March 5, 2016

Hey everyone.  This was a really good week.  First thing,  yesterday we did our visa runs.  We were in the center of Santiago like all day doing visa stuff so that we can be legal, which is good because my visa extension expires in like a week.  Elder Andersen was almost given a visa for 40 years.  lol  He would have been officially Chilean.  haha  For my birthday on Wednesday, President and Hermana Cook made me a carrot cake(my favorite!)  It was really awesome.  Also, the Salazar family brought me a birthday cake later on.  It was really awesome that they remembered my birthday and they personally delivered it.  We ended up eating it at night with some elders that we went to go help move.  I just met Brother Valtinson who was the trainer of Brother Peck.  He is what we know here in the mission as "my grandfather".  He is a super cool guy.  Him and his wife are.  We talked a little bit about his mission, his life afterwards, and his feelings about everything.  I´m way excited to finally get to know him.    

Mosiah 4:30 "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your    words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, andcontinue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning thecoming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, yemust perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."

I have been reflecting and meditating a bit about this scripture this past week.  This is a warning that King Benjamen gives us.  When I read the Book of Mormon, I often refer to King Benjamen as a "bold leader of righteousness".  I feel that this is one of the applicable and useful advertencies given in the scriptures.  It teaches us how to obtain "all righteousness".  Eventhough that seems like a forlorn endeavor, I testify to each of you that it is very plausable.  How do we know this?  

We know that Jesus Christ continued to progress mentally, physically, and spiritually during his mission on the earth.  That means that "all righteousness" was attained.  It is only be attained through dedication, faith,  willpower, submisiveness, and ultimate self-control and surender to the will of the Father.  I testify that as we do this, we will not only find ourselves in harmony with Heavenly Father, but that will will attain both "all righteousness" as well as "eternal happiness".  Of this I testify, in the holy and sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder Jackson

March 19, 2016

Hey everyone!  I hope y'all all had a great week!  This week was pretty awesome for me.  Here are some of the highlights from my week. 

1. We had a special mission conference this week.  President Cook asked me to give a capacitation on "How to keep your house clean".  It´s really funny because he knows me as "Mr. Clean"...now everyone knows me as that.  Haha  I´ve had several people call me to help them with something and they´ve said "Hey how´s it going Mr. Clean!?"  haha  The capacitation went great!  It was super great to get a chance to give a talk to the missionaries.  I feel that it will actually help them out.  Instead of just preaching to them about not being lazy and cleaning, I related the subject to feeling the Holy Spirit stronger in your houses, which in result to that, will better your planning, lessons, and conversion.  I felt honored to help out with that.  :)

2. Elder Anderson´s replacement was called to the office.  His name is Elder Nelson.  He is really awesome.  He´s from just outside of LA California.  We have a lot in common and he just seems like a great guy.  He is going to play baseball at BYU as a pitcher when he gets back, so that´s pretty neat as well.  He is actually from Elder Sarceno´s group.( The missionary I trained.)  It´s just crazy to think that they already have enough time for someone from their group to get called to the office.  Time is flying!

3. We took a couple missionaries to the airport the other day.  We took a senior couple there to go home.  The Bradfords.  They got here like right at the end of my training.  It´s weird to me to think that they´re gone because they´ve like always been here, but they were excited to get home and see their family.  We also took Hermana Contreras to the airport.  She actually got called to the Temple Square Mission in Salt Lake.  She got trained here until her visa stuff was all taken care of.  I´m way excited for her.  I know she´s just loving the mission out there.  The only mission in the whole world that is smaller than mine.  hahaha 

This week I have been meditating a little about the leadership we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Every organization has a leader, but what is so special about ours?  Every organization has a "good man" or "a man that´s good at his job" at the head.  I have just been thinking here lately about what separates our "good men" from the other "good men" out there.  Here are some of the things I´ve come up with.  

