Be Though an Example of the Believers

What does it mean to be an example of the believers?
This topic could go to so many different directions. I'm not sure where exactly I am going with this yet, but after hearing a numerous amount of people have their feelings hurt because of ungodly judgement, I'd like to address this topic of being an example of the believers.
Quoting from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that those who pass judgment on others are “inexcusable.” The moment we judge someone else, he explained, we condemn ourselves, for none is without sin...

This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

Two summers ago I worked at Brighton LDS girls camp and the camp theme that year was, "Love One Another." So simple and so powerful. One of Christ's greatest attributes was love. When we love with Christlike Love we truly see all people as children of God, not just the Mormons, not just the Baptists, not just the Catholics, etc., but ALL people.

I'd be a liar if I said I've never passed judgement, but as I've learned and prayed to have Christlike Love, and I catch myself and I immediatly call myself to repentance and remind myself that that beautiful person is a child of God, regardless of what he or she says, is wearing, or doing, etc. I remind myself that God loves that person as much as He loves me and wants happiness for them as much as He does for any other person! He LOVES US! We just need to love each other!!!

"The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.
 

As always, Christ is our exemplar. In His teachings as in His life, He showed us the way. He forgave the wicked, the vulgar, and those who sought to hurt and to do Him harm.

Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that. But Jesus Christ taught a higher law. His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today. They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples. They are meant for you and me: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”¹⁰
 

When our hearts are filled with the love of God, we become “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving [each other], even as God for Christ’s sake [forgave us].”¹¹

The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other.

In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone."  -Pres. Uchtdorf

I hope that each of us can make a conscious decision each day to Be Thou an Example of the believers and to put an end to judging others- I say this to the person with religion judging those without and to the person without religion judging those of religion. This judgment goes both ways and it's time to "Stop it!"


I know without a shadow of a doubt that we are each children of God and He loves each of us perfectly. He wants the very best for us and has provided a way to obtain the very best. If we would just follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, this world would be in such better shape. I know that I'm imperfect and I'm grateful for the gift of repentance and forgiveness.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

To learn more about Christ's teaching on love, judgment, repentance, and forgiveness visit:
mormon.org or lds.org or you can ask a missionary, aka me! :) For a fun video to explain it watch this video

*Sorry I quoted a lot in this blog, but honestly President Uchtdorf couldn't have said it any better.

Our Human Experience

Hello friends! So something that has been on my mind a lot lately is our human experience.
Quote unquote," We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." - President Thomas S. Monson (I think he said it).
When I heard this is was just like, Duh!! Of course!! That makes so much sense!!
We know that we lived with our Heavenly Father before this life as his spirit children. Each of us chose to follow Christ's plan to come to earth, receive bodies, gain experience, and have agency (the right to choose). So our Spirits already chose to follow Christ!! We literally are spiritual beings on a human experience. We are here to get our bodies in alignment with our spirits.. to train them and beat the natural man. Seriously I have to do this every darn day. Just waking up each day is a battle between my body and my spirit. It's rough.

Now we also know that satan and his followers will never have the opportunity to receive a body. They forfeited that gift when they chose to rebel and follow satan. Sad day for them, but it happened.
So imagine, here we are all excited and waiting for our call to earth. We know the plan and we are so excited to have experiences to learn and grow and then return back to Heavenly Father. Well who knew it'd be so hard to make good choices!? Geez.

I find it ironic that satan, someone who does not have a body and is totally miserable and envious of our bodies is the one that is constantly tempting our bodies with one thing or another. I mean really if you think about it, almost every type of temptation is at our body. He knows our body is being trained and when he can throw off our body, it throws off our spirit.

Now the other thing that I find interesting is that we all know the ending and still struggle every single day. How is that we know that God and the righteous will ultimatly win the battle between good and evil, but we still try and play for both sides? God knows it, we know it, and satan knows that in the end, the righteous win. It's been written from the beginning, so why are we letting satan have so much control.
2nephi 2:

17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an ^aangel of God, according to that which is written, had ^bfallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a ^cdevil, having sought that which was evil before God.

