The Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to enhance lives. This only takes affect in our lives when we develop Faith in Jesus Christ, Repent of our past sins, are baptized by immersion from someone holding the Priesthood authority of God and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is only through continuing to apply all these steps that we receive all the blessings that God has for us in this life and in the life to come. Entering into the path, however does not mean that we will become filthy rich, popular, funny, smart, or that we will be exempt from all the trials and cares that come with our mortal existence.
So in what ways does the Gospel bless our Lives? So many times in life when we think of God blessing us we think of only the temporal side (things that we can see). Living the Gospel helps you focus on what matters in life, returning to live with God and his son Jesus Christ. We are blessed with the knowledge that life is something more than the face value we give it. We no longer think of how much trials bring us down but how we have the power to overcome them and be strengthened through being faithful in time of near despair. When we live the Gospel's standards we are blessed with the ability to see ourselves as God sees us, full of potential and talents, able to accomplish much. We are blessed with the knowledge that we can find strength through our Faith and Hope in the atonement of Jesus Christ and all that he went through to come to our aid when we need it the most.
I like most people spent many years caught up in the things of the world that I thought made me happy and helped me get through the trying times of life. It wasn't until I saw those ideas of living falling down and catching up to me that I realized that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation in which to build my life upon. I was glad to have been raised in an environment that had introduced me to the Rrestored Gospel at a young age. Though I rebelled I was glad to see God beckoning me back to his fold.
My idea of life changed dramatically as I took the steps to follow the savior of the world and put away my sins. My idea of life echoes the understanding of M. Russell Ballard in Our Search for Happiness,"A quality life is one that positively influences others and makes the world around it a better place in which to live. A quality life is one that is constantly growing, expanding its horizons and enlarging its borders. A quality life is one that is filled with love and loyalty, patience and perseverance, kindness and compassion. A quality life is one that is based on eternal potential and not confined to this life only. A quality life is a life well-lived."

I know that it is only through the atonement of Jesus Christ that I can return to live with God and obtain true joy in this life. I'm grateful for my knowledge of the Restored Gospel and I, like Christ, would beckon all of you to search out the message of the Restoration and see for yourself if it doesn't improve your quality of life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I bear my knowledge and testimony of this.

The First Few Moments

I have been thinking lately about how much the first few moments of anything play a significant role in ones life. As an example; when I first started working I got employed at a place where the staff was very family oriented and clean. I was following what I saw everyone else doing because I hadn't established my own way of doing certain tasks. The employees rarely sat around they were very encouraging and keeping the establishment clean was top priority. When I moved to another state I found myself working for the same company but the atmosphere was different. Because I had already had those examples set in my life I still continued the similar routine, I would try to rarely sit around, and I insisted on cleaning things properly before I left for the day.

As time passed the employees would comment and question my ways of working. Making remarks hinting for me to take it easy and sit instead of constantly working, or telling me that I dont have to worry about certain things being so clean, that noone else did it or noticed my work anyway. I would attempt to try the new ways of my atmosphere but it never felt right and I would fall back into my old ways. It seemed that the first place I worked at had set me somewhat in my ways of a employee. This carried on to when I got my own establishment I would try to set the same atmosphere in play. 

I think this idea applies to many parts of our lives, from who we hang out with in our first days of school to how we are raised in our homes. I think especially this plays a role in the time period from birth up until the proper age of baptism being 8 years old. Many people have commented saying that there is no way an 8 year old can clearly understand the concept and promise of baptism. I fully agree, I'm 21and still ponder at the full importance of baptism. However I do feel confident that if the parents apply the teachings of the gospel in their home that their kids will learn and adopt those teachings. So the role isn't so much on the children to understand but on their parents that God has trusted them with to teach them to "walk in the light of the Lord". If they do this the kids will be prepared to make that step and keep the promise they enter into at Baptism.

I know that through living the teaching and example of Christ we can all return to live with our Heavenly Father once more, and I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ.