Hole 8: The Trifecta To a Happier Life!!!!!!

So something that my companion and I have been talking about a lot especially as we get closer to this Christmas season is that the easiest way to get closer to Christ is to do the trifecta of all commitments: Pray, Study the Scriptures, and attend church. I thought about Golf, how in golf there are three things that if mastered will make you a so much better golfer: the long game, the short game, and putting. So I decided for Hole 8 I would relate the two sets. So we will start by looking at the long game, prayer.

In golf, the long game is where the most strokes are used normally because you have 400+ yards to the green. So this is where practicing your drive will help you more than anything. The drive is a very different swing and so it is the toughest. Sometimes it is also the toughest to pray. Prayer seems like such a simple act, but when applied it can be very difficult. The Bible Dictionary says this about prayer, "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship." So it is not as hard as we think!!! God wants us to pray to Him. He loves us and will answer us!

The short game is the strokes that happen within about 100 yards of the hole. If perfected, it can give any golfer's game a big boost. The Sabbath day is that boost in our lives. The Lord commanded that we honor His day and keep it holy. By going to church on Sunday and remembering the Lord on His day, you are doing that, and because of it you can expect to have your spiritual life recharged to help you "more fully keep yourself unspotted from the world" in the upcoming week(D&C 59:9).


Then you have putting. A good putter is a good golfer. But it takes repetition to master this element of the game. Just like that, the scriptures are sometimes tough to understand because the lingo is a little different or you don't quite get the background of what's being said. But, just like learning how to aim and adjust to hills on the putting green, so also you must learn by repetition the background and context of the scriptures. The best way to do this is to do it everyday. Consistency and prayer, inviting the Spirit into your study, will build more bridges in your understanding of the gospel than anything else. 


Using this trifecta to a happy life, you will find yourself closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ than you ever have before. You can truly say as was said of the Nephites of Old, "there could not be a ^ehappier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God" (4 Nephi 1:16).




MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! MAY YOU BE HAPPIER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AS YOU APPLY THESE THINGS!!!

Hole 7: the importance of the golf glove.

So you are just doing what you do best. You have stepped up to tee off at number 6. A long par five. You grab your driver, a ball, and a tee. You forget one key thing: your golf glove. you take a few shots an your hand begins to sting. what has happened? You look at your hand and you have a massive blister in your left hand, The hand you would normally wear the golf glove on. Ouch! The pain affects your game the rest of the time until you get to the cart after the hole is over an you slip back into the comfort of your golf glove.

Likewise Heavenly Father has given you something to help you avoid pain and to help you overcome pain when it comes: The Holy ghost. In John 14:26-27, the Savior tells of the Holy Ghost's comforting power when he says, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The Holy Ghost will bring us peace and bring us comfort to endure the rest of this life just as the golf glove allows us to finish the rest of the game despite the blisters that come.

Hole 6: The Green

Putting is the hardest part of golf in my opinion. It is the thing that has cost many of the greats in golf many titles. To be honest it is what is keeping me in the 100s and not the 90s. The reason a putt is so difficult is because of the swing that you use when you are putting. It is a pendulum swing that if it is not right the ball could either roll to far or get headed and not go far enough. It is the worst feeling when your ball doesn't go where you want it to. So just like putting and the pendulum swing, our lives are made more accurate when we pray. As we pray the Lord allows us to learn his will for us. He loves us and wants to hear from us.

Hole 5: The Short Game, Par 4, 280 yds.

So at this point you have your drive down. You are sitting pretty good in the middle of the fairway looking at about 50 yards to go to the hole. Every golfer knows this stretch is one of the most important in golf. Pros pay through the roof for trainers who can help them get more accurate in close range.  In fact, all great pros make it count in the short game. In order to master the short game you need to master the chip shot, the pitch shot, the sand shot and the putt.  If you can do that, you will see your your ball on the green sooner. And your score will drastically improve.

Similarly in life, the small swings make all th difference. As we do the little things we can grow spiritually to a level that we can't understand right now. In Alma 37, Alma testifies to Helaman that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."

So that is the big secret. Small things like reading your scriptures and praying make all the difference. As we do the small things in our lives, the lord will bless us with great things. Most people believe that God will strike them with lightning to reveal truth to them, but God proves time and time again that he will testify by the still, small voice.  So here's the big secret! Do the small thing by reading the Book of Mormon. And see if you feel the truh of the book! Do The Small Thing!!!! Click Here!!!!!

