I just went visiting teaching today and as part of the lesson Henry B. Eyring says:
"The purpose of God's creations and of His giving us life is to allow us to have the learning experiences necessary for us to come back to Him, to live with Him in eternal life. That is only possible if we have our natures changed through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (despite hard stuff), true repentance, and making and keeping the covenants He offers all of his Father's children through His Church."
This reminded me of Helaman 15:3 …they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them.
Then this reminded me of a conference talk given a few years ago where they quoted Brigham Young. It was something to the effect of… Every trial that we experience in this life is essential for our salvation.
So I guess what I am trying to say is that Heavenly Father loves us so he has given us a way to return to him. Even if it means a little heart ache; whether it’s a natural consequence for poor choices or something that just can’t be avoided like the loss of a loved one. We need to remain faithful even when it’s hard and try to see the purpose behind the trial. Heavenly Father doesn’t give us trials for no reason. There is always a little progression to be had. I can only pray that when “the mighty winds” come my way that I can remain steadily grounded in my faith in Jesus Christ and find the purpose of the trial.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Pride - No Good
After reading the scriptures quite a bit, I can't help but feel that pride is the path to all wickedness. Whether is just a small sin like thinking something negative about someone or something large like committing murder or worse. Pride is a toxic attribute that when we see it in our hearts we NEED to remove it as soon as possible. The best way to do that is to go in humility to our savior and ask for forgiveness.
I had an experience lately that I am ashamed of. I was starting to get prideful in my heart and then it started to become an outward attribute. There was a little drama in a family in our ward that I was beginning to gossip about. Not to anyone that actually knows the family, but to a friend of mine and to my family. One day something happened and I just felt terrible. I was worried that I had offended someone, I was ashamed of the way I was acting, & in short I was not being a disciple of Christ. It was a real eye opener to just how prideful I was getting. Luckily there is the atonement that brought about a true change of heart. It is amazing how well a humble, sincere prayer to our Father in Heaven works to purge sin from our hearts. Without getting too specific, I have since learned that my opinion doesn't matter. I don't have any right to judge the situation and my job is to just love them.
So I guess now the question is, How do we avoid pride so that it doesn't consume our hearts?
1- Bryan says that service is key. In Mosiah 4:15 it says
But ye will teach them (your children) to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
I take this to mean that if you want to learn to love someone you must serve them. Maybe that's why we love our family's so much. We spend our life serving them.
2 - Stay grounded in the gospel. I think that it is a lot harder to become prideful when the gospel is your first priority.
3 - Deny yourself of something. It helps to build our self control and will power. Maybe that's one of the reasons why we do fast Sunday every month.
I'm sure there are more ways to prevent pride, but I am pretty sure that my 1.5 year old is into something messy. If you have any more ideas, please leave a comment and share you thoughts!
I had an experience lately that I am ashamed of. I was starting to get prideful in my heart and then it started to become an outward attribute. There was a little drama in a family in our ward that I was beginning to gossip about. Not to anyone that actually knows the family, but to a friend of mine and to my family. One day something happened and I just felt terrible. I was worried that I had offended someone, I was ashamed of the way I was acting, & in short I was not being a disciple of Christ. It was a real eye opener to just how prideful I was getting. Luckily there is the atonement that brought about a true change of heart. It is amazing how well a humble, sincere prayer to our Father in Heaven works to purge sin from our hearts. Without getting too specific, I have since learned that my opinion doesn't matter. I don't have any right to judge the situation and my job is to just love them.
So I guess now the question is, How do we avoid pride so that it doesn't consume our hearts?
1- Bryan says that service is key. In Mosiah 4:15 it says
But ye will teach them (your children) to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
I take this to mean that if you want to learn to love someone you must serve them. Maybe that's why we love our family's so much. We spend our life serving them.
2 - Stay grounded in the gospel. I think that it is a lot harder to become prideful when the gospel is your first priority.
3 - Deny yourself of something. It helps to build our self control and will power. Maybe that's one of the reasons why we do fast Sunday every month.
I'm sure there are more ways to prevent pride, but I am pretty sure that my 1.5 year old is into something messy. If you have any more ideas, please leave a comment and share you thoughts!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Pray
Wherefore, my beloved sons (or daughters), pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons or daughters of God; that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as He is pure. Amen”
Moroni 7:48
I chose this scripture to put on a bookmark for my Activity Day girls to help them remember that they should be praying everyday, especially before they read the scriptures. I hope it will help.
If you know of any better prayer scriptures, please, let me know! I just really want to motivate them to read!
Moroni 7:48
I chose this scripture to put on a bookmark for my Activity Day girls to help them remember that they should be praying everyday, especially before they read the scriptures. I hope it will help.
If you know of any better prayer scriptures, please, let me know! I just really want to motivate them to read!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Take Courage
Alma 58 8-12
When I read this I had a few things pop into my mind, First:
One time when we were helping my parent's move, we had been working, & cleaning, & packing all day and towards dinner time we were all getting very tired and losing steam really fast. It was getting to the point that we were ready to call it a day even though we needed to be out that night. Just when we were about to quit some of my siblings walked through the door with enough energy for all of us. With their help we were able to complete the job in the time required.
