My Christmas Card

Posted on 7:54 AM by Elder Bergloff

Elder Lake and myself love Christmas. So we decided to make Christmas cards to send to all of our family and friends wishing them a "Merry Christmas."


The other night I sat looking at the cards pondering on Christmas.
As a  missionary I get to teach a lot of different people about Christ. Most of the time I teach people about the death and resurrection of Christ. These are all important things of course, but something I love about Christmas is that I get to teach on the birth of Christ.
I think that we often forget the true meaning of Christmas. I'm to blame as well. For years growing up I didn't think about Christ during the holiday season. My thoughts were mostly on what was lying under the tree instead of why we were celebrating this time of the month.
I'm very grateful to be a missionary. For missionaries, Christmas can be a very hard time for them on their missions. Why? Well being away from families during the Christmas time can be often very lonely and sad. As I've progressed in my time as a missionary I've come to love the time I spend as a missionary during Christmas. This is because I am away from all the presents, the tree, the lights, the big Christmas feast at home. My thoughts can be easily focused on Christ because there is no other distractions. Now I don't recommend that we all leave home during Christmas or that we shouldn't have a tree or lights. No those are great things that we should all have, no I recommend that we all put a greater focus on why we have this holiday, why we have the lights and the tree, why we have the feast.
I testify of the peace and happiness that can be brought into our life as we do so. I have felt such a warmth during this season and such a peace and calmness. As our thoughts are upon His birth this season we can truly appreciate the spirit of Christmas.

"When the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born, the prophecies were fulfilled. The time that all the holy prophets had waited for had finally come. An angel appeared to shepherds while they watched their flocks. The angel spoke to the shepherds, saying, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10–11.)

0 comments

Who Wants To Be A ButterFly?

Posted on 8:34 AM by Elder Bergloff

Who wants to be a butterfly? I love butterfly's. I think they are some of the most interesting insects in the world. To think that from a catterpillar can come a beautiful butterfly. Thats what catterpillars do best...Change!

Who likes change?
If anyone raised their hands then I need to talk to them to find out the secret.
I think the majority of us out there don't like change.
The reason why?
Change can often bring a lot of fear and trepidation.
If you have read my other posts you know how I love using the dictionary, so once again I wanted to get the definition of change.
The dictionary says that the word change means:

1.       to become different: Overnight the nation's mood changed.

2.       to become altered or modified: Colors change if they are exposed to the sun.

3.       to become transformed
I really like these definitions. I chose those definitions that were verbs. The reason being is because the change I’m talking about is the change that has to do with changing oneself. Some of our greatest fears come from when we actually decide to change ourselves, our personalities, our views, our beliefs.
As a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I ask people to change almost all of these things. As a tool in God’s hand I help people to change those things in their life that are not in accordance with how God would have them live their lives.
When I think of change I think of an experience that I had while serving here as a missionary. As missionaries we get the opportunity to meet hundreds of different people with different backgrounds and beliefs. The wonderful thing is that the gospel is for everyone and even though we may have different views or beliefs, if it’s God’s gospel then it should be right for everyone.
Back to my experience though…Someone I met as a missionary was a great lady named Sonja. Sonja is a mother of one daughter and married to a great guy. She lives in Upper Darby Pennsylvania. Living there with her in-laws she was struggling to find a faith in Jesus Christ. Then on a cold December morning two sister missionaries from the church knocked on her door. After explaining who they were they taught Sonja a few points of our beliefs. Sonja then began to investigate the church and started seeking to know if it was true. At first there was a lot of disbelief and uncertainty, plus probably some amusement at the beliefs she was being presented with. Over months missionaries taught her and prayed that she might come to understand these things and believe them for herself. Then after months of prayers and lessons Sonja had an experience, a change of heart through the Holy Spirit, that this message was true. Then Sonja’s countenance changed. She began to have a greater faith not only in God, but in baptism, in Jesus Christ, in Repentance. There was a light and goodness about Sonja that everyone can still feel when they meet her.
Sonja is an example to me of change.
 -“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;…” –Mosiah 25:27
Let us all choose to change. Let us choose to become more like Jesus Christ. 


"God never said that it would be easy, He only said that it would be worth it."

1 comments

Daily Miracles

Posted on 9:44 AM by Elder Bergloff

What are miracles?

