Renewing our Covenants

Simple and plain truths can have profound significance that are able to penetrate our souls to the core. Here is one such truth that has sunk a little bit deeper for me.

In Doctrine and Covenants 43:16 it states (emphasis added) --

And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.

In my notes my professor said the following in regards to this scripture --

 Once again the promis of a future endowment which would occur as a part of the events surrounding the dedication of the Kirtland Temple.

At first when I read this, I thought to myself what a great and noble goal it is to try to be sanctified so we can be endowed with power. And then I realized from my professor's notes that it not only has happened before but this goal is readily attainable for everyone today. I guess I knew that when we were baptized or take out our own endowments we are forgiven of our sins but perhaps I never connected that with the word "sanctified".  My next thought was that as we renew our covenants made at baptism every week during the Sacrament, it is by our church attendance and partaking of the Sacrament that "sanctifies" us and "endows" us with power and protection.  This is exactly what the brethren have told us in this last conference. One of the main themes I heard were "iffy" blessings and a promise they gave us if we followed the Lord's commandments was being "endowed with power" or protection!!! The Lord promises us this!!

The feelings inside from knowing and understanding this simple and plain truth are of great happiness. My feelings are expressed in the hymnal 136 I know that My Redeemer Lives...

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

I know that My Redeemer lives!

If you were to read this hymn, you can also see how merciful and loving our Lord is to us. You can see that he is always mindful of us. You can feel of His love wrap around you with the words. He does so many things for us. We are truly blessed to be children of God!

Celestial Marriage

What I am Getting Out of General Conference

One theme that I am hearing throughout all of the conference talks is that we will be blessed with protection from the Adversary and his temptations IF we will but follow His commandments. We are being given "iffy" blessings as was James Covill in the Doctrine and Covenants 39. If we obey, we will be blessed.

[To see more General Conference today, October 2nd -- go to http://www.byu.tv/ to see the live sessions at 12:00 EST and 4:00pm EST (10am MST/2pm MST)


[SATURDAY OCTOBER 1ST MORNING/AFTERNOON SESSIONS]

Elder Richard G. Scott
He repeated the invitation given to us at the General Relief Society Session to pray to be filled with charity. He wants us to love our neighbor like unto ourselves. We will be blessed with His Spirit to have a stronger conviction to be righteous IF we cleave unto charity and are consistently reading the Book of Mormom.
Sister Barbara Thompson
IF we want to receive our own personal revelation, we need to be humble and soften our hearts. Then as we read the scriptures and live righteously, the Lord will then bless us with revelation. As we are seeking to know His will, remember that we need to seek for wisdom, not power. Our testimonies will grow in strength that can fill in the holes and gaps in our lives only IF we keep nourishing it through church attendance, praying, renewing our covenants, etc.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton
Testified that there is a Savior and claims so with authority that he is Jesus Christ. Growth of the church is expanding throughout the world bc we can claim authority that he is our Savior.

President Thomas S. Monson
Building of temples is the most important of building bc it is where we can build eternal relationships through the sealing power of the Priesthood. How wonderful it is that we can now help others attend the temple through the General Temple Patron Fund!!!

Elder Jose L Alonso
We need to be doing the right thing at the right time without delay! We need to go out and seek for those lost sheep. Some of them may not even know that they are lost! The Lord doesn't ever lose sight of His children! What does Heavenly Father expect from us? Our thinking, actions, testimonies and devotions to be directed towards the building up of His kingdom. We can do this by bringing back those lost sheep to the fold, to strengthen them, to help them.

President Boyd K. Packer
To our youth of the church -- who are more faithful, more knowledgeable of the Gospel. Some warnings and counsel to you: We need to remember the importance of the power of procreation is only permitted within the bounds of lawful matrimony between a husband and wife lawfully wedded. We can be given our own "iffy" blessings through our patriarchal blessings given to us by the Patriarch. He has the spirit of revelation and prophecy given to him with authority of the Priesthood. We must listen for the voice of the Spirit as he whispers to us. Learn how to hear it and feel it! His spiritual voice will and can correct our actions. IF if we listen to the Spirit, he will protect us as we are being raised up in enemy territory.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
We need to retain the importance of the greatness of God and our own nothingness. The Lord made this universe for our benefit. Satan wants to deceive us, puff us up and prey on our pride. He will try to discourage us and tell us we have no worth. What matters? Doing your best in the situation we are in, not where we are and what our rank is in the world. The Lord uses a different scale for determining the worth of our souls.
1. God loves the humble and meek.
2. Lord entrusts his work to his servants, the weak ones.
3. No matter how little you have, you are not invisible to Heavenly Father!
4. What you experience now is not for forever.
HOLD ON. YOU MATTER TO HIM!

