6.29.15

Uchtdorf. You matter to Him. 10/11

My dear brothers and sisters, it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember-you matter to Him! If you ever doubt that, consider these four divine principles:
1: God loves the humble and meek, for they are greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

2- the Lord entrusts the fulness of His gospel to be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world.

3: no matter where you live, no matter how humble your circumstances, how meager your employment, how limited your abilities, how ordinary your appearance, or how little your calling in the Church may appear to you, you are not invisible to your Heavenly Father. He loves you.

4: please understand that what you see and experience now is not what forever will be. You will not feel loneliness, sorrow, pain, or discouragement forever.

*I love you.

6.28.15

Monson. Dare to stand alone. 10/11

For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away, but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its Head-even Jesus Christ. (Pres. Benson)

In order for us to be strong and to withstand all the forces pulling us in the wrong direction or all the voices encouraging us to take the wrong path, we must have our own testimony. Whether you are 12 or 112-or anywhere in between-you can know for yourself that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

6.27.15

Oaks. Finding lasting peace and building eternal families. 10/14

New light on the parable of the wheat and tares:
That old enemy of all mankind has found as many devices as he can think of to scatter tares far and wide. He has found ways to have them penetrate even the sanctity of our own homes. The wicked and worldly ways have become so widespread there seems to be no real way of weeding them out. They come by wire and through the air into the very devices we have developed to educate and entertain us. The wheat and the tares have grown close together. *A steward managing the field must, with all his or her power, nourish that which is good and make it so strong and beautiful the tares will have no appeal either to the eye or the ear.* How blessed are we as members of the Lord's Church to have the precious gospel of our Lord and Savior as a foundation on which we can build our lives.

*I love this

6.26.15

Uchtdorf. Happiness our heritage. Oct 2008

*I love this talk!

To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities-they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.

The greatest kind of happiness is God's happiness. Father is able to accomplish these two great goals-the immortality and eternal life of man-because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.

We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. One way we find this joy is by creating things. Remember that you are spirit children of the most creative Being in the universe.

When we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as well. Service and sacrifice open the windows of heaven, allowing choice blessings to descend upon us.

*I believe the words of this Apostle are truly sent from God to comfort and bless us. I know He knows each of us.

6.24.15

This month's visiting teaching message is about forgiveness and mercy. A lot of thoughts filled my mind when I read it.
-forgiveness is about love
-We have to start with us
-no matter what you do, you can always come back
- there is always a place for you in the fold
-sometimes it looks and feels impossible but look to Him, go to Him and He will fill in where you need Him to
-just as we want all of our family around us, He wants all of His around Him
-it's nice to know at least someone knows how its all going to turn out
-everyone is struggling, EVERY ONE! I can at least smile at them
-for a while I really thought getting sealed in the temple was never a possibility for me, but I flipped my life around and I have never been more grateful for the changes I've made
-it doesn't matter who you were, all that matters is who you are and who you will be
-it all starts with love and compassion

6.25.15

Tonight I read the Family proclamation. It's is such a beautiful thing. I love how our responsibilities as sons and daughters of God are spelled out so clearly. How our roles as husbands and wives is so easily understood. We are to take care of each other, watch over and protect each other, help each other, love each other. Satan knows our cracks and our weaknesses, even before we do. Hold to the rod, walk in faith thru the dark mist to the tree. It is so hard sometimes, to feel loved and to show love. But in those moments, it is especially important to show love and gratitude to our family. Look to the light of our Savior, look and live.

The Family proclamation can be found on the Scriptures app. Library, Audiences, Family.

6.23.15

1 Ne. 3 - In our reading tonight I felt an intense impression of how we are like Nephi and the reason God commanded them to get the plates.

We read them as a family to teach our children His words, and to learn of our history, and our genealogy. Nephi was sent to get them to preserve the history and the language and the genealogy.

We teach our children these things so they will learn and grow in righteousness.

(I can't really put my thoughts into words, it sounded way better in my head than in words. Shark just nodded when I told him, he didn't get it either.)

6.22.15

Hel. 5: 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

We build our foundation upon Him, so that He can work His miracle in our lives  in whatever way He chooses. For some, that miracle will mean a significant change of life and lifestyle. For others it will simply mean new purpose and understanding in lives that are already rich with faith. But for all it will mean peace and joy and happiness beyond measure as the Master touches hearts and souls with His love.

6.21.15

2 Nephi 31: 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.

Our Search For Happiness. M. Russell Ballard.

