflect on what it means and what it took to get it. But the real prize was the testimony I gained from reading The Book Of Mormon. I know it is true and that it is the word of God. It is what it says it is right on the front cover: Another Testament Of Jesus Christ. I know this to be true, and I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet and instructed to translate ancient plates into what we know as The Book Of Mormon.

       There are many ways to prove if the book is true or not, but it all comes down to the way that will truly testify for itself. Read it, and ask God. Out of any geological evidence, or theological thinking, this way will surely reveal the best answer. That of The Holy Ghost, which will bear witness to anyone who sincerely asks God in the name of Christ.

      4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

      5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

                                                                                                    - Moroni 10:4-5

                                        Moroni's promise still stands true today, and always will.

    

The Flip Turn of Repentance

The Flip Turn of Repentance:   In the summer of 2004 the summer Olympics were being held in Athens, Greece. Being a big fan of athletics I ate up the weeks of competition as I enjoyed every event. The ideas of your country vs. the world concept really gets me pumped up every four years! This particular year I really fell in love with swimming. I'm not sure if this was because I had just moved to Arizona and now swimming was a daily occurrence in my life, or if it was because of the hype surrounding swimmer Michael Phelps. Phelps was seeking to break Mark Spitz's record for the most gold medals in an Olympic games by a swimmer and this excited  me every night as I watched him chase after this feat. I quickly became hooked to the sport and a few months later as I entered high school I decided to give competitive swimming a try.

    As I continued to swim and be coached I learned one of the key components to getting faster and improving my race times was having a good flip turn. As a swimmer you are swimming as fast as you can headed straight for the wall. In order to maintain your speed into the next lap as you come into the wall you flip end-over-end causing your feet to flip up and over and into place to push off the wall and start your next lap. Those who can master this can really improve their race times because they are no longer wasting precious seconds starting the next lap.
    In a way we are swimming down the swim lane of life. There are times we will make a mistake in life contrary to what God has commanded us to do. This is called sin and can be compared to the wall in a swim lane because it stops our progression. As we continue to head for this wall we have two options, crash into the wall of sin and get hurt spiritually, and often physically, or use the gift of flip turn of repentance. It is up to us to chose our course but God has given us a Savior, Jesus Christ, to help us get past that wall of sin and onto the next part of the race of life.



Ezekiel 18:30 says we need to "(flip) turn ourselves from all our transgressions" In the Book of Mormon Ammon teaches us "if ye will (flip) turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." Also Alma teaches us to "(flip) turn to the Lord with all your mind, might, and strength" As we use the flip turn of repentance with all our mind, might, and strength we won't crash into the wall of sin. We will be able to quickly overcome it, push off of it, away from it, and move back down the swim lane of life. I know this is a key part of swimming and our lives. It's my prayer that we will use the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repent to become a true gold medalist in the sight of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
            To learn more about repentance visit http://mormon.org/jesus-christ/#repentance  

Missionary Service: The Story of Sid Going

Missionary Service: The Story of Sid Going-The following is a great story from a talk given by Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles titled Preparing The World For The Second Coming. His talk focuses on missionary service and the required sacrifices that come with it but how the blessings far outweigh them.

    "Missionary service requires sacrifice. There will always be something you leave behind when you respond to the prophet’s call to serve. Those who follow the game of rugby know that the New Zealand All Blacks, a name given because of the color of their uniform, is the most celebrated rugby team ever.  To be selected for the All Blacks in New Zealand would be comparable to playing for a football Super Bowl team or a World Cup soccer team.

In 1961, at age 18 and holding the Aaronic Priesthood, Sidney Going was becoming a star in New Zealand rugby. Because of his remarkable abilities, many thought he would be chosen the very next year for the national All Blacks rugby team.

At age 19, in this critical moment of his ascending rugby career, Sid declared that he would forgo rugby to serve a mission. Some called him crazy. Others called him foolish. They protested that his opportunity in rugby might never come again.

     For Sid it was not what he was leaving behind—it was the opportunity and responsibility ahead. He had a priesthood duty to offer two years of his life to declare the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. Nothing—not even a chance to play on the national team, with all the acclaim it would bring—would deter him from that duty.      