Elder David A. Bednar
We need to be turning our hearts to our fathers through family history and genealogy. We can become "Saviors on Mount Zion" as we attend the temple and do proxy work for our ancestors. As we are doing the work on family history, the Lord promises us protection. We are the Lord's agents and it is our duty and privilege to do this work!

Elder Neil. L. Andersen
Concerning the area of if and when and how many children to have -- answer this question by prayer and faith. Motherhood is what God gave us time for. Where is our faith?

Elder Ian. S Ardern
We need to be using our time wisely. Love is really spelled T.I.M.E.! Don't let technology overtake your time from prayer, scripture studying, etc. Don't let them become addictions.  We need to master them by balancing our time with the Lord, Family, Work and Wholesome Recreational Activities.

Elder Carl. B. Cook
Prophets redirect our focus heavenward. "It is better to look up!" (President Thomas S. Monson)

[Sadly, my kids started acting up right about this talk so I didn't get to take notes after this. But wow...what amazing instruction! I love General Conference!]

Suggestions from President Hinckley

In Doctrine & Covenants 25 the Lord gives callings, counsel or warnings and promises to Emma Smith in this revelation.  Here is a breakdown of each of these:

Callings

• Comforter to her husband
• Scribe to her husband
• Called to exhort the scriptures
• Write and learn
• Comprise the first Church hymnal

Counsel or Warnings

• Don't complain
• Use consoling words
• Seek for the higher things in life rather than worldly things
• Beware of pride
• Follow the commandments

Promises

• Receive the Holy Ghost
• Husband will support you in your temporal needs
• Singing praises from the hymns will receive answers
• A crown of righteousness given

In my class study course material it gives several quotes from President Gordon B. Hinckley.  Here are his suggestions concerning the main responsibilities the Lord outlines for all women in this revelation:

Suggestions

• Don't complain bc we don't understand the Lord's work
• Speak consoling words in the spirit of meekness -- stop arguing and yelling in our homes
• Keep a journal for the benefit of our future, families and others
• Don't be obsessed with worldly things but set our thoughts on higher things that are eternal like love, charity, service
• Read and reflect on this revelation to us

When singing we need not just sing bc we enjoy it or are good at it.  The Lord tells us in this revelation that we need to sing with purpose and have "the song of the heart" and "the song of the righteous".  This meaning that we need to be singing with a prayer in our hearts, singing with the Spirit to our Lord as we praise and supplicate our gratitude, needs and remembrances.  This Sunday try to sing with your heart and not just your voice. The Spirit will come upon us as we do so and we can feel our Savior's love surround us when we do this. That is a promise!

Holiness To The Lord

On all temples it has the writing "Holiness To The Lord".

Delbert L. Stapley said that "Holiness is religious principles put into action -- it is faith gone to work -- it is love coined into conduct -- devotion helping human suffering, and going up in intercession to the great source of all good." (Improvement Era, Dec. 1968, p. 55 or Conference Report, Oct. 1968, p. 29.)

Now reread that quote while thinking of the work we do inside the temple for not only ourselves but those that can't do it for themselves.  Pretty cool.  :-)

What the Sacrament Can Do For Us

Some really thought provoking words from previous prophets and disciples of Christ.

Doctrine and Coventants 20:75

"Remembrance of the Lord Jesus"

...thoughts of Jesus...ought...to be far more frequent and much more constant in all times and season of our lives.
How much of a normal day, a working week, or a fleeting month is devoted to "Jesus, the very thought of thee?"
(Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, May 1993, p.64; or Conference Report, April 1993, p. 79)

"Partake of the bread and wine"

It is just as necessary, for our spiritual body, that we should partake of this sacrament, and by it obtain spiritual food for our souls. If we were given our physical food only on stated occasions and at specified places, we would all be on hand...
...The road to the sacrament table is the path of safety for Latter-Day Saints.
(Melvin J. Ballard, Crusader of Righteousness, p. 134. Italics added)

Whisperings of the Spirit

Tonight we headed to church for my oldest child's Baptismal Interview with our Bishop.  It was special for him bc as our newly appointed bishop (as of Sunday) this was his FIRST baptismal interview that he has performed.  He told her that he wouldn't ever forget it and who he gave it to.

