Arnel Ramos

Arnel,
I considered the best way to respond to your question, and since I do not know you, and you obviously already found my blog I will reply by giving you a post of your own. Lucky Guy!
I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints since I was 8 years old. But, I have been blessed to have parents who taught me about the Gospel of Jesus Christ for my entire life.

As I attended church yesterday I was blessed to hear a man we look to as a leader called by God. His name is Donald Hallstrom. His title in the church is Elder. His calling from God is to be part of the Presidency of the Seventy. Set up The same as you can read about with Moses in the Old Testament; Numbers 11:16-17 and Christs church in the New Testament; Luke 10:1. Both of these references are found in the Holy Bible. In the Doctrine and Covenants 107: 97 in a revelation given to the church through Joseph Smith it speaks a little more about the calling of a seventy.
"And these seventy are to be traveling ministers, unto the Gentiles first and also unto the Jews."
So after that lengthy introduction, I will tell you what he said. Of course I am paraphrasing, but the general idea of his talk was that you could be fully active in the "church" of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and not be active in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So lets further analyze this.
What is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?
and
What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

My belief What is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? is, the organization of the Church. We have prophets, apostles, stake presidents, bishops, missionaries, relief society presidents(women's organization), primary presidents (children's organization), visiting teachers, home teachers, seminary (teenage scripture study), Mutual (middle of the week for teens. In all a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints could be at the church or involved in a church related activity any where from 5-10 hours or more each week. We would consider these people to be very active in the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints.
But, if this activity in the church does not lead them to being a more Christ like person, what is it for?
So, What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? and how can we be active in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I think this is a personal question. I come closer to my Savior by carefully inspecting my own life. As I do I find things in my life that need maintenance and fine tuning- just as a piano does over the years. Maybe I need to lower my voice, speak a little kinder, think more of others, or think more of the Savior. I learn more of the gospel of Jesus Christ as I read of his life and teachings and apply those teachings in my own life.
This is the reason I am grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ. The Savior set up this avenue as a sort of university for gospel learning. We are blessed and our family is blessed, because we have leaders to look to during these trying times. We are blessed because we have the priesthood power used for healing, blessing and passing the sacrament and the ordinances of the gospel such as baptism, giving others the priesthood power, and sealing a family for eternity. We are blessed because we have teachers who are not paid, that take their own time to study the gospel and teach us. We are blessed because our children enjoy this same enrichment. Being baptised makes me a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, but it is also part of a covenant that I make with my savior
1. Come into the fold of God.
2. Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.
3. Bear one another’s burdens.
4. Mourn with those that mourn.
5. Comfort those that stand in need of comfort.
6. Stand as witnesses of God at all times.
7. Agree to serve God and keep his commandments.
This is something that you understand in basic terms as an 8 year old and come to know and love the wiser you become. This surely is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love the Savior. I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and I love to learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I hope this answers the questions that surely would have followed your initial question. Please feel free to ask more. I know he will be with you in your own search for happiness.
Your sister in the gospel of Christ

Fabiola Beauvil holds her 4-day-old daughter, Klaira Eliska, at the LDS Central Ward chapel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Tuesday. Beauvil went into labor during last week's quake.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-aid-continues-to-arrive-in-haiti


I love the gospel of Jesus Christ!!

The Sun will Rise

The Sun will rise

In this life we have rare glimpses of Heaven
the touch of a hand as we say good bye
An answer that seals Forever
A baby's first cry
the shadow of a baby that never cried
Each one a glimpse
The Heavenly Father that loves
The Son that gives all
Each brings a family closer
To one another and our Eternity

As I thought of what you might be going through
I wished that I could think of something to say
that would take your pain away
This poem flowed and as I cried I knew
What He would say
Don't take your eye off the Sky line
Keep Watching
The Sun will rise

When pain is too hard to bare
When all seems troubled
the light impossible to see
When families are far
Never forget
The Sun will rise

Life is lived
Death comes
just another season
Easy for the ones who leave us
Those left search for a reason
Tears fall, hearts feel empty
hard lump in your throat
In the darkness
One we know calls our name

