Think Gratitude!

What is the real reason for this time of year? What comes to your mind when autumn rolls around? This time of year has always been my favorite; not just because of my birthday, the holidays, nor the food. Every year as long warm summer days turn icy and short, I like to think about the all of the things I am grateful for. I reflect on this question: how can we show our gratitude for His undying love? Gratitude goes into three parts: recognition, demonstration, and finally, passing it on. All of these things come back to one person though, you.

Becoming gratuitous begins with the recognition of a blessing. We can’t do anything without knowing a blessing exists! Take just a moment to reflect on all of the blessings the Lord has given you. Sometimes the world makes us feel like we don’t have enough, yearnings for speed boats and new cars creep into our minds if we don’t keep ourselves in check. These desires for material objects prove trivial. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ teaches us in Mosiah 2:20-21

I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

The words of the prophets given to us by our Heavenly Father teach us how to recognize His gifts and apply them into our own lives.

New horizons open up with just the simple recognition of blessings. We in our good fortune need to radiate gratitude in different ways other than simply remaining in a state of inward thanks. A smile extends further than you could ever imagine. Start a domino effect in a positive way, gratitude is one act that reciprocates itself. You could be the one to change it all!

In addition to radiating happiness, think about how we can show our benefactor our gratitude. Your Heavenly Father loves you past comprehension, and yearns to see your success come in leaps and bounds. He provides us with the necessary skills and abilities that aid us on life’s fantastic journey. Wouldn’t you want to show the man who made it all possible your thanks? The climax of the bible story of Christ healing the ten lepers remains vivid in my mind because of the outcome. Only one leper out of ten returned to pay due thanks. We need to be as the one leper; always in memory as to the origin of our blessings. Without Jesus Christ we are nothing; with Him we are everything. This principle becomes ever increasingly vivid as we read ponder and pray to know that the scriptures are true: both the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon.

The admonition of Christ empowers us. When we act as him by passing it on, we bring all aspects of recognition and radiation into an ever-expanding scheme. I simply phrase it, “If something good happens to you, pass it on and keep it going.” A one liner proves so much in so little. How has someone’s generosity blessed your life? How have, or can you bless others?

The Lord offers us so many blessings! One blessing trumps everything though; Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, stands supreme. Christ’s eternal message proves even more important today as we face societal and cultural deviations from time honored traditions and standards. Our Heavenly Father loves you so much that He sent His Son to atone, or pay for all of the mistakes you and I will ever make. He felt unimaginable agony wrack his body as he suffered in the garden of Gethsemane. Christ after preserving through unimaginable pain, endured crucifixion on Calvary’s cross for you. Why? Why wouldn’t he save himself? Jesus Christ knew that His sacrifice was the only way we could ever live together again on the other side.

Christ knew the value of eternal families. He wants you to live with Him and God again. I think to myself in awe and amazement at the realization that someone would suffer himself through insurmountable pain, torment, and finally die for me. How does this make you feel knowing that Christ cares so much for you?

When times become strenuous, when relationships seem on the brink of crumbling: think of the savior. When you get the dream job, when a new baby comes into the world, or when even it is a nice day outside: think of the savior. Setting our thoughts, words, and actions towards Christ puts everything into a greater perspective when we get the bigger picture. I know this to be true. Faith and gratitude in Jesus Christ pull us out of some of life’s biggest challenges. May God bless you and your family this holiday season, as you remember the real reason for the season.

-Elder Grant Callahan

What Happens After This Life: God’s Eternal Reward for You

You want the best for your children or future children. I think of my parents working so hard to provide, “the best.” They always wanted to reward us for listening and making correct decisions. Mom always liked to see a smile from a reward, rather than the opposite. God, our Heavenly Father works and feels the same way; He loves you and wants to reward you for making correct choices. He provided us with the proper tools and equipment for you to succeed in becoming like Him. We go through trials and tribulations that define us as individuals and mold us into more capable people. We choose whether to say in line with God’s teachings or go astray. We, through our Heavenly Father reach our grandest potential or the contrary. Heavenly Father is there, the only variable in the choice making equation is you.

At the conclusion of a race or competitive event come the awards to the top performers, each individual preformed to their fullest potential and excelled. God’s plan is no different: except, there is no limit to the number of first place finishers. Mainstream Christianity teaches that our final destinations after this life rest in either Heaven or Hell. We know that more destinations await us on the other side; are all people considered exemplary or the opposite, is there any middle ground? To start things out, when an individual passes on, they rest temporarily in a place called the spirit world. The spirit world consists of two sub-destinations: spirit paradise or spirit prison. This is where the misconception of Heaven or Hell comes into play. One waits in either location until the second coming of Jesus Christ. Once Christ comes again our Father in Heaven judges our deeds. Judgment is an opportunity to reflect on our lives and to see firsthand the atonement of Jesus Christ (He suffering for our sins and dying on the cross). We are saved in Christ. “Being saved” entitles us the opportunity to rise as Christ rose: a perfected being. We will be judged. Judgment analyses how we applied Christ’s sacrifice in our lives.

To get the full image of the judgment of God, think of rewarding a small child’s proactive behavior. The parent has the top reward for doing what, “mom asks.” If the child doesn’t pay full heed to the first request, but does as “mom told you:” a lesser reward follows.  Think of the child who simply chooses to do nothing. He or she receives no special reward, but mom still allows them to live under the roof she provided for all of her children. God wants to rewards he children in the same fashion. Like any parent, He wants to give us the top reward. It is our choice if we earn it or not.

There are three destinations, or “kingdoms” constituting God’s reward system. The bible explains in 1 Corinthians 15:40-43 KJV

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

Verse forty one lists the three kingdoms in regards to the sun, mood, and stars. What are the qualifications for each?

Celestial Kingdom (Sun): Accepting fully the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making necessary covenants (a two way promise between you and God). Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ reside here. This is the kingdom where families live together forever; there is no limit on the number of people  who can live here.

Terrestrial Kingdom: A place for those who love Jesus Christ and lived honorable lives. They did not accept His full gospel.

Telestral Kingdom: A place for those children who did not do as the Father asks, by remaining voluntarily in sins and inappropriate action.

Despite varying individual/ cultural circumstances, all individuals will have the opportunity to learn of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel before judgment and have an equal chance to accept or decline.

To receive the magnitude of blessings Heavenly Father has in store for you comes sacrifice, dedication, prayer, and action. God has us do difficult tasks, and we see miracles as a result. His tasks pose more difficultly than Mom’s request to “clean your room,” or “take out the garbage.” God’s tasks have more reward than temporary gratification; God’s rewards are eternal. What would you do to receive all of his blessings? Are there some things to change? We pose as our only variable; God stands constant. What will you do?