July 25, 2016, "The Fundamental Unit of Society"

I think I mentioned Bobby in my last email, we gave him a Book of Mormon the other week. Had a way fun lesson with him the other day. He was raised "in the hood" so everything we teach he relates it back to himself by making a gangster analogy. For example, the church is like the mafia cause we are family and watch out for each other haha. And how the bishop is our don haha. Bobby also gets way into it when we read with him. He had an awesome rendition of 3 Nephi 3:7. They should record him reading for an audiobook. Haha it's absolutely hilarious!! But he is making amazing progress. He is better coming to know Jesus Christ not only as his Savior, but as his friend.

"The Fundamental Unit of Society"

               I would like to talk today of things that matter most. We all want to be successful in life, in what ever aspect it may be. We want happiness and joy in our lives. Lehi once said that, "men are that they might have joy." (1) Our very existence is to be happy. There are only a few things in this life that bring us true and lasting joy. And I believe the most important one is our family. They are our best friends. The following is a declaration from modern and living prophets and apostles. Please read it slowly and pay attention to every sentence to get as much as you can out of it.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

By The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

                    We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

                    All human beings--male and female--are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

                     In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

                    The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

                    We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

                     Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives--mothers and fathers--will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

                     The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

                    We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

                   We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995. (2)

********************************************************************** 

               Obviously none of our families are perfect, nor will they ever be in this life. As we strive to model our family after what we have just read, we will find more peace and joy in this life then earthly words can describe.

               Our families can be together forever, through our sacred temples. We can be with our loved ones for eternity, through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I would like to tell my family how much I love each and everyone of them. I wish I would have realized how important they are to me before I left. Being separated from them for this short amount of time, has forced me to see how much of a blessing they are to me. I love you. 

                To the rest of you, please don't make the mistake I did. Love, cherish, spend every second with your family. You'll regret it whether you know it or not. Stop being rude, let them know you care about them and want to be with them. Be forgiving.

               In this, as in all things, Christ is our perfect example. Even after his suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, betrayed by his loved apostle, and being crucified he still was thinking about others, in particular his family. As Christ was on the cross he told his beloved apostle to watch and take care of his mother, Mary. He said to him "behold thy mother!" (3)

               May we all strive to be like our Savior. No matter how hard our day has been, we must love our family. I know Christ lives. May we have his love with us in our hearts. Let us watch and take care of our family, especially our mothers. Let us not be distracted with things that don't truly matter, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (4) In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

Thermopolis, WY

Notes

1. 2 Nephi 2:25

2. The Family: A Proclamation to the World

3. John 19:27

4. Luke 12:31

July 18, 2016, "The Most Misunderstood Sin"

            Hey friends and family, the past week has been full of many miracles and fun experiences. I'll tell you just one of them, we went to go see a less active member and while doing so we met her boyfriend, Bobby. We were talking to her when Bobby asked us what it takes to be baptized. So we told him briefly about the steps to baptism. He has had a rough past few weeks, really years. And he said he needed change, he needed something different in his life. So we told him a little bit about the church in the book of Mormon. He is very excited to read it even had my companion and I write our testimonies in i and he said he needed change, he needed something different in his life. So we told him a little bit about the church in the book of Mormon. He is very excited to read it even had my companion and I write our testimonies in the copy we gave him. 

             I am so excited to see the peace and joy that is about to come into his life through his humility. He seems rough around the edges, but he is a very humble man.

"The Most Misunderstood Sin"

             About four years ago, I was a freshman in high school. Growing up I went through a pretty rebellious stage in my life. And right when I was a freshman is right when  it started to escalate. But I had one of the most amazing seminary teachers anyone could ever ask for! But, I never really paid any attention. There was one experience though, that has stuck with me to this day.

             From what I remember, I was probably flirting with the girl in front of me. When the teacher called on a Senior, and asked what her experience has been with repentance. She couldn't answer. He then asked if she has ever repented. She sadly shook her head and said, "No, I haven't".

