God's Love is for all

One thing that surprised me when I came out here, was the fact that people don't view God as a loving God. People view him as a vengeful, or angry God. Obviously this is not the case! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16. He loves us! He sent his Son down here to take our punishment away from us. He took it from us, when he did absolutly nothing. He could of just not done the Atonement, which is what he did in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Cross, and ultimatly the Ressurection! He is really Love! He is the definition of Love! To have pure love is to be like Jesus Christ. He loved everyone, even if they were not making the best choices! He loved the sinners and hated the sin. He called everyone to have faith in his name, to repent, to be baptized, recieve the Holy Ghost, and to follow him in word, action, and deed. If any of us have true love, we have to have an eye single to the glory of God. To glorify him with our choices! You see, God never seperates himself from us, it's us! The choices we make either bring us closer to him or farther from him. He is still the same, He still has that same love! So this world would be so much better if we actually followed Christ's example and loved everyone. I can already see it! If everyone loved everyone, divorces would dry up. heh, divorce attorney's would have to seek employment elswhere! We would be happy! Everyone would have friends! No one would be left out. Love is the motor oil for missionary work! heh! I could try to put something else in the engine. It may work for a little bit, but in the end it would burn up! Love is the only driving force for missionary work. Not because we have to love everyone, because it's the only way it can work. It is my prayer that people start loving each other and seeing each other as they really are, as children of God. I testify of these things, in the name of the our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

A lot of people here in Western New York area I've found are really devoted and faithful! That's great! I love how people worship Christ. I also realized that there are a lot of different beliefs of ways to be saved or, what Christ commanded us! Christ, when He was crucified, fulfilled the Law of Moses. He was the last and great sacrifice! While He was walking the paths of ancient Pakistan, He gave us His Gospel. He told us how to return back to our Father in Heaven and to have true happiness in this life! However, a lot of people have different views on how to be saved! Some say that we just have to accept Him as our personal Savior (a guy sitting across from me has a hat that say "Jesus Saves") We know that we can only be saved by Christ, He is the only one that CAN save us! In fact, the first thing that Christ taught us was to have faith in Him and that He can do what He says He can do! This is easier said than done, because when the chips fall, that's when you show your faith. Will you pay tithing when your funds are low and the bills are coming? What about that last cigarette? What about giving up your favorite "sins"? One of many acts of faith is repenting and giving up our old selves and shaping our lives around the Lords will. The Book of Mormon and the Bible make it clear that we all must repent and come to Christ! We cannot follow Him if we hear what He says, but don't do it. I am reading the 4 Gospels and the book of Acts before Easter, and I have found multiple times that when the Savior himself warns those who don't obey his commandments. Another commandment is to be baptized. People say that baptism is not required to gain salvation, but John 3:5 says otherwise. "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." People will still argue that baptism doesn't save, and well, I say if Christ needed to be baptized, then I do to as well (2 Nephi 31) Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost is also required! we believe that it is received by the laying on of hands, and that it completes baptism. (Acts 19:2-6) And last of all, the hardest one to do (the hardest is always last isn't it?). Endure to the End. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a one time thing, rather it's a lifestyle. You are to change your life to IT! Not accept certain parts that sound good. It means everything that encompasses Faith, Repentance, Baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost (renewing covenants via sacrament) and obey ALL commandments. We have to do it all the time, forever, for the rest of our earthly lives. It is HOW the Gospel blesses us and our families! It is not a magic thing that magically makes our lives better, it is a process. It's how we are to be happy! We can take anything the world throws at us. It's because we are founded on the rock that will not fall. We did what he asked us and we will be supported when we need it. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wants us to be happy, so he provided his gospel. He called Joseph Smith to be a prophet that restored the Gospel on the earth after centuries of being lost in its fulness. The Book of Mormon was a key factor in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify of these things in the name if Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Gospel Blesses Families

