You just have to keep pressing on.

Sometimes things just don't always turn out the way you may want them to go, whether it be with work, school, or a task you are performing. I can promise that as you continue to press on, with a faith in Christ, you can know that you are helping to accomplish the work of our Heavenly Father. I know that as we strive to follow the teachings of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, we can help with the work of God. I have seen this past week numerous times that as we try to follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost, we will be placed, at the right time, in the path of someone who needs the peace that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you haven't been able to pick up the Book of Mormon or even the Bible in the past couple weeks, I would invite you to repent, and follow the teachings that are found in them, for they command us to continually pick them up and read them, for we are told we need to follow the teachings of that are found in them, and we can only follow them if we study them to know what they are.

I shall relate it unto a computer, if we don't have one, we are only denying ourselves of the wealth of knowledge and information found there in. If we have obtained a computer, but we never decide to turn it on, it also is useless to us, for it is not enough to just say we have one. It is only when we turn it on and take the time to use it, is when we are able to learn the things it has to offer. However if we use it to only go to one website and say that is all it has to offer, we are limiting ourselves, for we must continue to go back to it, and use it over and over again in order to begin to learn all it has to offer. Don't be the one who merely has one and doesn't turn it on, or the one who only tries once.

I know that we can find peace in this life. I hope each of you are able to find that peace this week.

Love,

Elder Warkentin

I was originally going to talk on a different subject, but I have felt it important to change that.

I feel as if we, as a general society, feel like we have become complacent in our progression. If we are leisurely trying to progress in our progression toward the Celestial Kingdom, we can only get so far, for as if we were to quicken our pace, and strive to treat it as a job, and work all our days to get where we want to be, we will achieve our goal and then be able to go beyond that point. For if a farmer were to plant a seed and expect the rain to come down and provide it with the needed water. It would eventually sprout and grow, but if that farmer were to work all his days nourishing and strengthening that seed, how much more fruit would that one seed be able to produce? If we are able to labor with all our might, we can receive a greater blessing then if we sit back and say the seed is planted.

I would ask how much work are you able to put into your Eternal Salvation?

I know that where ever you have found that your at, Jesus Christ and His Atonement can help you become better. I would exhort you to ask what you can do to become better in prayer, and follow the council given.

I hope you all have a great week to come.

Love,

Elder Warkentin

The Restoration

The first part is about how we have a loving Father in Heaven. There is proof that He loves us. He has given us this earth so that we can come down and learn how to be more like Him. He wants the best for us, so He will answer all the prayers we pray to Him. We have to actually pray to Him, not some other person like Mary. Heavenly Father has given us a chance to be in families here on earth, with families we are able to help each other out and be there for one another. Which is why the Gospel that He has brought to the people here on the earth is meant to bless us both as individuals and as families. I know my family helps support me.

Another great thing that Heavenly Father has given us in His infinite love, is prophets. In the beginning of time, we had people such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Noah. What the essential role of a prophet is to reveal things from God unto the world. They also learn and teach the Gospel to the people on the earth. However, just like in times past, the people no longer want to listen to God, so they reject the prophet, out of rebellion, and Kill him. So Heavenly Father will wait until the people repent and look back to Him for guidance. Then He will call another prophet. The time when people don't listen to God is called Apostasy (there are many people in today's day that are in personal apostasy).

Then we fast forward to the time Christ came. He came and ended the state of apostasy that the people were in at the time. He then established His church. He did that by calling 12 Apostles, He gave them the Priesthood, He set out the manner of baptism (which is by full immersion, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost soon after), He performed the Atonement, and most importantly He taught His Gospel (which is the same Gospel as Heavenly Father's). But just like in times past the people rejected Him and His teachings, they wanted to rebel, so they Killed the following prophets and apostles. So there was no longer anyone who holds the Priesthood power left on the earth.

Then in the early 1800's their was a boy named Joseph Smith, he had one simple question, which of all the churches on the earth was the true church of Jesus Christ? In studying the bible he came across a scripture in James 1:5 which says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." So he did just that, he went into a grove of trees near his house and knelt down and offered a prayer. In his own words he said "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.... When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both appeared to him and answered his question, Joseph said "I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong". Joseph Smith was then called to be a prophet in these latter days. Latter John (the Baptist), Peter, James and John (the beloved), came and restored the priesthood to Joseph Smith.

Another thing that Joseph Smith brought back to the earth was a book of scripture called The Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is a record of Heavenly Father's and Jesus Christs dealings with the people over here on the American continent from about 600 BC to 400 AD. We have been promised that if we read from this book everyday, we will have protection from the temptations of the devil, who is doing everything he can do keep us from doing such things. We are promised that if we read The Book of Mormon, and pray with a sincere heart (meaning that you fully intend to act upon the answer you receive) then you will receive an answer that it is true. I have done just that. I know that it is true. I know that what it teaches are things that come from a loving Heavenly Father. I know you can get this same answer. We need not only receive the answer once, but the more we ask, the greater our testimonies come of it. You can tell me how you came to know it is true this week.

I know these things to be true. I hope you believe so too. I leave these things with you in the name of My Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Warkentin

Oh Ye, Oh Ye!

All ye whom rebel against the Lord our God, I say unto you that ye must repent and become clean from all your sins, lest the Lord our God shall visit you in His wrath. We all all the same in the sight of our God, for unless we become as little children and repent of all our sins and mistakes, we shall be cut off at the last day, the day of which we should be rejoicing and leaping for joy over. Never the less, there has been a way prepared that we can come back into the fold of our Shepard, for Christ Himself said in 3 Nephi 11:11-12 "And behold, I am the light and the life of the world;and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven." As we can see, Christ has paid the ultimate price for us and He wants us to be saved, nevertheless, unless we repent and forsake all our sins, we can't expect Him to force us to repent, for He gave us agency (the power to chose), and He wants us to learn to use it correctly. For these days have been prophesied from our fathers in olden times.