We believe that only as we focus our attention on the Savior and build our lives upon the strong foundation the Atonement and gospel give us, are we prepared to resist the challenges and temptations so prevalent in today's world.

- It's been a rough week, and while reading this, it sorta slapped me. I have been so selfish. Thinking just about myself and what I want, how I feel, what I think. This week, I'm going to look for ways to serve others, to stop thinking of myself so much, and think of others, think of my family. Think of Him.

6.20.15

It's been a rough week. And I know when it's hard and we struggle and feel like we're just barely keeping out head above water, when the adversary is trying is absolute hardest, when we feel alone, and just when we're about ready to give up and throw in the towel... At that moment, we need to remember the most heroic act of all time, of all eternity: The Atonement. He took upon Himself all of our struggles, trials, sins, all of it. He knows exactly what we're feeling, and He can walk with us. He also knows how its going end, He knows our strength, and He hasn't allowed ANY trial into our life that we can't handle.

2 Ne 2:24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Men are that they might have JOY. Not just in eternity, but HERE and NOW. In this very moment, we are to have joy. I've been trying to keep that scripture in my thoughts as this week went by. It hasn't been easy but I need to look for the joy.

6.19.15

2 Nephi 4:34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

Jeffrey R. Holland - "No one is exempt from affliction in all its varying forms; that is just one of mortality's realities. However, as we put our trust in Jesus, we will find the strength to go forward with faith.

Everyone's HARD is different, my hard is different from your hard is different from her hard. But just because it is all different, doesn't mean any one of us struggles more or less than anyone else. We all still need to put our trust in Christ. Following Him will give us the strength we need to see out hard things thru.

Today is our 7th anniversary. I have found the one my soul loves, and we have made the ones that complete my world! ❤

6.18.15

1 Ne 16:And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.
5 And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness.

D&C 112:10 Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.

Humility is one of the first steps towards repentance and walking in paths of righteousness.

If we really concentrate on trying to walk the way He walked-loving, caring, serving, and obeying each step of the way-one day we'll look up and discover that His path has led us directly to the throne of God.

6.17.15

Broken things to mend. Holland. April 06.

How does one come unto Christ?
1) Just believing, just having a molecule of faith, when focused on the Lord Jesus Christ, has ever been and always will be the first principle of His eternal gospel, the first step out of despair.
2) Anything we can change we should change, and we must forgive the rest.
3) In as many ways as possible we try to take upon us His identity, and we begin by taking upon us His name.

Following these most basic teachings, a splendor of connections to Christ opens up to us in multitudinous ways: prayer and fasting and meditation upon His purposes, savoring the scriptures, giving service to others, succoring the weak, lifting up the hands which hang down,  strengthening the feeble knees.

- I love this man, and I love this talk. He wrote a book with this title and I love it too. I need to remember this lesson each and every day.

6.16.15

Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

To see we are going in this world and this life, we need only turn to Him who is the light. Have faith that His light shines on you, in you, and from you. I see His light in you, and I know others do. I know personally, I need to remember His light is in me. I forget sometimes and end up lost.

6.15.15

Mosiah 2: 19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!

I'm working with Danger to say thank you more in his prayers. I'm trying to be grateful, at all times and in all circumstances. I'm trying to count my blessings each night. And to see even the unpleasant experiences as blessings, and see what He wants me to learn.

Let us remember with gratitude that the world is glorious, truth has been restored, and God lives and loves us.

6.14.15

Preparation for prayer. Marion D. Hanks.

D&C 88:32 And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
33 For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.

This principle applies also to prayer. We will enjoy the blessings we are willing to receive. The ones we are willing to work for.

God knows our hearts, our thoughts and our needs. Then why pray? He wants us to be involved, to have the experience, to make the effort, knowing that only in this way do we really understand, commit our hearts, and grow.

In our burdens and anxiety and times of moral weakness we have of ourselves no strength sufficient for the need. Why not try God? He is our ready source of power.

*Wow. I love this talk so much. Wow.

6.13.15

Why should we pray? Marion G. Romney.

3 Nephi 12: 48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

"No one shall ever reach such perfection unless he is guided to it by Him who is perfect. And guidance from Him is to be had only through prayer."

I guess it has never struck my mind that the connection is just that, a link to perfection, to glory, to goodness. I love it.

6.12.15

Moroni 7: 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, 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 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.

