Sunday July 4th Lesson- "Faithful Friends" from the Ensign

One of the great tributes the Savior can give is to call us “friends.” We know that He loves with a perfect love all of His Heavenly Father’s children. Yet for those who have been faithful in their service with Him, He reserves this special title. You remember the words from the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants: “And again I say unto you, my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends, it is expedient that I give unto you this commandment, that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power” (D&C 84:77).

We become His friends as we serve others for Him. He is the perfect example of the kind of friend we are to become. He wants only what is best for His Heavenly Father’s children. Their happiness is His happiness. He feels their sorrow as His own because He has paid the price of all their sins, taken upon Himself all their infirmities, borne all their troubles, and felt all their longings. His motives are pure. He seeks no recognition for Himself but to give all glory to His Heavenly Father. The perfect friend, Jesus Christ, is completely selfless in offering happiness to others.

Each of us who has made the baptismal covenant has promised to follow His example to bear one another’s burdens as He would (see Mosiah 18:8).

In the next few days you will have many opportunities to be a friend for Him. It may be as you walk on a dusty road. It may be as you sit down in a railroad car. It may be as you look for a place to sit in a Church congregation. If you are watching, you will see someone carrying a heavy burden. It may be a burden of sorrow or loneliness or resentment. It may be visible to you only if you have prayed for the Spirit to give you eyes to see into hearts and have promised to lift up the hands that hang down.

The answer to your prayer may be the face of an old friend, one you have not seen in years but whose needs suddenly come into your mind and heart and feel as if they are your own. I’ve had that happen to me. Old friends have reached out to me across the miles and the years to offer encouragement when only God could have told them of my burden.

Living prophets of God have asked us to be faithful friends to those who come into the Church as converts and to go to the rescue of those who have drifted away. We can do it, and we will do it if we always remember the Savior. When we reach out to give succor and to lift a burden, He reaches with us. He will lead us to those in need. He will bless us to feel what they feel. As we persist in our efforts to serve them, we will more and more be given the gift of feeling His love for them. That will give us courage and strength to reach out again and again in faithfulness.

And, in time and in eternity, we will feel the joy of being welcomed to the company of His faithful friends. I pray for that blessing for all of us and for those we will serve.

Why Confirmation & Continual Living Of Standards Is Important

I received today, yet another powerful confirmation of how living the standards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can and will influence those whom you are around; Both frequently, and far between, our visits and interactions with others do make the difference, and they do influence change. This experience I am now going to share with you, is an experience that has strengthened my Testimony about the truthfulness of the Gospel.

I stand continually challenged at work, both by co-workers and by customers in the path of life. As I have been in my new area in the Tire Lube Express at Wal-Mart, I have shifted into the spiritual gridiron of poorly spoken and rarely choice words of which hearing once can beset anyone. I noticed today that people and co-workers have been even less profane however. Also in that observation, came the moment of which has led me to writing this entry you are now reading.

At a dead-point of volume, and a slow time in the shop of which offered no actual labor, some of the men, including our Service Manager, were pouring through their phones showing both profane pictures and text messages. As I heard the commotion, and natural curiosity driving me to inquire, I headed in their direction to see what the commotion was all about.

When I was but ten feet from this group of individuals, the Service manager turned and stopped me dead in my tracks, offering this stark sentence, "Rex, don't come over here, I know you don't like to see these things...and I don't wish to offend you."

Appreciative as I was, I stopped and casually walked in the opposite direction from whence I was originally heading. It stayed pressed, forward and on the top of my mind, and it reminded me that the Lord had heard my prayers to keep me from heading into temptation of any kind.

I give you my witness, that I know the Lord hears, and answers our prayers. I know that as I have done that which He has commanded me to do, Satan could have no power or influence on me. I know that He loves, and cares for us all, and I also know, that the placing the Gospel at the foreground of all my (outside of in Home family concerns) priorities, that the Lord has allowed the standards I live to help change my co-workers for the better. Such is my testimony, and I leave it with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

"Just because I am down, doesn't mean I am out"

It is always worth careful notice how the lives of the individual members of the church are going. I'd like to share with you a conversation that was had between myself, and another individual today, as well as some things that have been said in the past few days.

I never take joy in missing any Sundays, nor do I take joy in missing my meetings, but an account should be given for those times and places when one was expected to arrive, but did not. It is with this beginning that I wish to explain some great details to all followers of the blog, and even the regular members of the branch whom I have not had the pleasure in talking with for some weeks.

3 weeks ago, we faced some changes in the branch that were anything but expected. We faced a shake up in the Branch Presidency that caused me to leave with some form of muddled thought, wondering the specifics, and if not that, then at least trying to determine how I may have played a part in that. I of myself felt responsible for the change, even though the voices of many church officials discounted that particular notion. I know that I was not responsible, but boy, did the adversary wish me to think so.

Being gone two Sundays in a row is not something I'd recommend, even for a seasoned member of the church. Your perspective can and will become tainted. Your understanding of things become lax and diluted. In short, you are everything short of prepared for the Spiritual Warfare that Satan has waged on mankind since the creation of Father Adam. It was well said, when the person who coined the phrase, "Misery Loves Company" came to pass. Not going two Sundays in a row, is like asking a SWAT officer to charge into a house without his body armor, knowing the individuals inside are intent to take someone with them - and this when we don't go to church.

