No matter how hard I tried I could
not break free without help.

What do you think of when you hear the word Captive? Nothing good comes to my mind. The dictionary defines Captive as taken or held prisoner or obligated to listen, and Captivate means to capture the attention or affection of. Satan does all he can to captivate us so that he can hold us captive.

There are all sorts of things that Satan entices us with. Things that may look fun or exciting. But they are things that are VERY dangerous and things we really need to be careful about. Heavenly Father has given us commandments to protect us from these things so that we don't become captive to the father of all lies. But we still have the choice to choose.

"...And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, 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 miserable like unto himself." 2 Nephi 2:27

The Devil captivates us and binds us down. He makes us so dependent on him and "instant pleasures" that if we are addicted to them then we will center our lives around them.  These are things like alcohol and cigarettes, coffee, illegal drugs. These are extreme addictions. But we are warned not to partake! The Word of Wisdom was reveled to keep us safe from them. How can we center our lives on Jesus Christ and have the Holy Ghost with us if we are dependent on these things?

There are many other things that he can captivate us with.  Worshiping false Idols, breaking the Law of Chastity, having multiple wives, not keeping the Sabbath day holy and many other things. He tries in any way he can to tear us down to break us but there is hope! Dont you worry though... there is light...

Jesus Christ taught the people in the Book of Mormon "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him." 3 Nephi 18:15

"He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death." Mosiah 16:9. If we call upon Jesus Christ to help us He will be there. If we follow the instructions he has given us through the Prophets we will not be held captive, we will become free. We will have the chains and the shackles removed. We will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and have the hope for a brighter future. Follow Him! He is asking you to.

a cherished brother

I grew up with 5 brothers. I love them all very much. They picked on me and teased me but it made me strong. They joked with me and rescued me from my dark scary room. They even rushed me to the hospital when I cracked open my chin or took care of me when I had surgery. They did many wonderful things. They showed me their love. Through all of these memories I have one brother holds a dear place in my heart, but I do not play favorites. This brother did a whole lot more for me than jet me off to the hospital, or drive me to school every morning. This brother felt my pain and suffered with me through everything I have felt.

We shall call Him "...Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (2 Nephi 19:6) I have turned to Him in the deepest of sorrow and in the happiest of times. He was there for me each step of the way, holding my hand, calming my troubled heart and helping me feel the peace of His love.

My other brothers, my sister, even my parents they never left my side. But they were there in a different way. Sometimes I would get frustrated with them saying "you dont understand" or "you don't know how I feel." With my dear Brother Jesus Christ I am never tempted to even say this. He does know. He felt it and He knows how to help me through it. While he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemone He felt each pain, each harsh word that cut to my heart. He felt the tears and the temptations that I felt. The sorrow I have when I sin... He felt greater things then I can ever imagine becuase He "...came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt 20:28)

I have never needed Him as much as I need Him now. I have never felt the power of what He did strong as I feel it when I read from the Book of Mormon. We are all so blessed to have the opportunity to know him. To feel of His true and everlasting love. The kind of love that can and will carry us through it all. Look to him, He has the joy, the peace and the comfort that you have been searching for.

becoming strong

There comes a time in every ones life when we must decide who it is that we are going to be. This is a very defining and crucial point in any one's life. Sometimes it comes and goes and we don't know it. Sometimes it comes and stays for longer than we would like, and sometimes it comes more then once.

So how do we stay strong through this time and choose the right path? Elder Per G. Malm talks about becoming filled from the inside out, "Just as a young tree grows bit by bit into a sturdy tree, so we can grow step by step in our capacity to be solid and filled from the inside out, in contrast to the hollow tree. It is through the healing Atonement of Jesus Christ that we may have the strength to stand tall and strong and to have our souls be filled—with light, understanding, joy, and love."

If we start living in accordance to God's will then we are becoming strong from the inside out. We need to read our scriptures and seek the understanding and learning that can fill our hearts as we study them. We need to pray to our Father and plead with Him to help us to know what path He needs us to follow. There are loads of other things that I could ramble on about, but it is so simple. Choose now who you will follow and DO NOT EVER look back!  "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, 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 miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)

If we choose NOW to follow our dearest elder Brother and Savior, Jesus Christ, then when we get to that point in our lives the choice will come naturally. If we are strong from the inside out we will look back and see that in that moment we followed Him, we did not let our eyes become unfocused. 

Lets all stand tall and strong. So that we will not falter and fall into the temptations of the evil one. Jesus Christ is always there for you. He will NEVER let you down. He has walked the very path that you have gone down and knows what is ahead. We must not follow Him will a "hollow" heart. Fill your heart with His love. The choice is yours. Become what He knows you can become!

pure testimony

Just a few days ago I had the chance to sit at the feet of a servent of the Lord and learn from him. Elder Per G. Malm a General Authority, a leader in the Church, came to visit with our Mission. It was an amazing experience. Feeling the love and the devotion he had for our Father in Heaven was contageous! I felt his excitment and pure testimony flow from every word that he spoke. In all that was said I think the most precious of all was the feeling I felt.