Second: Have you ever watched Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring? If you have, you will know what I am talking about. At
the end of the movie there is a small army of men fighting for good at a strong hold called Helm's Deep. They are matched up against a massive Ork army. All as brutal and mean as they come. The future looks bleak and hope seems to have fled away. They begin the battle and things go well for a while then the Ork army manages to penetrate the defenses and begin to take lives and hope. When hope is gone and the end seems inevitable they gather their hope and faith and make a courageous last stand. As they ride out into the midst of the Orks their hope 
and energy is rekindled by the sight of Gandolf with his beacon of light who arrives just in time to save the day using his wizardly awesomeness to kick some serious Ork patooty.
We are not unlike these two scenarios. We are all engaged in an eternal battle between good and evil. The good is vastly out numbered by the beliefs and actions of the wicked. It may seem impossible to raise children and live in such a wicked world, but if we gather our hope, faith, and dedication to the Lord and pray for guidance and support and practice a little obedience there is nothing that we can't overcome.
Go ahead and read this excerpt and you will see what I am talking about. Leading up to this Heleman's army is feeling a little desperate. Things seem very bleak and they ask for support from the government and receive very little.
Alma 58 8-12
8 But it came to pass that we did receive food, which was guarded to us by an army of two thousand men to our assistance; and this is all the assistance which we did receive, to defend ourselves and our country from falling into the hands of our enemies, yea, to contend with an enemy which was innumerable.
9 And now the cause of these our embarrassments, or the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not; therefore we were grieved and also filled with fear, lest by any means the judgments of God should come upon our land, to our overthrow and utter destruction.
10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.
11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.
12 And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty.
When I read this I had a few things pop into my mind, First:
One time when we were helping my parent's move, we had been working, & cleaning, & packing all day and towards dinner time we were all getting very tired and losing steam really fast. It was getting to the point that we were ready to call it a day even though we needed to be out that night. Just when we were about to quit some of my siblings walked through the door with enough energy for all of us. With their help we were able to complete the job in the time required.
Second: Have you ever watched Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring? If you have, you will know what I am talking about. At
the end of the movie there is a small army of men fighting for good at a strong hold called Helm's Deep. They are matched up against a massive Ork army. All as brutal and mean as they come. The future looks bleak and hope seems to have fled away. They begin the battle and things go well for a while then the Ork army manages to penetrate the defenses and begin to take lives and hope. When hope is gone and the end seems inevitable they gather their hope and faith and make a courageous last stand. As they ride out into the midst of the Orks their hope 
and energy is rekindled by the sight of Gandolf with his beacon of light who arrives just in time to save the day using his wizardly awesomeness to kick some serious Ork patooty.We are not unlike these two scenarios. We are all engaged in an eternal battle between good and evil. The good is vastly out numbered by the beliefs and actions of the wicked. It may seem impossible to raise children and live in such a wicked world, but if we gather our hope, faith, and dedication to the Lord and pray for guidance and support and practice a little obedience there is nothing that we can't overcome.
Go ahead and read this excerpt and you will see what I am talking about. Leading up to this Heleman's army is feeling a little desperate. Things seem very bleak and they ask for support from the government and receive very little.
Alma 58 8-12
8 But it came to pass that we did receive food, which was guarded to us by an army of two thousand men to our assistance; and this is all the assistance which we did receive, to defend ourselves and our country from falling into the hands of our enemies, yea, to contend with an enemy which was innumerable.
9 And now the cause of these our embarrassments, or the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not; therefore we were grieved and also filled with fear, lest by any means the judgments of God should come upon our land, to our overthrow and utter destruction.
10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.
11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.
12 And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
War-What's it Good For?
Why do we have these war chapters at the end of Alma? Bryan says it's so that boys will read the scriptures. Someone in our ward mentioned it was a good source for learning primitive war strategy. Although those are both good reasons for recording this type of history, I am inclined to think that there must be something a little deeper that we are to learn. Something along the lines of an example to us of how our belief in the Savior can impact our lives. How our faith and obedience can directly influence the happiness that we experience. We won't be exempt from trial and hardship, but can avoid some things and we will be better prepared to handle the inevitable. It's truly a comfort to know that the Lord is watching over me and that I can call on His name whenever I need a little help from someone who loves me.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Grudge
I was reading in the last parts of Alma this morning and it never fails to amaze me how much the Lamanites hated the Nephites and for the reason they claimed. To me it's just so silly. What purpose does it serve to hold that hatred in your heart? It doesn't help anyone. I don't understand how anyone can hold a grudge for so long. We are talking about generation after generation of hatred. Traditions of fathers being passed down...
It makes me think about several things: 1-This is a tool of Satan to turn hearts away from our Father in Heaven 2-This is a tool of Satan to make the lives of the righteous hard 3- What kind of traditions am I passing on to my children? 4- Am I holding grudges that are affecting my spiritual well being?
It makes me think about several things: 1-This is a tool of Satan to turn hearts away from our Father in Heaven 2-This is a tool of Satan to make the lives of the righteous hard 3- What kind of traditions am I passing on to my children? 4- Am I holding grudges that are affecting my spiritual well being?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Love, Limits, & Latitude
This is a great article in the August 2008 Ensign pg. 60. It is about parenting children and also has a few great FHE ideas. I highly recommend reading it with your spouse.
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