Inviting all to Receive the Gospel - Monte Cristo Ward

04/06/2024

Anyone out there who would like to hear uplifting and faith promoting messages and music please click the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li2fkeIHNyc

This will be from 11am to 1pm; 3pm to 5pm; and 7pm to 9pm central time

All are welcome and invited to hear messages about the hope, peace, and eternal life made possible because of Jesus Christ during the annual broadcast of gen...

03/31/2024

He is Risen with Healing in His Wings.

Today we celebrate Easter, the culmination of the Holy Week. On this Resurrection Sunday, I testify that Christ has risen. The Savior and Redeemer of the world lives! Because He lives we can too. But more than just immortality in the life to come, Jesus Resurrection gives us joy and hope today. We will go through tough times, maybe even more than we think we can handle, but Christ has healing in His Wings.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin once taught:

"When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse.

On that day they stood triumphant. On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

I too have lost many loved ones, my beloved grandparents, treasured uncles, and cherished friends. Today, even with heaviness in my heart cause I miss them, I know I shall see them again. How great will be that day! How joyous to the heart! Because of my Savior and Redeemer I know with all my heart, Sunday will come! Till we meet again.

HAPPY EASTER!

03/25/2024

The grave has no victory!

On this holy week leading up to the Easter celebration, I wish to express my gratitude for Jesus Christ and His Resurrection. Many of us have experienced the loss of a loved in this life. Death is a natural part of life, but that truth does not remove the sorrow of such loss. But sorrow is not a bad thing. Sorrow is the natural result of having loved someone so deeply and dearly who is now no longer among us.

President Russell M. Nelson once said:
"Irrespective of age, we mourn for those loved and lost. Mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love. ...
"Moreover, we can't fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life."

By the power of the Resurrection of Christ, we too will some day live again and be reunited with all our loved ones. Jesus Christ has given us hope in those joyful reunions.

1 Corinthians 15: 55 & 57
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?...
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mosiah 16:7-9
And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

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.

If you are mourning the loss of a loved one this Easter, please know that your mourning is a sign of your great love for those who have passed. It is not a bad thing and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But I do ask one thing. In your mourning, do not forget He who has defeated death and the grave. Do not forget the sweet victory and hope that is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Easter, may you feel the love of your Father in Heaven and your Lord Jesus Christ and the peace that come from Them. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

08/06/2023

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04/14/2023

Alma 33

8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them.

11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.

16 For behold, he said: Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son.

Do you understand the mercy that is available through Jesus Christ?

Would you like to learn how you can access the mercy and power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ daily?

Would you like a free copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ?
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/ps/book-of-mormon-lesson?cid=C9210823653G133071588178A592765240012&adlang=eng&source=google&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAjw8-OhBhB5EiwADyoY1WUmHugTj_j8nxWG8tC3MdcBGcc4_qvHfV0UhDIiTNFdimp5yrgtTRoCk1IQAvD_BwE

04/11/2023

The Easter season has brought to our minds the wonderful stories and miracles of Jesus Christ. The greatest among these miracles was Him taking upon Himself the sins of the world and His resurrection to bring salvation to all mankind. After His resurrection, Christ manifested Himself to His disciples in the Bible that they may be His witness.

But did you know there is more to this Easter story than what we read in the Bible? Christ had other disciples ( John 10:16) on the American continent to whom He also appeared and they witnessed and bore record that He was The Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world of whom the scriptures prophesied. These disciples on the American continent got the opportunity to see Jesus with their own eyes and feel His nail prints with their own hands. That story is recorded in what we know as The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Would you be interested in learning more about Jesus Christ?

Do you think another testament of Christ could add to your faith?

I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It testifies of Jesus Christ and all He has done for each one of us. It teaches of His and God's love for us and teaches us how to feel peace in this life and gain eternal life in the life to come.

For your free copy of the Book of Mormon click here:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-book-of-mormon

04/09/2023

1 Corinthians 15

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ suffered for the sins of the world and was crucified. On the third day following His death, He broke the bands of death and rose again from the grave. Because He overcame and rose, we too can call upon the power of His Atonement, overcome and rise above all this world may choose to throw upon us.

