January 30, 2017, "Know Ye"

Email to Family and Friends

           It was so hard to say goodbye to beautiful Thermopolis!! We had some fun goodbyes! Haha, I'll let you see for yourself in the photos. 

          I am loving being in Butte! To be honest I had a little cutter shock for a few days. In Wyoming I only saw towns of at max 5,000 people and a few stop lights with Thermopolis being only 3,000 and one stop light. And now being in a city of about 30,000 freaked me out a little bit but now I'm getting used to it again. 

          Butte is known in the mission for crazy stories haha. I'm pretty sure I've already seen a demon since I've been here. It was scary! And he wasn't wearing any pants!

          Being a Zone Leader is fun being able to go help, love, and support the other missionaries here.

          I love each of you more than you know!

If any are willing, I'm in desperate need of stamps. Thank you for your love and support.        1704 Lowell Ave Butte, MT 59701

           

"Know Ye"

           Last week I was studying in Mormon chapter 7, and came upon this verse, which reads "Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved." (1)

          God is a God of cause and effect. Being saved is so much more than just "going to heaven". It is being godly, where our character and attributes are those of God him self. And because of that we experience the consequences one in that state. Perfect happiness, everlasting peace, and an eternal family. 

          Repentance is changing who we are to become more like or Father. Repentance is only possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Repentance is a divine gift given to us, we should rejoice when we hear of it! We can't repent without Him and His help. We can change our behavior, but we can't change our nature without the Atonement.

         And if we repent, we will then be prepared to meet God (2) and be comfeterable in His glorious presence (3) and hear the words "Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth." (4)

          My invitation to all is to come unto Christ and repent and cleanse yourself of all ungodliness. Whether it be great or small, as you do so I can promise that God will bless you in each of your individual lives. That you will feel his presence by your side. I love you! More importantly, your Father in Heaven loves you! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Mission Home: 1848 Rimrock Road,  Billings,  Montana  59102

Current Address: 1704 Lowell Ave, Butte, MT 59701

Notes

1. Mormon 7:3
2. See Alma 34:32
3. See Mormon 9:4
4. Alma 5:16

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Food fight???

Yep!

January 23, 2017, "The Gospel"

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           TRANSFERS.  I will be leaving Thermopolis, WY :( This is my home, I will miss Thermopolis. Everyone here are now some of my closest friends. Farewell Thermopolis, may you rest is peace and joy and the Stake of Zion continues to spread here. 

            I will be going to Butte, MT as one of the Zone Leaders over the Butte Zone. My new companion is Elder Merril. Elder Simmons will be staying here and his new companion is Elder Farara. 

           Thermopolis has been my one and only area so far since I've come out on my mission in June. I have learned and become so much more here, this has been a preparatory stage of my mission, and now it's time to get out and go to the real world. I'm up for the challenge! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for Isreal!

           

"The Gospel"

           I was reading in the book of Second Nephi, ninth chapter, verses twenty one through twenty three, which reads. "And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam."

          "And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day."

          "And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God." (1)

           These three verses contain the only things we ever need to know in life. Jesus  Christ "suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;" (2) 

            If I could only teach and know one thing, it is that God himself came down among us mortal men and women, and created a perfect, infinite atonement for each and everyone of us that we might be able to repent and partake of his goodness. And as we apply his goodness into our lives through prayer, our hearts and our natures will be changed. Wether it be over time or imedietly, it will happen if we repent.

