What's God All About and How Do I Know For Myself

God is there, regardless of what you and I believe but it's far too important a subject to base on the beliefs, convictions or words of other people. Even worse than the convictions of other people could be your own preconceived notions. There's a lot of differing opinions on the subject of God, and among it all there's the truth but how do I know and what do I do when I find out? 

The truth about God will continue to exist, even if we ignore it--but is that really what you want to do? The responsibility remains whether we choose to ignore the truth, or act on it. Consciously ignoring the truth will change everything from that moment in time, acting on the truth will also change everything but only you can decide the direction of your changes and only you will know the feeling you're left with in your heart, after deciding. Find out the truth and you'll have to act on it, act on it and everything takes on a new perspective. 

Beliefs are important but my beliefs are of little consequence to anybody else but me and although I have been blessed to know for myself that God lives, cares and does answer prayers, I can't give that conviction to anybody else. I can try to convert some of my feelings into words but words are a poor match for something this great. Nothing I can say will do my personal knowledge any justice or truly share what's in my heart, because I myself am nothing more than a person with nothing more than words and their unfortunate limitations.

I could try and share some of my reasons, some of the history of how all this came to be available to people like you and me, or some of the events that brought this into my life. I could even share some of the great miracles that has happened consequent to my seeking divine intervention on the behalf others, I could share some of the events that you would call impossible but that is not how it works. The way it works is that you might hear something that might interest you, it might seem right and you might think that it should be right. If it is right and you indeed want to know, your whole world could change and this makes it of paramount importance but you must first open your heart. 

I have witnessed God answer sincere and honest prayer and know that only God and I share the greatness of those moments, because no words can express such an experience with sufficient impact and power; no words will give you a sufficient foundation to believe it and know it, the way I believe and know this to be true. 

Learning to pray is a process but anybody can do it, learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is a matter of preparation and you must be prepared to accept and act on an answer. Often, an answer to prayer can be found in the scriptures and the Holy Spirit will help you recognise this. A wise man and man of God once said that if you want to talk to God, pray, and if you want answers, read the scriptures.

It comes to this: If you want to know about God, seek Him. If you want to know how God operates, read what He has done; If you are ready to pray and ready for an answer, ready to accept truth and live by it then do so. 

If you want to know if God is there for you, if He can and will answer prayer, ask Him! It's all true but if you want to know for yourself ask God in sincerity, honestly and with an open heart and you can know too. 

The Power of the Holy Spirit: It's Yours For the Asking

I often wonder what I actually expect when I pray to God for help, direction or intervention in what life has dealt me. Then I remember that prayer is a request, or as the meaning of the word "Prayer" indicates, a plea to someone more powerful than ourselves, in this case our omnipotent Heavenly Father and God. Prayer is never an order or demand and so I must never expect anything other than what the Lord may deem best for my needs. But, prayer does allow me access to the most powerful force known to the universe, its very creator and God, our Lord and Saviour. He has promised that:

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. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (The Holy Bible, James 1:5-6)

Life is my opportunity to learn, gain experience and grow. Sometimes it helps me to view life from the known perspective of an athlete: Only when a burden is increased does strength and endurance improve. The burden must be heavy, the stride must be difficult or nothing will be gained but as I endure I will benefit and grow. This is a fact and is well applied to many other situations.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. (The Holy Bible, James 1:12-14)

I know that as I endure, blessings will come. Why? Because they always have, they always do and they always will as long as I seek God's counsel when making decisions, setting the course for the day, or for my life! Blessings are often answer to prayers but not always in the way that I had expected and sometimes not in ways that I would have wanted, ignorant as I sometimes may be when relying on my own wits and my own strength, instead of God's.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  (The Holy Bible, Matthew 6:33)

Making God a part of my life has worked. I have noticed that as I seek God, pray and seek His directions as given through the scriptures, it becomes easier for me to see and understand His answers to my prayers and the blessings He has already given me.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (The Holy Bible, James 1:17)

Seeing the great gifts that God has allowed me to enjoy, my heart and mind opens to receive more of His directions and counsel.

If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. (Doctrine & Covenants 42:61)

Knowledge is power and knowing that God is there for us is empowering unlike anything else. God has let us know that can know, and if we desire to know we may ask Him and He will answer our prayer if prayed in honesty, sincerity and faith.