I find myself praying daily for love and happiness. When we wake up, get in the car, eat food, go for walks, we pray for happiness and love. I find myself struggling to convey my love at times during the day. The boys have been sick and hurting, so also cranky, which makes momma cranky. When I pray for happiness & love, it reminds me & sets me straight.

6.11.15

Bruce R. McConkie. Why the Lord ordained prayer.

3 Ne. 17:17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.

Even after the Savior was resurrected, glorified and perfected, He prayed to the Father! I never thought if this before, but it truly is amazing. I also know it's something I need to work on, very much work on.

6.10.15

Pres. N. Eldon Tanner. Intro. Prayer.

I'm going to start my morning prayers with this: "Let thy blessings attend us as we go about our duties, that we may do what is right and return to report to thee."

He says, " We must teach by example, and let the efficacy of prayer in our lives show of the great blessing of learning to know God and learning to depend on Him for the comfort and strength and guidance needed so badly in order to cope with the problems of the day."

6.9.15

Revelation 3: 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

I'm reading a book now about the power of prayer and strengthening my connection to the Father. I know this scripture is all over, and so is the one "any who knock" but it hit me hard tonight. He is there, at my door knocking, desiring me to answer. All I have to do to open the door is pray to Him, talk to Him. It's been a long road, and I have a ways to go but I think I'm getting better.

6.8.15

Elder Wirthlin. BYU devotional. 1-21-03

As we approach our Heavenly Father in the name of Christ, we open the windows of heaven. Prayer is the doorway through which we commence our discipleship to things heavenly and eternal. We will never be alone so long as we know how to pray.

I love this. Tonight I read about boring yourself with your prayers, repeating the same thing over and over. I struggle with this. If I catch myself saying words over and over, I stop, and think of 5 things I've been blessed with today. It's been helping to shape my prayers, to personalize them.

6.7.15

D&C 10:5 Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.

I'm working on having more meaningful morning and evening prayers. I know once this is accomplished, I will continue to have meaningful prayers throughout the day. To connect with Him as I send thoughts and prayers to Him thru the whole day. About work, school, relationships, challenges, successes, wonderings, and everything. When I do this, I'll be "counseling with the Lord in all my doings" and He will guide me, and answer me.

6.6.15

Enos 1: 4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

I'm quickly starting to see that I need to pray continually and constantly to Father. It is so easy for me to suddenly see that I can do things "on my own" and that I don't need to ask of Him. But that's incorrect. He is continually blessing me and giving to me, I need to see His hand in my life, and pray. Once I stop praying, even for a day, it's hard to restart the next day. I'm learning that the loss of that connection, even for a day, is such a blow to me spiritually.

6.5.15

Moroni 8:3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.

Praying for our children is important, but praying for their parents is also important. Are you praying for your children, your spouse? Now is not too early to pray for them. I'm working on my prayers, to be more mindful of my children, their parents (that's us!), and the Father's told in each of our lives.

6.4.15

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

The Lord teaches us that He gives us weakness for the specific purpose of helping us become aware that we need Him to help us change. Sometimes we need to allow these weaknesses to show thru, we need to speak those weaknesses out loud, in private prayer, to Father. To ask for His help in overcoming the weakness He has given us, to ask to see the purpose, and to obtain the goal He sees for us.

6.3.15

Mosiah 24:22 And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.

Lately, I feel my prayers have been ones of pleading, or begging, seeking His much needed help and guidance. And that's ok, He wants us to ask of Him, to seek after Him. But I need to remember to give thanks to Him for what He has given me, to show gratitude for all I have. In the scriptures, when prophets would pray in crisis, they also gave thanks. He is not a repairman, He is a loving friend who love us and wants to bless us.

6.2.15

Hel. 10:4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

I love how much the Lord trusts Nephi to make the right choice and to lead his life in righteousness. I'm grateful for unanswered prayers, the Lord trusts that I will make the right choice.  If we don't get an answer to a prayer, we should thank Father for His trust in us, and then move our feet, using our best judgement, to do what we feel He would want us to do. Perhaps no clear answer is the answer the He trusts us. I desire to be trustworthy.

6.1.15

Alma 34:18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

We don't need an appointment to talk with our Father. I read this and saw my flock of boys, my wilderness of a home. This one is for me. I need to talk with Him more.

5.31.15

Alma 37:36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

One way to counsel with the Lord in all our doings to to keep a running dialogue with Him all day. To walk and talk with Him throughout the day. Ask for patience and kindness, reflect on the beauty, show gratitude, ask forgiveness. Spend the day with Him.