1. We know that they are the same men in public that they are at home.  Although many times we´d like to envision the leaders of the church as perfect beings, they aren´t.  They have personal challenges and trials just like the rest of us.  The difference is this.  They´ve allowed the Lord to work through them in their lives.  That´s something that anybody can see when they study these unique individuals.  The amount of faith they have is unequaled.  That´s how I know without the shadow of a doubt that we have "great men" at the head of the church.  I know with all certainty that they don´t have any other desires other than to serve their brothers and sisters under Christ.
2. As I mentioned before, all of the leaders in the church are "great men".  There are many of those in the world.  I wouldn´t dare to say that there aren´t others.  What makes the difference in these men is that they are divinely guided.  They have put their lives in harmony with the gospel to a point that Heavenly Father trusts them with personal revelation and revelation for the entire world.  That is what makes them "Special Witnesses of Jesus Christ".  Any Christian would call themselves a witness of Christ, but these men have raised the bar.  They´ve not applied the gospel to their lives, but made the gospel their lives.  That´s how they have come to witness such marvels in this life.  That´s how they´ve come to see the other side of the veil.  That´s how they´ve attained a higher vision for themselves, their families, their wards, their stakes, and for the church as the Kingdom of God upon the earth. 

I feel so privileged and special that Heavenly Father has blessed me to live in this time of history. We are literally living in this most historic time.  The restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most historic occurrence in the history of the earth right behind the events of the Atonement.  How amazing it is to know that Heavenly Father has´t left us here in this all important part of history without guidance.  He has blessed us with leaders who are not JUST "good men", but that they are "good men inspired of God".  I believe that that is an accurate way of describing all of the prophets and apostles in the scriptures.  Now, imagine this.  Imagine how incredible life would be if you had men comparable to Adam, Noah, and Abraham in your life to guide you....it´d sure be heavenly wouldn´t it?  Well you do.  That´s one of many reasons why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Kingdom of God upon the earth.  I testify of the holy calling of these men.  I testify that I´ve come to trust in the words that they say.  I know that their words are the will of Heavenly Father for each and every one of us.  They will guide us to peace, happiness, and eventual Life Eternal if we head their words.  That is my prayer for each of you.  That you´d pray about the  sacredness of the callings of the leaders of the church...that you´d pray to know that these callings really did come from the Heavens.  I know that as you do that, you´ll receive divine confirmation that they did.  Of this I testify, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder Jackson  

March 12, 2016

Hey everybody.  I hope everyone is doing well there.  I hear the weather is heating up a little bit, so things should be starting to appear a little bit more lively.  It was another really good week here in San Bernardo.  Thursday, we found a new family.  It´s a guy named Yordan and his wife Daniella.  They´re super awesome.  They´re both around 25 years old, very nice, very open, and they have family in the church.  They´re both members of the church who were baptized young and have since then gone inactive because of the lack of support from their families.  Some of their families actually preached out against the church.  We had a great lesson with them.  They commited to coming to a stake relief society activity today and to church on Sunday, so we´re very excited about that.  Yesterday was Elder Martinez´s birthday, so we ate a bunch of cake.lol  He got like two cakes and a loaf of banana bread from people.  Of course the rest of us were very thankful for that as well.  

Wednesday we took a trip to a ski resort in the Andes Mountains with President and Hermana Cook.  Everybody from the office went.  It was super amazing!  The view is to do for.  We rode a ski lift up part of the way so that we could hike higher, so we got up to a little over 12000 feet.  That was amazing.  We could see a glacier that´s in the mountains sooo clearly.  It was literally right in front of us.  It was a very humbling experience.  Just being in the midst of some of the greatest creations on earth.  It made me feel very at one with Heavenly Father.    

While I was standing at 12,000 ft in the middle of the Andes Mountains, I started to reflect and meditate on the greatness of Heavenly Father.  I started to wonder how it is possible that objects of such great beauty,power, and force could have been made by a being of flesh and bones.  I felt much like Jacob in 2 Nephi 9 where he is exclaiming about the greatness of Heavenly Father, Christ, and the Great Plan of Redemption.  How it is that Heavenly Father is such a perfect being, I don´t even begin to comprehend,however, thanks to the wonders that are the scriptures, Heavenly Father has revealed to us in part the answer to this question.  We go through experiences, falls, and triumphs to make up what we know as "life".  The objective of life is to continually develop faith in Christ as to allow us to make proper decisions that deem us worthy to live with our Heavenly Family at the completion of this Great Plan.  Now, that being said, Faith is a principle of power.  To have faith, is to have power.  Not power as in strength, not power as in influence, but power as in the ability to make very worlds.  We know from the scriptures that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have perfect faith, in the which, granting them unlimited power.  It is by this power that they are able to do "all things". It was through this same power that the heavens and the earth were created.  It was through this very power that the human race was created.  In the moment that I meditated these principles, I became eternally desirous that I could someday achieve the same level of faith and power.  Not to have power, but to witness another side of creation.  To be able to understand my Heavenly Father and my role in the universe better.  Since then, I have been meditating in ways that I can achieve this goal and make my dreams a reality.  I feel very much life Nefi felt when he heard the things that his father spoke unto him, 2 Nephi 10:17

