Journal -

Journal -

I learned the study skill of Cause and Effect this week.  I have done this study skill while reading the Book of Mormon but not while reading the New Testament.  I am glad that I had this opportunity.  I liked Cause and effect because it helped me to see why something happened (The sermon on the Mount) and what the effects because it happened.  I love the story of the Sermon on the mount.   So for anyone who may not know this story: This is when Jesus went to Galilee at the beginning of his second year of His formal ministry. Jesus, seeing the multitude of people went up into the mountain with his disciples and he said "Blessed are they who shall believe on me; and again, more blessed are they who shall believe on your word, when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am."  He taught that to believe in the disciples words one has to come into the depth of humility, and be baptized in Jesus name. They will receive the Holy Ghost and receive a remission of their sins which leads to celestial glory.  Through "Cause and Effect", I learned that Jesus came to teach his disciples and to tell them that if they believe in him than the multitude of the people will listen to what they have to say because it is genuine and from God.  The effect is that once the disciples learn they do open their mouths and they do teach the multitude who then get baptized and receive the Holy Ghost through the remission of their sins.

This week and this reading helped me to remember my own baptism.  I was in my 30's and my 8-year-old daughter also was baptized on the same day.  I had not been baptized as a child because my dad passed away when I was 8-years-old and so we had to cancel our (me and my identical twin sister) baptism.  At that time I was young and did not know that I could still be baptized, I thought only your dad could do it because that's what I had been told for 8 years.  I was angry with Heavenly Father for taking my dad before I could be baptized….now I'll never be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.  It was when I was in my early 30's that I started investigating the reason Heavenly father would take my dad when he only was able to baptize my older brother, leaving 4 kids unprotected I just had to know why he would be so mean.  When I started talking to the missionaries whom I called and asked them to come over I learned that any worthy priesthood holder could do our baptism.  I set up my appointment that day and asked what time church started on Sunday.  I have been faithfully going to church for the last 12 years.  My daughter who was baptized with me is still a faithful young lady, now 20-years-old comes to church with me and has a wonderful calling in the nursery.  I am thankful to have had the prompting to want to learn about the church again and to understand the reasoning of why I would never get to go to Heaven.  I'm so glad that; that is not a true statement.  I love to go to the temple with the youth and do baptism for the dead.  I try to go at least once a quarter.  The rest of the time I like to do the endowments.  I love that I was baptized and that I do have the Holy ghost guiding me in my everyday decisions.