The Deathly Hallows

Well, along with being a HUGE musicals fan, I am also a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I believe those were the books that got me to really love reading. And as we know, they have made movies based on the books. I have not been able to see the last installments of the Harry Potter movies. But I have read the book, and it is my favorite one.

So the last one is called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are three magical objects. One is the Resurrection Stone, which when used, can bring back a personage of someone that you lost.

Another is the Death Stick, a wand that is unbeatable.

 And the last one is an Invisibility Cloak that is impervious to everything.

So what does this have to do with the Gospel, you might say? Well, let me tell you. In our lives, we would need none of those objects. Why have the Resurrection Stone when we can all be resurrected and be with our loved ones again? Why have Death Stick, when we can have the Holy Ghost to warn us of danger and protect us? And why have an impervious Invisibility Cloak when we have the Lord on our side?

All of these things are promised to us if we choose to follow our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We will all be resurrected, we will have the protection of the Holy Ghost, and the Lord is always on our side. All of these things are blessings from our Heavenly Father. And we can recieve them if we follow Him.

My Dad

So what holiday is coming up? FATHER'S DAY!!!! I am so excited every year for Father's Day. To celebrate fathers is such a privilege. This post is going to be about my dad, Bob Krambeck.

I love my dad. He is the greatest example of quiet dignity. He is the most righteous priesthood holder I know. And he is a great friend. I remember that we would always go to Discount Tire Co. and wait for the car's tires to get rotated. It was a time when we just talked about things. It was a time when I could get some really good advice. I know that he cherished those moments. And then I remember that we would always go out to IHOP afterwards and have breakfast together.

I remember him playing basketball with me and teaching me the rules. It's those little things that really make a difference in a boy's life. Now, my dad is also the epidomy of hard work. Every day he gets up at 5:30am and works till 5:30 pm. He has done that for as long as I can remember. And so we never had the greatest amount of time together. But when we did, it was so special.

So Dad, I just want to say that I love you!! You are my greatest friend. You have shown me how to be a righteous priesthood holder. You have shown me how to be a great father and husband. You are such an example to me. I couldn't be doing what I am today without you!!! Happy Father's Day!!

"Everything's Coming Up Roses"

Sometimes I wonder why people complain so much. "I'm not tall enough." "I wish I looked like so and so." Don't people realize that we are so privileged in this world? Let's "look on the bright side of life."

We have everything going for us in this life. All of the technology that we have is amazing. We are lucky to be living at this time. Granted, there are a lot of bad things in this world. But someone is always pulling for us. And that someone would be Jesus Christ. He always wants us to be happy.

As always, I have a musical that I want to use for an analogy. In the musical Gypsy, the mother, Rose, just learned that her other daughter, the star of the show, left her. At first she is dumbfounded. Then she decides that this isn't the end. It's a brand new beginning.

As Rose says, "Now's your inning. Stand the world on it's ear! Send it spinning!" Right now is OUR moment. We have been saved to come down here at this time. Like I said earlier, we have everything going for us. Jesus Christ has put so many things for us to use to further the Gospel. For example, we have the internet. And with the internet we have lds.org, mormon.org, and so many other resources.

So let's stop worrying and complaining about what we DON'T have, and start using and appreciating what we DO have. As Rose says, "This is just the beginning!" I promise that as we use what we have, the Lord will provide ways for us to accomplish even greater things.

The Book of Mormon

So, what is The Book of Mormon? As it says in the introduction, "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel." It's pretty basic.

There are so many people who criticize LDS members because they think that we are replacing the Bible with The Book of Mormon. That is definitely not the case. We all use the Bible to teach, as well has The Book of Mormon. It helps us understand the Bible and provides new things for us to learn that the Bible doesn't have. The Bible has been around for so long, that people have made different interpretations and added and taken aways many things. But The Book of Mormon has only been translated once. It is a wonderful book. Anyone can get closer to Christ through The Book of Mormon.

Now it has come to my attention that there is a new Broadway musical called "The Book of Mormon." And yes, I am talking about musicals again. At first I thought that it was cool. But then I learned that the makers of South Park created it. So I am not so sure that it legit. But something happened that I really like. As we know, the LDS church rarely, if ever, comments on such things. But they did on this, but it's very simple and non-critical. They said, "The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ." I can say that that is true. I personally think that putting this musical on Broadway will get so many more people interested in the LDS church, and possibly to join. I am sure that Trey Parker and Matt Stone didn't have that in mind.

I can testify that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It brings us closer to Christ. It answers questions that we all have. It has changed my life for the better. Let it change yours.