04/09/2023

Holy Week Day 8 Easter Sunday

Early in the morning, Mary Magdalene, a friend and follower of Jesus, came to the tomb to care for Jesus Christ’s body. To her astonishment, she found the tomb empty. Later, as she wept outside the tomb, a man addressed her—a gardener, she supposed. But then He said her name: “Mary.” And she saw. It was Jesus Christ, alive again. The knowledge was too wonderful to contain. Her faith propelled her into a joyous sprint as she ran to tell the others.

It’s a testimony that still propels people today. You can know just as she did that Jesus Christ lives. Because of Him, everyone will live again. If we follow Christ, we can find true happiness on earth—and look forward to eternal joy in the life to come.

What feelings do you experience when you think about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Do you know what the Resurrection of Jesus Christ means for your life?

Would you be interested in learning more of His resurrection and the meaning of Easter?

04/08/2023

Day 7 Holy Week

It’s hard to imagine the anguish Jesus Christ’s followers must have felt on the day after His death. The night before, His body had been lovingly prepared and placed in a garden tomb. Now they were left to figure out how life could possibly go on without Him. Almost certainly His death had taken something from them, but what they had lost was nothing compared to all that His life had given. Whether they understood it or not, Jesus Christ had forged a new path forward for all who would follow Him, one lit by a hope that shines brighter than any darkness we may encounter.

When has Jesus helped you through difficult times?

Do you know how Jesus can strengthen you at all times?

Would you like to learn more about the Easter story?

04/07/2023

Day 6 Holy Week - Crucifixion

After a series of one-sided trials, Jesus Christ was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Roman soldiers mocked and scourged Him and nailed Him to the cross. But instead of condemning them, Jesus Christ begged His Father to “forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Even in His darkest moment, Jesus spoke of love and redemption. With His dying breath, Jesus addressed His Father. “It is finished,” He said (John 19:30). An unlikely testimony came from a Roman centurion and those who were with him: “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). The realization is just as awe-inspiring today as it was then.

In His most trying time, Jesus Christ showed love and forgiveness. How could your life be blessed by following His example?

What does the crucifixion of Jesus Christ mean to you and your life?

Would you like to learn of Christ and the Easter story?

04/06/2023

Day 5 Holy Week

Jesus observed the sacred holiday of Passover with His apostles. He instituted the sacred ordinance of the sacrament, in which His disciples were invited to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. He taught them of the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. And, knowing that His time with them would soon end, He commanded them to love one another as He had loved them. That love, He said, would be a sign to others that they were His disciples.

After what is often referred to as the Last Supper, Jesus bid His Apostles to follow Him through the night to a quiet garden named Gethsemane. Despite their Master asking them to stay awake with Him, the exhausted disciples fell asleep. Alone, Jesus began to pray and was soon overcome with incomprehensible agony. There in the Garden, He began the process of taking upon Himself the sins and pains of the world. It was the beginning of an act of sacrifice that would reach its ultimate conclusion the next day on the cross at Golgotha.

Later that night, Judas Iscariot betrayed the Savior to local authorities, who arrested Jesus and brought Him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. There, Jesus would await His trial until the next morning.

What do you do to remember Jesus Christ on a daily basis?

How does loving each other as Christ commanded show we follow Him?

What does the suffering of Jesus Christ at Gethsemane mean to you?

Would you like to learn how Jesus suffering can strengthen you in every aspect of your life?

Send a message to learn more

04/05/2023

Day 4 Holy Week

During His life on earth, Jesus Christ taught the importance of loving God and loving others.

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” —Matthew 22:37–39

Jesus taught that the love of God and of our neighbor is the foundation of His gospel. Near the end of His ministry, He expanded on this teaching when He taught: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you. … By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35). When we have love for one another, it’s easier to be like Jesus—we’re more patient, forgiving, and compassionate with the people around us.

How do you show your love for God?

How does your love for God help you to love and serve others?

Would you like to learn more about how to increase your love and service to God and to others?