He was called by a prophet of God to serve in the Western Canadian Mission. Forty-eight years ago this month, 19-year-old Elder Sidney Going left New Zealand to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

   Sid told me of an experience he had on his mission. It was evening, and he and his companion were just about to return to their apartment. They decided to visit one more family. The father let them in. Elder Going and his companion testified of the Savior. The family accepted a Book of Mormon. The father read all night. In the next week and a half he read the entire Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. A few weeks later the family was baptized. 

A mission instead of a place on the New Zealand All Blacks team? Sid responded, “The blessing of [bringing others] into the gospel far outweighs anything [you] will ever sacrifice.” 

You’re probably wondering what happened to Sid Going following his mission. Most important: an eternal marriage to his sweetheart, Colleen; five noble children; and a generation of grandchildren. He has lived his life trusting in his Father in Heaven, keeping the commandments, and serving others.

And rugby? After his mission Sid Going became one of the greatest halfbacks in All Blacks history, playing for 11 seasons and serving for many years as captain of the team. How good was Sid Going? He was so good that training and game schedules were changed because he would not play on Sunday.  Sid was so good the Queen of England acknowledged his contribution to rugby.  He was so good a book was written about him titled Super Sid.

What if those honors had not come to Sid after his mission? One of the great miracles of missionary service in this Church is that Sid Going and thousands just like him have not asked, “What will I get from my mission?” but rather, “What can I give?”"

        I know that I have sacrificed and given my time to the Lord to represent Him at this time in my life. I also know that the blessings He has given me and my family have far outweighed the sacrifice. A mission is a calling from God, but like all things with God, He gives us blessings for following Him which in turn makes a mission no longer a sacrifice but a Joy! I love my mission and the things that I am learning while being here. I love the people I've met and the things I've been able to accomplish. What a great blessing it is to represent my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Don't Make The Gospel A Part Of Your Life, Make It Your Life

Don't Make The Gospel A Part Of Your Life, Make It Your Life-Frequently in life we hear that we need to make the gospel a part of our lives. While this is definitely not a bad thing to do a wise man once told me "It is not enough to make the gospel a part of our life. We need to make our life the gospel." Now what exactly did he mean? It means we don't go about doing the things of the world and then try to pick and choose gospel principles to try to apply to our life. While this is better than doing nothing it is still not the strongest way or path to take.

      The best way is to have every action, decision, and thing we do and say in our life centered on the gospel. Let's look at the bible story of the wise man and the foolish man to help us understand this. As the story  goes the foolish man built his house upon the sand. The rain came....goodbye house. The wise man built his house upon the rock. The rain came....house holds strong. What was the difference? Weren't both striving to build a solid house? Don't you think they both tried to incorporate good masonry, framing, roofing, and other building skills? The answer is yes. They were both using the same tools and ideas to build their houses the difference was one had his house built and centered on a sandy foundation while the other was centered and built on a solid rock foundation. How does this happen when both were striving to build a solid house?
   Let's look at another example, this time a real life example. Let's say every week we go to church. Once in a while though there is something fun and wholesome out there that takes us out of church, whether it be a camping trip, baseball game, etc. Like was stated all are wholesome activities that may even be incorporating gospel principles, like spending time with our family, but missing church to do so isn't really focusing on Christ and His gospel.
   It all comes around to our decisions. Do we strive to be obedient or do we have selective obedience? When a decision is placed in front of us do we always make the gospel oriented choice because we've chosen to make our life centered around the gospel or do we waver? This will be the difference in claiming all of the blessings our Heavenly Father has to offer, or part of them. Let us all try to not only make the gospel a part of our life but make it our life. Great blessings will follow as we center and build that foundation on Christ. This I can promise you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Yoke Up With Christ

Yoke Up With Christ-As the Mormon Pioneers made their treacherous journey for a home of religious freedom and refuge they had two main modes of transporting their goods and moving down the unmarked trail. The most effective and convenient ways of the two was to travel in a covered wagon. A covered wagon allowed someone to be able to carry heavier loads because of the two oxen that pull the wagon. The two oxen are attached to the wagon by what is called a yoke. The yoke not only attaches them to the wagon but attaches the oxen to each other to ensure they move as one pulling the load equally down the same course together.

