It might look fun but...

This... Is Elder Coles.  I like to have fun.  I have a super fun group of friends back home.  They are nuts.  We liked to do some crazy things and have good clean fun.  This one day.................(This is a true story, names are fictional of course). 

On a fine wintery day in southern Alberta, there were some kids who were quite bored.  There names were Creston, Frent, Weed and Frooke.  It was cold out, and there was snow on the ground.  But this did not dampen their spirits.  Oh no it did not. 

"Lets go sledding!" Creston said.

"YEAH!!" said Frent, Weed and Frooke, all in unison.
So they decided to go to the tallest, biggest most dangerous hill they could find.  And let me tell you, I have heard about this hill, and its nuts.  The journey to get there was just as nuts.  Climbing through bushes, going up and down hills, sliding accross a pond of ice they werent sure would hold them.  Oh I'm sure it was epic.  So when they got there, naturally they were not about to go home until they had a few good runs down this hill.  It was nicknamed King Hill.  I've heard it is a 67 degree angle.  When they got there, they were scared. 

"Guys, I dont know if this is a good idea..." said Frooke who was very scared.

"Oh come on Frooke you only live life once," said Weed, quite rudely. "I'm gonna go for it! Punk aint dead!"

And he jumped on his sled down the hill.

Weed found out very quickly that this was not a good idea.  .  Oh no it was not.  Weed thought it looked safe to go.  But oh no it was not.  The hill was sheer ice and Weed probly went down at 40mph and half way down he scraped his face and there was blood everywhere.  This was not a pretty scene His friends saw that he was hurt and they got him up and took him to the hospital where they patched him up and life was good again.  But they learned a lesson.  Even though something looks fun, it doesnt always have the best outcome.

You are probly wondering... why is he telling this story?? What does this have to do with helping others come unto Christ??  Well... lets tie this to a story in the book of mormon.  In 1 Nephi chapters 11-14 Nephi is recieving insight on a vision that his father recently had, known as the vision of the tree of life.  In this vision Lehi beheld a tree "that was desirable to make one happy... and it is the love of God" and a straight and narrow path led to this tree, along with a rod of iron.  In 1 Nephi 11:22-23, talking about the tree, it says "yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the childeren of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things... Yea, and most joyous to the soul."  The love of God is something that everyone desires, but people do not know where to find it.  So, they go and do things that look fun and that bring them happiness for a time, but end up hurting them in the end.  Did you make the connection??  We need to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to the tree of life, and not deviate by doing things that bring us short term happiness, like drinking and smoking, and sledding down hills that look fun, but to search for the long term happiness, and that is Jesus Christ.