Hole 4: Par 4, 340 yds.

So you reached hole 4. at this point, you are used to the course and you are used to your swing. This about when the identity crisis sets in. You realize that based on your score you are just an ordinary joe-schmoe golfer. identity crisis is a very real issue for the human race. We all want to know who we are and who we have the potential of becoming. but many times in the mundane holes of the course of life we lose sight of our potential. I think about many of the movie of the day. One in particular, Shrek, is about an ogre who over the years has been content with the label he has received and is content that he is alone. He doesn't recognize his identity crisis until he meets an over-talkative donkey. It is there that we learn of Shrek's struggle with self. Donkey doesn't see Shrek how the world sees him. Donkey wants Shrek to be happy. Donkey tries throughout the movie to help Shrek see his full potential.

This identity crisis is similar to our own. Only our Savior Jesus Christ plays the role of donkey in our struggle for self. Paul in the New Testament tells us about our potential with Christ in Romans 8:16-17, which read, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Because we are children of our heavenly Father we have the potential to become like him. but we need to realize the potential of the Gospel in our lives. That's why Christ suffered and died for us and rose again for us. Because he wants to help us realize our potential. I testify that we are sons and daughters of God and that he is our Father. I know that if we are faithful in our lives that we will learn how to become like him.

Hole #3: Par 3, 115 yards.

In Golf, most golfers know how rare it is to get a hole in one. The lucrative eagle on a par 3 hole is much sought after. The average golfer has odds of 12,500 to 1 of making a hole in one. So as you can see, the odds are stacked against you. but we do know that it does happen. Many pro have made holes in one.  So there must be something that makes golfers more likely to get holes-in-one. Experience. Every time a golfer plays and practices and works on his accuracy, He grows more and more likely to make the hole in one.                

Similarly in our lives we need to learn how to identify the prompting of the Spirit and to act upon them. It isn't easy to recognize the things that come from the Spirit verses our thoughts. in Moroni 7:13-17 we learn, "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."

I testify that as we practice recognizing the promptings of the Holy ghost and acting on them we will be more likely to respond to a promptings. while promptings aren't as rare as holes-in-one, it is harder to take an opportunity to act on a prompting from the Spirit.

Dealing with trials Hole #2: 540 yd. Par 5

Just when you feel like you have warmed up, the very next hole proves to be a test. When you get to the hole, you notice three things. According to the map, sand surrounds the green. The next thing you notice is the large body of water sitting next to the fairway along its right side. The last thing you see is that it is a dogleg right almost 90 degrees. As your partner tees it off, you think to yourself, Why me? Now it's your turn. What are you going to do? turn and run? give up? At this point there is really only one thing you can do. Go forward and hit the ball. You ask yourself how this relates to life and the Gospel. Well let me tell you.

Life is the same way. Just when we feel like we've warmed up, Heavenly Father allows us to go through some pretty, difficult trials. The trials are catered to us and are really easy. In order to reach our full potential, we need to go through trials. What will we do? Run? Hide? We can't! Will we wallow in self pity? We can't! The prophet Nephi says in 2 Nephi 31:20: "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." As we press forward we allow the Savior into our live who, as the prophet Alma said, has "gone forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people." I know that pressing forward through trials isn't easy. But just like overcoming obstacles on a golf course brings a sense of accomplishment, that same sense of accomplishment can e felt as we press forward in Christ Jesus.

Take a Swing At Golf: Warming up with Hole 1 365 yd. Par 4

Imagine if you will a brisk spring morning, 7:45 am. The dew has set in, and the fog is rolling out. A crisp, new green has come over the grass.  You pull out your driver, a ball, and a tee. You pick your favorite ball, a Srixon. You do some stretching and take a few practice  swings. Finally, you step up to the ball and take a swing. You hook the ball right into the trees on the left side. LOST! You grab an old, junky ball thinking you will do the same. As you come through on your swing you know that it was a great hit, sending your ball about 200 yards down the course. You mark and wash your old, junky ball now covered in mud and freshly-cut grass. You pull out a 5-iron, take a practice swing, and hit the ball another  125 yards. You walk up to your cart and grab your 56 degree wedge and your putter. You get up to your ball, and realize that it is in the SAND! You hop into the bunker and set up to get your ball out. First time it pops out and onto the green. Now you know to par you need to sink this putt. You measure out the now 30-foot putt. You take your shot. It comes within inches of the hole then veers off course. It rolls another foot. You step up to the putt and knock it in the hole to take the bogie.

