10.30.15

Mormon 9:31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.

*I've been thinking of my weaknesses and imperfections lately and how, in seeing them, I'm working on making them strengths. It also helps me to ignore the imperfections of others, because they may be working on theirs, and I can't see where they started from. I'm grateful for my point of view and extended understanding.

10.29.15

Mormon 5:13 And this is the commandment which I have received; and behold, they shall come forth according to the commandment of the Lord, when he shall see fit, in his wisdom.

*It's difficult to have our plan work when, more often than not, our plan doesn't align with His plan. We have ideas of what we want, but He knows what we need to become. I'm working on aligning myself with His plan, the more excellent way.

10.28.15

Mormon 2:19 And wo is me because of their wickedness; for my heart has been filled with sorrow because of their wickedness, all my days; nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day.

*For this time, the Lord commanded Mormon to be a silent witness, to NOT preach and cry repentance unto the people. Mormon is to pray for his people. The Lord knows the hearts of all men. Sometimes, ok MOST times, it's best to keep quiet when we see others acting in a way we don't agree with. Pray for them and for peace for you.

10.27.15

4 Nephi 1:3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.

*This one made me think. Suddenly, it hit me. It wasn't that they had everything is common, is was that they saw each other as THEMSELVES, and as CHRIST. They loved one another completely and purely.

10.26.15

3 Nephi 27:28 And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you.

*This only works if you ask the Father like this :

D&C 9:8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

*It's not about asking which choice to pick, it's about asking if your choice is the right one. :)

(I have been doing my 100 day challenge along with my conference challenge. Today is #86.)

10.25.15

Bennett. Priesthood.
Your loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, invite you to take your next step toward Them. Don't wait. Take it now.
I promise that each faith-filled step will be met with help from heaven. Guidance will come as we pray, rely on our Savior and follow Him, and listen to the Holy Spirit. Strength will come because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Healing and forgiveness will come because of God's grace. Wisdom and patience will come by trusting in the Lord's timing for us. Protection will come by following God's living prophet.

10.24.15

Reeves. Women's.
We will be exceedingly blessed if we exercise faith and patience and go to our Heavenly Father, the source of all truth, with our concerns. So many answers and assurances can come through daily searching and studying the scriptures and with sincere and pleading prayer.
There are so many of us who are thrashing around with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity.
*This is what I needed to hear today.

10.23.15

Bednar. Sun PM.
When you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most.
*This week's lesson in class was about making goals and figuring out your priorities. I think I have a better view of what I need to do vs what I want to do. Also, what HE needs me to do.

10.22.15

Holland. Sat PM.
Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion, and like the Master you follow, your love never faileth.
<3

10.21.15

Anderson. Priesthood.
Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker.
You no longer stand on neutral ground. How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith. Without these, faith diminishes.
*I'm almost done with the BofM. And I will be starting to read it again. I encourage you to read it again.

10.20.15

Rasband. Sun AM.
(I'm a day behind, yesterday was rough)
He basically bore his testimony, which was awesome. He always gets asked When did you receive your testimony? He replied that it wasn't just one thing, but many spiritual experiences to build his faith.

Think of all the faith-building, testimony-growing experiences that you've had in your life. I bet it's a lot. I know it was for me. It made me realize that I'm stronger than I believe I am. Today was hard, and I was thinking of giving up, then I read this. He builds our faith, our testimony, our strength bit by bit, not all at once. :)

10.19.15

Moroni 10:3-5 The Promise.
Read. Ponder. Receive. Ask.
the Book of Mormon is about Christ, the Atonement of Christ.
Read THESE THINGS: Book of Mormon.
Ponder  IT: Atonement.
Receive THESE THINGS: Book of Mormon.
Ask of the truth of IT: ATONEMENT.
We're not asking about the truth of the Book, we're asking, with a sincere heart, real intent, and having faith in Christ, the truth of the Atonement.
And the truth is He is there, He loves you. 

10.18.15

Oaks. Sat PM
He therefore knows our struggles, our heartaches, our temptations, and our suffering, for He willingly experienced them all as an essential part of His Atonement. And because of this, His Atonement empowers Him to succor us-to give us the strength to bear it all.
Sometimes His power heals an infirmity, but the scriptures and our experiences teach that sometimes He succors by giving us the strength or patience to endure our infirmities.

10.17.15

Hales. Sat PM.
The Lord will always keep His promise: "I will lead you along." The only question is, will we let ourselves be led? Will we hear His voice and the voice of His servants?
Only your faith and prayers will cause you to lift yourself and have the mighty change of heart. Only your resolve to be obedient can change your life.
*He says we need to begin exercising our faith in EVERY area of our lives. I know I need to be better, my goal this week.

10.16.15

Wixom. Women's.
The Family: A Proclamation teaches that each one of us is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents and each has a divine nature and destiny. Heavenly Father generously shares a portion of His divinity within us. That divine nature comes as a gift from Him with a love that only a parent can feel.

Because you are His child, He knows who you can become. He knows your fears and your dreams. He relishes your potential. He waits for you to come to Him in prayer. Because you are His child, you not only need Him, but He also needs you. The world needs you, and your divine nature allows you to be His trusted disciple to all His children. Once we begin to see the divinity in ourselves, we can see it in others.

*I am a child of God.

10.15.15

Aoyagi. Sun PM.
Isn't your purpose for being on this earth to experience this trial? Isn't it to accept all the trials of this life for what they are and then leave the rest up to the Lord? Don't you think that this problem will be resolved when we are resurrected?