 

 

I felt prompted to drive next door to the temple to take a picture of KJ in front of the temple bc I wanted to remember tonight. It seemed the last 8 years flew by and...what?!  I have a daughter at the age of accountability already?

Something that I saw while we made a quick stop to see the temple grounds and take this picture tonight: I saw someone drive into the parking lot and park next to us. As we climbed intro the car and were buckling in, I looked over and the ...man was leaning up against his steering wheel with his chin...just staring at the temple. Then he closed his eyes and just remained there. I turned to look at the temple and it was just breathtaking with the sunset in the background. Definitely an amazing place to just go, to sit and pray to our Heavenly Father. I pray that man received an answer and peace to whatever was troubling him that made him drive all the way to the temple parking lot and talk to our Father in Heaven.

When I came home, I posted this above story on my FB profile. I then started having a convo with my niece's step mom about the temple. It is refreshing to see, feel, connect and talk about something that is so precious to me with someone else and feel it being reciprocated even though we are of different faiths. As we were talking, I plugged into my piano Pandora station and began studying in my Doctrine and Covenants class for my studying tonight. As I re-read my story, I began to remember more tidbit details about the man. His lips werent' moving but you could tell he was saying a heavy prayer in his heart. He looked tired, drained and so (I know, this word is kind of old but it's what came to mind) forlorn.

What would bring someone to the point to where you sought after the Spirit of the Lord, His peace at the footsteps of His temple? What situation or choices made this man hunger for the companionship of the Comforter? Reminds me of the lady that lady that touched Jesus' robes...if she could just touch his clothes, she knew He could heal her whole. It was as if this man could find the peace and assurance just by being that close to His temple where He dwells here on Earth. 

I love the feeling it brings thinking about it. What a humble, strong man that knows exactly who to turn to while in uncertain times. A man humble and strong enough to know when he needs to seek for assistance from someone mightier than he is. A humble and strong man who may not even know he is strengthening the testimony of strangers surrounding him just by his example. 

It was just a small moment in time. It all happened within a moment. But when you slow down and start to reflect on things beyond yourself, a funny thing happens; the Spirit begins to whisper to you and your mind can be enlightened with truth. Small things that begin to shine brighter in your mind as your testimony and understanding begin to expand line upon line and precept upon precept. It is like a creeping of the sun in the morning as layers of understanding unfold to you. Thoughts on how it unfolds is like the truth is literally sinking in deeper, you find a little bit of deeper understanding, the truth expands just a little in all directions. It touches your spirit so that you remember all the things about it as you continue to pass it on your daily path.

I had to write these feelings down. As I continue to ponder about that man at the temple parking lot, I see how much God has a hand in our lives. He is gracious, loving and full of compassion as He sends us little miracles and blessings to help lift us up. Through Him all things are possible bc He won't give us anything without giving us the tools to help us along the way to accomplish it. He embraces us with His love whenever we come before him on bended knee.

A thought that has been in my mind as of late is something I heard at an EFY class in my youth. I believe it was by Jon Bytheway where he said "Satan trembles when the weakest Saint is on his knees in prayer." How mind blowing is that? Can you imagine how much of an affect we can have on him if ALL of us were on bended knee? How comforting it is that we can have that amount of power over the Adversary when we are even at our weakest...OUR WEAKEST!

The Lord is good. The Lord is great. May we all be able to be answers to each other's prayers.

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Overcoming the Natural Man

In Mosiah 3:19 it tells us the natural man is an enemy to God. We are commanded to repent. So will we be passive repentant (turning from evil) or active repentant (doing that which we ought to do)? Either way, we have to change our nature in order to follow God's commandment. Just by following His commandments we are showing an outward commitment to change our natural ways of carnal, sensual and devilish.

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Doctrine and Covenants 10:28

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God."

In other words...

...two wrongs don't make a right!

Purpose of Sacrament

A moment of clarity hit me as I was reading the scriptures while the sacrament was being passed. Earlier this week we had discussed the Sacrament in FHE and what the symbolism is for those that partake of it by those who are baptized and those who are not.

What stuck out to me today is in the scriptures 3 Nephi 18:7, 10 where it directly and bluntly states WHY we baptized members take it and what we get in return for our obedience to do it.

V.7-- And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.

(I never thought of it as a physical testimony to Him that we are remembering what He has done for us. Normally we use symbolism more...it just hit me more today)

V.10-- ...Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you.

(Yet another physical witness or testimony that we remember Him and are willing to obey.)