Please don't cry, My dear one
I love you,
that's why I have come
I know what you're going through
Because I went through it too
I did it just for you
I bore your pain
I felt your grief
As I knelt and begged for relief
I did it because He asked me to
And I did it all for you
The Sun will rise

So during this middle hour
When morn's light seems so far
When all is dim and unclear
When pain and doubt seem to sear
Look to the sky
And hear my reply
Clear your eyes
Know
The Sun will rise

I know for I am the Savior of All
I love you
I came, lived, died for you
I carry your burden
Through me it is light
Making your way through this dreary night
Never forget
I am the Son
I died
I rose again

The LONGEST 3 hours of the week!

I feel like there should be some sort of disclaimer at the beginning of this. But I have no excuses. Since January of last year I have not once sat through all of Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, or Relief Society-unless I was teaching. I go to church because I remember what it used to feel like when I went as a teenager-single adult and young newly wed-and early in motherhood. I would feel the spirit so strongly. I knew with every sentence spoken that Heavenly Father loved me. In drastic contrast I now spend all of Saturday desperately preparing so that my kids can learn to love it as I do. As soon as we pull the church shoes out to shine on Saturday Gabriel throws himself on the floor in fits and spasms. "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I don't wan't it to be Sunday I don't want to go to church. I think to myself-I don't want you to go either buddy! But, of course I do want him to go. So every Sunday morning the clothes are lined out on the couch ready to put on, we eat breakfast and begin dressing. "I hate that tie", "These shoes are dumb" "Thats not mine" etc. begin to be chorused. Some how we all finally get to church. Mostly on time- hardly ever do I get makeup on-everything else seems to take to long even though it has been carefully planned the night before. Then we open the doors to the van and Gabe and Hyrum take off for the church-at a dead run. No, they are not excited to be in church they are excited for the long open hall ways to run and run and run, till some one takes pity on us and pins them till we can catch up. This is almost always on lap number 3 sometimes 4. Then we go sit in the Chapel. Usually with 5-10 minutes before the meeting starts-which I cannot decide if this is a good thing or a bad. It gives us 5-10 of uplifting music and time to quit breathing hard after our morning run...but it turns a 70 minute meeting into 75 or 80. During Sacrament our pew is quite entertaining. Just this Sunday alone Hyrum screamed "Dad your squeezing me to hard" "1 minute is a really long time" "your breaking my bones". He also peek-a-boo-d with a girl 2 rows back and batted his eyelashes at a newly wed behind us-saying "Your Gorgeous" all through the meeting. Hyrum took a book from Gabe so Gabe kicked him in the head. Enoch threw several toys (the boys kept giving to him) several rows up. Seth lays across the entire bench. Most of the time we are laughing or crying at comedy ensuing. Oh yeah I forgot, when they pass the sacrament- Gabe looks for the fullest cup of water and Hyrum grabs handfuls of Bread. A few weeks ago we stood to sing the rest hymn and Gabe got mad that Tom stood so he threw his head back and conked Tom in the nose. He almost passed out, until he realized he was bleeding all over. He left all four boys with me and I knew I might just DIE! Neither of us leave the other alone during sacrament for very long. Though both of us would like to just crawl in a hole and stay there. You would think with this kind of ruckous "Well it is obvious to me that all these folks need is a little discipline and some good ground rules". I am here to tell you "Be my guest!" I will personally pay your round trip to fix this problem! Next comes primary. You would think-break right? Wrong! Ever since Gabe got switched from Nursery to Primary meaning (play time and snacks to singing time and class) we have all been paying for it. I am a librarian and Tom is Sunday School President, so we both have jobs to do right after Sacrament. Do we ever get to do them or do them right? NO! We take our kids to there classes, drop them off and then hurry to get as much done as possible before someone inevitably comes and gets us. Some times it is-"Hyrum ran outside and we cannot find him". Other times it is "Gabriel is throwing the chairs in primary across the room". Most of the time it is a little giggle outside the Library window and when I peak to see who it is, the chase begins again. Most of the time by Relief Society/Priesthood Meeting Tom and I are settled in and mostly sure that we won't be interrupted for the last meeting of the day. But, then someone has to go to the bathroom or some one ran away or Enoch has to eat or someone has a talk (don't mind this one, just saying...). So church gets out. The chase begins again- and again both Tom and I have Sunday callings that need to be worked on after church for about 15 minutes. So what do the kids do? Run!! Do we get our jobs done? No! I say the kids- but really it is just Hyrum and Gabriel. But it is hard to chase boys when your holding a baby. One time we decided not to chase them, and figured we'd see them again soon- come to find out they were playing in the parking lot in the snow "ice skating". So we chase and we time out and we scold and sometimes we spank and we hold them and we walk with them- I have even made them walk the mile and a quarter to church to wear them down. We have a reverence chair for them to sit in after church, we have family home evenings on reverence, we practice during scripture study and family scripture reading, we practice during the week and we practice during FHE, we bribe, we pull our hair out and in the end we find our selves saying "Thank goodness that is over for another week"