One thing that I love about this Gospel is that it not only blesses me in every single aspect of my life, but blesses my family as well. I realize this that because my family was built on gospel princeples, my life was shaped and I had the family that our Heavenly Father planned on having for all of us. He wanted us to be guided back to him. He needed parents who lived a Gospel life. A family is unified when they are living God's commandments. We are then "free" to choose for ourselves. We don't have any type of influence or variable that would influence that would affect us. One thing I love about my family is that we are all unified. I am referring to my immeadiate family as well, but also my extended family. My grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc! The Gospel has unfied us all with love and support! My immeadiate family is very special to me. I love my sisters, even though I always wanted a brother. We did a ton of stuff together and we also supported each other in all of our activities. My mom was always looking out for me, I miss her. When I came out here that was one thing that I missed out here was my mom's love. My dad and I have a special relationship. We did everything together. Even if I didn't want to do it I still did it. I look back now and I see how much that meant to me and how it helped me be the person I am. I love my family and I know that they are being blessed for they're own personal worthiness, but also for me serving. Please don't think that I mean to brag of me serving. That is the last thing I want to sound like. I want to make the connection that the Gospel blesses all members of our families. I know that it does. I also know that all of us have not been raised in great families. I don't know what it's like, nor will I try to think I know what its like. BUT! I know that when one takes the gospel into ones life as if everything depended on it, they will have found a family in the church, or more specifically, in the Gospel. My family is very special to me, my family is evidence that God loves me. Like I said before, I never grew up in a dysfunctional family, but I do know that anyone who accepts and LIVES the Gospel will find that happiness that they were longing for. Even if they weren't looking for it . I know that the Gospel, which blesses families and individuals, was restored by Joseph Smith by the power of God. I know that Christ loves us. Which is why He want's us to be happy in our families. I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Agency: Choose to live

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient to man. And they are free to choose 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 all that all men might be miserable like unto himself." -2 Nephi 2:27

Agency is a princepal that is little understood, or even thought of. We are free to choose the right or wrong. The scripture above states that there are only those two choices. Good or Bad. Eternal life or misery. When we choose to follow the Savior, we find true happiness. It is a consequence of that action! A lot of times people stick consequence with a bad reputation, but it is a good thing! When we are rewarded for the things that we do right, that is a consequence. It may be a blessing for choosing to obey a commandment! We also get consequences for our bad choices. This is probably where "Consequences" gets its bad name. When we make a bad choice, we pull ourselves away from God. We are against Him, rowing against the current. A consequence for making ourselves farther from God is putting ourselves in Satan's grasp. We are now in his captivity. We can go back to our Father in Heaven thru sincere and honest repentance! But we would not need to repent if we had made the right choice before! Maybe a blessing for choosing the right is being protected, being happy, and not needing to worry about going through the process of repentance. Please do not think that repentance is a bad thing. It is a wonderful thing! It is amazing that we can even do it! It is a serious thing though, it's you recommiting yourself to follow Christ with a whole new zeal. But if you made the right choice, you would not need to suffer the consequences of pulling yourself from God.  Make those righteous choices and you will see and feel the blessings of making that choice! Alma 41:10 "...Behold I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." Wrong choice will never bring you happiness or peace that really matters in this life. I challenge you to choose to live and to live for eternal life. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

God is Love

I was asked once to name a Godly attribute that I would love to have and to work for. I chose love. Love, I feel, is the greatest attribute to learn and to have. With love comes humility, intergridy, dilligence, faith, and hope. These are just a few of the attributes that makes God, God! It would be hard to help someone if you didn't have love for them. When we love people, we put ourselves last and others first. Christ was a perfect example for that by suffering in the Garden of Gethsemene. He did not want to do this. He asked the Father if he could not do this! In fact, the reason we had Jesus come down was because our Father in Heaven loved us so much that he sent his Only Begotton Son, Jesus Christ. Then, going back to Christ, with love in his heart he performed the Atonement. He did it with us in his mind, He thought of us individually and personally. He wanted us to have the same reward He would recieve. Because of the perfect act of love, we must show the same love to each other! Though we will never be able to do the things which he did, we can still make someone's day better by the smallest acts of service. Smiling, talking with them, sending a text to them asking them whats up! When we do the small acts of service, we find ourselves in small bits! When we lose ourselves we find ourselves! I know that if we start showing each other the love that we desire, it will make the world such a better place to be in...a place that was given to us! A place that was designed to be happy! To have peace and joy. God is love, which is ultimatley the driving force for everything!

Finding the Light in light....

