Mothers Day

As Mothers Day fastly approaches tomorrow, I wanted to hurry and get a blog up for all the moms out there. As I have been on my mission for a little now I have really come to know and recognize how important moms are. I remember President Hinkley giving a talk about them one time and saying that without them we couldn't do anything. It's so true and without them we wouldn't even be here. So many women in todays world feel that they are nothing and dont have any role. That is completely wrong! You all have the biggest role of anybody of bringing about children and bearing children. Its amazing to me to think about the trust God has in each of you to create and raise human beings. Women truly are amazing and especially moms. You are who everybody turns to when they are hurt. Who everbody turns to when they are down, or just who everybody turns to when they need somebody to talk to. Without moms we really would be in trouble and it wouldn't be the same.
I would like to say a little about my own mom. I have the best mom in the world, and she really is the most amazing person I know. Im not going to lie being away from her on my mission has been really hard for me. I have realized how much she really did for me and I will always be so appreciative of that. I miss my mom like crazy and truly love that lady. Nobody will ever know the impact and influence she has made on my life and shaping me in to who I am today. Just as Abraham Lincoln said "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother" That is exactly how I feel and I want to thank my mom for all she does and is. Along with all you moms out there. Tomorrow is a special day for me being on a mission because it is one of the two times a year I get to call home and I can't even wait to tell my mom Happy Mothers Day and that I love her.  I hope you have the best day tomorrow and know how special you are to everybody. Lets all remember out moms tomorrow. Go check out this video on Mothers Day. This is how I feel about my mom. Happy Mothers Day mom. I love you!http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=4&locale=0&sourceId=48bf747631f92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

None Were With Him

I have been waiting along time to post this blog and video, but I think its now time with Easter this upcoming Sunday. What an amazing time of year that we can all thinkg about the resurrection. If you sit back and think about it, it really is the greatest miracle and most important thing in the history of the world. Its something as humans that we cant comprehend and understand how it was possible. How it was possible for a single man to take upon him the sins of the entire world. I hope this Easter season that we dont just think about the resurrection. It is amazing and definitely deserves thought, but also think about the personal sacrifice for YOU. Nobody else in this world but you. He understands and he went through it all so that we dont have to. Just as the video at the end says "He stood utterly alone" and he did that so we dont have to. He paid the price for us, now we just have to come unto him. His arms are stretched out if we will just go. I just want to share my testimony with you all that I personally have about our Savior Jesus Christ. I truly know with all my heart that he is the son of God. That he came to this earth for one reason and that was to die for us. I know that is the living Messiah. He is closer to you and me then we could ever know. How much in our lives do we think of him? How much do we learn of him? If it weren't for him not one of us would be here today. Learn about him, follow him, and be like him. President Christianson says "Learning about him, his life, his miracles and all he did is the greatest thing in the world besides coming to know him" Not just knowing what he did, but knowing him personally. It is possible for every single one of us. I know that with all my heart becasue I have come to know him thorugh using his atonement. Repenting of my sins and trying my best to be like him. He is real and he is there for us. I love him with all my heart and I hope we can all remember and as Elder Holland says in this video "rededicate our lives" to him. Please please go watch this video from Elder Holland!!! Its amazing! http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=4&locale=0&sourceId=04f3a899d5e92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Come What May, and Love It