             I remember this experience like it was yesterday. The reason this has stuck with me is because at that moment I realized, I had never repented, I had never strived to change. Looking back now I can see my Father calling out to me at that moment. I was over come by the Spirit. I can see His arms out stretched, warning me of the path I was about to go on. But, did I listen. No, I ran, deep in my heart I knew it was right, but my heart was to hard to listen. Mainly because, I was beginning to be very successful in the eyes of the world. When before I was not. Before my freshman year no one at school but a few ever liked me. But for whatever reason, people started to like me, and I was begging to be very popular and esteemed in the eyes of men. And I knew in my heart that if I changed, all that would be gone, because the reason people were starting to like me were for not the best ways. At that moment, when I decided to ignore the council of my Omnipotent Father, I committed what President Ezra Taft Benson called "the most misunderstood sin".

             "The most misunderstood sin, is the sin of all sins, and that is the sin of pride. Just like Faith, Hope, and Charity, pride is an underlying feeling or emotion that guides all of our thoughts, words, and actions. The Lord commands us to have Faith, Hope, and Charity so much because, He knows that if we possess those, they will lead us to humility and obedience, which in turn will direct us to eternal life and happiness. Those three attributes are what have and will continue to produce every good thought we have, every nice word we say, and every kind deed we do.

              But just like Faith, Hope, and Charity; pride, in the negative, is the foundation stone of every sin you, I, or anyone else on this earth has ever committed. That is why the Lord tells us over and over "beware of pride" (1). Our Savior taught us that pride leads to transgression. He told Oliver Cowdrey, the second Elder of the church, to "beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation." (2) Pride is the original sin. Pride is what caused Lucifer "the son of the morning" (Satan), one of our favorite brothers, to rebel against Father. That pride eroded his heart completely.

              "Every mortal has at least a casual if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided it; few over come it" (3). "Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves." (4) For example, when I ignored God telling me to change my life, in the moment I had no idea I was being prideful. I always just thought being prideful was being selfish, but it is so much more.

              Ezra Taft Benson the Prophet said, "Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity--enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us." (5) I love what he said, "pride is enmity......Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition." All of anger and selfishness are his pride in action. There are many faces to pride, and we need to know them so we can recognize them in our own lives. Some of the faces of pride our disobedience, selfishness, and contention. These lead us to faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, being unforgiving and jealous, holding grudges, and depending on the world to tell us if we have value or not. 

              Pride is ugly. Again it is easy to see in others but hard to see in ourselves. But we must learn to recognize it in ourselves, because if we don't we will not be comfortable in the presence of God. And is that not our end desire. Alma stated, "Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life." (6) We must learn to see the pride in our hearts, because if we see it we can then fix it and ultimately become, "purified even as he is pure" (7). 

                So how do we conquer the center of pride that is so prevalent in our day and so damaging in our lives. Alma earlier in his sermon I just quoted declared, "Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?" (8) Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? I know I couldn't. Humility is our only weapon against the pride in our hearts. President Uchtdorf once said that, "Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman.   Humility directs our attention and love toward others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite." (9)

               If we can be humble, we can be changed. Christ himself said, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (10) Brothers and sisters, maybe all let go of this ungodly sin. May we free ourselves from chains which hold us bound. Pride is a form of earthly damnation, when pride is in our hearts we cannot progress. I am not perfect, I am striving to apply what I have said in my life just as much as I hope you would. Pride is enmity, pride is a sin that causes all other sin.

               I have not spoken even a hundredth part of what I desire to say on the subject. And I hope and pray that in my weakness of writing, that the Holy Ghost may have touched your heart today, and will have lead you to have a desire to change. May we all be humble followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

                I know that as we let go of our pride, that love and joy will begin to enter our heart. I know Jesus Christ lives. I know he came to this earth and suffered in the garden of  and was resurrected the third day. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know the book of Mormon is true. I would encourage all of you to read it every day and see how your life has changed. I love all of you, keep doing good, keep trying, and always be humble. I say things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

Thermopolis, WY

Notes

1. Doctrine & Covenants 25:14

2. Doctrine & Covenants 23:1

3. "Pride in the Priesthood" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

4. "Beware of Pride" President Ezra Taft Benson

5. "Beware of Pride" President Ezra Taft Benson

6. Alma 5:28

7. Moroni 7:48

8. Alma 5:27

9. "Pride in the Priesthood" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

10. Matthew 16:25

*This is a talk I just gave in Sacrament meeting here in Thermopolis, Wyoming

Administrator/Mom's Note:  If you want to write to Elder Bredsguard, you can reach him at philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net.