"And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all thewords of my father, concerning the things which he saw ina vision, and also the things which he spake by the powerof the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith onthe Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah whoshould come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see,and hear, and know of these things, by the power of theHoly Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those whodiligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the timethat he should manifest himself unto the children of men.

I testify that this is a reachable goal. That any goal worth acheiving must push you...mentally, physically, and spiritually. This is the only way that greatness is obtained.  It isn`t something you`re born into...it isn`t something you buy...it`s something you develop through many small expressions of faith, which develop into a perfect faith through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.   This will require much effot on our part, but as long as we show our dedication and desire unto the Lord, He will "manifest himself" or the way "unto us".  Of this I testify with all of the conviction  of my heart, in the name of Jesus Christ,Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder Jackson

Feb 27, 2016

Hey everyone!  

All is well for me here.  I`ve been working a lot more here on the business side of things...talking to landlords, dealing with hospitals and whatever other type of business, and learning how to work with contracts.  It`s all pretty dang neat to me.  It opens up a whole new understanding of the world and how things work.  And, on another hand, I DROVE FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY!! :D  It felt SOOOOOO nice.  Haha  It`s been forever, but I felt real good behind the wheel.  Kinda makes me miss driving down the backroads there in Arkansas.  To make things even better, it was a truck. lol 

So my trainer, Bradford Peck, after being home for two weeks is engaged.  Since then, there have been several other friends of mine from the mission that have gotten engaged.  That has triggered several other conversations both with young missionaries and with senior missionaries about the "do`s and don`ts of marriage/dating"  That being said, I`ve decided to reflect personally on my understanding of the subject. 

I feel it such a blessing that we have the scriptures, prophets, leaders, and the Holy Ghost to help guide us in these often difficult aspects of life.  Though they are difficult, if we approach them with a humble prayerful heart, we can`t go wrong.  

Why it`s important:  As a latter-day saint, I know that the purpose of dating is to find yourself a spouse that will help you to 1) be happy 2) create a family 3) achieve salvation and life eternal in the Celestial Kingdom through living the gospel of Jesus Christ here on the earth. As children of Heavenly Father, our purpose on this earth is to make wise decisions that allow us and our families to return to His presence.  Though many in the world view marriage as a limiting burden, I understand it to be an uplifting gift intended to help us attain this difficult aspiration.  As many people have witnessed and experienced, it is impossible to achieve a fullness of happiness without another person helping you.  This was one of the reasons that Christ made Eve.  The purpose of having another with us eternally is so that they can help us to push ourselves spiritually to be the best saints that we can.  After all, it was Eve that helped Adam to see the need to sin.  Through this beautiful moment, it was made possible to both Adam and Eve to obtain a higher level of happiness.  Look at all of the miracles that have come through their willingness to help each other.  

What should we do:  

1) Be prayerful-When we think about beginning a relationship with someone, whether it be dating or marriage, we must make this all important decision only through a divine confirmation by the Holy Ghost that this is truly Heavenly Father`s plan for us.  If we do this, we will be able to whole-heartedly say to our spouse when things get hard, and don`t kid yourself...they will, "Don`t worry.  I know that Heavenly Father has given us each other so that we can make it through this trial and draw closer to Him.  We can do this together"

       

2) Realize that it`s much greater than just ourselves-Marriage is the gateway to many other experiences in life.  I like the quote from President Eyring, "Both the happiest and most painful experiences in life happen within the family"  We have to realize that when we get married or date, we are setting the future for ourselves, our future children, our family, our friends...everyone that has a part of our lives.  If we marry for selfish reasons, it will always end up negatively affecting our relations with others.  We would literally trade these happy experiences for painful ones.  We need to have a spouse that will help us create an optimal environment for experiencing more of the happiness there is to life and less of the pain.  