Recently, like an hour ago before posting this, We sat down with some potential investigators. It turns out that they were both evangelical pastors! Well, the appointment was scheduled so they could "learn" more about what we believe. Well to cut it short we were anti'ed. I won't go over what we talked about, we did hold our own and we did "win" but Elder Hallam and I both felt really dark after we met with them. This is a lesson learned that I will not forget, nor neglect to teach. Finding light in light, and not in darkness. Who is the Light? It is Christ. How do we find Him? well, not in Anti pamphlets, books, or magazines. Nor in heated bible bashing or rude, low remarks regarding ones religion. (AofF #11) We find Christ, when we read the Book of Mormon, Bible, the Words of the Prophets, and going to church. It's not limited to this, but these are the basics. We tried to gear the conversation to the Book of Mormon and reading it. They would have none of it. They would not excercise faith in even reading the Book of Mormon. I know we are to love everyone, but you still don't have to waste your time with those that only want to slow the Kingdom of God down. I testify that if you ever find your beliefs being questioned you just tell them what you know, what you should know, and they cannot take that away. Trust the Spirit, the Holy Ghost to comfirm the message of the Restoration, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and Thomas Monson. It is not blind faith to trust your feelings after studying and praying about a subject. It is how our, loving Heavenly Father communicates to us. It is how He answers our prayers. Another thing that I hold dear to my heart is that He wants us to be happy in this life. Not just pleasure, but pure happiness; peace if you will. I don't believe that following Christ should be an acid bath but a time of peace and joy! Joseph Smith is a great example of being happy in this life, and Christ is the ultimate example. We should all be happy in following Christ, he will give us lasting happiness. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and like I said so many times before, if you read it and sincerely pray about it, you will come to know the truth of it by the power of the Holy Ghost. You will know that Jesus is the Christ that was sent here to overcome our short comings, that Joseph Smith was his servant in restoring the Gospel. I know these things are true, so I want everyone who reads this to know that Matt Bryson, is a follower of Jesus Christ. Not a diffrent Jesus, the one born of the virgin Mary, the Son of God, The everlasting Maker of heaven and earth, the one that suffered, died on the cross, and rose again three days later. I testify in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Book of Mormom....The Keystone

This week I have been studying the Book of Mormon. I have had my eyes opened to it more than I have ever had before...We know that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets in the America's. It's Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon was given to Joseph Smith to help restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ back on the earth after centuries of confusion, opinions, and darkness. Although all religion teaches truth, they did not have all the truth. They still did not have the prophets and apostles needed to guide the church. So, because God loves us all, and when we were ready for it, He called Joseph Smith to be the prophet that would restore God's church. The Book of Mormon was key to prove that Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the church that Christ himself established. It also was to prove that God is still indeed the same God during the Old Testament and New Testament, that He still reveals His truth to prophets and apostles. Everything about our church stands or falls on the Book of Mormon. Everything stands on it! Tithing, Law of Chastity, Word of Wisdom, prophets, apostles, eternal families!

We are commanded to read his word everyday! to give us strength, to guide us, to motivate us. When we use the Book of Mormon for our source of drive, we will find that we are under His guidance more than we realize! Reading the Book of Mormon is pre-requisite to anything we do! Before we go to church, before we pay tithing, etc. It develops our testimony in the church and the reason why we are here! When we are firmly planted in it, we will feel the motivation, the drive, to go and do what we are expected or commanded! To go Home teaching, to fill the requirements as a quorum or auxiliary president, to quit smoking, to pay tithing, to start living for Christ...We will be blessed with the ability to do all that we are asked to do when we go back to the source that helped start it all...the Book of Mormon. I know all who read it will gain a testimony. Just read it with a sincere and open heart. It was written by the spirit of prophecy, so it must be read by the spirit of prophecy. The same thing with the Bible. It too was written by the spirit of prophecy, and like wise must be read by the spirit of prophecy. To read it with the spirit of prophecy, you must be WANTING to know it's true. So I would like to commit everyone to read the Book of Mormon. Read it with the amount of time that you would like God to give you! He wants to speak to you, help you, but he can't if you open the book for a verse and then close it for the rest of the day...I challenge you to actually read like you would another book. Just eating it up, and I know that you will come to know the truthfullness of this book.

Commitments, Commandments, and Covenants

Recently, I gave a training on 'Commitments'. when we think of commitments, we think of asking an investigator to read the Book of Mormon, Pray, Keep the Sabbath Holy, and others! In this training, I talked about committing EVERYONE! Active Member, less-active, recent convert, or non-member. It is universal in God's Church. Commitments are not one time things. We commit to prepare ourselves to accept everlasting covenants that we make with God. We commit to grow. Without ccommitment, we can not covenant! I like to think of it as a pre-requisite to make covenants. Before we're baptized, we are asked to obey certain commandments! After baptism, we are asked to follow others! So, we should think Home Teaching, service, callings are just as important as the Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity, and Tithing. All are commandments that we Covenanted to follow with full purpose of heart. As we obey these commitments and commandments we build our faith, each other, and ourselves. I like to view the world as a giant weight on top of a flat surface. The weight doesn't change, but the base of it does. As we obey commandments and commitments, we put more and more support under the surface. When we disobey, or even neglect them, we lose our supports. When we lose the supports, the weight seems to be heavier, heavier, and heavier, until it's too much to bear. We need to obey the commandments so that we have the help of the Savior. "For my yoke is light, and my burden easy." -Matthew 11:30. The yoke and burden of the Savior is light and easy compared to the yoke and burden of the world. Let us live with His help and move forward with Him. He loves us and wants us to be happy. Obeying the commandments will make us happy in this life and most definatley the life to come.