Conversion Stories

Yesterday I asked for submissions of conversion stories and have received quite a few already. I thought I would post them directly on my blog but because of the response and my hopes of more responses I have created a new page that now has several of your wonderul conversion stories on it. You can find the stories and future stories at this link - http://www.becomingldsconversionstories.blogspot.com/.

Because we all have to go through the process of becoming converted whether we are born into the church or are baptized into it at a later time I decided to add these great excerpts from True to the Faith.

Conversion

Conversion includes a change in behavior, but it goes beyond behavior; it is a change in our very nature. It is such a significant change that the Lord and His prophets refer to it as a rebirth, a change of heart, and a baptism of fire.

The Process of Conversion
Conversion is a process, not an event. You become converted as a result of your righteous efforts to follow the Savior. These efforts include exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of sin, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end in faith.

Characteristics of People Who Are Converted
The Book of Mormon provides descriptions of people who are converted to the Lord:
1) They desire to do good.
2) They do not rebel against the Lord.
3) They share the gospel.
4) They are filled with love.

Striving for Greater Conversion
You have primary responsibility for your own conversion. No one can be converted for you, and no one can force you to be converted. However, others can help you in the process of conversion. Learn from the righteous examples of family members, Church leaders and teachers, and men and women in the scriptures.

Your capacity to experience a mighty change of heart will increase as you strive to follow the Savior’s perfect example. Study the scriptures, pray in faith, keep the commandments, and seek the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Have you truly been converted? Have you had a change of heart? Do you possess the characteristics of a person who is converted?

Let us continually strive for a greater conversion and learn from the stories of these wonderful individual's who have shared their process of being converted. Thanks to all of you who have submitted so far and I hope to continue to receive more.

Send a Submission: A More Involved Blog

I’ve decided that I want to start incorporating all of you more in my blog. I am going to try to start sharing more personal experiences of my own but would love to involve all of you in this change.

Just like the Ensign, I will periodically ask for submissions of your experiences and testimonies on certain topics but will accept and encourage any appropriate submissions to the blog.

To start off I am looking for two different types of submissions:

1) Your Personal Conversion Story.
2) Your Testimony of the Savior and/or experiences with the power of the Atonement and the peace that it brings.

Please email your submission to becominglds@yahoo.com. Place in the subject line either Conversion or Savior depending on the topic of your post. Also please specify what you would like the title to be on your post, your name (anonymous is fine too, just let me know), and if you would like a link to be put on your post back to your own blog or website.

I hope that you will find the time to share about one of these topics or a topic in the future. I feel that the testimonies and experiences of more of us can be a more powerful tool for those of us striving to become better, striving to strengthen our testimonies, and also be a great missionary tool for those who are investigating the Church.

Please be patience and I will try to post your submissions as soon as possible.

President Thomas S. Monson

Throughout this next little while I plan to post about each member of the First Presidency and the 12 Apostles. They are all such wonderful examples and give great guidance and counsel for our time. I hope that we will come to know them a little better and have a greater resolve to follow their words.

President Monson's Biography

President Thomas S. Monson has served as the 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since February 3, 2008. He had served as a Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church since November 10, 1985. Most recently, on March 12, 1995, he was set apart as First Counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley. Prior to that, on June 5, 1994, he was called as Second Counselor to President Howard W. Hunter, and on November 10, 1985, as Second Counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson. He was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 4, 1963, and ordained an Apostle on October 10, 1963, at the age of 36. (Click on the link above for the entire biographical sketch.)

President Thomas S. Monson
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This talk is filled with wonderful stories and experiences of President Monson (to read the talk it it's entirety click on the link above). I selected only a portion of the very beginning of the talk because I think it perfectly portrays the devotion President Monson has for this work and for the Savior. He has indeed responded according to the will of the Lord.

"Over the course of his many callings in the Church, President Thomas S. Monson has moved from office to office, location to location. With every move he has carefully taken with him a particular painting. He has had it since he was a bishop in the 1950s. He took it with him when he presided over the Canadian Mission, headquartered in Toronto. It now hangs in the office he occupies as President of the Church. The painting is a striking image of the Lord Jesus Christ by famed artist Heinrich Hofmann (I am assuming the picture below is the picture spoken of).

The painting is more than a decoration for the office wall. It is more than a reminder of who is the “chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is more than a declaration that the man called to be President of the Church is expected to be chief among the living witnesses of the Savior. The painting represents an ideal—the Master after whom Thomas Monson has modeled his life. “I love that painting,” President Monson said as he gazed at it yet again. “I feel strength in having it near me. Look at the kindness in those eyes. Look at the warmth of expression. When facing difficult situations, I often look at it and ask myself, ‘What would He do?’ Then I have tried to respond accordingly.”

Recent General Conference Addresses by President Monson

October 2008 - To Learn, to Do, to Be

Finding Joy in the Journey

April 2008 - Examples of Righteousness

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Abundantly Blessed

Articles and Videos of President Monson

President Monson Wiggles His Ears

President Monson as a Little Boy

New Year's Resolutions

Now that Christmas has come and gone...it is time to start thinking of our resolution(s) for this upcoming year. As some of you know I love the true definitions of words so I looked up the words resolution and resolve and found that their actual definitions are this: A determination to do something or an earnest decision. I often will make a list of things that I want to work on with great desire and determination at the beginning and then I will gradually slow down in my efforts until I reach the point of giving no effort at all. When it comes to the true defintion of resolve I guess I have rarely actually had one but the time is now.

I challenge us all this year to choose just one thing to work on, one thing to be better at. Often times we notice all of our weaknesses and when we determine to be better we try to tackle them all at once. I have found that this technique always results in failure to meet our well intentioned goals. My challenge to all of us is to make a list of the things we want to do or be better at this year and to tackle each of them one by one as priorities guide. My hope is that we all can have a greater determination to do something with the serious intent to follow through and meet our goal(s).

Elder Ballard said, "When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life. We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals that will lead to higher ground so that we can become what our Heavenly Father wants us to become."

Just as Elder Ballard said, we need to set worthy goals that will lead us to higher ground and that will help us see a greater result. One thing that I found very helpful in setting goals is to create goals that are measurable. When you can see your results and see that you are progressing or that you are meeting your goals it can be incredibly gratifying and rewarding - it can be a great propelling force to help you continue on in your quest to reach that goal or that resolve.

So as you write down your goals for this year think of ways to make them more measurable. For example, if you were going to write "be more kind to my sister" think of something more specific and measurable like "play with my sister every week" or "compliment my sister everyday". When you are more specific and have an actually action to complete it is more likely to take place as you will be more likely to follow through.

At the links below you can find great charts to help you stay on track and follow your progress throughout the year. There are charts and calendars for many different areas of life but if you can't find one here that you like or that matches your goal then create one that works for you.

Scripture Reading Charts

Daily Prayer Chart

Commitment Calendars by Emily Peterson - There are calendars to mark off anything from exercise to family home evenings.

Goal Setting Worksheets

Good luck to us all as we set out this next year to do better and to become better.

Christmas

I just came across this Christmas Page on LDS.org. I wish I would have realized they had it earlier, oh well. It has Messages from the First Presidency, The Birth of Christ in the Scriptures, First Presidency Christmas Devotionals, and Christmas Hymns.

Merry Christmas!

A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

This is a great video of missionaries bearing testimony of our Savior's birth and life. Video is also shown and scriptures are read of the nativity. Enjoy!