Sabbath Day, February 1, 2009

Change is all around us. These changes are but the beginning of what is to come.

Keep hope strong because the end of times is near. Keep faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that you will be protected and that your family will be protected.

Prepare yourself, your home, your life, so that you will be optimally prepared for what is to come. If you do these things, you will have no reason to fear.

Prepare your spirit. Read your scriptures, attend meetings, attend the temple, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prepare your home, utilized all of the emergency preparedness resources available to protect yourself and your family from emergencies (large and small) and from disasters.

Prepare your personal and family economic circumstances so that if you lose a job you will not be in debt and lose your home as well.

Prepare so that you will have The Spirit involved in all of your relationships and in your involvement and interaction with your fellow men.

There is a great divide growing. Even those in The Church are being divided by the developments of recent days and years. Prove yourself strong and valiant and live according to what you know to be correct and add every needful thing that the Prophets and Apostles add to the task.

Even the hardest of times on this earth are only for a short time and we will never be asked for more than we can give.

The rewards will be such that we will look back at our time on Earth and know that either we could have done more or that we did all we could and lived to the fullest. The time here is short and is winding down.

When you see your Savior and your Father in Heaven again, will you be looking forward to running to them with outstretched arms or will you be dreading it, cowarding because you knew you didn't fulfill your highest measure of yourself while on this Earth.

Even with the end of times coming upon us and speedily making its path known, our time could be sooner that we leave this Earth. Your time could be in the next second, the next hour, the next day, month or year. Prepare yourself on a daily basis.

We live in a human existence, so realize that you will be searching for perfection throughout this life. It is in the learning of the lessons, often by our mistakes, that we grow. Everyone on this Earth is human and makes mistakes, no matter what their office in The Church or in the land. Realize that and constantly search for your own lessons toward perfection. No one is better or lesser than you. We are all in this experience together.

Get involved in the world around you and know that by serving your fellow men you are serving your Savior, serving your God. Prove yourself to be the highest measure of self while on this Earth. Your rewards will be eternal.

I testify of these things and that it is not time to live in fear, but that it is time to live in hope, faith, and righteous actions. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.