3)  A heart and mind set on the future-Dating and marriage are investments.  We are investing our time, energy, money, feelings, and parts of our spirits in other people. We don`t marry expecting our spouses to be perfect.  If you do, you will feel upset and "let down" the rest of your life.  We marry with an eternal prospective.  As I`ve many times been told, "We don`t marry to have the perfect spouse, we marry the spouse with the most potential."  We marry because of what we and our spouses can become.  We marry because we know that they will help us through every step of the way, until we get to the end when the Lord tells us "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. "

I testify that though it is many times difficult, if we will do these three things, we will have successful marriages.  Not only that, but the future generations of our families will be set in stone.  Heavenly Father WILL bless us.  We will achieve all that He has in store for us and we will achieve, a perfect state of eternal happiness.  Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder Jackson

natedog94@myldsmail.net

Feb 20, 2016

Hey yall!  This week was pretty awesome.  The Clarks (senior couple) went out of town for a few days, so I had the opportunity to test my abilities as the financial secretary.  I feel that my abilties were definitely pushed.  I learned a lot.  I had to use deductive reasoning to figure stuff out for myself instead of having someone there to give me the answers.  It felt a lot like it did when I finished my training with Elder Peck. 

This week I was talking with one of the guys and we got to talking about girls left at home.  The conversation came to the reasons why we did it.  Eventually, that escalated into talking about why exactly it is that as missionaries we set everything aside for two years to come serve the Lord in another land.  It was really enjoyable to me to learn better why it is that other missionaries are here.  This conversation made me reflect on several things.  What I´ve left behind to be here,why I did it, and what I´ve gained from making these sacrifices.  

1. What we leave behind as missionaries- As missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we leave behind a wide variety of things to allow us to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Many leave behind girlfriends, boyfriends, fiancés, friends, jobs, studies, and even family.  I feel like these are the many things that we generally associate with LDS missionaries.  As a missionary, I have learned of a few things that we sacrifice that are a little bit deeper than surface level.  Some of the which are sleep, freetime, emotional stability, a sence of secureness physically, freeness from anxiety, and just overall normal commodities.  As you can see, there are many things that are sacrificed when one is "called to serve" of the Lord.
2. Why are we here- It has been prophesied and planned since before the formation of the earth that in the latter-days, the House of Israel, or the people of God, would be reunited once more.  As missionaries, we are a part of this prophesy!  How awesome is it to be able to say with serene surity that you have been called of God to a work of great importance!  Another promise we have is missionaries is that our families will be blessed for our service.  It doesn´t matter if you come from an all LDS family or if you´re the only member, your family will ALWAYS receive blessings from your efforts.  It doesn´t matter if you think your are a "successful missionary" or not, even when we don´t see them, blessings both big and small overflow from the heavens upon our families when we serve the Lord.  The last reason that I´d like to share is because we know that we will develop exponentially as individuals and as disciples of Christ in this time period.  We attain a better understanding of the gospel, a closer and more personal relationship with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, and we develop character traits that will help us in our futures as leaders, families, and figures in the community. 
3. What blessings have been received-I personally am so grateful for the opportunity that I have and that I´ve had to serve a full time mission for the Lord.  When I came out to Chile, I wasn´t exactly sure what I believed.  I wasn´t sure if I had been completely convinced that I really do have a conviction of the things that I professed to believe.  I thought to myself, "I will know for sure what I believe if I do this."  With the help of many others, I was able to come out here.   I not only have recieved that conviction that I searched and desired, but I´ve had the blessing of the opportunity to share this conviction with others to help them attain the same.  I have seen the gospel positively change the lives of individuals and families.  I have seen the hands of God guiding me and them in their decisions in their entirety.  I have felt the joy that many of the prophets felt when the House of Israel was living righteously.                                                                                         Although I am the only member of the church in my family, I have seen the Lord abundandtly bless my family.  I have witnessed them undergo a change of heart.  I have seen them seek to understand me and the church more.  I have seen them scrutinize the scriptures.  Most of all, from what I can see, I have seen their desires to better their quality of life augment.  Some may see this as a normal occurance in human life, but I see it as answered prayers.  I see it as Heavenly Father listening to my prayers and giving my family the opportunity to make them a reality.  I have total confidence in my family because they are doing exactly that.  I know that Heavenly Father has many more blessings in store for my family and anyone that I ask Him to bless, but that all depends on me.                                                                                                                                     
4.  In the last year and a half, I have seen myself change.  I am nowwhere close to the same man that I was when I arrived in Chile.  Many people say that serving a mission turns a boy into a man.  I concur with this statement.  Although I thought that I was already a man before my mission, I have learned not only how to be a better man, but how to be the man that Heavenly Father wants and needs me to be.  I have learned how to set personal goals and to work towards them.  A few of these are as follows: 1)To be more trusting in others. 2)To love unconditionally no matter how somebody treats me. 3)To be patient not only with others, but with myself. 4) To have more integrity. 5)To be more sensitive to the enticings of the Holy Ghost. 6)  The most important, to turn to Heavenly Father in all that I do...in my successes and in my failures.  To trust in His promise that he will "make my weaknesses strengths."                                                                                   

