Be Not Ashamed

Romans 1:16 reads "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..."  Why is it so hard to talk about Christ with other people? Are we actually ashamed of this gift that we possess? It is our obligation and duty to share the message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ with our friends and loved ones, and even those we don't know. Why wouldn't we? We all came from the same place and are trying to end up in the same place aren't we? We are all brothers and sisters, and as such, we should have this desire to share this gift we have known as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with EVERYONE! I would like to close with an awesome scripture from my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon. 2 Nephi 9:18 says, "But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever." Let us be proud. Let us open our mouths and echo the joyous sound of the Gospel. 1 Nephi 21:23, "...for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."

Christmas in Montana

It's Christmas in Montana,
Or so the saying goes,
When everything is white,
And the wind she really blows.

When temperatures are chilly,
Often way below the mark,
Anytime it's north of zero,
Seems like summer in the park.

When frost's upon the windows,
And the ice's upon the ground;
When breath looks like a summer cloud,
Waiting for thunder's sound.

When the snow is in the Rockies,
And glaciers start to grow,
And all the grain is hidden,
On the plains below.

When rivers they are frozen,
And the lakes are thick with ice,
And the dogs out on the Res,
Are anything but nice.

When the geese are in the stubble,
And the cattle are fed hay,
And the grizzlies hibernating,
For a cold long winter's stay.

When the missionaries are a working,
In the middle of this cold,
They are still out there sharing,
The message told of old.

But mostly all the people,
Put on their happy face,
And hurry 'bout the country,
At such a rapid pace.

They shout a friendly greeting,
As they hurry on their way,
They are way too busy,
No time for us to stay.

So we share a hurried thought,
As they trot along the path.
They'd slow a might and listen,
If we'd off them some cash.

But what we have is priceless,
Worth more than solid gold.
It's about the restoration,
Gospel truths that were foretold.

We hope that they will listen,
To us at Christmas time,
It's worth a whole lot more,
Than a nickel and a dime.

To us no present's better,
Than a pair of listening ears,
For if they truly listen,
It will bless them through the years.

And we will then bear witness,
Of the message that we share;
It's of the promised Savior,
His truth we do declare.

To watch a mighty change of heart,
There is no better sight,
Than standing in the water,
Humbly dressed in white.

So thank you for your efforts,
Throughout 2010,
Because of your commitment,
The miracle began.

We trust you all are happy,
As happy as can be,
As you dream of many wishes,
Beneath your Christmas tree.

So Merry Christmas to you all,
We bid you lots of cheer.
It's an honor to serve with you,
All throughout the year.

-- President Larry H. Gardner