In Abraham, the Lord God declared, "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."
The principle is that the God who created the heavens and the earth knows the grand design of this earth that He has dominion over all things, and that in order to bring to pass the plan of salvation, He provides us with many different experiences-including some trials-while we are on this earth.

*Men are that they might have joy, not wallow in misery. He loves you and wants you to be like Him. I know I need to be stretched so that I can learn and grow. I don't like it, but I learn from it.

10.14.15

Marriott. Sat AM.
Scripture says, "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good." This doesn't mean all things are good, but for the meek and faithful, things-both positive and negative-work together for good, and the timing is the Lord's.

*I love her talk, so beautiful. Each on of you has had struggles and trials. More than you thought you could bear. But I know that each every one of you have made "all things work together for your good." I know you are stronger for it, and more blessed for it. You are amazing. We can't have joy without sadness.

10.13.15

Martino. Sat PM.
Consider Nephi's counsel. Be obedient, remember the times when you have felt the Spirit in the past, and ask in faith. Your answer will come, and you will feel the love and peace of the Savior. It may not come as quickly or in the format you desire, but the answer will come. Do not give up! Never give up!

*It is His timing, and His plan. Turn to Him and He will answer us, He will guide us, He will strengthen us, He will comfort us.

10.12.15

Helaman 12:2-3
*These ones say that we need to remember the Lord our God when we are going thru time of peace and happiness, not just thru trials and tribulations. He is with us. We must have an attitude of gratitude and cry unto Him in joy and in sorrow. Express our thanks and seek His aid.

**I guess I got super excited for the General Conference Challenge and read today's talk yesterday. :)

10.11.15

Monson. Sun AM.
My brothers and sisters, our opportunities to shine surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in the lives of others, whether they be our own family members and friends, our co-workers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers.

*I love this discourse. Even listening to it, I could hear the struggle in his voice, the weakness. I want to just write the whole talk but this part is my favorite. We have the light of Christ within us.

10.10.15

Henry J. Eyring:
Your life is carefully watched over. The Lord knows both what He will need you to do and what you will need to learn in preparation for the device you will give. God cares about you and your education. He will not only help you he the education you need, He will take you to the people He wants you to encounter.

*The life we are preparing for is Eternal life. We are preparing to become Gods! All-knowing beings just as our Father. We must never stop learning. He has a plan for us, and where we are at THIS moment is HIS plan A. It may not be what we pictured, but it's where we need to be.

10.9.15

Helaman 6:3 Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy.

*I've felt very strongly that my role as a visiting teacher is to be my sister's friend, I need to be there for them at all times, and I need them to feel like they can turn to me whenever they need something. I share the message, or a part of it that touched me. The sisters I visit have called me for all sorts of reasons and emergencies.

Growing up, I didn't feel like I really connected with any of the girls my age. But now that I'm in RS, I try really hard to chat with the sisters and get to know new ones. That feeling of BELONGING is so very important, it's part of what makes us feel loved.

10.8.15

Helaman 5:43 And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire.

*When we repent, pray often, and keep His commandments, we each will be encircled by a pillar of fire and the heavens will open, and angels will minister unto us. Have faith, do not doubt what you know to be true.

10.7.15

Helaman 3:35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

*in the verse before this, it says how the faithful members we're being prosecuted and going thru afflictions. NEVERTHELESS....

We must seek Him in all things, while going thru all things. If we pray, fast, seek and study, our hearts will be softened, contentions will cease, and His Spirit will be our companion.

10.6.15

Alma 62:41 But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.

*The war was the same length for them all. But some hearts were hardened and some were softened. It comes down to what they thought of God & Christ. They either saw Them as the cause or the rescuers.

When you have trials, is your heart hardened or softened? Do we turn to Him or away?

10.5.15

Alma 60:20 Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea, have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers? Have ye forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies?

*Have you forgotten when the Spirit touched your heart? I try to write down my experiences, but I've lost track of many journals over the years.

This scripture also stuck out.
29 Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of... your little ones,

*This hit me hard. :)

10.4.15

Alma 57:27 Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

*Hold to the rod with all your might, mind and strength. Stand firm, as a witness at all times, and in all things, and in all places.

10.3.15

Bednar. A Disciple Preparation Center. BYU-I dev. 8-04

http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2004_08_31_BednarDavid.htm

*This was from class this week. I love this talk. It made me think about my short time at BYU-I, and how I failed horribly because I wasn't ready. Since leaving, my short lived college career has always been a WHAT IF. Things would definitely be different. But while reading this talk, it hit me, I wasn't ready for what I need to learn. Finding Pathways thru BYU-I has been an answer to prayer. I need this and I need it now. I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to teach.

10.2.15

Alma 56:48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

*Oh the army of Helaman. I love this. They were true at all times in whatsoever things they were entrusted.

The strength and testimony of their mothers is amazing. It makes me think about the small things I could be/should be teaching my boys thru my example, to show them that I know...

10.1.15

JST Revelation 12:11 For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death. Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

*In this chapter of Revelation, the devil is called a dragon. This verse lists the 3 things you can do for DRAGON REPELLENT.
1- blood of Lamb = Atonement
2- testimony = testimony and faith
3- love not their own lives = we're All In, we sustain the Father and we also sustain His timing and His plan.

9.30.15

Alma 50 - Moroni is still prepping for war. He's still building and fortifying his weak cities, and it's been peaceful for a while. He even chases some Lamanites out of Nephite land and starts to build. He starts building a city IN THE WILDERNESS.

This instantly hit me.
1- Never stop working on and strengthening yourself.
2- Stretch yourself, challenge yourself. Don't be afraid to build a city in the wilderness just because of some Lamanites.