As you can see, this is something that I have thought about a great deal.  I pray that this message would ease the burdens of someone else out there, whether they be a member of the church, missionary, or any other person that needs it.  I pray that Heavenly Father would open your hearts to make His greatness known unto you.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live.  They are ressurected beings that love us.  They desire the best for us.  They want to guide us so that we make good decisions that one day allow us to return to their presence.  Serving a full time mission is the best decision that I have ever made.  It is something that every young man and woman should do.  I challenge any young man or woman reading this to take the step to accept the calling of the Lord to serve a full time mission.  It will be the greatest blessing of your entire life.  As my beloved sister Rachel told me just before I left, "You´ll find that the blessings aren´t just yours to behold." 

Of these things I testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder  Jackson

Feb 13, 2016

Hello everyone!  It´s been another great week here in the mission.  I am adjusting myself a lot bit more to the office life.  I´m getting into a rhythm with a schedule and exercises.  Obviously it´s different, but I´m adapting.  It´s kind of funny because I used to not know exactly what to think when people said that the office elders don´t do anything…This is SUCH A LIE!  Haha.  I´ve never worked so hard in my whole mission.  It truly is a different type of work, but that´s one of the things that I like the most about it...none of it is for self-satisfaction!  Everything we do, is for other people.  We take care of all of the administrative matters so that all of the other missionaries in the mission can better focus on spreading the gospel to others.  Not to say that we don´t do that too, because we do, just not as much.  

It made me think a lot about the story of Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon (Alma 43:16).  Captain Moroni was a great General for the Nephite people.  He led not only with word, but by his example.  He led his armies against almost hopeless numbers of enemies; all the while, putting his faith in the hands of the Lord and trusting in the Lord’s will.  Why did he do this?  Other than being called of God for this cause, he felt a great patriotism for the Nephite people.  He wanted nothing more than the freedom of his people and for them to prosper in the land.  For these causes, he fought with all of his might, mind, and strength.  He fought against the very literal powers of Satan...against corruption, sinfulness, and oppression.  To me, that is the perfect leader.

Although it is in a different circumstance, I share similar feelings with Captain Moroni. I feel a great pride to be a part of the Mission Chile Santiago South.   I feel that every single Missionary is my soldier...that it is my duty and responsibility to keep them fighting..to make things happen.  They look to me for answers and results.  The times of responding with “I don´t know." to questions and difficult situations have passed.  Now, I have to be able to come up with results.  I´m not going to lie…it´s overwhelming at times, but I know that if I put my faith in the Lord, give Him my ALL, and seek his guiding hands, and do what He would have me do, then He will help me to realize why He has placed me to this position.  I pray that I would do exactly that.  That I would learn the things that I am to learn here, and that I will be the man that Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, President and Hermana Cook, the missionaries here, the members of the church, and the people waiting for them need.  All I have to do is do my best and seek to do the Lord’s will, and “and in turn, all things shall be opened unto me:”  

I pray that each of you would take upon yourselves this sacred calling.  Take upon yourselves the duty of helping others fulfill more fully their role in the church and in life...whatever it may be...mom, dad, brother, sister, home-teaching, with classes, leading activities...whatever it may be.  Be the Captain Moroni.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Con Amor,

Elder Jackson

I know my Savior Lives!!

