The Iron Rod

My mom is so cool.  For those of you that know her you already knew this, but for those who don't I'm just giving you a heads up.  As a missionary we are able to e-mail home to our family once a week.  My mom has faithfully written me each week of my mission.  This was part of the e-mail I received this week:

"Been thinking today about the iron rod (in Lehi's dream found in the Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 8 pg 14-16) - why iron?  why not any old rod?  Iron is so strong, unbendable and very durable.  Withstands a lot of forces like wind, fire, etc....   It can hold us when we cling to it with everything we have.  It is unbendable because the word of god does not change to "fit our fancy".  It is smooth and easy to grasp on to at times (but we can slip if we aren't mindful of things).  I imagine a bridge held up by rope that sways back and forth, etc... but an iron rod doesn't let us sway like a rope and it will take us directly back to God.  Decided a long time ago the words in the scripture are not by accident - it is iron because that is what he saw and it was suppose to be iron - not a rope, a reed, a path with no hand-rail - it is iron for a reason." 

I know that the scriptures are specific for a reason.  I know that the gospel doesn't change and it's not bendable.  The iron rod represents the word of God and it is strong, it will withstand time and trial.  Cling continually to the rod and be happy!  I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the many messages that we can learn from it.

Where will you stop?

My parents recently went to Hoover Dam.  As I read their e-mail and they described this elaborate structure I was amazed.  As I thought about this it made me question how many elaborate "dams" I have built in my own life.  This dam stops water from being able to go where it would typically go.  It holds this water back.  I know that the Lord has made us with great potential.  Sometimes it may not take us exactly where we want, in fact, usually it takes me in a different direction than I had ever anticipated.  Many times as we discover where this path will take us it is scary.  We may even think that our "resources" could be used in a better way if we were to go a different route.  So, humans spent tons of money, time, and even lives building this dam.  How many have we built in our own lives that will block our potential?  Heavenly Father knows each of us better than we know ourselves and he knows what he needs us to do and to become.  He has a "mission" for each of us to fulfill and a misison that only we can fulfill.  I would encourage each of us to take a look at our life and where we are "dam"ming our own lives.  Then, the trick is to take down this elaborate dam that we've built and go where Heavenly Father wants us to go.  Are you up for the challenge?

I am thankful for...

I thought I would take a few minutes and share with you some of the many things that I am grateful for.  I am overcome with gratitude as I reflect on my life and all there is to be grateful for. 
I am grateful for:

• Mom

• Dad

• Mitchell

• RaeAnn
• Sister Fred
• Sister Baird
• Sister Mace
• Sister Nez
• Sister Berry
• Sister Williams
• Sister Green
• A truck with 4-wheel drive
• Dinner appointments, I hate cooking. :D
• The opportunity to serve a mission in Montana (the best mission in the world)
• The Book of Mormon

• The Savior and the Atonement.
• The Prophet
• The apostles
• The Ensign
• Grandpa John
• Grandma Jensen

• Southern Utah University
• Dani
• Whitney
• Sarah 
• Marina
• Chelsea
• Nikki
• Biology
• hair stylists :D
• flowers in the summer
• snow in the winter
• coats
• boots
• scarves
• gloves
• extended family
• tennis
• friends

•  The wonderful people in Montana, so many of you have touched my life and I am so grateful for the love you have shown me.  I hope you have felt mine as well!  I LOVE YOU!!!!

This time of year there is so much to be grateful for.  Open your eyes and notice what you've been blessed with!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oreo Follow-Up!

Yesterday I wrote a blog on oreo truffles. I compared these delicious treats to the gospel. As I thought about these delicious treats, and kind of longed for some of my own last night I thought of another correlation to the gospel. These truffles are delicious, and now you all have the recipe, so you can go ahead and try them. You can look at this delicious recipe and then read about the gospel below.

Check out the recipe! :D 

East Oreo Truffles!

avg rating

   (1101)

total time

1 hr 30 min

prep

30 min

servings

4 doz. or 48 servings, 1 truffle each

 What You Need:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg.  (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Make It

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Melt Chocolate

Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.

How to Easily Dip Truffles

To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.

How to Store

Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

 

The Correlation is:

This recipe has Three very simple steps.  The gospel has Five simple steps that lead to a far better outcome than does this recipe.  Do you want to know how to get the same wonderful results from the gospel that you can from following the recipe for oreo truffles?!  I'm going to share the recipe for the gospel and eternal joy with you.  We must:

1) Have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ-  This is so important, because Jesus is the only way to have the rest.     He is our Savior.  He paid the price for our sins to make this plan possible.  As we gain faith in his it will lead us to the next step in the recipe.

2) Repentance-  This is taking care of the things we have done wrong.  This step has a few steps within it.  Here they are. 

1. Recognize that we made a mistake.
2. Feel Godly sorrow. (Actually feel bad that we did something wrong and not just that we got caught doing something wrong.)  Pray and ask for forgiveness.
3. Ask for forgiveness from the one that we hurt.
4. Do everything we can to make it right.
5.  Never do it again.

3) Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins-  We need to enter into a two-way promise with Heavenly Father.  We promise that we are willing to take Jesus Christ's name upon us, always remember Jesus, and always keep the commandments.  Heavenly Father in return promises us that we may always have his spirit to be with us, and that we may have a complete remission of sins.  These are amazing promises.  We can have all of our guilt washed away and we can be completely perfect and clean.

4)  Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost-  We may have the constant companionship of the holy ghost to help us make righteous choices.  

5) Endure to the End-  We must continue to do the things that we know are right.

 

If we will but follow these Five simple steps we WILL have the end result of joy now and through-out eternity.  This recipe cannot be messed up.  I know from experience that as we follow this gospel recipe we can have joy we never knew was possible.  I know that our Savior, Jesus Christ, loves us and is the key to this recipe.  Without Him there would be no recipe, but He has paid the price and we can follow this recipe and return to live eternally with our Father in Heaven.  Let us each have the resolve to follow this recipe with exactness and enjoy the outcome of eternal joy and happiness.

 

 

Who likes Oreos?!?

My last year of college we lived next door to an apartment of Freshman boys.  We were good friends and we did a lot together.  One day Cooper runs over and says, "You HAVE to try these!  They're amazing!"  He offers us one and tells us that they are so rich we will only be able to eat one.  We try a bite of the most amazing substance I've ever tried.  He told us they were called Oreo truffles.  While he was there we each only ate one, but after he left I looked at RaeAnn and said, "Well, I don't know about you, but I could have eaten more than one!  They are delicious!"  We laughed and she said she could have eaten far more than just one.  They were so good that we had to get the recipe and make them so that all our friends could try them.  We wanted everyone to have the opportunity to try this amazing treat.  This is how I feel about the gospel!  I know how "delicious" the gospel is to me.  I cannot wait to let everyone try it for themselves and see how wonderful it actually is!  Oreo Truffles may entertain our taste-buds for a few minutes, but the gospel will fill our soul for eternity!  I dare you to "try" the gospel.