 There were times that because of the grueling travel an ox might get so exhausted and sick it might die right on the trail leaving all the work of pulling the wagon to one ox. This made travels even tougher because the single ox doing all the pulling would get worn out and exhausted faster because of his partner not being there to share the load and burden.

Don't try to take the load upon yourself

     In our lives we too have a load to bear. It is not an easy one especially as we make our way down the path of life. We too, in a way, have that yoke upon us. At times we feel like that lone ox, like no one is helping us. This however is a false idea. We will always have a partner to share the load if we will come unto Him.

    Jesus Christ said in Matt. 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

    Our yoke can be made easy, our burden can be made light through Jesus Christ. He is there to hitch up and yoke up to us to help us through our everyday struggles. There are times we may feel like He is not helping, not pulling his share of the load, but that's when we need realize He's pulling more than His fair share. He performed the Atonement for us to help us pull our way down the trail. With our diligence and patience, and His efforts of the Atonement, if we will be yoked up with Him we will be able to continue down that trail. Our burdens will become easier to bear, and we will be able to make it down the bumpy trail to our Heavenly Father a little bit easier.   

Commitment To Christ, And My Country

What a great 4th of July it was this past Monday. I hope all of you had as great of a day as I did. Being a missionary it was exciting to have the 4th of July fall on a P-day (preparation day) which allowed us to be able to fully enjoy the celebration of our country and its freedoms. I'm blessed to be serving in the Flathead Valley area of Montana right now. What a beautiful part of this great country to be able to spend the 4th of July in! (check out some google images to see what I mean). The scenery of the snow capped mountains, pine trees, lakes, rivers, clear blue sky and a pleasant 75 degrees was the perfect setting that made me realize again what amazing land God has blessed us with.

    We headed down to Bigfork to join a few other Missionaries for the Bigfork Ward community breakfast. For those of you who are not familiar with Bigfork its a small mountain lake town near Flathead Lake. A lot of people come here to enjoy their 4th of July and have some fun on the Lake. It was fun to mingle amongst the crowd at the breakfast and have the chance to talk to visitors, member and non-member a like, from all over.  As the breakfast started they began with a flag ceremony. They had the Boy Scouts of America from the Bigfork Ward participate and a man dressed up in vintage revolutionary war attire gave a little speech before the the flag came forward. He talked about the blessings we have in this country of freedom and that if we were to remain faithful to God we would remain blessed. As the flag came forward I placed my hand on my heart. As I did so my hand not only hit my heart but my name tag. As a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we bear the name of Jesus Christ at all times on our name tags. As the flag was raised up into the blue sky the feelings of patriotism and love for God, Jesus Christ, and my country swept over me. As my hand rested on my heart and on His name I thought of all He has done for me in my life. How without Him none of us would be spiritually free. We would all be captured and bound by our sins. It's because of Jesus Christ, His Life and His Atonement, that we are made FREE! If we will come unto Him and let Him take our sins and burdens upon Him we will find rest and freedom.
         Mosiah 5:8-9 says And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
    Not only as a missionary but as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ I have made that covenant with God to take the name of Jesus Christ upon me. If I will strive to do so I can be found on the right hand of God someday as I stand as a witness of His son, Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to place my hand on my heart to remember Him and my country. And to recommit myself to America and following Jesus Christ. I challenge all of us to remember the freedoms we have not only in this great country but from Jesus Christ. And I leave this in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Trust Not in the Arm of Flesh, Or In MJ's Secret Stuff

Trust Not in the Arm of Flesh, Or In MJ's Secret Stuff:  In one of my favorite movies "Space Jam" The Nerdlucks, and their boss, Swackhammer, had been seeking a new attraction for their extraterrestrial theme park and came to earth to capture the Looney Toons. In an attempt to save themselves from having to become prisoners of Swackhammer the Looney Toons challenge the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. The Nerdlucks, in order to have a chance to compete, steal the talent of NBA superstars and become "The Monstars". Bugs Bunny and the Looney Toon gang, desperate for some help, turn to Michael Jordan, who at this point had retired, for some help. This leads to an epic battle on the court!

    The Toon Squad, finding themselves down not only on the scoreboard but on themselves, at half time turn to Bugs Bunny for some help. Bugs rallies the team with what he claims is "Michael's Secret Stuff" which he claims will give them special basketball powers if they will drink it. Every member of the team takes a swig and feels as if it is really working. They run their way back onto the court with a renewed sense of happiness and determination that they feel this secret drink has given them.