I love my kids and I love being a mom but it is HARD WORK!

And for you who wonder why I go to 3 hours of church
Copy and paste this into a browser
http://mormonwoman.org/2010/01/04/ask-a-mormon-woman-why-do-mormons-go-to-church-for-so-long/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

"The Lord loves broken things"

Tonight I was able to go see Elder Holland speak. It was wonderful. I loved to watch him as the other speakers spoke-he looked at them with such love and compassion. When he got up and started to speak he set his scriptures in front of him. He talked about how much he loved all of us. He talked about the trying times we are in. He talked about how we all have refiners fire that we go through.
He gave us three pieces of hope and advice for the holiday season.
-God loves broken things. I love this-he said Broken rain nourishes the ground, broken ground grows wheat, broken wheat makes bread, broken bread nourishes us.
Before the savior atoned for our sins people were asked to sacrifice a burnt offering. After he fulfilled the law of Moses he then asked for our broken heart and contrite spirit.
-God fixes broken things.
This life is hard, we have to do hard things. We don't just give lip service any more (burnt offerings) instead it is a little closer to home, to say "This trial in my life is hard-but my broken heart is all I have to give." He said every heart ache can be fixed by our saviors love.
-In the middle of the storm hunker down-shut up and stay in the boat with the master at the helm.
After he said "Shut up" he did apologize and say that he probably shouldn't have said it. :) He went on to explain that when life gets hard, most people want to give up or pull out. When in all actuality we should be hunkering down and waiting for the storm to pass.

There was a sweet moment in his talk when he started to read Marks version of the storm. He pointed out that it said the Savior slept on a pillow. Elder Holland broke down and cried and said he was grateful that this tired savior was afforded the small comfort of a pillow. You really got an idea how much he loved the Savior. He also talked a little about how he wished the apostles would have let him sleep. And it was interesting to compare him a modern apostle to the apostles at the time of the Savior. He must have understood what those apostles went through.

I wondered if he has ever been in a time of tumultuous storm, when it looked as though he wouldn't survive and "woke" the savior later to receive a reproach from the Savior-Why are you afraid?
Again I was grateful to be taught.
I love the Lord

hmmm....

Has any one else in the world ever realized that they don't have it all figured out?

I went to an Electricity Museum yesterday. They have come up with a way- with electrical impulses-to reduce the symptoms of Parkinsons. Wow!!

Will our planet every really look like Wall-E's world? Ever realize how much that actually sounds like Walyworld aka Wallmart? hmmm...

Why can't you grow a garden from seeds that come from fruit at the store? Why do we have genetically altered single generation fruit? Conspiracy?

Couponing-Can anyone else figure out how to buy $500 worth of stuff for 50 cents and get free money back-puzzling!

In Brazil they recently had several years of a recession. They tried everything from stimulus packages to welfare to "waiting it out". Then finally they brought in the top economic advisers in the world, to make suggestions. What did they suggest? Teach the people to save, and the economy will turn around. Is this what wise men including our prophets have been saying for years? Inspiring!

