Message for Youth

                                      (Inspired by a talk given by Boyd K. Packer)

With all that is going on in the world, with the lowering of moral standards, the multiple wars being fought, and the struggling economy.  You may feel uncertainty and insecurity in your lives.  You young people are being raised in enemy territory.

The gospel plan is “the great plan of happiness.” The family is the center of that plan, as was stated in, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” The Proclamation states that first of all, every human being, both male and female, was created in the image of God, and that marriage is only between a man and a woman. 

We all make mistakes; none of us is perfect, or even close to being perfect.  Some of us will make serious mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise applies to all members of the Church. 

To those who have made such mistakes, there is a way out, and that is through repentance. 

Repentance is first, you feel true remorse and guilt for what you have done.  Then, if your sin affected anyone, or it was serious, then you talk with whoever you have affected, and/or your bishop.  Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, your sins will be washed away and you will be made whole again. 

Here are some words of what you can do to help you get through enemy territory:

-          Dress modestly

-          Listen to clean and uplifting music

-          Help those in need, do good deeds and care for others

-          Avoid addictive and harmful substances

-          Avoid piercings and body jewelry (directed towards men.  For women, have one set of earrings)

-          Avoid tattoos; your body is a temple.  Would you spray paint a temple?

-          Choose your friends carefully; they will play a big part in how your future turns out

-          Listen to the Holy Ghost.

Do these things, and you will be able to navigate through enemy territory, and live a long and prosperous life. 

Mormonism: Missionary Work

Since the beginning of Christianity, there have been missionaries. They spread the gospel (In Hebrew, it means "Good word") throughout the world, in countries that will allow them to share their message and testimony.
In Mormonism, Prophets in biblical and Book of Mormon times would preach unto the people to repent. What they did, which was preach unto the people, heal the sick and afflicted, and bless those who are righteous. Well know missionaries in the bible include the Apostles of Jesus, John the Baptist, and Paul of Tarsus. They worked hard, not only just preaching the gospel, but they helped those in need. They cared about people. Paul for example, traveled from Jerusalem around the Mediterranean Sea three times, preaching to thousands of people, performing many miracles, jailed and escaped multiple times, he is a prime example of what a missionary does.
There are missionaries today as well as in biblical times. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has around 65,000 to 70,000 missionaries today, sent to all parts of the world. There are quite a few countries that will not allow missionaries to preach, mainly the middle east (Turkey, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Syria) for both religious reasons, and safety reasons. There are a few countries in other areas that won't allow missionaries due mainly to safety reasons but sometimes as religious reasons as well.
Just this year, the First Presidency of the Church announced that the set age to go on a mission went from 19 years old to 18 years old. This was well received and many youth were excited to spread the word. Age is not the only thing that restricts someone to go on a mission, the standards set by the First Presidency mainly include being worthy of serving a mission. That includes confessing to any serious sins you have committed, including breaking the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity. They set standards so that they have as many youth strong in the spirit as possible. It allows those who really have it in their hearts to spread the gospel and baptize those who want to become members of the church. There are many testimonies that I have alone heard, including my father, talking about how going on a mission was the best thing that they ever did.