Farewell talky goodnesssss

Good Morning- My name is Robert Blandon I am pleased to be with you today. I have been called to serve in the California Oakland/San Francisco mission! For this reason I am speaking with you today. The theme this month has been -the Book of Mormon and I have chosen to speak on my favorite verse in the Book of Mormon. Please turn with me to Alma 32:21 – It reads, “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have Faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” This is certainly one of the most powerful scriptures I have ever read in the Book of Mormon. I love the truth and simplicity within its words.
First we’ll take a step back for a brief recap of the story leading up to the discourse on faith given to the Zoramites by Alma the younger. It begins with a man named Korihor. If you remember Korihor isn’t a very good guy, he is an anti-Christ or in other words he is an enemy to Christ, one who is in opposition to the true gospel. His philosophy is comprised of naturalism, materialism and immorality. With his words of flattery Korihor led the Zoramite’s to a state of disbelief and apostasy.
(Alma 30:13-15) Korihor preaches
13. O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.
14. Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.
15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.
Korihor couldn’t be more wrong! He preaches that we are “Bound down under a foolish and vain hope” Heavenly Father has blessed us with a plan, a way that we can gain a knowledge of truth. With faith and through the holy ghost we can gain knowledge of things that are true. These ideals korihor preaches are contrary to that of the true gospel. After trying to spread his delusions among the people of Nephi Korihor was brought before Alma because of his offensive philosophies. (30:40,41) Alma asked Korihor the following:
40 And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.
41 But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them?
Korihor could not provide any evidence that God did NOT exist or that Christ wouldn’t save us from our sins. Brothers and sister We have “ALL things as a testimony!” that Christ is our Savior! The very air that we breath, the world around us from nature to technology all testify of the reality of our Father in heaven, what a blessing this is in our lives
In this generation here and now, do we have modern day “korihor’s”? are we led to believe that it’s ok to live our lives free of consequences, that the Word of Wisdom and the law of chastity don’t apply to us? korihor preaches that the “Foolish traditions of our Fathers” are not real because “ye cannot know of things which ye do not see” everyday our spirituality is attacked by these same ideals that korihor preached. In a talk given by President Boyd K. Packer he states “I know of nothing in the history of the Church OR in the history if the World, to compare with our present circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and Gomorrah which exceeds in wickedness and depravity that which surrounds us now.” Brothers and sisters we need Faith. Faith is the foundation of our testimonies and anchors us to Christ. Without faith we are led astray. This is the same problem that affected the Zoramites in the Book of Mormon. Their faith had been attacked and in order to repair the deceptions and false teachings of Korihor Alma and Amulek began preaching among their brethren.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the First principle of the Gospel. The bible dictionary reads “To have Faith is to have confidence in something or someone” “Faith is a Principle of action and of power, even more important, by Faith one obtains a remission of sins and eventually can stand in the presence of God.” It says here that Faith is a “Principle of action” or in other words something that requires us to act. So let’s see what Alma has to say about it. If you would like to turn with me to (Alma 32:27,28)
27. But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, 28. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
Alma gives us a challenge here, he says “Experiment upon my words!-give place that a seed may be planted in your heart!” then he explains to us how we feel when we know the seed is true he says “yea it beginneth to enlighten my understanding” How do we plant a seed of faith in our hearts? This is a question I have been pondering these last few days, I think there are several ways that we can go about doing this. I know for me I have found that prayer is a powerful tool. we must pray and ponder the things that we are questioning, and we must also believe we can receive an answer. We need to believe that our testimony can grow. Once we plant a seed is that it? Are we finished? Can we go home? Alma goes on in verse 37.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
SO WHAT ARE THINGS WE CAN DO!!! How can we NOURISH our testimonies?

Gospel principles reads:
How can we increase our faith? The same way we increase or develop any other skill. How do we develop skills in woodworking, snowboarding, painting, cooking, making pottery, or playing a musical instrument? We study and practice and work at it. As we do so, we improve. So it is with faith. If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we must work at it.
So If we want to gain a testimony of these principles we must ACT with FAITH. This is best stated in James chapter 2:17 “Even so Faith if it hath not works is dead, being alone”
Strengthening our faith doesn’t start with a grandiose task but a small prayer and desire to know and understand. A little effort to read scriptures, serve our neighbor, listen to the Spirit. Continue increasing in faith. Know that God keeps His promises and fear not. brothers and sisters just as Alma challenged the Zoramites I challenge you today to plant a seed in your heart, if you have question or need guidance believe that Heavenly father can provide for you. I have a testimony of this and I am so grateful to have that knowledge. Let us nourish that seed by doing service for those around us, read the Book of Mormon, and say our prayers.
I would like to share with you the experience I had in receiving a mission call. When I was preparing to get my mission papers I prayed a lot, I prayed to know if a mission was right for me one day while I was meeting with the bishop he told me that this is what the Lord wanted. When the bishop told me that I was supposed to go on a mission I knew that was true! As the weeks went by I continued to pray and read my scriptures, I prayed that when I received my call I would know that it would be the place I was supposed to serve. I also fasted and searched the scriptures that I might receive inspiration from the Lord. The day finally came. My brother called my on the phone and told me my call had arrived! The only problem was my brother was in PENNSYLVANNIA!! I had been living in Pennsylvania and turned in my papers there as well- a little miscommunication and lack of planning and my papers got sent to my brother’s house… Luckily my sister was there visiting and she would be returning home in a week… ONE FULL WEEK, so I waited.. And as I waited the Lord taught me about patience. My sister came home and with her was my mission call. We rushed over to my dad’s house in salt lake where the family was anxiously waiting and then it happened. I opened my call and read the lines “Elder Blandon” when I saw that I was called to the California Oakland/San Francisco mission at first I didn’t feel anything!! I wasn’t sad or happy or scared “all this praying and fasting!” I thought “and I don’t feel anything!?” but the more I thought about is and as I got online and started learning about the area later that same day I got my answer. It was a feeling of calmness, of comfort. It was subtle. And the Lord gave me his answer in his own time.
MY MISSION CALL: faith, prayer fasting, answer.
TESTIMONY





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