Some P-Day Fun...  (Kayli, did you see this!  LOL)

July 11, 2016, "Love"

       Hey family and friends, this week has been amazing we have two new investigators on the baptismal date the work is moving great I love all of you!

"Love"

          "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest (teacher) that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite (Priesthood holder), when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan (our really odd neighbor down the street), as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." (1) What did this Good Samaritan show to this poor and stricken Jewish man?

           A scribe once confronted Jesus and "asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is,...  thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." (2) What do you notice about these two commandments? What is a key similarity that they both share? The greatest commandments that God has given us both include love. So what is love? Love is a deep devotion and affection for somebody or something. Love is a very powerful and real force in our lives. "Everything the Savior did throughout His earthly ministry was motivated by love--His love for His Father and His love for all of us." (3) Love is what motivates us to do most if not almost every action or decision we make in life. Love," like faith, leads to action." (4) Love causes us to feed our children, to sacrifice for others, to go one way instead of another. Love can even cause us to change who we are and how will act and react. Our love for others in indescribable. The love a man has for his beautiful wife, the love a mother has for her children, and the love our Heavenly Father has for us. I want you all to think back to an experience in your life when your very being was overflowing with love. When you did a great act of service for someone, when you were first married, or when you had your first baby. Take a few minuets and ponder on this. How did you feel?

            We, "are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (5) Love is a choice. We can choose how to act, how we will treat ourselves, others, and God.

            But why would we want love? When we love someone don't we feel happy? Lehi once told us that, "men are, that they might have joy." (6) When you increase in love, "you will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are struggling or discouraged." (7) We want to love other because that is were true happiness and joy are found. And aren't those two thing what we are all looking for in life? You can make a million dollars a month, but if you "have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth." (8)

              Satan is real, and he will do anything and everything, to keep love out of our hearts. He will try and replace it with anger and frustration. I remember only about over a year ago, you couldn't pay me $100 to tell the people I cared about most the words " I love you." I just couldn't say it now matter how hard I tried. It was like trying to talk while clenching my teeth on a rock. I loved them so much but I never told them. They would tell me they loved me, but I wouldn't say it back. Until I realized that if I could just let go of my pride, and tell those I cared about how I truly felt about them, that those 3 words bring so much joy to not only them but to me.

             I urge you to follow Lehi's final council to his sons when he said, "Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust." (9) Let go of anything that is keeping others from feeling how much you really care about them! Whether it be through words, gifts, quality time, service, or a hug. Show them you love them! Notice what the Good Samaritan did to somebody he didn't even know, who in a normal circumstance would have probably mocked him and made fun of him, just because of what he was born into. Have love and peace in your hearts, forgive them, they are not perfect and neither are you. The Savior counciled us after this parable by asking us, "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." (10) Go and do thou likewise, that is all he asked us to do is to show love and mercy to all those around us. Show those around you, especially those closest to you that you are eternally grateful for them in your life!

              Jesus Christ is our perfect example. He has showed us how to show those around us that we appreciate them. When he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, and rose from the dead the third day; He demonstrated that perfect love for us! The greatest example of God's love for His children is found in the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that it is because of Him that we can be able to feel that love at all! Show somebody today, just one person, that you genuinely care about them. Your day will turn right around and you will be the happiest person in the room! I promise you that blessing and many many more! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

Thermopolis, Wyoming

Notes

1. Luke 10:30-35

2. Mark 12:28-31

3. Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 5.5.4

4. Preach My Gospel pg. 118

5. 2 Nephi 2:27

6. 2 Nephi 2:25

7. Preach My Gospel pg. 118

8. Moroni 7:46

9. 2 Nephi 1:23

10. Luke 10:36-37

Administrator/Mom's Note:  I just received the pictures below from another missionary mom, Hayley Huefner, from the MTC, Provo, UT.  Thanks!

