Dedicate!

This was a letter that I wrote to the California Santa Rosa Missionaries:

I hope you enjoyed your Easter Sunday yesterday. I hope you were able to reflect on the life of Christ, and feel the power of His sacrifice throughout that day.  It was a very special Easter for me this year.
These last few weeks have been hard for me. I have been struggling within myself with feelings of inadequacy. It seems my weaknesses have been magnified to me lately. (This isn’t a bad thing to get my pride levels lowered a little bit…)  I have felt a drain on my strength to combat these demeaning thoughts that continued to be placed in my head. I have been praying this last week especially that I could regain control, and once again have the further degrees of joy and strength that we experience as we become truer disciples of Jesus Christ.
This Easter Morning I awoke at 6:30, tired, but I had joy in my heart. Throughout this day, I have felt the spirit powerfully. In our drawn-out sacrament talks, our mediocre Sunday school lessons, our unorganized priesthood read-a-conference-talk lesson. All of these, for me, carried the spirit…strong. I was almost moved to tears throughout the entire 3-hour meeting.
This feeling has lasted even up until the letter I am writing to you.
President asked me to write to you about the Savior and the Easter events. Some of you might be thinking “and you went and told us all of this why?”
Jesus Christ when he was in Jerusalem, went about to people, teaching them, giving them peace and hope. He healed them. My mind rests on the event in Luke 5 where in v.18-20 “men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay before Him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when He saw their faith, he said unto him Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
Jesus Christ new that the men wanted the man healed. But he saw what the man truly yearned for.  Peace in his soul.
Bruce R McConkie gave a talk in the April Conference of 1985 where he talked about the Atonement and suffering of Jesus Christ.
They took Him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilate, to Herod, and back to Pilate. He was accused, cursed, and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down His face as vicious blows further weakened His pain-engulfed body.
With reeds of wrath they rained blows upon His back. Blood ran down His face as a crown of thorns pierced His trembling brow.
But above it all He was scourged, scourged with 40 stripes save one, scourged with a multi-thonged whip into whose leather strands sharp bones and cutting metals were woven.
Many died from scourging alone, but He rose from the sufferings of the scourge that He might die an ignominious death upon the cruel cross of Calvary.
Then He carried His own cross until He collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all.
 Finally, on a hill called Calvary—again, it was outside Jerusalem’s walls—while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid Him upon the cross.
With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through His feet and hands and wrists. Truly He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.
Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of nature was in agony.
And truly He was, for while He was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred.
And, finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll—when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of His Father in all things—then He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and He voluntarily gave up the ghost.
Our Brother, Lord, and Savior, suffered limitless pain. He suffered “ Which suffering caused… God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit”

He did that for us. For you, for me, for the man who suffered from palsy. I wonder if we will ever be able to understand such an act of love. Because he has done this, there is hope. He drank the dregs of the bitter cup. His part is finished. Now my Brethren and Sisters, we need to choose Christ. We need to take  His hands that are reaching out for us. We need to make a decision every day to do better, to try harder, and to follow closer. No more are we distracted by the things of the world. No more do we care about watching movies, playing video games and other distractions of the world.
We have given our minds, we have given our might and strengths. It is now time to turn over our hearts. Christ dedicated his life for us, He lived, died and rose from the grave, for our personal joy in the eternities. He has granted us peace in our darkest moments. He has cured the incurable wounds of our souls. He has brought light to where there was none. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, but these are just words unless I turn my heart to Him.
Rededicate yourself today, to serve Christ with all your heart. Remind yourself what He means to you, and then work like it. I know I have fallen short many times even in this past week. But I look forward with hope to the coming weeks months and years of faithful service to my Master.
I love you all and I know that the greatest peace, joy and happiness can come from selfless dedication to the one who loves us most. So I urge you…Dedicate.

Elder Nathan Steven Hancock – Servant of Jesus Christ

New Life

New life emerges, From the crags of broken shells,

And from the lush soil.

As Spring comes into our lives,
We remember newness,
We feel purity.

The Winter has left us barren,
A new start has occurred.

It is no coincidence that we remember Easter in this Season.

Christ rose from our pain and sorrow, our guilt and anguish,

He took it on himself, so that we could rise from lush soil,

He gives us new life.

Spring has come,

More warmth is in the world,

More light is coming!

And so it will be as you let Christ into your life.

For he is the "Light of the World".

Are you hungry?

There is a passage in a chapter of the Book of Mormon that says "Remember to be carnally-minded is death, to be spiritually-minded is life eternal." Carnal, (as defined by something smarter than me) is something pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites.