           Be patient with yourselves, "all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments" (3) then "thy peace [will be] as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." (4) 

           Live the Gospel. Make it who you are! If we will live His commandments then we will find true joy, through the Holy Ghost, which brings love, peace and joy. Satan can twist and mimic almost every good thing. The only thing he can't mimic is, PEACE. (5) True peace only comes from God, and He will give it to us as we repent and apply his atoning sacrifice in our lives. That has been the promise since before the world began

          I know that this is true, I know my Father lives, I do not doubt, for my mother knew it (6). She is one of my greatest blessings and teachers. I love all of you! None of you know how much I love you! You are all sons and daughters of God, stop wasting your potential, none of us know how powerful we really are. Do good and be good. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Notes

1. 2 Nephi 9:21-23
2. Doctrine & Covenants 19:16
3. Mosiah 2:22
4. 1 Nephi 20:18
5. Elder Simmons taught me this, is is so true! We can think we are happy, we can think we have joy when we live in wickedness. But, you can only think and know your at peace when you are truly at peace, through living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
6. See Alma 56:47-48

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"The District"

"Me with Jonah who is preparing to go on a mission"

"Lou the Sheriff, whom I've come to know very well"

"You know you've been in an area a long time when 

there is an event in the museum that you attended"

"Brother Stewart the Ward Mission Leader"

"I got dehorned ;) haha just kidding I got stabbed in the head

by the upper claw of a skid steer"

"President Cottrell, Stake President"

"Bishopric/Clerk Office buddies"

"Bishop Maddock and family"

"Brother Massie"

"Mission boundaries, the southern most part of the mission"

January 16, 2017, "Leave the Past in the Past"

Email to Family and Friends

           We had the baptisms of KayLoni Blair and Ryan Johnson this weekend! They were both very spiritual, and I am so proud of them. I'm so thankful to have been able to get to know them. KayLoni is becoming into a very strong LDS woman, and like wise her newly wed husband, Jacob Blair, is also turning into the mighty priesthood man that his family needs him to be. 

           

"Leave the Past in the Past"

           

Part of a talk I had the privilege of giving at the baptism of KayLoni Blair on 1-14-17.

           (1) There is something in us, at least in too many of us, that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life, either mistakes we ourselves have made or the mistakes of others.

           As I have seen couples in life who are deeply hurt or even just deeply stressed, they tend to reach farther and farther into the past to find yet a bigger brick to throw through the window "pain" of their marriage.

           When something is over and done with, when it has been repented of as fully as it can be repented of, with life has moved on as it should and a lot of other wonderful good things have happened since then, it is not right to go back and open up some ancient moon that the son of God himself died trying to heal!

           Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve.

          The past is to be learned from but not lived in. 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, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future.

          If something is buried in the past, leave it buried don't keep going back with you a little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up, wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, "Hey! Do you remember this?" Splat!

          Because more than likely the other person will say "Yeah, I do remember that. Do you remember this?" Splat! And before you know it, you both are all dirty and uncomfortable.

          I speak unto all, to leave the past in the past! There is no greater requirement for us then to do as the Lord Himself said He does: "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more " (2)

          If we have repented, The Lord won't remember our sins, and neither should we nor anyone else!

          Now, like the anti-Nephi Lehi's of the book of Mormon, bury your weapons of war, and leave them buried. Forgive, and do that which is harder than to forgive: Forget. And when it comes to mind again, forget it again.

          God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as he does about where you are and, with his help, where are you are willing to go. I say these things in the holy and personal name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

917 Amoretti St Thermopolis, WY 82443 

Notes

1. Based off of a talk given by Elder Jeffery R. Holland titled "Remember Lot's Wife", I would encourage all to listen to it, it is much better than this ^ :)
2. Doctrine & Covenants 58:42

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January 9, 2017, "At Ease in Zion"

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           The weather outside is beautiful today I feel as if I am back in Arizona with a bunch of melting snow. I think it's like 50° outside. Two days ago it was in the negatives!

           Cambria Stephenson was baptized on Saturday by her father Jacob Blair. It was such a privilege to see the both of them in the baptismal font, worthy to be doing what they were doing. I have loved seeing Jacob become the priesthood man that he now is. 

         

"At Ease in Zion"

           

           President Ucktdorf once warned us that, "in the Church of Jesus Christ, we have been given so much. We are surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and truth that I wonder if we truly appreciate what we have...."

