The Complexity of Life Correlated with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
 

   The gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of living life. It is through five basic principles that Jesus taught we could become like God, live with God, and obtain the most significant peace and satisfaction in this life. This basic gospel is made up of five principles. The five principles are faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. In my life I have tested the validity of this gospel when implemented in ones life, and I've come to know for myself that it is true. The only way to be happy is to become happiness itself. In order to "become happiness" we must learn about Christ, His gospel, and then apply it to our lives as best we can. Eventually everyone one will become what they consistently do. We can take into account all of human history and recognize with confidence that my last statement is true. My purpose in today's blog is to share the miracles I have seen in my progression in life that relates completely to these basic principles since I have endeavored to follow the Lord and have seen the blessings there from. I'll begin with my first example of faith.
   The first time I put forth FAITH and was able to recognize the fruits was when I was in high school. When I was a junior I had a peculiar night. The world seemed to be collapsing upon me. My worries and low self esteem because of my vain actions, kept me bound in a spiritual prison. As I walked down the stairs to my bedroom I saw my scriptures setting upon my bed. Something within me said there is your answer, why don't you check it out. I immediately opened my scriptures and turn the pages not knowing before hand what I should read. I was drawn to the back of my "quad " or scriptures which in the back there is an accounting of Joseph Smith's first experiences with the Lord. I read up to the point that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. I knew I had been taught this had happened my entire life but I had never had any reason to believe besides taking my parents word for it. The immediate response because of my dire situation was to do what I was always taught to do. I got onto my knees and prayed and asked God with all sincerity of heart if the Book of Mormon was true, if Joseph Smith really was a prophet, and if God himself were real. The questions swirled in my mind, is Jesus real, is this what I'm supposed to be looking for to find peace? As I prayed, a power and energy that words cannot described came over my entire body and enveloped me. I had to sit upon my bed for a time and I basked in the peace and love I felt. I knew at that time that the things I had been taught my entire life were true. Something that is very key, and also might be beneficial to others to know is that after the power succeeded in strength, I felt an immediate negative feeling. I knew I was not worthy of this feeling to stay with me. I feared and eventually forsook the confirmation because I simply did not feel worthy of such peace and knowledge. The Lord blessed me for acting in FAITH but he did not bless me for giving into the immediate lies of Satan. Thank goodness that because Jesus Christ paid the price to the law's and justice of God we can be forgiven.
   It took several years of struggle and wandering in the darkness of complete sin until one day I was brought to my knees once again. Satan had convinced me, if you hate, if you have fire, if you just relax with your buddies all day you will come off conqueror. You can do this all by yourself and you don't need anyone to help you or tell you what to do. As we all know, this was not true at all and the Lord humbled me enough to the point that I laid in my bed crying with the pain of a damned soul. I knew what I had done, I knew that the situation I was in was because I did not chose to do the right thing, which I thought was the harder thing. This was a serious was one of my serious misconceptions. The Lord placed specific people in my life to help me to repent and it took me a long time to be able to take the next step in a life by pursuing complete unity with the laws of happiness. I had one friend I felt comfortable enough to attend church with, even without an invitation. I had another friend that changed my view point completely on the opposite sex. She showed me a true love and compassion that I had never know and it confused me, but helped me to realize that truly we are all brothers and sisters. Many people came into my life that helped all along through this transition and change of heart. My last friend that helped me before my mission helped me to realize the power that comes from unifying ourselves with Christ, and also saints who chose to do that themselves. I'd like to personally thank everyone that was a part of that transition and this once again convinced me of our potential to be forgiven and freed. I repented in every way that I knew possible. I forsook sin, I hated sin, I tried to make restitution for those things I had done and I prayed sincerely that God would free me from my spiritual bonds. Eventually, one day after speaking with my bishop I walked out of his office a new man. I did not feel it till I hit the chapel. All of a sudden I realized, I am worthy to enter the house of the Lord, I am worthy to be someone that could be sealed there. The spirit lifted me off of my feet and I had a smile that could not be destroyed. All of those friends that I mentioned earlier, made that possible and they know who they are. I love them and I pray the spirit will testify to them of the deep love I have for them. Jesus Christ became very real that day. He really died for us and the spirit left me without doubt that day. I truly experienced the next principle of the gospel. REPENTANCE. I then was able to make covenants with the Lord, or in other words promises with Him.
   As I entered the temple to make promises with the Lord, just like we do at BAPTISM, I felt the spirit testify of the truth of what I was doing the entire time. It was not weird, it didn't even seem different, it felt like I had once seen or experienced it before and was simply being reminded. At baptism we promise to take the Lord's name upon us so that we might have his spirit. In the temple we magnify those commitments so that we might have the power to better ourselves and be bound to God and our families for ever because of our commitment to be trustworthy and ferociously committed to our God and our families. As I sat in the temple at the end of the session where I made promises to God, I prayed about things that had been troubling my heart. I had specific pursuits I desired and I also desired to know about the welfare of my deceased grandparents. As I prayed I knew that the desires of my heart were accepted of the Lord and that it would all work out. Those things which I desired would come to be if I simply did my best. For I knew that is by grace we are saved, after all we can do.  After making covenants which would correlate to BAPTISM I recognized the role of receiving the HOLY GHOST through this entire experience and it all came to make sense.
    Every time I had an experience the authority to act in Gods name played some major role. We all have authority to pray to our Lord and ask him to reveal the truth to us as we seek him and align ourselves with him. In order to have my repentance experience I had to work with someone that had authority. In order to received a witness of the truth I had to pray about those in authority. In order to attend a temple of the Lord and experience the blessings and the manifestation of the spirit there, there had to be men with authority to work there and build that temple unto the Lord. God works through men given authority to act in His name. We all have the abilities to be tools in the hands of the Lord but the authority to do his ordinances is received to those He calls through other men in authority. The HOLY GHOST was with me through all of these things and it wasn't until my mission that I've recognized that it truly can be a power that is with you all of the time. You must remain worthy and have the gift of the HOLY GHOST given to you by the laying on of hands, by someone in authority just like in the times of Christ upon the earth. The HOLY GHOST literally lead my companions and I to many people who were in dire physical, and spiritual danger. The key is as we do the first three steps and learn to recognize the HOLY GHOST we enable ourselves to draw closer to God and help His children. My entire time in Jacksonville Florida has been a battle to follow the promptings of this unseen being and wage war on sin.
    The last principle of the gospel is to ENDURE TO THE END! I am no where close to the end but I know for a fact that repeating this cycle through out our lives will bring the most ultimate joy we have ever experienced. It will help to preserve all of our most dear relationships. It will enable us to become like Jesus Christ and be joint heirs with Him in the kingdom of our Father. I know this to be true. I testify of these truth's in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Nathanael Neal Tuft