Carnally-minded therefore would be focussed on a need of the body. Many of those needs we have every day. We need to eat, need to drink water, we need to sleep. Every desire we have from a simple desire to sleep in longer, to other more serious desires, like desiring intimacy, are carnal. These desires in of themselves are not bad. We have those desires for a reason.

When we are controlled by our desires, our passions, our lusts. That is when we are carnally-minded, that is when we have lost control of ourselves. Many people find themselves in those situations, controlled by addictions of various things that "satisfy" their hungers. This is why the Lord gives us certain commandments, to keep us Spiritually-minded. (For those of who who currently are suffering from the clutches of addictions there is hope! Just start to make steps to become more spiritually minded.)

Commandments like Fasting help us overcome our desires for food and drink. The Law of Chastity helps us to know when our desires for intimacy are appropriate and beautiful. The Law of Tithing helps us overcome our need for money and put our trust in God. The Sabath helps us give up our desire to do other things recreational or otherwise, and focus on eternal things like families, and the Gospel. There are many other commandments that our Heavenly Father has given us, to help us become the most spiritual that we can be.

I am grateful for these commandments, and as I try hard to obey them, Heavenly Father gives me strength. I know that He love us, and that you too can have that strength. Just ask for it!

High Day 420

Tomorrow is 4/20.

Some of you may not know why that is significant, others of you could know exactly what it means.

It is what is called a "counter-culture" holiday. In really simple terms, this is a holiday for people to smoke pot.

Many things have been revealed about consuming these negative substances into our bodies, by prophets of old, as well as modern prophets. Click here to learn more about God's health code for us.

However, I am not here to talk about that. I want to change this holiday. This holiday is for people to take substances into their bodies, to take them out of reality and into a place where everything seems okay. So instead of pretending we're happy, and taking us further from our Heavenly Father, what I want to do, is have this holiday a 'Spiritual High' day, where we take in as much spiritual substance as we can.

Just imagine, if we had the world taking in scripture, or pondering about 'What their purpose is on earth?' or many other kind of things that draw us closer, (in our actual world) to God. Would this world be a much better place? So invite your friends, and go out and do this!

Visit Mormon.org to view, listen, read and watch spiritually uplifting material.

I know that as you do so you will be able to feel greater peace than anything worldly can promise.

 27^aPeace I leave with you, my ^bpeace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be ^ctroubled, neither let it be afraid.

Post-it Notes

Have you ever forgotten something really important, only to realize, hours later, that you have missed a major event?

Well, if you don't have a Post-it Note ready, get one, because otherwise you will again miss a major event!

"What on earth could that major event be?"

"This kid who's writing doesn't even know me."

"I think this writer is losing his marbles...maybe he should write that on a sticky note..."

Calm down your excitement people, I will reveal the event!

Did you remember to say thank you?

Guest Blogger: Elder Walker from Detroit, Michigan area.

How often do good things come about to us? I'm not talking about getting free new stuff, but the little things, when taken away affects us the most.

How great is it to have a family, friends, a place to live, a job to work, use of our minds and body, a faith in Jesus Christ? Many of these things are very important to us, but often times go unoticed. In some cases I see that we often times find ourselves complaining about these things, how they don't make the cut. "Oh, so-and-so looked at me funny... I don't get paid enough to stand here.... I wish I could do a slam dunk... etc" There are many different things people complain about, but no matter the complaint, the following statement, "Then, I will be happy" follows.

The time I have to write here is limited. But think about all the small things that often go unnoticed. Yes, you may have a friend that did something to upset you. But what about the time that they were there to comfort you when you were feeling down? You drive a 'Detroit's-Finest' hooptie with a smash fender and its hard to look at, but what a blessing is it that it still continues to run! All these things are just common examples of the blessings we recieve from heaven each day. Now, how many of us remember to pray and give thanks?

I invite you to get down on your knees and do that! Here's a talk teaching more about gratitude.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng&query=Gratitude

Forgiveness and a Forgotten Birthday

Well, it is April 8th, a significant date if you were waiting for a card on your birthday.

Yesterday was my littlest brother Max's birthday, and I failed to send off the card I got for him.

Don't worry, guilt has embraced my heart, and I will be sending it off this Monday.

This little thing, wishing a Happy Birthday, can mean so much to people. I have very limited contact with my family, and every time it is someone's birthday I mail them a card, usually telling how much I love them, or something like that. Me failing to get my card sent this week, could lead my little brother to think I don't care about him or that I forgot his birthday. Both are untrue. He is my little buddy, and though he probably didn't hear it, I wished him Happy Birthday yesterday.

I think we have all have had events like this in our lives, where we are either on the failing end, or the forgotten end. Whether it is something small like a birthday card, something a little larger like a name. It could even be something even more devastating, a big favor that we promised a friend or a loved one.

