2000 Stripling Warriors

Today I want to talk about an event that took place in the Book of Mormon. It is the story of the Stripling Warriors. The word "stripling" means young, around the early to mid teenage years. These young men were of such age. The story takes place in the midst of a war between the Lamanites and the Nephites. These young men volunteer to go to war because their parents and the older men of their people have entered into a covenant with God to not take up arms against anyone. It was left to their sons to fight and aid the Nephites.

What COURAGE and FAITH it must have taken for these extremely young men to leave their families to fight for the liberty of their people! "They were men of TRUTH and SOBERNESS for they have been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him." The respect and admiration I have for these young men is immense. They were willing to die for the cause of liberty, the cause of family and the cause of God.

It was now time to put their faith and courage to the test. They went to battle against a very large army of Lamanites, much larger than their small band of 2000. When Helaman asks his "sons" if they should go to battle, the answer that was given are some of the most inspiring words that I have ever heard, especially from the mouths of such young men. They answered saying, "Father, behold our God is with us and he will not suffer that we should fall; them let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone." (Alma 56:46)

These young men have never fought before, and "yet they did not fear death" (Alma 56:47). Have you ever seen so great courage? They were selfless; they thought more "upon the liberty of their fathers" than their lives (Alma 56:47). What even amazes me further is this is how they were taught by their mothers. Their mothers taught them that, "if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." These sons did not doubt, they also "[did] not doubt [their] mothers knew it" (Alma 56:47-48). They went to battle, and not ONE stripling warrior was lost.

  I know that God keeps his promises to us. If we live according to the commandments that we are given, we too will become as these young stripling warriors. We will be delivered from adversity, we will overcome temptation, and we will triumph over the adversary. I am grateful for the knowledge that I have received from my loving parents, it is invaluable. I, like the stripling warriors, DO NOT DOUBT that my parents know of these things. I know with a deep conviction that God lives, His Son, Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that through Him, we can obtain "never ending happiness" (Mosiah 2:41), forgiveness of our sins, and eternal life.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards

The Fruits of the Spirit

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance..." (Galatians 5). Have you ever experienced these feelings before? I know that I have, especially when I read the scriptures, pray, and while attending church. These are feelings that the Spirit gives to us. But, what really is the role of the Holy Ghost?

We know that the Holy Ghost is the 3rd member of the Godhead, and that he doesn't have a body so that he can dwell within us; but most importantly, the Holy Ghost testifies of Jesus Christ and God the Father. In essence, the Spirit testifies of truth. It is by the feelings of the Holy Ghost that we gain our testimonies and come to a knowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. As we strive to gain knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, true understanding comes through the Holy Ghost. When we read the scriptures, we need to pray for understanding so that we can be taught by the Spirit so that we might gain a deeper understanding of what we are reading. As we pray for the Spirit to be with us, we will be filled with the "fruits of the Spirit," and we will find truth.

I have gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon through the feelings that I have received from the Holy Ghost. I have been guided many times in my life by that gift that can only be attained through the sacred ordinance of baptism. I know that Christ lives, and that His church has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have gained this witness through the powerful feelings of the Holy Ghost. As I read the scriptures and ponder their messages, I feel the confirming power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is, indeed, true. I invite all who read this blog to strive to find that witness through the Spirit, and those who have already received it, get a refresher and do it again. We need to constantly nourish our faith and our testimonies, if we don't, they are in danger of "being hewn down" (Alma 32). I love you all and I hope that we can continue to nourish and strengthen our faith and strive to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost in our lives.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards

Overcoming the Original Sin

Hello all! Today, I wanted to touch on something that I encounter every day, pride. Pride is a "comparison" sin. As President Uchtdorf put it in his talk in the October 2010 General Conference, "pride is the sin of self elevation." I know that to be true.Too often in the scriptures do we find those who are "lifted up in the pride of their hearts." They set their hearts upon riches and worldly material that they harden their hearts against the Spirit of the Lord and to the gospel. An entire nation was destroyed in the Book of Mormon because of their pride. Their focus was on riches and fame, and not the Kingdom of God.