"Considering all of this, how could it ever be possible that we of all people would not be excited about attending our Church worship services? Or get tired of reading the holy scriptures? I suppose this could be possible only if our hearts were past feeling to experience gratitude and awe for the sacred and sublime gifts God has granted us. Life-changing truths are before our eyes and at our fingertips, but sometimes we sleepwalk on the path of discipleship. Too often we let ourselves be distracted by the imperfections of our fellow members instead of following the example of our Master. We tread a path covered with diamonds, but we can scarcely distinguish them from ordinary pebbles." (1)

           In the last week I have been noticing that I have been becoming a little complacent. Not disobedient, but just a little to comfortable. As I read this scripture in the Book of Mormon my soul weighed heavy with some guilt. "Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!" (2)

          Brothers and sisters never be comfortable with were you are or with the "success" you think you are having! There is too much do, to much joy to bring to the lives of others, especially in our own families.

           Never quit, never give up! Now is the time to prepare to meet God spotless at his judgment seat! This life is strenuous, it is difficult, it was never meant to be easy or restful. You knew this before the world was formed and you chose it. Because you knew that it was the only way for you to experience true JOY. "Men are that they might have joy." (3)

            I love you. More importantly your Father in heaven loves you and he wants the best for you. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

917 Amoretti St Thermopolis, WY 82443 

Notes

1. "O How Great the Plan of Our God!" By Pres. Ucktdorf, Oct. 2016
2. 2 Nephi 28:24-25
3. 2 Nephi 2:25

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January 2, 2017, "Exercising Our Faith"

Email to Family and Friends

           This week has very exiting! There was a double Wedding of Jacob and KayLoni Blair, and Trace and Witni Taylor! It was such a cute wedding! I love these two couples so much! There will be pictures. 

         

"Exercising Our Faith"

           As some of you know we hit a deer earlier this month. Also we had to go back and forth to Greybull (a town an hour and fifteen minutes north of us) a lot at the begging for of this month for ligitiment reasons. We are only allotted 1250 miles a month and on December 19 we were at 1003. We still had to drive to Greybull 2 more times by the end of the month, which would put us at 1276 if that is the only reason we touched the car. 

           So, Elder Simmons and I sat down 2 weeks ago and discussed how the Lord commands us not to go over our given mile limit. We then read together 1 Nephi 3:7 which says "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1) We knew the Lord would bless us with the extra 26 miles, once we requested them.

           We decided together as a team that we would do this (keep in mind we cover an entire county and we go a good ways out of town almost every day). We had no idea how we were going to accomplish this task, but we knew with absolute certainty that the Lord would prepare a way! We would have to bike, walk, or find rides to everywhere we went. We took a look at the weather and saw that we would have some snow storms, but "the Lord did strengthen [us] that [we] could bear up [our] burdens with ease, [because we] did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." (2)

           All Elder Simmons and I did, is made the DECISION, prayerfully committed to the Lord that we would do as he commanded, and acted in all dilligence. And because of that we saw the Lord surround us with avenues and doorways to complete our task. 

           I don't think the Lord cares about how many miles we drive, but I do think he cares and wants to teach us the blessings of faith and obedience. Because of this experience I have now learned what it truly means to exercise faith. I have been blessed with an amazing companion, I couldn't have done this with out him, I never ever heard him complain either. 

           I hope, if needed, that you could lean on our experience. That you can begin to exercise Faith. As you do so your faith will grow stronger and stronger, literal miricals will be in your life (3). And you will have "faith no longer, for [you know], nothing doubting." (4) To the point were you can cry as Nephi to the doubting, "If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done."

           "And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?" (5) 

           Each and everyone of us can accomplish the impossible. And now I leave with the words of our loving Savior, to "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (6) In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

917 Amoretti St Thermopolis, WY 82443 

Notes

1. 1 Nephi 3:7
2. Mosiah 24:15
3. See Ether 12:6
4. Ether 3:20
5. 1 Nephi 17:50-51
6. Luke 12:32

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