We Talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ!

Before I jump into my main message, here is a little more love as I call the beautiful scenes around me. Can you believe how red those fall leaves are? I am still in amazement at the world around us.

Also, a quick message about our recent activities. Elder Johnson and I are being trained on how to thread the looms. Threading is a tedious and time consuming project, and with numerous missionaries needing to be trained, we had a "Threading Party".  Actually, we had a late night of hard work that started with pizza and cookies. (You can't fool us.)

 However, we turned a week's worth of work into about three days worth of concentration. After our "party", several missionaries were able to finish up threading one loom the next day, and Elder Johnson and I have been asked to finish the second one tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that we won't run into any major snags.

There is 200 feet of thread for each color you see above. After winding each group of threads, we have to tie off every strand with a strand left from the older threads and then pull them through the loom to the other side. Then each group is tied off tight to a canvas and we'll be ready to start rug weaving demonstrations again. All of the sites here in Nauvoo and Carthage are covered with rugs made here in the Family Living Center.

We currently have fabric cut and wound on shuttles ready for the next few rugs. We just need threaded looms.

Life in Nauvoo is never dull even with the number of guests starting drastically to wane.

However, here is my main message. 

Amos 8:11-12 says, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord."

"And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east, and shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

Have you ever felt like this? I have from time to time. I've wondered: What is the purpose of life? Is there truly a God in Heaven? Does he love us or is He even aware of us? If He is indeed our Father and we his children, what does that mean to me? How can I feel His love if he does love me? How can I return to Him if there is life after death.

 Joseph Smith wondered these same things and did something about it....he asked in prayer and with faith where to find the answers. He was told that there was no organized religion on the earth at that time with all the answers... with the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

He was given that message by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

 It's all true! It did happen as Joseph declared and he was then an instrument in the hands of the Lord in restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ just as it was originally during Christ's life.

 Jesus Christ is at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and it is therefore not a man made church. I have never felt His love so strongly as I have at this time in my life as I dedicate myself, and time and talents to whatever is needed here in the Nauvoo mission.

2 Nephi 25:26 in the Book of Mormon says, 
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophesies that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

2 Nephi 2: 6-8 says,
"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being first that should rise."

Would you like to know this for yourself? I invite you to go in prayer and ask for help to know the truth.

If you don't have a Book of Mormon check out Mormon.org and ask for one. If you have a book, will you read it? If you've read it already, will you read it again? It's powerful. It's full of the Spirit of God, and He will manifest the truth of it to you by the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Your happiness depends upon it.