Well according to dictionary.com, a miracle is:

1.   An effect or extraordinary even in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.


As I thought on this definition I realized that not too many daily occurrences would fall into this category. In fact many people could probably live and die without seeing a miracle, according to this definition.
That’s why I like the second definition given for miracle.
2.   Such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

I think many of us could say that we have seen God’s hand in our life, whether by a relative, who overcame a life threatening illness, or a prayer that was answered, or peaceful comfort that you received when in sorrow.
I can say that there has been many times in my life where I have seen God’s hand in my life.
Fact: God lives and he is aware and involved in the very miniscule details of our life.
As a missionary for God in the Philadelphia area I have faced a lot of discouragement you might say, a lot of rejection from people who don’t want to learn more about Jesus Christ.
At the beginning of my mission this was incredibly hard for me. I wondered why I was here on a mission? Why was I wasting two years of my life when no one wanted to talk to me?
Then I was in a conference where a missionary named Elder Chan gave a testimony on “Mini Miracles.” He talked about how we often don’t see huge miracles in our life, such as God appearing to us, water being turned into wine, being able to part the Delaware River. He then shared how God will often perform “Mini Miracles” in our lives, like I said at the beginning with prayers being answered, your pet poodle getting over its illness, small things that show Gods hand in our life.

As I pondered what this missionary had said I realized all the many miracles that God had performed in my life. I then changed my perspective and the way I looked at, not only my mission, but my life. I began to notice all the good things that happened to me, all the small miracles that happened. For instance I remember one day it was raining very, very hard. My companion and I were without an umbrella so we decided to run over to an apartment complex and see if we could teach people there by knocking on their door. Not a single person wanted to listen to us, but at one door a nice lady opened it up. She said that she wasn’t interested, but noticing our lack of umbrella’s she gave us one of her really nice, big ones. I told her we would bring it back, but she said kindly, “Keep it.”
I know God lives. He loves us, and according to our faith he will bless us with miracles.
He is providing us with miracles…Daily!




"There are two ways to live your life. One is live as though nothing is a miracle. The other is to live as though everything is a miracle."   -Albert Einstein



0 comments

Why I Believe What I Believe

Posted on 10:51 AM by Elder Bergloff

What do I believe might be the better question for some?
Well I believe that the church that Jesus Christ established while He was here on the Earth was lost, that through a modern-day prophet, Joseph Smith, it was restored to the Earth.
I believe that this is Christ's church. His only true and living church found on the face of the planet.
Bold huh?
Some might ask why do you believe this? And then I am given a list of concerns as to why I shouldn't.
I believe this; in fact I know this for many reasons.
One, it makes sense. If anyone takes the time to learn about this church then they realize just how much sense it makes. Daily I will be reading some piece of doctrine and I just look up and think just how much sense this makes.

Two, I have seen the blessings that come from living this gospel. I love my family. They are the most important people in my life. My family is not without our struggles though. Often times our family goes through great struggles whether it is financial, spiritual, physical, or personal challenges. There have been times when I was growing up that I didn’t think that our family was going to make it through that trial that we were going through. But we did. I felt Gods hand in my family’s life. Through all our trials we kept our faith, we prayed, we went to church, we read the scriptures, and because of the gospel that we lived, we were blessed.

Three, I believe in the Holy Spirit of God and that it can confirm truth to me. I grew up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was raised to believe in these things, but just like it is with any religion, there comes a day when you have to choose to continue following or go down a different path. To be honest I didn’t make this decision until about 18 months ago. The problem I faced at the time was that I was being asked to teach people about this church. Well it’s hard to teach people what you don’t full heartedly believe yourself. So I started praying, I started to really ponder what I was learning and teaching. Then one day I had a meeting with a few other missionaries, and we began to practice reciting “The First Vision.” “The First Vision” is Joseph Smith, the prophets, vision where, as he was praying, he says God and Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith later records, in his own words, what actually happened.
In Joseph’s own words he says:
 

16 …I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the dsun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
  17 …When the light rested upon me I bsaw two cPersonages, whose brightness and dglory defy all description, estanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My fBeloved gSon. Hear Him!