Mothers

So, Mother's Day is probably one of the best holidays of the year. Why, you say? Because we get to calebrate how great our mothers are! I know that I will be forever grateful for my mother. Without her in my life, I would not be the person that I am today. I would never have grown up knowing the things I know. I am also grateful for her example. She lives the Gospel of Jesus Christ so well. I hope that I am that strong someday. And she supports me being out here on my mission. I remember thinking how hard it was for me to be away from my family, but then I thought about how hard it was for my mother. I can't imagine what it feels like to not be able to see your child all of the time. To me that shows how much she loves me. She is such a strong woman. She has been through so many trials in her life, but she never gives up. She is the most wonderful woman I know, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Endless Night"

I know that I posted a blog a while ago on musicals, but today I wanted to talk about a specific one. Everyone knows the movie "The Lion King." It is one of my favorite Disney movies. It is also my favorite Broadway shows. "The Lion King" has been on Broadway for 14 years and has been one of the most popular musicals of all time.

As we know, Simba loses his father Mufasa in a wildebeast stampede. For years Simba blamed himself for his father's death. In this video, Simba is talking to his father and wondering where he is at. This is from the Broadway production. The song is "Endless Night." Sorry about the beginning part.



I love this song because it provides some very key points. Simba says "Father, I feel so alone." How many times do we feel that we are alone in this world? How many "Endless Nights" do we have because we are so distraught and hopeless? Then he says "Sleepless I dream of the day when you were by my side guding my path." We all want the days that were good. We would all like to live with our Heavenly Father again and to live in His presence.

We need to always remember that He is always there for us. He will never leave us alone. And we can return and live with Him if we follow Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father wants us all to return to Him, but we have to show our faith. We have to put forth the effort. Everyone is going to have some days when they feel alone, but it's just not true. We need to realize that "...the night must end, and that the sun will rise." Everything will always turn for the better.

I testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always there for us. No matter what we go through, we are never alone. Just like Simba, we know that "...the clouds must clear and that the sun will shine." We are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father. He loves us and will always help us as long as we ask for it.

Harry Potter and the Gospel

So, I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I have read the books at least 20 times. One reason I love them so much is because the characters are always faced with hard choices. and they always have to choose which path they want to go down, and noone ever forces them to make a choice. Sometimes they aren't the choices that would have been easy or the best. But they always learn from their actions. One of my favorite quotes is, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." That comes from the character of Albus Dumbledore. I feel that is very true. No matter how articulate we are, no matter how poised or polished, our choices make us who we are. They used and we can use agency.

What is agency? As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, agency is a very common word. But most people are confused by what it means. To us, "Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves." So in simple terms, agency is the ability for us to choose what we want to do with our lives.

Heavenly Father has given us this ability. We are never going to be forced to do something. You may say "The devil made me do it." This is not true. No matter what situation we are in, we always have a choice. And those choices make us who we are.

As we go through life, Heavenly Father wants us to make the right choices. But remember, He will never force us to do anything. He has given us agency to show our faith in Him. When we follow His commandments, we are showing our faith and we are blessed for them. When we choose the right, we become better people, and others can see that. They will be drawn to us and they will want what we have. I testify that agency is one of God's greatest gifts, and if we use it correctly, we will recieve so many blessings.

Musicals and the Gospel

So anyone who knows me knows that I love musicals. I can talk about them all day if someone will listen. My dream is to one day become a Broadway actor. I love the feeling of performing in front of people and giving them something to enjoy. That is the whole reason of musicals; to transport you to a place where you can forget about your own troubles and worries.

So how does this relate to the Gospel? I believe the Gospel is very similar, because through the teachings of Jesus Christ we can forget our troubles and move on to something better. The Gospel can take you to a place that is better than the one you are already in. It can bring you to a place that helps you not worry about everything in life.

Another reason that I love musicals is because they teach a lesson. In one of my favorite musicals, West Side Story, there is a great quote at the end. The character Maria has just lost her love, and she says. "All of you! You all killed him... Not with bullets, or guns, with hate..." That line is so powerful and true. Hate is what makes us make bad decisions. Now, it doesn't necessarily lead us to kill someone, but hate leads us to do things that we will later regret in life.

Now, there are happier lessons also. Another favorite of mine is Into the Woods. This is a quote from the character Cinderella. All night she has been running from the Prince after the ball, and she says, "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." So from that we can learn that whenever something good comes along, like the Gospel, or new revelation from the Prophets, we should take advantage of their counsel. If we don't, then when we come before our Heavenly Father at Judgement, we will regret not listening and doing what the Prophets told us to do.

We can learn so much from the Gospel, just like we can from musicals. You may think I am weird for loving musicals, but I have learned so much from them. People may think that us Mormons are weird for believing what we believe, but in the end what we believe will enable us to return and live with our Heavenly Father. I know that this Gospel is true, and I know that by abiding by the teachings of the Prophets and the scriptures, we will gain eternal life. And just for the heck of it, go see a musical! You can learn many valuable lessons from those also!

No Pain, No Gain.