You may wonder how this relates to the gospel. I will tell you. Warming up in golf is a lot like having the Spirit with you. A lot of times golfers forgo stretching and practice swings to try and get on the course early. I have found the same problem in preparing for everyday life. We don't prepare our minds for the day ahead. Here are some ways we can better prepare our minds for the day ahead:

1. Slow down. Cut the less important things off your list of things to do to make room for your family and family time together.

2. Study your scriptures. I have found this one work well for me. I always feel the Spirit more abundantly when I take time to study the scriptures.

3. Pray for strength and wisdom. Your Heavenly Father knows you and wants you to succeed but he wants you to ask Him first. 

Take a little more time to go to the driving range before your round of life and try the things mentioned above. Maybe you will start out your round with a birdie.

Take a Swing at the Gospel. First we pick our clubs.

First we pick our clubs. In PGA rules you are only allowed a certain amount of clubs at any time. There all sorts of clubs to choose from: Drivers, woods, Irons, Putters. And they come from many different brands: Taylormade, Nike, Titleist, Adams golf, Callaway, Mizuno, and so many others.

It doesn't matter necessarily what you use. But every golfer will tell you that  it matters how you and the club get along. What I mean by that is that your swing needs to feel good on your club. Typically golfers have these clubs: Driver, 3\5-wood, 3\4\5\6\7\8\9 iron,  Sand wedge, Pitching wedge, and putter.You can pick any clubs you want, but you can only have 14 clubs as a PGA golfer.

In the gospel, you need the right clubs. The Lord understands that. And he picked our clubs for us. He has called prophets throughout history to write down their dealings with the Lord. Their writings are called scriptures. Today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has 4 major scriptures: The Book of Mormon, the Holy Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. With these clubs we are ready to play the course of life and to take a swing at the Gospel. To learn more about these volumes of scripture, check out mormon.org.

Take a Swing at the Gospel Introduction

Intro

So the other day we were driving through Polson, MT and I saw a golf course. I thought, oh how I would love to go golfing. The green grass under your feet as you take that first swing. The breeze as you ride through the course, the beautiful scenery that surrounds the course.

I started to think about how this beautiful scenery and the game of golf itself can relate to the gospel and to missionary work.

Life is like 18 holes of Golf. I have often said that golf is the most frustrating but relaxing sport there is. I recall one such day when my dad woke us up at 6:30 to make a 7:20 am tee time at Alpharetta Athletic Club's west course. The dew had just settled this fall morning as we stepped into the tee box. Join with me as we discover 18 holes of how golf has changed my outlook on the Gospel.

The Book of Mormon.

I love a video from mormon.org by Elder Holland. It talks of the Book of Mormon. He testifies as I testify that it is true, and I testify that if you read it and pray about it you will find the truth of it for yourself. Here is the video. I know this video is true. If you want to know more, ask your friendly mormon neighbors.

The Temple of God!

Many people attack our church for many different points in our doctrine. One of these points is our building of Temples. Recently I read in Exodus where the Lord tells the Children of Israel to build a temple to worship their God. Not only does he command them to build one, but he gives them the exact dimensions of how the templs should be built. You can read this in Exodus 26-31. You can read about the Building of it in Exodus 36-40. As you can see, the temple is doctrinally based in the Old Testament. So how about the New Testament? Well the first place Christ went to in Jerusalem when he was twelve years old was the temple of Herod. If you remember the story mary and Joseph left Jerusalem, and could not find Jesus. They looked all over the city. They never thought to look in the temple. They went there and found him talking teaching the chief priests. Mary told him that they had looked everywhere for him, and I love his reply. "And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? ^awist ye not that I must be about my ^bFather’s business?" (Luke 2:49) His Father's business took place in the temple. There are many other instances where Christ goes to the temple to preach. Twice he throws the moneychangers out of the temple. It must be an important part of His Father's kingdom. Today we have temples that dot the earth. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph in Doctrine and Covenants 88: 119, "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a ^bhouse, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God!" In the temple we are "endowed with power from on high." I know that God has given us temples to bless us and to bless our ancestors. The best part about temples is that we can, after we perform ordinances for ourselves, perform them for our dead vicariously. Thus linking our families for eternity. I know these things are true! 

Murmur not!