Feb 6th, 2016

Hey everyone!  So first off, sorry for not writing on Wednesday if you were expecting to hear from me.  It wasn´t my fault!  haha.  So what happened is this.  My mission president called me to serve as the Mission Financial Secretary.  I even have my own office in the mission office and everything.  I have been working from 9am-midnightish every day since my call.  It´s really great!  I´m learning a lot about accounting skills, so that´ll really help me since I have in mind to study business and accounting after my mission.  I take care of ALLLL the things that the mission buys.  It´s pretty cool.  I just started Wednesday, so I don´t know a ton, but I´m learning.  President told me that I´d be here until I leave in August,so that´ll give me a fair amount of time to get used to everything.  :)  

I am now in the ward San Bernardo.  My church building is actually the building where the mission office is, so this building is basically my home now.   I spend way more time here than I do at our actual house.  I have taken the initiative in putting a couple of decorations in my office to make it more homey. (automatic air freshener with apple cinnamon scent, traditional mask, Razorbacks foam finger)  It makes it more me.  :)

With our schedule here in the office, I have to wake up early if I want any time to study because we have to be at the office at 9am.  (the time that you´d normally start studies)  Because of this, I´ve been pondering a lot about why it is important that I do that....that I wake up early to study...even though I´m getting home much later.  Some Elders would see that as difficult, but I see it as a necessary sacrifice.  A sacrifice necessary to "feast upon the words of christ”.    As I have previously stated, I,like Nefi, seek guidance through the scriptures, for they tell us all things that we should do. 2Nefi 32:3-5  I find myself in the same situation as Nefi and his family in 1Nefi 5:21 " And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children."

The scriptures truly are of great worth to each and every one of us.  They contain the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ, the perfect teacher.  If we would not just read the scriptures, but scrutinize and apply them to our daily lives, we´d see miracles worked through us.  I have passed through another test to see where I hold the scriptures in terms of value.  I invite each of you to ask yourself,"Where do I hold the scriptures in terms of value?  Do I put other unnecessary things ahead of them in my priorities?"  If this is the case, I exhort you to change that immediately because you´re in the process of falling into the hands of Satan.  Don´t let that happen!  Don´t let him have even an ounce of power in your life!  Recognize his work, and throw it out.  You´ll never regret the sacrifice   In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con Amor,

-- 

Elder Joseph Nathaniel Jackson

January 27th 2016

Hello everyone!!  So, this week has been a little bit like a roller coaster.  The weather keeps going back and forth between hot and cold.  Needless to say, it`s not helping my body.  This week was a little slow, but on the plus side, I have a friend here that just sent in her mission papers.   So, we are way excited for her.  We can`t wait to be there when she opens up and reads her call.  Also, the Mission President gave us permission to go to the doctor by taxi from now on, so that`ll save us a lot of time in traveling. :D

 I was reading in Mosiah this week and there was a part that really caught my attention.  

MOSIAH 18:18-29  I like this because it tells us exactly how the original Church of Christ worked.

1. (verses 18-20) They were called to preach re and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. (verse 21) There were no contentions among them
3. (verse 23)  They honored the day of rest (kept the sabbath day holy).
4. (verse 24)  The leaders worked
5. (verse 25)  They had a day set apart to unite themselves (Family home evening)
6. (verse 26)  They were strengthened by the Holy Spirit through their knowledge of the gospel attained through diligent studies of the scriptures
7. (verse 27)  They paid tithing
8. (verse 28)  They gave to the needy
9. (verse 29)  They helped each other temporally and spiritually.

To many of us, this should all sound very familiar.  When I read this, it made me think of our modern prophets and what they have taught us and continue to teach us.  Though many of these things appear to be relatively new concepts, they`re not.  They were all initiated at the beginning of the history of the church in the Americas. Reading this just reinforces my testimony that the Prophets are led by God.  They`re not old men who have good ideas.  They`re men who really know the Savior on a personal level.  Through this understanding, they`re able to carry out His will here in the earth.  I invite each of you to pray about the divinity of each of our leaders and to apply their teachings into your lives.  They will lead us to an all new love of the Savior and His gospel.  Of this I testify, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder Joseph Nathaniel Jackson