A little while before Elder Wirthlin passed away he gave a talk in conference titles "Come what may and Love it". In that talk he talks about all the trials and adversity we have in life and how to deal with them. Cause lets be honest they come to all of us. He mentions three ways that we can deal with these things better. First, learn to laugh! What a good bit of advice. I have found so much in my life and especially on my mission that when tough times come, or maybe when your having a bad day that if you can just laugh and put a smile on everything will be ok. Second, seek the eternal! If we could only realize why we are having these struggles. In the moment obviously it is going to be hard, but we have to know that God knows our situation and knows what is going on. And third, The principle of Compensation! During the talk he makes the comment that "the lord compensates the faithful for every loss" he also mentions that every tear somebody sheds in this life (if they are faithful) will be rewarded 100 fold. You'll have to go check it out yourself and its at the bottom of this post. It really is awesome. Lately we have been working with this less active member here in Greece who just barely found out her hunband has been cheating on her for months. Such a sad deal and she is really struggling. You might ask, as did she "how in the world could you look at this good?" Its a very good question. In D&C section 121 and 122 Joseph Smith is in Libery Jail and is just living in terrible circumstances and a terrible environment. To start off the section Joseph asks "God, where art thou?" as did this young gal we are working with and I am sure many of us have as well when these things happen in our lives. But there is a cool promise at the end of this section. Its after a whole listing of bad things that could happen and it says "and above all, if the very jaws of ^dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee ^eexperience, and shall be for thy good." Even if the Jaws of hell. Thats pretty profound and I really do know this to be true. It will all be ok and God truly knows our situation and will bless us. Stay positive and trust in God! He is there and he knows YOU personally. Go check out this video. Its really good! http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=5&locale=0&sourceId=d513b0333ee92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Forgiveness

I have been waiting to do this blog for a long time, and I think I am finally ready to do. I really am excited about this one and I hope you all will enjoy it. Who will agree with me that forgiveness is a hard thing to do? i definitely think it is. Especially when you have "those kinds" of people. I am sure you know what Im talking about. The one who flips you off in the car, or the one who spreads rumors about you. Whatever it may be sometimes forgiveness is tough. Whether it is tough or not it is something we have to do. We read all over the scriptures that it is something we need to do. One of my favorite verses is in 3 Nephi. 14For, if ye ^aforgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. It is such an important thing and I know if we can learn to forgive we can have so much more peace in our lives. We know that Christ taught us to yes even forgive our enemies. And I truly know from personal experience that God will forgive us when we forgive others. It is a promise from him and he is bound when we do what he says.

My all time top mormon message is called "Forgiveness, my Burden was made light" and I want you all to watch it. Its about a guy who loses some of his family in a car accident to a drunk driver and it shows him talking to the kid that killed his wife and kids. Im sorry that it will probably make you cry, because it sure makes me, but it is amazing and only if everybody could forgive like this man. Lets all forgive our fellow men and love others. Go check out this video its amazing! http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=1&locale=0&sourceId=674240dcb9d1a210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Our True Identity

A few things have happened in my life over the past few weeks and its really caused me to think about "who I really am" Who is Remington Peck? Is he just another person doing what everybody else is doing in the world? Is he a hot shot football start who thinks he owns the world? Or is he a servant of the lord and a child of God? As I have been thinking and pondering about who we really are I really feel that a lot of us don't know the answer. Its not that we're bad people or anything, but maybe we just dont fully understand. I think about how many poeple out there feel like they are nothing. Feel down and are embarrassed for who they are. There are so many all over who think they are nothing but a waste. We all need to realize that we truly are something. Not only are we all special and have great things to do but we are all literally sons and daughters of God. Not just a man, but the most glorious being in the entire universe! While I was thinking about this is made me think about the Mormon Message titles "Our True Identity" by President Uchdorf. I dont know how many of you have seen it, but you need to. I have seen it probably 50 times not and not once has it not moved me.


He talks about the story  "The Ugly Duckling" and how he was picked on all his life and leaves home because he was made fun of and different. One day he looks into the water and see's that beautiful swan he has become. That is exactly how our heavenly father looks at us. We are all beautiful and all are special to him. It doesn't matter if your popular or good at sports. What really matters is who you are inside. Im begging all of you to go watch this video by Elder Uchdorf and I promise you will enjoy it! Let us all be happy with who we are and when we are dealing with other people as well, find out who they REALLY are. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiiadnMvm20