I am sure that we have all heard the phrase of "No Pain, No Gain." It implies that if you don't experience pain, you are never going to get anywhere. I believe that this concept works for those who exercise, because when you hurt your muscles, you are actually making them stronger. But in life, I do not believe that is the case. We shouldn't have to go through pains to reach our goals.

In my life, I have taken roads that have caused me, and others, a lot of pain. In some ways I am grateful for those experiences. They made me who I am today. But I know that I could have avoided those certain situations, and that I still would have learned a great deal by avoiding them. We should never do something just for the sake of doing it, or to feel included, or cool. Making those types of decisions never end up being beneficial.

Sometimes we think, "Oh, I can handle it," or "This is just a part of life." We always have the ability to choose what we do. It's like if you come to a forked path. The one on the left is a shorter way to your destination, but it's full of dangerous animals and thorns. The one on the right will take longer, but it's nice and straight and clear. Sometimes we have to take the longer path in order to avoid pain.

I have experienced both ways, and I know that I want to take the path that is nicer. Obviously, there will be two paths that are both hard. But with faith in Jesus Christ, we can always choose the one that will be less hard and more rewarding. Only through Him can we know how to get through life.


So let's leave the "No Pain, No Gain" to those exercise kings and queens. We know that we can do things without having to experience the pain.

"If ye love me..."

Love. We all have felt it. It is what keeps us going through our lives. Without love, the world is a much darker place. As it says from one of my favorite musicals, Hairspray, "Without love, life is like the seasons with no summer." It just doesn't make sense if there is no love in the world.

But what is love? Dictionary.com defines it as "a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend." Do we feel that way towards our Heavenly Father? Do we feel that he is really our friend and Father? The best way we can show our love for Him is by obeying Him. John 14:15 says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." That's the truth, plain and simple. If we don't keep His commandments, we don't love Him. Sometimes it is hard, but we need to constantly strive to follow them. Sometimes we might think that some commandments don't apply to us individually, but we could never be more wrong. Every commandment is for everyone.

We must show our love for our Heavenly Father. He is the one who gave us everything we have, so we should show our gratitude by obeying Him. It's the least we can do. I struggle constantly to obey Him. We all fall short, and that's where repentance comes in. No one is perfect. Heavenly Father loves us, so we should show our love back. It's really not all that hard. Love makes the world go round. It's the greatest force in the world. Love your Heavenly Father. He loves us. No greater thing exists in this world.

Chastity

What is chastity? Merriam Webster defines it as "Purity in conduct and intention." So as we see others that we are attracted to, will our conduct and intentions be pure? Will we sincerely want to treat those we are attracted to with love and respect? Today, the world says that sex outside of marriage is okay. They say that you can't really know if you love someone unless you have sex before marriage. "The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Those words have never been more true than now. As President Thomas S. Monson taught, "Some find it difficult to withstand the mockings and unsavory remarks of foolish ones who ridicule chastity, honesty, and obedience to God's commands. But the world has ever belittled adherence to principle. When Noah was instructed to build an ark, the foolish populace looked at the cloudless sky, then scoffed and jeered — until the rain came." Will we stand up for being chaste, even when the world laughs at us? Yes! We need to be like Noah, and PREPARE NOW. Don't let the "floods" come and wash us away. We need to stand for what we know is true.

There are so many blessings to being chaste. You don't have to worry about STD's, unplanned pregnancies, emotional distress, or the worry of being left by the other person. As I look at my parents, I am so very grateful that they were both shaste before marriage. And my Dad is a convert. He never even heard about the CHurch and it's teachings, yet he was always chaste. As C.S. Lewis said, "For however important chastity ... may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1996). My parents knew that they loved each other with out breaking the Law of Chastity. There are millions of people who love each other who never had sex before marriage.

We have a duty to God to ramain pure. Our bodies are temples, and we need to treat them with respect.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught,  "Do not be misled by Satan's lies.  There is no lasting happiness in immorality.  There is no joy to be found in breaking the law of chastity.  Just the opposite is true.  There may be momentary pleasure.  For a time it may seem like everything is wonderful.  But quickly the relationship will sour.  Guilt and shame set in.  We become fearful that our sins will be discovered.  We must sneak and hide, lie and cheat.  Love begins to die.  Bitterness, jealousy, anger, and even hate begin to grow.  All of these are the natural results of sin and transgression.
      "On the other hand, when we obey the law of chastity and keep ourselves morally clean, we will experience the blessings of increased love and peace, greater trust and respect for our marital partners, deeper commitment to each other, and, therefore, a deep and significant sense of joy and happiness."

I testify that being chaste is worth it. We are all sons and daughters of our loving Heavenly Father. He wants us to be happy and lead happy lives. When we obey the Law of Chastity, we can have happy marriages and even happier families.