         As they start the second half their play increases and they find themselves back in the game. But soon enough "Michael's Secret Stuff" is all gone and they find themselves once again frustrated. This is when Michael Jordan reveals to them that Bugs had tricked them and that the "Secret Stuff" was really just water and that if they will reach deep inside of them they can find the true talent and skills they have and need to defeat The Monstars. As they now work together as a team they are able to with real confidence in themselves now they find themselves in the game all the way down to the wire. Down by one, it is up to MJ to score the final point for his team, which he does with a long stretched arm, for the victory! The Looney Toons are saved, the NBA players get their talent back, and Michael Jordan's basketball career is revamped bringing him back into the NBA.

      In life there are times when we rely on what the world, and Satan, calls "Secret Stuff". Satan uses this "Secret Stuff", which to the world is no secret, to carefully lead us astray. We, for a moment, feel as if we are invincible, just like the Toon Squad felt, but eventually we feel the lasting negative effects of these decision. The scriptures would call this putting our trust in the arm of flesh. 2 Nephi 4:34 Lehi councils about this by saying "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." Let us put our trust in the good things of God that will not only bring us happiness now but happiness in the long run. Things like scripture study, prayer, and church are three things that we can trust in to help us find our true potential. Those three things will also help us to make good decision when Satan tried to persuade us with his "Secret Stuff". It is my hope that we will all trust in the Lord and not in the arm of flesh. If we do this we will truly be blessed and be able to find our true talent and happiness that God has to offer and we can win the game of life!   

Uncle Rico, Leave The Past In The Past! The Best Is Yet To Come!

Uncle Rico, Leave The Past In The Past! The Best Is Yet To Come!

In the movie Napoleon Dynamite we constantly see Napoleon's uncle, Uncle Rico, trying to relive his old high school football days. He is always telling people "Yeah... Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would've been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind. You better believe things had been different. I’d have gone pro in a heartbeat. I’d be making millions of dollars and living in a big ol’ mansion somewhere, soaking it up in a hot tub with my soul mate." Uncle Rico obviously resents what happened in the past. He wished there were things he could do to go back and change the course of his life. He even attempted to use a time machine to send him back to his glory days where he could make changes and change life for what he believed would be the better.
    While this is a more extreme case, at least I hope none of us are running around recording our football skills at the age of 40, it is something that all of us deal with to a certain extent. We all have made mistakes in the past that we feel have altered our future. We, at times, strongly wish we could have a redo, a second chance to fix the things we've done wrong in our life with the hope that it would bring us a brighter future than we see. But no matter how hard we try to use a time machine to go back in time this won't work. We need to instead learn how to make a change and make the past the past.
    Elder Holland in the January 2010 Ensign talked about this. He said "The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."

   He also said that we need to forgive and forget. "There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life—either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist."
   "So how do we get out of this wallowing in the past? We repent and have faith in the future. Elder Holland encourages us to "remember just enough to avoid repeating the mistake, but then put the rest of it all on the dung heap, dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future." He also says that "God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."
    And through our faith we need to build on the past but never long to stay there. Have faith in the future and that God has great things in-store for us if we will repent and have faith that the best is yet to come! May we all learn this lesson, especially Uncle Rico, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

To read more of Elder Holland's talk "The Best Is Yet To Be" Click Here

Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Draft

The NBA Draft is tonight. For a young college basketball player this is the night dreams can come true. This is the night a player not only finds out if they are going to get to play in the NBA, but to which team they will be adding their skills to. What a nerve-racking experience it must be for one to wait to hear his name called. Likewise, this is a long and nerve-racking night for NBA team owners, GM's, scouts, and coaches because this night, and the events that take place, could determine the success of their team for the next five to ten years. This is especially tough for them because often those who do really well and get picked really high in the draft don't always end up being the superstars in a very talented and tough league to play in.
    There are many examples in the history of the NBA draft of this happening. The most famous case of this came in 1984 when Sam Bowie(Who?) was drafted number two by the Portland Trailblazers while the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan with their number three overall pick, and the rest is history. Michael Jordan went on to change the sports of basketball by winning multiple championship titles filled with many MVP trophies while Sam Bowie had an average NBA career.
   There are times in our lives when we are faced with a draft of our own. We need to truly scout out our options of what is going to be best for us in our lives, and our team. For some they choose to draft a player who, to the world, looks appealing at times but in the end will destroy a franchise. This player is Satan and anything he supports. Never practicing(no church attendance), a ball hog(selfishness), and contention are just a few of his attributes. We need to avoid this temptation and draft a true superstar. We need to draft Jesus Christ onto our team!