To my brother I apologize, I should have gotten it out early, I hope you'll forgive me.

To you who have offended someone, though you didn't mean it, apologize. It will make yours and their lives lighter. To you who have taken offense, forgive. There's nothing else to do. Love helps us realize what is truly important, and helps us get past the flaws and imperfections of those around us. Strive to love those around you, your life will be happy and filled with joy.

Christ was the perfect example of one who forgave. As we approach this Easter season who can forget His merciful words on the cross, to His father in behalf of the very soldiers who nailed his hands to the cross,

"Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do."

May we all follow our Savior's example and forgive, no matter what someone has done to us.

P.S. Happy Birthday Kaylie! (Her birthday is this Sunday...I will be sending you a card on Monday too!)

Field Runners

Alright, so who of you have run through a field? ........Alright I can't see any hands so either no one has ever run through a field, or I am asking a question generally in hopes that someone will read it.

So moving on from that question...When you run in that field, remember those things that get stuck in your socks? Those are burrs. These burrs are carried about with us, sometimes knowingly, sometimes not. We can carry them around with us for miles, or we can carry them a few feet before ridding ourselves of them.

As they cling to the loose threads of our socks, they are actually doing this for survival purposes, they are seeds from a plant, and they are using you to plant them in an additional location from their mother plant. Ending up with the trails littered with plants that will make these burrs, which continue to produce burrs that stick to your socks and are led to an additional location than the mother plant. Ending up with the trails littered with plants that make... I think you get my point.

So what are the burrs in life? What spurious thing likes to hook itself onto unsuspecting people and allow them to carry it to others around them, and spread their infectious influence as wide as they possibly can?

I can think of a couple...

Selfishness, Laziness, Negativity, Rebelliousness, Anger, Deciet, just to name a few.

So how are we to pluck from us the burrs of life and move forward in our personal progress, as well as helping others, instead of spreading burrs?

1. See the Burr. Recognizing the burr is often a huge part of fixing the problem. So pay attention to how you act during the day, and seek to remove any negative things. Ask others what you can do to be a better person...see what they say. And probably most important Ask Heavenly Father to help you find the burrs that you should pluck, and ask for His help.
2. Pluck it out. Probably one of the harder steps, but slowly making changes in your life to rid yourself of these burrs will help you to feel greater peace, and it will help make the 'Hike' a lot easier...if you get my drift. Prayer is an important part of this one as well. Be praying to help you have the strength to change certain things, and then push with faith that God WILL help you...Because He WILL!

Alright now take preventative efforts, tuck your pants in your shoes, get some hiking boots, and enjoy your hike. If you want to know what the tucking pants in your shoes, and hiking boots are in the real life sense, Go to http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/ if you still aren't getting it, shoot me a message on Facebook... Elder Nathan Hancock

Building Our Lives

A great Missionary Elder Jones is with me today, as my temporary companion. He has some great insights about something that is coming up this weekend. Take a glance, and take his challenge. I know it will help!

As of late I have started over my reading of the Book of Mormon and came across many things that never have struck me before. One of the passages did just that struck me, and is found in the book of 1st Nephi chapter 18. As I read the scriptures I try and apply the things that are being taught to myself, and to my surprise this was an easy one to relate, not only to me but to all those that read this. It all begins in verse 1 and it says:

1. And it came to pass that they did ^aworship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious ^bworkmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ^cship.

Nephi tells us that from time to time the lord did show unto him how to build the ship, the same ship that would take he and his family to the promise land, now I took the ship and replaced it as my life and how from time to time the lord shows me how to build my life. Now stop and think of all the ways that the lord shows us from time to time how to build our ships. Yes, we have the scriptures and we have revelation that is given to us, but we don't always think of one of the most important ways.That important way being, GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! This is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to this earth, a way for the world to continue receiving revelation from God and Jesus Christ. We often take too lightly the importance of all of this, this is our Savior Jesus Christ showing us from time to time just as he did Nephi how to build our lives in such a way that we can return to our Heavenly Father. Now Verse 2 says:

2. Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.

Now take this and think about it, anything, any struggle or problem there is in life there is a solution to that problem in the world. On the other hand, with General Conference, as stated in Verse 2, we can learn how to build our lives up by the manner of the Lord, that same manner that helped Nephi build a boat that stood against the waves and storms of the sea. I can promise you all that if you seek this weekend during General Conference for a way to build your life up in the manner of the Lord, problems that you are facing will have a new light shed upon them. A light that will lead you to solve the problem and bring you closer to your Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly father.

So tune in. General Conference