Both testimony and witness of us taking of the bread and water can shower the blessing of always having His spirit with us. How much more is it important for us to partake of it so we can always have His Spirit? As imperfect people we are in need of weekly help to be forgiven and to ask continually for His Spirit.

I was pondering on other acts that can help bring His Spirit into our lives and I again see and understand the great importance of family prayers over dinner, morning it night family prayers, fhe and reading the scriptures together. How can we have room for contention if we try to fill our life with the Spirit?

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Realities Of A Stay At Home Mom: "Chose Your Love...Love Your Choice"

rRealities Of A Stay At Home Mom: "Chose Your Love...Love Your Choice": "...The Christ centered relationship that should exist between a man and a woman... I recently got the chance to go to a fireside for coupl..."

Read this post. You won't regret it! Excellent thoughts on what your marriage and your parents' marriage mean to you.

God's Post It Notes

I think they speak for themselves. :-)

Filling my lamp with oil

Intro--line upon line, precept upon precept. At first it puzzled me why Joseph would be visited 3 times and have the same thing said repeatedly. But each successing time the angel added to what he previously said. What are the Lord's servants repeating to us? And what lines and precepts are they adding to their pleas to help us progress and grow?

Nephi 1 -- When you learn or grow a testimony of something of the Lord, don't you also want to share it with others, spread it out so others can feel the peace, love and happiness it brings into your life?

Nephi 2 -- Even in Lehi's trial of faith he remembered to stop and take time to thank the Lord for His hand in their lives. He was obedient, he remembered, and gave thanks. Will I be like unto Lehi, Nephi and Sam who believed and were faithful OR will I be like Laman and Lemuel who doubted, continually murmured (whined) and were rebellious? Decide today which kind of person you will be. Do you want to be blessed and become prosperous OR rebel and be cut off from His presence, His Spirit? Believe me, if you choose the latter, you will be a much more grouchier version of you.

Nephi 3 -- Anything worth doing is worth its efforts. The Lord asks and commands, He gives us the tools to accomplish the things asked of us, will we have the faith that we can do it with the Lord's help? Or whine about how hard it is?

Nephi 4 -- Sometimes we need to take that leap of faith that the Lord knows what He is doing and that we can accomplish what is put before us. Are we living a life where our wordis worth its mettle?

Let's Read it Together

Book of Mormon 60 Day Reading Schedule


Jan 3--Nephi 1-4

Jan 4--Nephi 5-10

Jan 5--Nephi 11-13

Jan 6--Nephi 14-16

Jan 7--Nephi 17-18

Jan 8—Nephi 19-22

Jan 9--2Nephi 1-3

Jan 10--2Nephi 4-7

Jan 11--2Nephi 8-9

Jan 12--2Nephi 10-15

Jan 13--2Nephi 16-23

Jan 14--2Nephi 24-26

Jan 15--2Nephi 27-30

Jan 16--2Nephi 31-33

Jan 17--Jacob 1-4

Jan 18--Jacob 5-7

Jan 19--Enos & W. of Mormon

Jan 20--Mosiah 1-3

Jan 21--Mosiah 4-8

Jan 22--Mosiah 9-12

Jan 23--Mosiah 13-17

Jan 24--Mosiah 18-21

Jan 25--Mosiah 22-26

Jan 26--Mosiah 27-29

Jan 27--Alma 1-4

Jan 28--Alma 5-7

Jan 29--Alma 8-10

Jan 30--Alma 11-13

Jan 31--Alma 14-17

Feb 1--Alma18-21

Feb 2--Alma 22-25

Feb 3--Alma 26-29

Feb 4--Alma 30-32

Feb 5--Alma 33-36

Feb 6--Alma 37-40

Feb 7--Alma 41-44

Feb 8--Alma 45-48

Feb 9--Alma 49-51

Feb 10--Alma 52-56

Feb 11--Alma 57-59

Feb 12--Alma 60-63

Feb 13--Helaman 1-4

Feb 14--Helaman 5-7

Feb 15--Helaman 8-12

Feb 16--Helaman 13-16

Feb 17--3Nephi 1-4

Feb 18--3Nephi 5-8

Feb 19--3Nephi 9-12

Feb 20--3Nephi 13-17

Feb 21--3Nephi 18-20

Feb 22--3Nephi 21-26

Feb 23--3Nephi 27-30

Feb 24--4 Ne– Mormon 2

Feb 25--Mormon 3-7

Feb 26--Mormon 8-9

Feb 27--Ether 1-5

Feb 28--Ether 6-10

March 1--Ether 11-15

March 2--Moroni 1-7

March 3--Moroni 8-10