I say unto you again, Repent, and become like our Brother, even Jesus Christ, for He has set the ultimate example for us. He has lived on this Earth, He has gone through the worst trials and hardships we could possibly imagine. He has asked that we just do the basics and follow the so simple commandments that God has given to us. Even better, we have been promised blessings for each and every commandment that we keep. On the contrary, we are promised that for every commandment that we don't keep, we will have those blessings taken away from us. For like the man who was given talents and he used them, he was given more, and the one who didn't use them and buried them, even they were taken away form us. I want each and everyone of us to take what talents we have and grow them. We are able to grow them as we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, we are able to learn about those teaching through reading the Scriptures daily (that includes the Old Testament, New Testament, Another Testament [The Book of Mormon], Doctrine and Covenants, and the Perl of Great Price), praying at least 3 times a day, and attending Christs one and only true church weekly. I would exhort you to try out these things and see for yourself if they are not good. I know they are good.

We must continue to repent of our actions quickly and look to Heaven for help constantly. If we are able to follow the teachings found in the scriptures, we will be able to see the exceeding Joy that comes from living the Gospel, Yea, we will see miracles happening in our lives, and we will be able to see blessing happen that we can't even comprehend with our own minds. It says in the book of James, that if we have faith the size of a grain of a Mustard seed, we can move mountains. Imagine if you had Faith the size of a grape or an apple? We are here to learn and progress in the kingdom of God. We must continue to endure to the end, all our days, in order to have Joy at the last days.

I know there is a God. I have seen proof, for I have received a Spiritual witness of my self. I would ask that you pray to get one for yourself. I know we can draw upon the powers of Heaven. If we look around us in the world there is proof in a God, for He created the Earth and the Animals here upon the Earth. We may not see God in person, but just like the wind we can see the effects He has upon the people and the Earth around us. For just like the wind, we can't see it but it is there. To say there is no God is to say that there is now wind, for God created the wind, and He can take it away. If you want to say there in no God, I would exhort you to read the the scriptures, yea, the words of all the prophets through out time, for they know God personally and His Son, Jesus Christ. God will show himself to anyone who has enough faith, we all have that same power. So repent ye, and obtain that faith.

I love this Gospel and the redeeming love it has, I know Christ is there, I know He loves me, I know that I can achieve these blessings. I know we have a we have a loving Father in Heaven, and a loving Son of God, Jesus Christ. We must forsake our fear. I love you all, and I want you to feel of this everlasting Love, and Joy. I know I have. In the name of Jesus Christ, our savior, Amen.

Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Warkentin

Continuing to get the work going better in the area.

This past week, we were able to start teaching a couple new people. It just goes to show that there is always work to do, we just have to have the faith to find those people who the Lord is preparing for us to work with. I know that we are being looked after. I know that as we strive to follow the commandments that God has given to us, we will see the Miracles and blessings ever more present in out lives. As we show our willingness to work for God, He will use us to help bless other's lives.

In Helaman 16:1 it says "And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord." I would ask that you come to a belief on the words which Samuel spake, for they were the Gospel. I know that the Gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, for I know that he brought about the greatest miracle of them all, he restored the full Gospel back to the earth. I know Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father appeared to Joseph and they spake to him personally. I would exhort you do ask for your self if the church of Jesus Christ is true. I know it is. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Warkentin

The New Area!

It looks like I was transferred to be in the Castle Downs Ward here in Edmonton. It is interesting because this ward is right next to the Londonderry Ward I was in last year. So I have been seeing some of the same faces, and same streets. There is a great work to get going in this area, and I'm excited that I have the opportunity to be a part of it.

I found one of the World's largest Baseball Bat's:

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I have found in talking to people, Heavenly Father truly answer's prayers. I found that as I ask for specific things to happen in finding people, our Father has blessed with the success that I pray for. He still won't take away peoples agency, but He can do things such as helping us catch them home, be willing to talk to us, be open to the Gospel. and so forth. I know there is many evidences that show that there is a God who loves us and cares for us. He wants to help us out, we just have to pray and ask Him for help. I love my God, and I hope you love Him the same. "If ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, can ye feel so now?". Sometimes I look on the world and wonder how there can be so much wickedness, then I look and see all the blessings of Mercy that have been shown unto me, and I wonder how God has had so much patience as to continue to show us love. I would exhort you to reach toward the redeeming hand of Christ.

I love you. I know They love you. We hope you have a great week to come.

Love,

Elder Warkentin

Mysterious Transfers.

This Transfer is different, out Mission President is no longer telling us on Monday where we are going or who our new companion will be. I just know that I'm being transferred on Wednesday and I'm remaining District Leader. Red Deer has been a good place to serve. There has been some good people here and I have greatly seen the hand of God work Miracles down here. I know the Lord looks after all of us.

Some of you might have heard that a city named Fort McMurray has been burning up this past week. I'm pleased to say that is about 6 hours drive from where I'm at. It almost reminds me of Sodom and Gomorrah, being burned due to people hardening there hearts. There were still some good people left up there though. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to repent quickly. I know God is there, He loves us. He wants what is best for us. He wants to hear from us. I know good things come to those who seek righteousness.

I Know Jesus is our Savior. I know He wants us to return to live with Him in the end. I know we can achieve that. I pray that everyone heed the council of our Prophets living and dead, They know what they're talking about.

I love you all, I hope you all have a great week to come.

Love,

Elder Warkentin