Today I was reading in Exodus 13-17. You know, the children of Israel murmur against Moses a lot. The first time they do it is when the Egyptians are coming. They turn to Moses and say, You should have left us alone. Now we are going to die in the wilderness. Then Moses parts the Red Sea, and after the children of Israel cross brings the seas back together on top of the Egyptians. Then they are thirsty and they start to complain and murmur again so Moses purifies the water with a tree. Then they are hungry and complain again. Then the Lord provides manna and quail. Then they are thirsty again so the Lord provides water out of a stone. All of this was done that the children of Israel would know that he is God. And that Moses is his prophet. Man you should just trust the prophet. We in our own lives ask the why before we know the what. We should not do that. I know that this principle of obedience is an eternal principle.

Moses and Pharaoh

Today I was studying about Moses and his encounters with pharaoh. So the Lord tells Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go. And because of this, Pharaoh not only says no but makes the burden of the children of Israel even heavier. So the Children of Israel are angry with Moses, and Moses goes to the Lord, and says, "Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." I love the Lord's response. He says, "I am the Lord!" Sometimes in our lives we do something good and trials come of it. We need to remember those four words. He has it all figured out. he knows us better than we know ourselves. We must not counsel the very Being that gave us life and controls life and death. Remember that he is the Lord and the wicked will receive their just reward. We know what happened to the Egyptians after they didn't listen to the Lord's counsel. The plagues came. Let us be patient in our afflictions!

Max's Big Change!

About 10 months ago, I was serving in Townsend, MT. It is an amazing place, 30 miles southeast of Helena. When you drive through you may miss it as there are only about 1600 people there. I didn't know that this place would change the course of my life. Then on Sunday, April 18th, I met Max Michaelson (name has been changed). He is originally from Idaho. And he has lives all over the northwest, and in Kansas. His wife had joined the church about a year and 3 months before. Missionaries had been teaching Max for 2 and half years, and he was so close. The first time I met him, he was even more stubborn than I was. He had issues with Prophets and coffee. He wouldn't budge but neither would I. It was a clash of the titans. i tried to commit him to baptism but he wouldn't. So I left there having dropped Max Michaelson for three months. During those three months I saw two companions leave Townsend. We visited him and his wife occasionally but didn't teach them. Right before the second one left he and I went back to teach him. We got there and something told us to start teaching him again. So we did. Then I got a new missionary, and we began the teaching process again. For two months, we struggled back and forth. Every night, hours of prayer was spent on his behalf. We even tried to set a baptismal date with him for August 14th. He declined the date. Finally at the end of August, he went to meet with the Stake President, I found out later, to tell him that he wasn't going to join. Well after a three-hour meeting with the Stake President, he went home. We had just gotten back from a couple baptisms in Harlowton, and the Spirit told us to go to the Michaelsons' Home. So we did. He told us that he was ready and wanted to be baptized. I can't tell the joy that i felt because not only the prayers of myself and my companions but the prayers of missionaries for the last three years had been answered. He was baptized on September 17th, 2010, a day that I won't soon forget! I testify that the worth of souls is indeed great in the sight of God. "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom  of my Father!" I testify that because of Max Michaelson, my life will never be the same. I thank my heavenly Father that I was able to be an instrument in his hands to bring Max into the Church, the Kingdom of God on earth today.   

Touch My Heart

I have been reading lately about the brother of Jared and how when the Lord wanted him to think of a solution to his problems, he did as the Lord commanded. He needed light in the boat so he went into themountains and found stones. He took of these stones, which were shiny like glass, and brought them before the Lord. The Lord, seeing the great faith of the Brother of Jared, touched the stones with his finger and gave them light. He then saw the finger of the Lord because of his excellent faith. Faith is an interesting element to missionary work especially in finding people to teach. Our mission president talked about us replacing ourselves for the stones in this story in order to increase our faith to find. So this is the poem that came from it.

TOUCH MY HEART by Elder Kuck

Lord,
Touch my eyes to see through the facade of the world,
Touch my ears to hear the cries of a soul suppressed by the temptations of Satan,
Touch my hands to carry the burdens of those around me,
Touch my spirit to commune with the spirit of God,

Touch my heart to feel the love of God for my fellow men,
Touch my soul to speak with their souls,
Touch my mind to fear no longer the door before me,
Touch my mouth to speak with the tongues of angels,

I know who you are, Father, and I know who I am, your Son!
Touch me to share this knowledge with others,
Touch my heart to break its rough corners,
Touch my heart Lord.