Thank you!

Thank you family who participated in this challenge! I am sorry I became a bit of a slacker when it came to the blog in the end.  This pregnancy is giving me a run for my money! ;) Thanks to all who posted. I hope your experience was a good one and it helped you draw closer to the Lord and that you got lots of answers to prayers! I have a firm testimony of the The Book of Mormon. It truly testifies of Jesus Christ and shows us the way back to Him as well as helps us to find joy in our journey here on earth! I wish all who have not read it or have forgotten this would put the Book of Mormon to the test and read it.  If your heart is in the right place and honest, then it can do nothing but bring light and understanding to you! I hope you will all continue to make the scriptures a first in your lives! I know when I do, I can never go wrong! 
Lots of love, and happy future reading!
Rebecca

Becoming One With Jesus Christ

The Last two chapters I read were amazing! Jesus is visiting the America's and teaching them how to live his gospel. In Chapter 19 the diciples that Jesus had chosen were teaching the people and baptising them in accordance to the way Jesus had taught them. Then the people pray for they desire the Holy Ghost. During this chapter Jesus leaves the multitude to pray in our behalf to heavenly father. I think this shows that Jesus is the true advocate of our souls, we cannot return to heavenly father without believing in Jesus christ and his atoning sacrifice. We have to know the only way back to the father is through him. So how do we become one with Jesus christ? I think by following his example. In these scriptures Jesus continuelly prays for the approval of the father. At the end of chapter 19 Jesus advises the diciples and people to never cease praying by having a prayer in their own hearts! This to me is like a spiritual day planner, by having a prayer in our hearts all day long, we link our thoughts and actions with what Jesus would have us do during that day. In the next chapter Jesus adminsters the sacrament. In the sacrament prayer we promise to always remember him! How can we always remember him if we disconnect our prayers during the day, instead of continueing to pray throughout the day. We cease to remember him, when we cease to remember the prayer. Therefore by communicating with the father we link ourselves to him and become one with Jesus christ and what he would have us do. The scriptures play a very important part in linking ourselves to Jesus Christ, how can we know exactly what Jesus wants us to do, if we did not have plan examples from the scriptures? I'm afraid we would be very lost without them. I believe there is an awesome talk about having a prayer in your hearts by Elder Bednar awhile back! that might be a little more helpful then my blog!

STOMP challenge

Our weeks reading has covered a "LOT" of great stuff. It covers King Benjamin's address, Abinadi's address to King Noah and Alma's conversion. Three really great men.
I love King Benjamin! His address to his people covers one of the greatest accounts of the Atonement of Jesus Christ ever given. If you want to understand the Atonement, read this.
King Benjamin talked the talk and then walked the walk. I have great appreciation and respect for men like that.
We had a Stake President in Oregon (President Blake) who was, upon first aquaintance a little intimidating and actually without being disrespectful a little dry when he spoke. I came to love and respect this man because like King Benjamin he also talked that talk and walked the walk. He never asked of us anything that he didn't do himself. He was a great example of faithfulness and humility. I grew to love him so much. I think he was aware of his dryness when he spoke and I remember him adding a few quotes from "Harry Potter" I believe it was, in one of his talks to catch the attention of the youth. I believe it worked.
Talk about "faith" and "faithfulness"! Abinadi was a great example of both. He was obedient even unto the peril of his life. He spoke the truth with boldness and conviction and was the cause of one of the great conversion stories in the Book of Mormon. It is amazing the power that one faithful person can have. We never know when our testimony, whether it be spoken or by example, can affect another. It's interesting how fear can interfere with this. Abinadi had reason to fear for his life but his faith in God replaced any fear he may have had. When we truly have faith (TRUST GOD) it takes away fear.
Pslams 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my ^atrust; I will not ^bfear what flesh can do unto me.
Alma stood up to kind Noah and defended Abinadi. Noah feared judgement and was about to let Abinadi go but gave into pride and the "arm of flesh". Alma had to fled and immediately wrote all the things that Abinadi had said. Alma repented and then went out and testified of that which he knew to be true. Again, it is amazing the power of one. Alma let faith overcome fear and caused the conversion of many.
I think all three of these men were great examples of the "Power of one". We can never underestimate our influence on those around us. People are watching us, so let's make sure that what they see and hear is worth imitating. Let us be an "example of the believers" in ALL THINGS, at ALL TIMES and in ALL PLACES.