And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.  (Doctrine & Covenants 93:24)

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (The Holy Bible, John 8:32)

Elder Jepsen - Listening to That Inner Voice

How are you all? Everything here is great! I'm sorry for not ever really being able to tell you much about everything but I never really get very much time.

I was transferred out because another Elder, who had been serving here while awaiting the approval of his visa, had his visa approved and he's off to Jamaica. Leaving a well functioning area where things were going very well, I'm grateful to see when hard work pays off. The initial two baptismal preparations had doubled to four and I am happy for them, they are good people and it's good to see what the gospel can do for good people. They were well prepared when I left and with the great missionaries taking over, they'll be in good hands.

The missionaries here live in a house, there is five of us here. Good fun! I'm serving with Elder Monson and no, he's not related to President Monson. The area here is quite different from where I've served in the past but I love it. I've had one of the best weeks of my mission. I feel a little like the Lord had given me a big load to carry early on and as it's been lifted, I'm more prepared and ready for what is to come.

I love being a missionary and I'm grateful to be here. It's good to see the results of what I do. The gospel is so very straight forward, the principles are good, sound teachings and if honestly applied with sincerity, they will be the basis for a happier life. Sure, problems don't go away because of the gospel but you get through things with a cleaner conscience and feeling better, than without it. It just makes so much sense and I simply share what I know to be good principles to live by, as they were taught to me and I've seen them work. Then, as people are reminded once again how to listen to that inner voice and begin to recognize it as the Holy Spirit, they are lifted and their burdens lightened. I love the gospel.

I love you all!

Elder Jepsen

Elder Jepsen - Opening Our Hearts to the Spirit

This will probably be my last email before I leave for the US. Soon I'll be in the Provo Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC). Although I feel like I've learned a lot already I know I have a long way to go. I have a firm belief in God and I enjoy reading the scriptures but I have a lot to learn about being a missionary and I'm so very much looking forward to the next step in my experience. 

The single biggest thing I have learned is that ultimately I need to not get in the way of people experiencing the whisperings of the Spirit for themselves. I can tell them about it, I can share my experiences of learning from or through the Spirit or I can ask people to read about it but they all have to choose and open their hearts to the Spirit. Anyone who decides to humble themselves  before God by accepting Jesus the Christ as their mediator and Savior and seeking the directions of Holy Ghost in their lives are already well on their way to find the peace and balance in their lives that I try to teach through the gospel. It's not us the missionaries, who are teaching these people but rather the Spirit. I suppose our task is more to facilitate. 

It's been an unusual situation to serve as a missionary here in Aalborg where years ago my sister served a mini-mission that turned into so much more than a mini-mission before she was done. I hope she's not drowning in books and studies these days and has enough time to still take a little time out for herself with her birthday coming up. Back then we didn't know many people anywhere in Denmark having all just arrived to the country. I now know many of the other youths in the church here and it's a strange feeling suddenly being a missionary with all my friends around. It actually seems that I have an unusually large concentration of friends here in Aalborg.

It has been very strange to whitewash yet another area (we call it a whitewash when two missionaries are moved into an area at the same time). Like all the other missionaries in this mission, Elder Harms has been to the MTC, I haven't but we've both been in the field for the same time and somehow that raises the expectations to me a little. I now have to carry my share of responsibilities, occasionally take the lead and there is a great deal to be learned from that experience. I am however, enjoying it very much. 

We are not the only Elders in Aalborg and that makes everything a little easier, as we sometimes split off and work with other Elders here. They know their way around town a little more and that's a lot of help as neither Elder Harms or I know much about the area.

Being all new in the area, we don't have anyone to teach yet but that should soon change. We have met with many good people and there is lots of good potential for teaching.

Being on a mission and teaching the gospel is a great experience and I am grateful to be here. If you had not made the choices to open your hearts to Spirit in your lives and given me a direction and an example to follow, my situation might have been quite different at this point and I might have been without this experience. Instead, I have the example of you and my sister and brothers to follow. Thank you. 

Love you,

Elder Jepsen

Feeling the Holy Ghost: Power of the Holy Spirit