Sharing the Gospel

The last two verses in the Gospel of Mathew Christ tells us to "teach all nations". We all know that is a responsibility we have being believers in christ. Taking the gospel to all the world and sharing with others the joy, happiness, and knowledge we have in our own lives. When we think of sharing the gospel most of us think about missionaries. That is what i think about as well. You all might remember the talk from President Hinkley called "every member a missionary". It was an amazing talk and there are all kinds of quotes we use all the time from that talk. But it is so true! Every single one of us as members of the church, and believers in Christ need to be missionaries. Yes it might be challenging or scary at times, but that is what Christ has asked us to do, so we can do it. Our heavenly father will be right by our side the whole time. I heard a stat the other day that was pretty cool. It was if every member in the world brougth 1 single person into the church every year it would only take 9 years for the whole world to be converted. How cool is that? Only 9 years.

Elder Packer once said "We are going to take the gospel to all the world" and some guy sitting by him said "well that is impossible" Elder Packer responded "Yes, but we are going to do it anyways"! We can do this and we will. I would just encourage you all to reach out to those around you and share the great message we have to everyone you can. It has blessed our lives so much and we should want to give that to others.

Go check out this video and see how so much came from 1 young man who shared the gospel! He was the only young man in his ward and now there is 26. Such a cool story! https://lds.org/youth/video/inviting-all-to-come-unto-christ-sharing-the-gospel?lang=eng&query=sharing+gospel-+inviting+all+come+unto+christ

The Cunning Plan of The Evil One

This last general conference Elder M Russell Ballard of the quorum of the twelve apostles gave an amazing talk on the adversary and how he will do anything to get us. The latest mormon message is actually a video going along with that talk. It puts it perfectly and I like it alot. I have found that he really will do anything he can to get us. He will make that lure look as good as ever. Whether it is a bad movie, bad music, or even a party that may seem harmless he is trying to do all he can to catch us. I hope we can all be aware of this and realize what Satan is trying to do.

Go check out this video it really is awesome. http://lds.org/pages/you-will-be-freed?lang=eng

What's really important in life!

So many people every single day ask me what I am doing in Rochester, New York. They say "You play division 1 football, have a girlfriend, a truck, and you really left all that?" I say "Yes and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." When I first decided to go on a mission I never thought it would be what it is. I never thought it would change my life how it has. One of the greatest lessons that i have learned on my mission though is what is really important in life. Before the mission Football was my life. It was everything to me and other then that it was living weekend to weekend. But now that I have been out in the field for a while I have really come to find out and know for myself that The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is the most important thing in our lives. My mission president suffered a mild heart attack this past weekend and he was very close to death. He was talking to my companion and I and telling us at that point he realized more then ever what is important as well. He said "The Gospel and Families" because everything else doesn't mean jack after this life and those are the two things you take with you.

 Im sure many of you know who Tyler Haws is and if not at least heard of him. Take a look at this video and see how besides being a basketball star and doing everything he does, he still puts the gospel first and right now is serving in the Phillipines. I think he is a great example of this. https://lds.org/youth/video/a-work-in-progress?lang=eng&query=tyler+haws I hope you all enjoy that and see what I mean. I just want you all to know that this mission really has taught me what is imoortant in life. Everything else we do is great and we need to enjoy it, but when it really comes down to it lets all focus on what really really matters and will for eternities. I know this to be true and I know that if we can all find this out for ourselves it can help us so much in our lives.

Why is it SO DANG HARD?

Has there ever been a time in your life or even recently that you have asked yourself "why is life so hard?" Im sure you all have and its not just me on a very regularly basis. I was studying just the other day and came across a quote that I heard from President Christianson and it is so relavent to all of our lives and it gives alot of explanation for that question. The quote is "Satan don't kick no dead dogs" now as you read that you might think it is terrible english, and yes it is. But it is that way for a reason, and if it wasn't then we would all just forget. Sometimes throughout life we ask ourselves "why is it so hard?" or "why do I get worked on the hardest?" or "why do I face all the tough times?" This quote is just perfect for those questions. If you think about it Satan doesn't care about all those people out there that are committing crimes or out killing people. He could care less about them, because he knows they aren't going to do any good. The people that he works on the hardest and is most worried about are those who are trying to do good. Those who he knows will make a difference in somebody's life or those who are building up others. There are so many different experinces (Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith being first) that Satan will do all he can to try and ruin something good. Always before and after any spiritual experience. Before the savior wraught all his miracles he was temted. Before Joseph had the visions he was overtaken. it is the exact same thing in our lives and he knows that we are trying to do good. I really have found this out in missionary work first hand Elder Holland said "the only people Satan works harder on then missionaries, is the quorrum of the 12" and its so true. So lets all know there is a reason for it and fight this war. We can do it and we will! Satan is in our lives as much as the Savior is and he will do all we can, but with our faith and the Savior on our side he will have no power over us.

Go check out this video. Its great about "good things to come"
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=1&locale=0&sourceId=bdf4906ba3839210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Upon the Rock

So I was walking through the Sacred Grove with an investigator this past week when we came across this tree that had fallen down and above is a picture that I took of it. I had heard about it this past fall, but this was the first time I had actually seen it. It fell to the ground October or November when we had a really bad wind storm. I think there is a great lesson we can learn from this tree. It was actually one of the oldest trees in the grove and a "witness tree" as we call them. One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon and one that I have used several times on my mission is Hel 5:12 which reads-  "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." This is a scripture when Helaman is talking to his sons and giving them some advice. I find it so interesting how in the beginning of the verse it says "when" the devil will do all of this. Not if, but when he sends forth his mighty winds. If you think about a foundation and how important it is in a house, a building, and even more in our lives. Without a foundation the house would fall, just as we will if we dont have a sure foundation. That foundation has to be Christ. It promises us in that verse that if we build upon that sure foundation, that rock, who is Christ we cannot fall. Now the interesting part about this tree is if you go up close to it and take a look at it its roots are no longer then six inches long. If you touch them they crumble, which shows us that it had no foundation. For being one of the biggest and strongest trees in the grove without that foundation it coudn't withstand the winds. I know in our lives it is the exact same. If we dont sink our roots deep and build upon that sure foundation we are going to have a tough time when those rough times come and when satan sends forth his winds. But if we build upon Christ and day by day(personal and family prayer, scripture study, repentance)  increase our faith in him WHEN the devil comes forth we can withstand it and he will have no power over us. Let us all do what we can personally to strengthen our faith and to build upon that foundation who is Christ and I promise we can withstand and endure anything.

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Lifting Burdens

Lately in my missionary work I have really come to realize the importance of the atonement in our lives. I have come to see how we really can do nothing without him, the son of god, our master, Jesus Christ. He is the only way we can find true happiness and be cleansed of the sin we all carry. I have really been trying to not only know about the atonement and what it means, but apply it in my life. When we actually use it and see how it works it means so much more to us. When we know that everything we do bad can be forgiven and put behind us, what a joy. In Moses we read that "no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God" which obviously means that we need to be clean of our sin. One of my favorite scriptures is in D&C 58:42-43 which reads "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven and I, the Lord, remember them no more" So not only is the burden or the weight that we feel taken off our shoulders, but we are clean in the eyes of the lord. What a great feeling to know that we can be forgiven for all the stupid things we do. All the dumb decisions, and just all the mistakes we make as a human being. I truly know that it is possible to be clean from our mistakes. I couldn't be where I am today without that sacrifice and being able to repent. We can let all that stuff go and move on with life, but the only way to do that is through our savior Jesus Christ! He is real and he atoned for you personally. My prayer is that we can all come to know and apply the atonement in our lives and see how we can be freed of our sin.                              

Go watch this video! Its awesome.   http://lds.org/pages/lifting-burdens?lang=eng

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