KIM

Mosiah 3

In this chapter in verse 19 it talks a little bit about the natural man. Something that inspired me was a quote by Daniel H Ludlow and this is what he has to say about the natural man: " The phrase 'natural man' is understood by latter day saints to be an unrepentant person; it does not imply that mortals are by nature depraved or evil, but only that they are in a fallen condition. Natural man describes persons who are without God in the world and they have gone contrary to the nature of God. the Lord declared to Joseph smith 'Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, Innocent before God". We know as church members we have the higher law of God, which means we must strive to be in the world but not of this world. This requires a lot of control since most of the time as church members we are going against the tide in things such as modesty, morality and standards. I read the ensign last night and it was interesting because Elder L. Tom Perry talked a little bit about a business cock tail party he went to. He remembered feeling out of place and a little bit disadvantaged because of the social situation. He finally looked around the room and decided to drink something that would be appropriate for his Mormon standards. He saw some soda pop in one corner of the room and decided it looked too much like the drinks that contained alcohol. He finally decided to go to the bar, he asked the bar tender for a cold glass of milk, puzzled the bar tender met his request and managed to find a glass of milk for elder perry. To elder perry's great surprise him putting off the natural man and sticking to his cold glass of milk got him a lot of business attention. In fact by the end of the night people were so interested in his peculiar choice of drink, that he had a group of high business man surrounding him by the end of the night. He said cocktail night he continued to drink his glass of milk every time and others joined in his choice of drink also. This is a great example of putting of the natural man, Gods ways are not are ways, but we strife to make it that way every day. I have a personal story about putting off the natural man and I myself was in the presence of members also. One night a group from our singles ward headed up into the mountains to go swim at the lake. After driving an hour we got up to the campground and I started to notice some signs posted around the lake. The signs said swimming hours between 8am and 9pm. One sign said area only open to campers, another sign said no parking after hours. Well you can guess that it was past 9pm swimming hours and we had no parking pass and we certainly were not campers. I wondered if anyone in the car had noticed the signs. I was starting to get a very clear view of something it said in my patriarchal blessing. "Sister wilcken do not participate in anything that is immoral unclean or ILLEGAL. Never participate in anything that would dishonor you or your family. I was hesitant to say anything....but I knew I had to, words from God were clearly being put into my head for a reason. It was hard to get the guts to say anything after our driver had driven an hour to get there..... I told him I don't feel it is right to go and that I would give him gas money to take me back home. The others were upset that they didn't get to go, I felt bad for maybe ruining someones night,but I felt good on the way back home knowing that I didn't go against what God had specifically warned me about. There is a natural man inside of all of us, but in order to live with heavenly father again we need to accept Gods law and plan for us because it will lead us live with heavenly father again.
EMILY BARKER

Nephi 25-30 Proud to love vanilla !

I find I relate really well to Ol Nephi. He , like I delights in plainness. Simplicity really. Nephi simplifies the teachings of Isaiah for his people, saying basically "I get lost too, but here is what I understand, so that it may help you." pardon my ice cream reference, but it is National Ice Cream Month in the US , so I shall take that lead and continue. I find vanilla ice cream akin to the iron rod. Vanilla is safe, you know what you're getting with vanilla. Those who endeavour to follow Death by Chocolate or Cherry Garcia flavours usually find vanilla boring. So too people may find holding tight to the iron rod boring. But in that holding tight is the assurity that you will not stray, that you are on the safe path and the Holy Ghost will always be there. It is a comfort that cannot be obtained any other way. Therefore, I am a proud fan of vanilla and plainness and the iron rod.

TGI Catch-up Day !

Must admit, I got behind a bit, sorry. Life, laziness and the All Star game got in the way. Must work on that. In the section 2Nephi 12-18 I highlight one scripture. I know I know, but hey, I gave an entire talk on John 3:16, so it can be justified. In 2 Nephi 16:8 Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord asking "whom shall I send?" and replies "here am I , send me" This struck me because immediately after baptism I'm sure we can all remember that same feeling. We are filled with the spirit. Yet as we live our lives Satan allows things in that make us question our confidence and worthiness at times, making us reticent to answer that "call" so quickly. Instead we think, surely there is someone stronger to send than me. We must remember that were we not able, the call would not come. It is belief in our ability to minister that we must grasp and hold tight.

2 Nephi Chapters 9-12

Chapter 9 teaches us the reason for and blessings of the atonement. Without the atonement our existance is meaningless, and the blessings received from the atonement ( everlasting life with eternal famalies) speak for themselves. Chapter 9 in also the chapter of woes. The blind who will not see and the deaf who will not hear struck me the most. Imagine being withour hearing or sight, and hwo challenged life would be. Yet these very people are often closest to Heavenly Father and consider the blessings their impairment has afforded them rather than blame Heavenly Father for missing out. Perhaps our eyes and ears are Satans favourite portal to reach us. Comsider what we see and hear every day. Often these things distract us from out spiritual being and intice the carnal being. Woe is right. Chapter 10-12 fortells of Christ's cruixifiction and the presense of modern day temples to gather the people, and also warns us again how things of this earth prevent us from reaching our potential in everlasting life.