This feeling was the Holy Ghost. How peaceful and amazing that feeling was. I felt as if my Father in Heaven was sitting right beside me. Like He was whispering right into my ear that He loved me, and that He was watching out for me. "And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—" Helaman 5:30 That is a feeling I wish to never lose, and never forget!

I know that our Father in Heaven loves us, each and everyone! I know that our Savior Jesus Christ suffered pains and afflictions and temptaions of every kind for you and for me. (Alma 7:11) I know with every part of me that Jesus Christ is our Savior. That only through Him can we be saved again. I know that this is His Church! I could go on and on for days about the things that I know! I know them because I asked. I humbled myself and I asked my Father in Heaven if the these things were true and He told me through the Holy Ghost. Through that still small voice.

Our Father in Heaven calls prophets to lead and to guide us. He works the same yesterday, today and forever! If Prophets and Apostles were needed in times of old then they are sure needed now! I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to hear from one of His dedicated servents! To feel the Spirit that he brought into the room, and to have my testimony strengthened! What a blessing it was!

learning to ask

When I was younger I had a hard time asking for help sometimes. There would be times I would be struggling with my homework, or something hard that I needed to do. I would start crying or freaking out, and I didn't understand why no one would come help me! I would get even more frustrated. One of my brothers would come along and say... "All you have to do is ask and I will help you." I hated when he told me this. When I would finally ask he would just jump right in like he had been helping me the whole time. He knew that I was struggling why couldn't he just offer the help? Now I understand why.  He needed me to ask. He wanted me to figure it out on my own. He could not force me to use his help.

This is much like Heavenly Father. I hear so many people say "Why doesn't God just give me what I want?" or "Why does God let me struggle and not help me out?" and many other things. Well my dear friend, its because He is waiting for us to ask Him! "...your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." 3 Nephi 13:8. I have learned this from my experiences as a child. Our Father is not just going to give us what we want. He is not going to force His help on us. He expects us to ask for them. Prayer is so powerful and is a beautiful commandment. 

When we pray we must be specific. Back when I was in Elementary School I lived just down the road from the school, and every morning I would walk. One morning I remember a great lesson I learned again from one of my brothers. I was walking through our yard when he asked me if I wanted him to "run" me to school. I was so excited thinking he was going to drive me! I quickly said yes and to my surprise he ran over to me picked me up like a big bag of potatoes and through me over his shoulder and began to "run" through the yard towards my school. Of coarse I was not happy. I started yelling at him that is not what I meant and he just laughed. Another lesson well taught.

Our Father in Heaven will not laugh at us when we go to Him in prayer. But He does want us to be specific. When we are specific with our questions or desires He can be specific with his answers and blessings. Asking Him to "show my the truth" can mean numberless things! The sky is blue, you are sitting in front of a computer right now, there is a big sun in the sky..... and so on. Now what do you think His answer would be if you asked Him "Is the Book of Mormon true?" or "Was Joseph Smith a Prophet?" or "Does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold the proper Authority to baptize?" I know what His answer would be. I have had each of these questions, answered with a very specific and memorable experience. If you have not asked these questions I encourage you to do so now. Get on your knees and gain a spiritual witness that these things are true! You will not regret it!

From now on lets all pray specifically when we talk with our Father in Heaven. It will make our conversations with Him more meaningful.

A change of heart

Fish, Scallops, Oysters, Hush puppies, Devil Crab,
Lobster claw and Shrimp

I do not like fish! About the only thing I like about them is when they are in a tank or I see them from a boat. Fishing isn't even bad if someone else takes the fish of my hook. I do not like to eat any kind of fish or sea creature. I don't even like when their slimy bodies brush up next to my legs when I am swimming. I am just not a fan, never have been. But the other day I even ventured out and ate sea food. What prompted me to do this with my massive distaste for the awkward textures and fishy tastes? "When in Rome do as the Romans do."  When it all boils down to it I had a change of heart. I said to myself "Sister Surtees.... what is it really going to hurt? You try it and actually find out that you like it?" So I bit in and my life was changed! OK so maybe not my life but my thoughts and attitudes toward what I thought didn't enjoy changed. I hadn't even tried what I thought I hated! I just made preconceived notions and wasn't willing to just try it. In all honesty it wasn't bad. I am glad I took that plunge.

So here is my unique twist to the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

Devil Crab! I can see right where his eyes used to be!

There are so many people out there that say that the Book of Mormon is false, or that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is wrong. But these people were just like me a few days ago. They hadn't taken that first bite! I promise that once you try it your life will change! Say this to yourself... "** Insert name here**... what is it really going to hurt? You read it and actually find out that it is true. Then what? You are that much closer to Jesus Christ?" Seeking the truth cannot hurt! I know that the truth is out there! I know that we hold all the truth in this Church. The Lord needs us to put off the natural man and trust Him. If we do then He will show us the truth through the Holy Ghost.  "For the ^anatural ^bman is an ^cenemy to God, and has been from the ^dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he ^eyields to the enticings of the Holy ^fSpirit, and ^gputteth off the ^hnatural man and becometh a ⁱsaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ^jchild, ^ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."  Mosiah 3:19 Put yourself aside and seek what God really wants for you. Then you will feel brave as you take that bite and come to a realization that it is much better then you think! He will give you the strength and courage you need, for He knows this will bless you!