"With the 1st pick in the draft of life(insert name) selects...Jesus Christ!"

    When we make that draft choice we need to make Christ our top pick and the "Center" of our team. He, unlike Satan, will always step it up in crunch time and be there for us. Whether it be to make a big shot, to rebound our missed shots, or assist us, He is a very reliable team-mate. He is one that can change not only our team, lives, but the whole league, world.

 "Choose you this day whom ye will draft, but as for me and my team we will draft the Lord!" This is the only guaranteed successful draft pick, for our team, in our lives. This is one I can guarantee you because I've seen the impact He's made on my team, and it's something no one else could offer. I know if you will draft Him, though the game will not be easy, you will come out on the winning end. You will see the blessings that come to you, and your team, and you will never want to trade Him. Instead you'll sign a life long contract to Him, which will be the greatest decision you will ever make. This is what will lead you to become a true Champion!

God Will Never Fire Us, The Coach

God Will Never Fire Us, The Coach-In today's sports world, teams are always looking to make it to the top as soon as possible. They seek after the glory, fame, popularity, and riches of being the best; of being a Champion! The more teams seek after this, the more they try to pick out their team's flaws to make a change. It used to be that a team would pick out those flaws, or weaknesses, over time. This was known as the rebuilding stage of a team, program, or franchise. Once upon a time this was the way to work your way up to stardom and championship status. Times, however, have changed. 

     As sports leagues get more and more competitive teams are looking for a quicker fix. Is it the defense they need to change? The offense? The pitching or the hitting? Often times as the head honchos, owners and GM's, look over their organization they decide to go straight to what they believe is the root of their team's problems, and they fire the head coach. More than ever we are seeing what's been coined as the "coaching carousel" take its effect. A team looking for a quick fix will look at their head coach with a "what have you done for me lately?" attitude. Despite the previous success of this coach and his team, or the steady improvement, the coach is canned, or fired, for often times a younger, trendier coach with new playbooks, schemes, and training methods. This all done with the hope that his new ideas and coaching will bring over-night success. While this quick fix sometimes works, see Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Often times though the problems linger, players still under perform, and before you know it that coach has been let go also, and a new coach is brought in. That's why it's called the "coaching carousel".



Neither Penn State or God
has given up on
Joe Paterno who at the age
of 84 and in his 61st year
of coaching is still going strong.

   How grateful I am that God, our Heavenly Father, does not operate this way. He will never give up on us! Despite the constant mistakes we make He will always be there to lift us up. As we make slow and steady progress to gain faith, repent, and come unto Christ, we can be champions someday with Him in His kingdom. He is right there next to us. We don't have to feel like we're in "the coaching hot seat". If we will strive to put our best effort forward he'll be there to say fear not. It is my hope and prayer that all of us will put forth our best "coaching" effort to be able to return to Him. By studying the playbook, scriptures, the game film, words of the prophet and apostles, and attend practice, church, we can become our best. And in the end giving our very best is all that He asks of us to be a true champion!       


Elder Davis and Elder Holbrook's Spiritual Center Top 10

Here's a Davis Daily Bread "Spiritual Center" Top 10 of Gospel Sports Blogs of the first half of the year.

Which Jersey Are You Wearing?by Elder Catron

Take a Swing at Golf-warming up with hole #1by Elder Kuck

   

My Jersey Sponsor by Elder Holbrook
 

 My Football Story, Ouch by Elder Garcia

  

Everyone Gets a Ring by Elder Hunsaker
   

Now That's a Beard by Elder Greco

       

Endure to the End by Sister Nestman

 

Spiritual and Basketball by Elder Lee

     

Gospel According To A Sports Guy part by Elder Elmer
    

 Under Dog Theory and the Atonement by Elder Nelson