Week 10

19 July 2010

Hi there,

So sounds like everything went off without a sitch. CONGRATS! WISH I WAS THERE! I was thinking about asking President if I could get on last week and write on the Wedding website, but I didn't. Tanner looks DELICIOUS! You down to 230 or so now bud?! Griffin...=[ Greg needs to not pick his nose in pictures though...eesh. So did the fire in the Freeze home happen before or after the wedding =[. Glad everyone is out ok though. Is Sean living with them this Summer like he planned on? I was going to write him a letter, but maybe not...I will hold off on that. Anyways, moving on...

So, I have been blessed to have the chance to read about how beastly Moroni is! To quote a Guiness Draft Beer Commercial-"Brilliant!" If you study Moroni and study chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel, you will be studying how to acquire and use Christlike attributes. First off if you turn to:

Alma 48-
11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
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16...and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.

Alma 50-
1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
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Moroni had-Faith in Jesus Christ which is the first Christlike attribute we need or should acquire because honestly if you don't believe in Jesus Christ, then why do you want to obtain the other Christlike Attributes????????

Moroni had a PERFECT understanding- He was only 25. He had acquired much knowledge which is a Christlike attribute as well.

Moroni did joy in liberty and freedom. With this joy, he showed HOPE which is a Christlike Attribute that if people would stay steadfast in the Faith and keep the commandments of God, then they would be preserved from their enemies.

When I read the first verse in Alma 50 that was what stuck out to me. It is highlighted in Orange real big. He didn't stop. He was just an energizer bunny! He was DILIGENT. There is always something to be done and he knew that so he used his time effectively. IT is interesting to see how the Preach My Gospel is such an inspired work. It could be added to the back of our quads if they wanted it to be, but that would just bring on more persecution of stupid people saying we changed scriptures. ANYWAYS,

Verse 17 says it all really. If we acquire these attributes then the devil will not have power over us and will quake in our presence. Reasons he will quake are because we have saught diligently to be like Christ insomuch that we have BECOME like Christ. Moroni was successful in doing what we need to do. If we strive to acquire the attribute, we must study it, look for ways to apply it, and then apply it, and then perfect it.

last but not least, Moroni is a beast.

I love you all very much,
Elder Blackburn