 This was what I and the other missionaries were reciting. One missionary pulled me aside and asked if he could recite it to me. As he began to recite this a feeling of such peace and happiness filled every fiber of my being to the point that I couldn’t hold the tears back. I felt it in my heart and in my mind that this really did happen. It wasn’t just a good story or an interesting experience, but it was a fact. It was true and just as Joseph Smith said, I knew it, and I knew that God knew it and I cannot deny it.

0 comments

Stand Up For What You Believe

Posted on 10:27 AM by Elder Bergloff

Why do we stand up for what we believe? Well that's obvious, because we believe in it. However, some of us forsake our beliefs when others attack them or try to disprove them. As a missionary I've been able to see this more then anything. That my beliefs and what I hold dear are attacked almost daily. Many people don't believe or understand what we teach, and therefore they immedietly disbelieve in it.
 If fact just the other day me and my missionary companion, Elder Lake, were walking in Philadelphia when we ran into a gentleman who was walking towards us on the street. We began conversing with him about God and His church. The man had spoken with missionaries from our church before and so he immedietly begins to tell us why he feels our church is incorrect.

Some of the hardest times for me to remain patient is when people try to disprove my beliefs. Because to me they are not beliefs, they are facts given to me through the Holy Spirit from God. I have a knowledge of these things, not just simple beliefs.
We ended our conversation by agreeing to disagree. Neither party was willing to believe in what the other shared.
At the time this was really frustrating to me. I really wanted him to understand my beliefs. Afterwards, however, I spent a lot of time thinking about how we all have our own beliefs and our own choices to make in life. I am choosing to follow Jesus Christ and choose to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would love everyone to be as well, but I know that everyone has that choice.
I stand up for what I know. It is because of that knowledge that I stand up for  this Gospel. It’s true, and each time I pray about it I get that burning sense in my stomach, which isn’t acid-reflux, that confirms to me that this church, this gospel is Christ’s gospel.

0 comments

My Life In The Trenches

Posted on 11:02 AM by Elder Bergloff


What do I mean by "My life in the Trenches?" Well for the past 18 months of my mission I've been able to spend a lot of time in inner-city Philadelphia.
My family more then anyone has asked me, "What's it like." Well coming from suburbia in Idaho it's a lot different. Where electricity, running water, and heat were necessities; appear to be commodities out here. A huge culture shock, but has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Living here in Philly I am able to meet people who are the most loving and giving people in the most urban and poor conditions. I've really gained an appreciation for the things that I have.
I love humility. It's probably one of the hardest qualities to obtain though. Christ is my ultimate example. How he could allow himself to be beaten and nailed to the cross is unimaginable to me.
As I spend my time here in Philly I have met lots of people who have developed that Christ-like attribute of humility. Giving, caring, hard-working, loving, willing to help and give of all their substance; these are qualities that I have learned come from those who are truly humble. As a missionary I have met many people who have nothing, but have developed this great humility towards others.
The other day I was reading in the Book of Mormon about a prophet named Alma. He goes and teaches a people called the Zoramites. However, he finds that they are proud in their hearts and are not willing to listen to his message. He then comes across the poorer class of people and begins to teach them.
In Alma chapter 31 it reads:

"1 And it came to pass that they did go forth, and began to preach the word of God unto the people, entering into their synagogues, and into their houses; yea, and even they did preach the word in their streets.
  2 And it came to pass that after much labor among them, they began to have success among the apoor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel—
  3 Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their brethren as adross; therefore they were bpoor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart.
  4 Now, as Alma was teaching and speaking unto the people upon the hill aOnidah, there came a great bmultitude unto him, who were those of whom we have been speaking, of whom were cpoor in heart, because of their poverty as to the things of the world.
  5 And they came unto Alma; and the one who was the foremost among them said unto him: Behold, awhat shall these my brethren do, for they are bdespised of all men because of their poverty, yea, and more especially by our priests; for they have ccast us out of our synagogues which we have labored abundantly to build with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our exceeding poverty; and we have dno place to worship our God; and behold, ewhat shall we do?
  6 And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their aafflictions had truly bhumbled them, and that they were in a cpreparation to hear the word."

I love these verses. I’ve learned at what a blessing it can be to not have everything, and to have to struggle in this life. Like these people struggled, the people I visit in Philly struggle to, and because of their situations they are humbled and are able to receive the word.
I am grateful for humility, and to learn humility from my brothers and sisters here in Philadelphia.

0 comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)