July 4, 2016, "Associating with God"

         Hey everyone, I got to Montana on Wednesday. Very I have been assigned to is Thermopolis, Wyoming! My companion/trainer is Elder Palmer he is an amazing example to me! He is an amazing teacher and knows how to follow the Spirit. He is going to do amazing things! The people here are super friendly, and the work is really moving along. My experience in Mesa has really helped me prepare for the field. Same with the MTC, my experience there as Zone Leader really taught me the importance of love, charity, and obedience. I was given great opportunities to council and console others. Haha, the mantle wasn't fun though, haha, I had only been a missionary for a week and a half and was responsible for 43 missionaries! I'm trying to figure out how to be a missionary myself! Hahaha! But, it was an experience I wouldn't trade for the world.

"Associating with God"

          I want you all to think back to your childhood. Did any of you have a friend Johnny down the street? You know cussing when he was in Kindergarten and smoking in 2nd grade. What did our parents always say about him? "Don't hang out with Johnny!" But why, why didn't our parents want us to be around him? Why did they care so much? He's just another kid. There is something in this life called the Power of Association. It doesn't matter if you want to or not, but you will ALWAYS become like those you associate with. 

          Why did I tell you this? Why did I bring this up? In order to understand that, you first need to understand what we are on earth to do, our purpose in life. What are we here to do? Think about that for a while before you keep reading. The reason we are on this earth is to become better and to ultimately become like our Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ Himself asked the Nephites "what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am." (3 Nephi 27:27). He also told us, "and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one" (3 Nephi 28:10). It has been said that 55% of everything we learn is through association. Who better to associate with, then our glorious Father in heaven! If we are trying to be more like Him and His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, then it only makes sense that we should talk with them and get to know them better!

           But, how can we talk with them it's not like we can just sit right next to each other and talk? Yes, it may seem that way to many. But, that is a false statement. God is our loving Father and He wants to talk with us, and the best part is we can talk with Him! We can communicate with Him through prayer. When we pray, we are having a 2 way conversation with Him. As we pray we will begin to know Him better. We will start to see that He is really there. Christ commanded us to "pray always" (3 Nephi 18:18). He knows everything we need, and loves us enough to help us.

           How can we pray always? We all have things to do and places to be. Well, The Lord, "commanded [the Nephites] that they should not cease to pray in their hearts." (3 Nephi 20:1). I remember when I really started on my journey to find Christ and just be a better person, that I had a really hard time keeping my mind and my thoughts right. So, I decided that every time something popped in my head I didn't want there, I was going to pray with all my heart to push it out. Haha! It's funny looking back and realizing that I was literally praying all day. I truly saw the power of associating with my Father as I prayed without ceasing. When Christ said to the Nephites "ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." (3 Nephi 18:18), He was not joking. As I pray always, my mind is always pure, only good thoughts are there. I saw that as I always turned to Him and got to know Him as my Father, I was literally given an entire suit of spiritual armor! Paul told us to "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand... Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance." (Ephesians 6:13,18).

           I know that as we pray and associate we will begin to know our Father more and more and start to become more like Him. We will see His love more in our lives. I testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world! He came down to this earth in a mortal body.  He not only healed the sick and raised the dead, but He atoned for all of our sins, our pains, and our transgressions. He made a perfect Atonement so that through Him we can speak with our Father, who loves and knows all. I would like to give all who read this a challenge, to prayer more with real intent. Ask yourself, "How can I make my prayers more effective? How can I come to know my Father even more?"

           If you have not prayed before, how you do it is you first address your Father in heaven such as "Dear, Heavenly Father". Then you can just address your concerns, thank Him for blessings in your life, and ask Him questions you may be having. Then we always close in the name of Jesus Christ such as "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." As a representative of Jesus Christ I can promise each and everyone of you that he will answer your prayers through the power of the Holy Ghost (feelings, impressions, ideas, etc.) But He will only answer them if you say them with a sincere heart. I love and miss each and everyone of you! May God watch over you and bless you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

Thermopolis, Wyoming

"This is what I see my first day in the field at the church building!"