For as long as I can remember Women have been asked to get mammograms at age 40. Now, as we are moving into socialist Health Care, Government paid Health "advisers" are suggesting that mammograms are not needed until the age of fifty. Sad!

How do I end this blog on a happy note? I guess I sort of sound like a dooms day-er. I guess I was just mind dumping. In our last stake conference Elder Ward and Elder Packer(not of the quorum of the 12) came to visit us. Elder Packer taught us about receiving personal revelation. He told us to learn to be guided by the spirit, so that when something comes along, we will know what we should do, with out having to ask someone else. He told of the following example- He was a mission president in 2001. He was sent out in July. He was giving a Mission conference in September, when someone told him that he had better go and watch the news. He saw the second plane hit the tower. Then he went back into the conference and told the Elders to take off their badges and ties. To go purchase some food if they didn't have enough in their apartments, and wait at home until they received further notice. One Elder spoke up and said President-have you discussed this with Salt Lake? Meaning uhh-I came to be a missionary-that is what I am here to do-and if the Prophet tells me to take off my badge, I will-but...
Elder Packer then used this story to teach us. If this missionary was used to receiving personal revelation- he would have known by the spirit that this was the right thing to do. After I read Elder Scotts talk from the Ensign I read Sister Motssomoris talk. Again it was on revelation. In a world of uncertainty, knowing how to receive personal revelation-direction from the Lord will be our certainty.

Sister Matsumori spoke directly on this subject
This is the link to her talk



Here is an excerpt and one of my favorite parts.
A Sunbeam(3-4 year old class) teacher wrapped each of her class members one by one in a blanket to teach them how the Spirit feels like the comfort and security of that covering. A visiting mother also heard the lesson.

Many months later the mother thanked the teacher. She told how she had been less active when she accompanied her young daughter to Primary. Several weeks after the lesson, the mother suffered a miscarriage. She was overcome with grief when suddenly she felt a great warmth and peace. It felt like someone had covered her with a warm blanket. She recognized the reassurance of the Spirit and knew that Heavenly Father was aware of her and that He loved her.

I know the Lord sent us here to Earth for a reason. He loves us, and he didn't leave us to figure out our purpose on our own. He gave us the spirit, prayer, scriptures...If we have nothing else we can still be taught which direction to go and comforted in our time of need. I know this is true. I encourage you all to seek to be able to recognize the spirit and its promptings. By doing so, you will come closer to Christ.

Re-reading the conference talks

Well,
I got out my conference Ensign today and began reading. I only got through the first talk and half of the second. I couldn't help but thinking of the excitement and tears flowing when people from those areas heard they would have a temple close to them. 83% of the members of the church are within 200 miles of a temple. Wow!! We are so blessed to live in this time, when we can have temples among us. Now, if we could only use them as much as the Lord has intended for us to.
The second talk is from Elder Richard G. Scott. Rereading it this time, I know that these words are meant for me. So here is a little quote...
Throughout the ages, many have obtained guidance helpful to resolve challenges in their lives by following the example of respected individuals who resolved similar problems. Today, world conditions change so rapidly that such a course of action is often not available to us.

Personally, I rejoice in that reality because it creates a condition where we, of necessity, are more dependent upon the Spirit to guide us through the vicissitudes of life. Therefore, we are led to seek personal inspiration in life’s important decisions.

I kept Highlighting more and more, and realized I want you to read it all :) So hear is the link


Isn't that powerful. I have moved away from family and friends, to Minnesota. I don't know anyone well enough to seek them out for emulation. I love that he is telling me, that this way is better any way. I can seek the promptings from the spirit to figure out how to be a better mom-wife-person. To figure out how to parent a child or teach a child or love a child.

I really hope you read this talk. Beautiful!
I finished it by the way-and still incredible teachings for our time.

By the way I hope you are all remembering to pray for all the world to be open to receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ. Miracles can occur as we do so.