18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he ^asought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all ^blies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, ^cknowing good and evil.
 27 Wherefore, men are ^afree according to the ^bflesh; and ^call things are ^dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to ^echoose ^fliberty and eternal ^glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be ^hmiserable like unto himself.

We are literal children of God. We have a divine nature and we can choose to live up to it our not. We can choose to live up to our potential or not. We can choose to return to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ or not. It is our choice. We have always had the ability to choose. Now remember, yes we can make the choice, but we don't choose the consequence. Every choice we make has a consequence whether it be good or bad.

Unfortunately some times other people make choices for us in our early part of life and some end up in circumstances that they did not choose, but I know that God will not put us anywhere that we can not succeed! “Our opportunities to shine are limitless. They surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves,” said President Thomas S. Monson. No matter the circumstance we are born into, He will provide a way for us to succeed, if we choose to do so! The Lord will never tempt us above that which we are able or in other words he will never give us more than we can handle! So those of you in hardship, just know that you are a strong spirit, because if you weren't God wouldn't have put you in the shoes you are in. He LOVES YOU!
From the beginning God gave us agency (ability to choose), He did not want to send us to earth and force us to do everything and make us return to Him. So now it's our time to make the decision, "What am I willing to do to return to live with God again?"

I know my purpose on earth. I'm not perfect, but I know where my goal is to end up. I know that there are so many beautiful children of God on this earth that are searching for truth and meaning to life and that is why I chose to serve a mission. I have a deep love for my spirit brothers and sisters. Everyday I see people choosing not to live up to their potential and even sadder I see people that do not know what their potential is. They do not know that they are of a divine inheritance from a Heavenly Father that loves them. Well it's time to be an example of the believers.                                                                  
""But first, in order to become an example of the believers, we ourselves must believe."
Referencing an exchange between Simba and his departed father, Mufasa, from Disney’s movie, “The Lion King,” President Monson said, “Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are.”
He continued by saying, “You are a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father.
You came from His presence to live on this earth for a season, and to live in such a way that you are an example of the believers and a true light to the world.”
“Just think of how much good can come to the world through our collective lights and let the gospel radiate through us,” President Monson said.""

We know where we came from, we know our purpose in this life on earth, and we know where we can go. So what will you choose?

 To learn more about your divine nature and purpose in life you can go to:
http://mormon.org/choice
http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages#stay-within-the-lines
Or ask me: https://www.facebook.com/tash.carrell

*forgive my bad grammar in the double quoting

The Desires of Our Hearts

Wow world! Today is my 1 year mark in the mission! I can't believe it's here!
Yesterday we had a meeting called Zone Meeting. I was privileged to give a training on whatever I felt inspired. Now the training was great because I felt the Spirit guide my nervous self. But the best part of the Zone Meeting was towards the end when I received revelation concerning how better teach the Atonement of Jesus Christ... which if you read my blogs, you know how important that's been and how challenging! This is the inspiration I've been given.

For so long I felt like it was my duty to make someone understand the beautiful blessings of the Atonement, but really it will never make sense until you experience it yourself!
Most of us know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and was resurrected the 3rd day. But most of us don' understand it in our hearts, it's just a story or fact.

I realized that it is all about desire. Do we desire to truly know the cleansing power of the Atonement? What are we willing to do to feel it? The Savior has already done his part and now continues to stand with His arms wide open.

Did you ever go into something half paced? Did you ever go into something with full desire at full force? What was the difference? What change could come from the sincerity on our part?
Like this experience you had, it's the same with the atonement of Jesus Christ, it depends on us, our desire, sincerity, effort, energy to know if it can literally heal and change you. He's just waiting for you to drink from his well. He is waiting for you to let him in your heart. If you haven't felt the power of the atonement work through you, it's not because you are too far gone or because it's not real.. The atonement is infinite and eternal. It has no bounds. The atonement of Jesus Christ can reach into any depth of darkness or despair and pull you out And heal you. It's going to take desire, faith, and effort, but I promise you that when you are sincere and in desperation to know His love and cleansing power, He will show you. I know it's not just a story, because I've lived it, He's changed me, healed me, and touched my heart. I once was lost, but now am found.

** to learn more about the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, please contact me or your local missionaries.
Mormon.org or Me