We are all victim at some point or another to pride. How do we stay away from this "original sin" that we are so naturally filled with? Is it any surprise that the answer is Jesus Christ? He is the ultimate example of humility. There is "opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2) so as we have pride, there is also humility. Jesus Christ submitted to the Father's will, and He was obedient in all that He was commanded.

So how do we become humble like the Savior? Charity. President Uchtdorf says in his talk, "it is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are full of charity" (Pride and the Priesthood). As an apostle once said, "humility is not thinking less of ourselves, it is thinking less about ourselves." As we fill our hearts with charity, the pure love of Christ, we will become humble. We will be able to avoid that all destroying sin of pride. Let us become humble as a little child for there's is the kingdom of heaven. Let us serve others and follow the example of the Savior, we will become humble, we will conquer pride, and we will be filled with the Spirit. I love you all and I hope that we can become filled with the pure love of Christ to overcome the pride of the world.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards

Our Rock, Our Redeemer

Something that we are surrounded with every day is temptation and sin. The standards of the world have slowly slid from high to low, and they continue to sink into the pits of filth, immorality, and uncleanliness. How can we stay above these gross waters? How can we build up our standards so that we can't be trapped in Satan's snares? How can we be an example to those around us? The answer is simple; Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the answer, but how is He the answer? We read in the Book of Mormon in Helamen 5:12

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

We must build our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If we have a foundation based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we will be able to overcome anything that the world, and more specifically, Satan, throws at us. However, we all have our weaknesses. Some of you might be thinking that there are some things in the world that you just can't give up; whether they be alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. It may not even be those substances, whatever they may be, there is a way to escape. That foundation, if it is based upon Christ, will give you the power to crush Satan and his followers. If you build your faith in Christ by reading the scriptures, praying, and living His teachings, I promise you that you "cannot fall." I invite you to put your faith and trust in the Lord, and as you do so you will receive all that you need to endure to the end so that you may be received into Heaven and dwell in a state of never ending happiness (Mosiah 2:41). I know that this is true, my foundation is built upon a rock, who is Christ, and He gives me the strength daily to overcome my greatest weaknesses. He can, and is more than willing to do the same for you, if you just put your faith and trust in Him.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards

Let's Get Started!

Well, I am new at this whole blogging thing, but I will try my best to edify all those who read and follow it. For my first post, I find it only natural to talk about myself and my faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. I grew up mostly in Ohio, and lived in Brussels, Belgium for the last 3 years of high school. After I graduated, I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, UT.

I grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but that is not to mean that I always believed it was the only true and living church. Most of my life I haven't had any particular view on religion and I was just casual about it. As a result of my lack of faith and knowledge about Jesus Christ, I made many poor choices during my high school years that resulted in my own unhappiness and sometimes failure. However, this in turn led me back to the Savior. I had a sincere desire to change my bad habits and try to become as much like the Savior as I could. It all started with reading and praying abou the Book of Mormon; I figured it couldn't hurt. Over time, my attitude changed, I wanted to keep the commandments, and I felt the Spirit in my life. Oh what a change it was! I have never experienced such happiness since I have been active in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This led me to want to share the happiness and joy that I have recieved with my brothers and sisters in the world and I decided to serve a 2-year mission. 

My love of the Savior has grown immensly since I have been on my mission. His atoning sacrifice is for EVERYONE. It can cleanse us all, if we just turn our hearts to Him. He suffered and died for each and every one of us because he loves us, and He wants us to find happiness in this life. I know that this is true without a shadow of a doubt. I also know that the Book of Mormon is, indeed, the word of God. If we will but read it with an open heart we WILL come closer to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father and our lives will be blessed!

With love,

Elder Brennan Edwards