Certainly, our testimony of the Gospel, once truly established, can never fully be evicted from our hearts and soul; But when we don't go, and do as the Lord has commanded (Which, by the way does include going to church when we can) we are doing the thing Nephi vowed he would never do, and that was "I will give place no more to the enemy of my soul." I speak of the ability of truthful conviction never being torn from our hearts, because we know well as members of the church, the resolve that the Three Witnesses had in their continual (even on their deathbeds) declaration of the divinity and truth of the Book of Mormon. Less known are the stories of members of the church, who have made mistakes and either been excommunicated or dis-fellowshipped yet still hold fast to that which only the Holy Ghost can bear witness of...the Truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a member of the church, who did take an eleven year vacancy from living the Gospel, I can tell you that one of the favorite tools Satan uses against us, is the very thing that drives us to repent. Guilt and pain, suffering and sorrow are the indicators that serve as the prime drive that cause us all to recognize (even if we already knew) that what we did was wrong. More worth mentioning, is that these feelings are described in the scriptures by some, as "Godly sorrow" or TRUE GUILT. This is the force that is created when our tabernacles are vacated by the Holy Ghost. It was a living Apostle who said, " light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. More importantly, darkness cannot conquer light unless the light is diminished or departs." (Out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light- Robert D. Hales)

Important to clarify, is when he said "darkness cannot conquer light" afterwhich he states the underlying cause if such is the case, "UNLESS the light is diminished" - This can be the case when our attendance at regular Sunday services is questioned, or when we fail to study our scriptures, say our prayers, magnify our callings...etc; To continue, the last thing he said was (as mentioned above) "Unless the light is diminished OR DEPARTS." That last issue, of the light departing, is something we have more control over than we realize. We are given Moral Agency, the choice, the free will do make the decision for ourselves.

Stated in the Book of Mormon is, We are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator … , or to choose captivity and death.” (See 2nd Nephi 2:27)

I make my solemn pledge, this day forth to echo the wise declaration of Joshua, "choose you this day whom ye will serve; .... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

 Our lives will be laden with burdens and tasks that seem ever built for our demise, but I find the promise of Nephi, that we all well know... very comforting, Said the Prophet,

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

We shall be tested, and tried, but never beyond our capacity. The Lord has the right to test and prove us all. Said Moses to the Israelites,

"Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not" (Exodus 20:20)

If you do fall down, or if you are thought out, remember the Lord has a way for all His children to do that which He has commanded them. You may be down, but that doesn't mean you are out!

Charity Saved My Soul

Brethren,

It's with honor and humility that I get the opportunity to write articles for this blog, to share videos that bring the Spirit, and to bear testimony to all of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

First,I would love to make known to you, especially to the Plainview branch, how grateful I am for you. You have greatly displayed the charity that Moroni speaks of near the end of the Book Of Mormon. You have accepted a sinner among you, who is readily beset (Always more often than desired) by the flesh. Like Jacob mentions concerning the Savior and what he is willing to do for us, you have done for me.

For Jacob said, "...while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of day, harden not your hearts." (See Jacob 6:5) Many would have had plenty reason to not fellowship me, yet you did. Many would have shunned me and left me perilous, and you did not. Truly, you did as Moroni said, "...his name was taken by the members, that he might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep him, in the right way, to keep him continually watchful unto prayer..." ( Moroni 6: 4 - emphasis added)

I learned from many, President Porter, President Williams, President Martinez, President Longoria, Brother Olmsted, Brother Davis and many other elite and humble teachers of the Lord, that same thing that Moroni said of Christ:

"If ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." (See Moroni 7:33)


You all have had faith for me, and pleaded with the Lord continually to turn me back to the path of righteousness. Because of your pleadings in my behalf, because of your love to me in all things, and because you had charity, I was able to break away from all that was in life that dragged me down.

In all that light, love and concern, you showed me the Lord cared for me, that He loves me.... and has died for me. Truly you saw me through to the understanding of one very important criteria which Nephi of old spoke on.

Said Nephi, "He (The Savior) doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world...." (2 Nephi 26: 24)

I am grateful to the Lord, in allowing you all to help me. I am blessed now to know that He truly cares for me, and finds my soul precious and worth saving. It is my firm belief that he sent me here, for you all to help me...and you did. God bless you brethren, and I hope he continues to bless me in all things.

I have the joy now, of hosting "Learning Mormon Principles", a You Tube channel dedicated to the teaching of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the world over. Should you ever wish to view my videos, or to share them, please do so. You can visit My You Tube Channel - Click Here , and may we all continuously live worthy of all the best blessings. This is my prayer, brethren, and I leave it with you in the name of our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Good Things to Come

Visit http://plainvieweq.blogspot.com ! This post contains videos!
This video has touched my heart, and I wish to share it with you all. I learned something from it, exactly when I needed to hear it.

Change has hit Plainview- This video has shown me something I needed to see over the course of now 7 days of full blown depression and anxiety -

Good Things to Come



****Bishop Keith B. McMullin, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric at the 180th annual General Conference, said the following:"Duty does not require perfection, but it does require diligence. It is not simply what is legal; it is what is virtuous.""For those who eschew evil and live good lives, who strive for a brighter day and keep the commandments of God, things can get better and better even in the face of tragedy. The Savior showed us the way. From Gethsemane, the cross, and the tomb, He rose triumphant, bringing life and hope to us all. He bids us, 'Come, follow me.'""President Thomas S. Monson has counseled: 'If we are to walk with head held high, we must make our contribution to life. If we are to fulfill our destiny and return to live with our Father in Heaven, we must keep His commandments and pattern our lives after the Savior. By so doing, we will not only achieve our goal of eternal life, but we will also leave the world richer and better than it would have been had we not lived and performed our duties.'"**See this talk, and the many others that were given at the 180th Annual General Conference by visiting the Church's General Conference Beta Page @ https://beta.lds.org/general-conference?locale=eng (Just copy and paste the above html into your browser address bar)