On My Aim in Life and My Attitude and My Ambition

1943

Review of my aim in life and my attitude and my ambition.

Since I got united with the true plan of salvation which is Mormonism, I got spiritual minded and I got a great desire to know something. I was not satisfied with faith alone, I wanted to know as well as believe scriptures. They say it impossible to please God without faith, and it takes a living faith to bring about the work that God requires as a good Church member.

As soon as I got acquainted with the gospel, I got at once acquainted with the two great powers, the Power of God and the power of Satan. Good and evil were made known to me at once. Good and evil are placed before all, in one way or another, so we can choose which one of the two, we use our free agency.

I feel in love with God from my early manhood, I truly love Him above all things and I have great respect for Him. He has extended His grace and mercy to me, He has given me great faith and knowledge of the true Gospel in which I rejoice exceedingly.

My aim in life has been to raise a family and be independent, to have prosperity, to accumulate means so I could raise a more respectable family and get the children educated and send them on Missions and help them in all things, to earn any kind of trade they may prefer.

I always loved agriculture, and liked to see things grow, and get things around me that would increase and multiply. I never was satisfied just from hand to mouth. My ambition always was to prosper and to get out of poverty which looked me like slavery. I think we should help one another to get out of that slavery that will put an end to our joy and happiness and satisfaction.

I greatly believe in being faithful to our Holy covenants which we have made in the house of the Lord. To honor the Holy marriage system, we should be full of love for humanity especially to our own family. We should be all means be united as one. I do not believe in separation. That is not the order of God except for adultery. Hate is from the evil one and love is from God and is the man thing to happiness. We must not have any hard feelings for any one, we must love all and forgive all in order to be good saints.

When we run against opposition and disappointments, then let us go to God in prayer and ask for help when the evil one lays snares at our feet. We must understand that everything serves then for good that love the Lord.

I will say like Job, what I had feared all my life, I had to go through. Poverty is my enemy and I will always try to better my conditions in life and would very much like it if I could help others. It is more blessed to give than to take.

All these disappointments and trials and oppositions come, to us, helping to let us see what we are about, what we will do if we will learn our duties and love God under all circumstances.

A Review

I feel that I should again remind all my children and all my grandchildren and great grandchildren, and to all the posterity in coming ages, as long as there is any generation of time, which promises I have received of a Patriarch that my name shall be held in honor of them all for my faithfulness.

I have received strong testimonies through the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the gift of healing, by the gift of prophecy, by the gift of discernment. I have received an answer to my prayers and many different times I have received the Spirit of revelation for my own guidance. I have seen a few miracles, and above all I have received a visit from God.

Let me tell how that came to pass. I was herding sheep on the Canadian prairie and I was given a chance to work myself into the sheep business with Mr. Harvey from Lethbridge. It was a chance which I had been looking for. I was very much pleased to have that chance. Before I would sign a contract I went to seek the Lord in very humble prayer asking Him if that was the right thing for me. I was all alone on the prairie herding sheep. I kneeled down in all humility and asked God to make known to me if that was His will that I should go into the sheep business. I spoke to God as I would speak to my earthly father. In my prayer I asked God to speak to me and I would obey.

Just as soon as I raised up from my prayer I heard a voice, the most wonderful voice I thought I as so familiar with that voice. It penetrated my whole soul. It went through all my body and penetrated me all over, so wonderful was it that it surpasses all understanding in mortality.

I now asked who was talking to me, and I was answered at once. The power of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon me in the most wonderful force testifying to me like this, “It is the voice of God you have heard and you have been in the presence of God, you have heard, and heard Him speaking to you.”

These are the words of God, “Marinus, my son, I don’t want you to go into the sheep business now, I want you to go on a Mission.”

That was the word of the Lord to me directly. .This is not a dream, but in reality true. It happened in the fall of 1907 on a very nice clear day.

In the spring of 1908 I went on my Mission.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Sarah Jensen  •  Sep 5, 2011 @11:23 am

    My dad (John Jensen) turned me to this book and website. His Posterity does live on I am his great, great granddaughter

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