Month: December 2005

  • From a letter dated 12/26/05:


    Dear Friends, Family, and fellow Xangans,


    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I had a great Christmas. It was so nice to talk to my family. I really miss them. Christmas Eve was certainly full of adventures. We played Santa with the “Hermanas” and helped deliver gifts and food to less fortunate members of the Spanish ward. It was very rewarding to see the reactions of the children. It made me a little bit of a better person.


    We came home and my companion accidently stabbed himself in the pad of his thumb with a knife trying to open his Christmas gifts early. Blood gushed out everywhere- over gifts, sink, and dishes. I tried to convince him to go to the ER, but he would not. In morning he decided he should have gotten stitches, but he thought it too late. I got to brush up on my first aid skills, lol. Butterfly bandages and lots of gauze let me tell you.


    I hope that on Friday you all got to enjoy the Joseph Smith 200th Birthday Commemoration. I want you to know that I have learned for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet who talked with God face to face. What a remarkable thing. From Joseph Smith we get an ancient record with teachings that bless us in our day. It is the Book of Mormon and I am so grateful for it. Just today I was reading in Moroni 6:10 and was touched by a concept I’d like to share (you can follow along with the online Book of Mormon at http://www.scriptures.lds.org).


    “Relying on the Merits of Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith”:


    As the missionary Aaron taught, “since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself” (Alma 22:14). Too many people think that the Latter-day Saints believe that we can save ourselves by our own good works, or merits. This is simply not the case. As the Book of Mormon clearly demonstrates we cannot of our own righteousness earn salvation. No amount of personal righteousness can save anyone because all fall short of the glory of God. This is, however, the beauty of the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We can overcome our own short comings because of HIS merits- HIS good works.


    This is a remarkable thought worth pondering. I mean, “How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presense of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). “And if ye believe on his name[, Jesus Christ,] ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits” (Helaman 14:13).


    Repentence is wonderful, but it works not by our own actions, but by the actions of our Savior. Please do not think that this concept undermines personal responsibility. Yes, we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ regaurdless of our falling short, but this is the very reason we need to repent and make sure our merits are good.- Not because we want to “earn” our way to heaven, but because we are so much more indebted to our God for that grace. And though we will never repay that debt, we must not turn away from He who has paided that debt. We must go about following His example, doing those things that He has asked us to do.


    Read Moroni chapter 6. It really conveys this beautifully. And for more reference, read Helaman 14:12-13; 2 Nephi 31:19, Alma 22:14 and 24:10. I promise you will be blessed as you put these principles into action in your lives.


    Take care, until next week, Elder Embree

  • From a letter dated December 2, 2005:
    “Who can know the heartache you are feeling inside? Who can know the burdens you have carried all your life? Darkness fills the daylight, and the road is much too long. Where are heaven’s answers and the strength to carry on? . . .

    “When the tears have fallen and the questions fill your heart, think of how He loves you, how he longs to bring you home. Reach out for His guidance. He has walked your path alone.

    “Let Him heal your heart. Remember every promise He has made. Reach into your soul, forsake a life of Sin, and He will shine that light inside again. Let Him help you start to live again and feel His endless love. Let Him hold and teach you, love and reach you. Let Him heal your heart . . .”

    from a letter dated December 19, 2005:
    Merry Christmas!
    I pray this Christmas Season finds you warm and happy. Surprisingly it hasn’t been as warm as I would have thought- it’s been in the 50′s here in Tajunga.

    I hope that you will remember the true meaning of Christmas. It has an interesting history. The holiday has it’s roots in the pagan religion with the birth of the god Mithra, Sol Invictus. Now we have given it the story of the birth of God, even Jesus Christ. Let’s not bring it back to it’s pagan roots with commercialism, rather let us celebrate our Lord through acts of service, compassion, and love. I recommend reading this month’s Ensign- in it there is an article from President Hunter that talks about the history and meaning of Christmas. Please read it! (I believe you can read it at www.lds.org)

    I would also like to remind you of Joseph Smith’s 200th Birthday Commemoration this Friday. Please go to a Stake Center near you to watch it or tune in via www.lds.org. This is going to be HUGE!

    I miss you all terribly and am sure so many of you will be in my thoughts this Christmas. Take care,

    Elder Embree

  • “[Joseph Smith's] greatest contribution I think is defining the nature of deity. He saw the Father and the Son. He spoke with them. They were beings of substance. They were in form like a man. And they could express themselves and he could speak with them. Such an interpersonal relationship. And such a warm and reassuring thing to know the nature of God” (Gordon B. Hinkley, Newsweek October 17, 2005 page 58).




    I can’t describe how much it made my day when I opened up the Ensign and descovered on its cover the beautiful first vision painting by Walter Rane I described last winter. I remember seeing the two paintings Rane did of Joseph Smith and the way they effected me. I was delighted to see one of them on the cover of January’s issue, and so to see it now on December’s issue made the year come full circle. Walter Rane’s painting of Christ in America was also the subject of last month’s cover. In fact, the December issue is full of paintings by Walter Rane, including the most beautiful painting of Mary and the angel Gabriel I have ever seen. It is called “Blesses Art Thou Among Women.”


    How fitting that this month we celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and His prophet Joseph Smith. In so many ways I have gained such a greater witness that Joseph Smith is prophet these past few weeks. I am so excited for the commemoration of his birth on December 23. I encourage all to attend – details on www.lds.org. This is just a remarkable thing: Joseph Smith, while yet 14 years old, saw and talked with God. I know it happened.


     It happened before. As a youth, Samuel was called by the voiced of God to be a prophet. Stephen has a vision much like Joseph’s where he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ on His right hand. (Acts 7). Paul likewise saw a pillar of light. Each of these prophets were persecuted for what they saw, and yet I know that these visions happened because in His own way God has revealed it to me.


    I would like to quote Joseph Smith in closing, with an invitation for you all to visit josephsmith.net where you can see his actual words in his actual handwriting as well as pictures like those Walter Rane has done.


    document.write(drawVerse(23,168627));  “23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure aboy•, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily blabor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter cpersecution• and dreviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.

    document.write(drawVerse(24,168628)); 24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a avision•. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was bmad•; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the cpersecution• under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

    document.write(drawVerse(25,168629)); 25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two aPersonages•, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was bhated and cpersecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me dfalsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not edeny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” (Joseph Smith History 1:23-25).

  • From an e-mail dated 11/28/05:
    Dear Family, Friends, and Fellow Xangans,

    Please think of your missionaries out in the field and their empty mailboxes this holiday season.

    I have now ended my second transfer. I am no longer serving in Glendale. *tear* It is strange, but I don’t feel responsible any more for the people in that area. I have a whole new area of responsibility. It is Sunland/Tujunga. I am working with Elder Wittier, who is from Cedar City, Utah. He’s a cool kid. Like all of my other companions, he is the District Leader here.

    I can’t express my relief at not being in that threesome. It feels so great. This area is very different from Glendale/Los Angeles, though it is in the same zone. The population here isn’t as dense. We live in the guest house of a nice family. They own four-wheelers, horses, chickens, etc. We’re way up in the foothills. This is like a foreign country to me. I’ll be able to tell you all more next week.

    Elder Embree