Day 4
Never stopping, ever searching.
Matt 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. (Woman with the issue of blood)
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith... Be not afraid, only believe. (Jairus' daughter is dead, what now?)
*There are times when we had to stretch & search for the Savior to find strength beyond our own. By Scripture study & meaningful prayer we were led to Christ. Stretch.
Day 3
2 Nephi 25:21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand.
23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
*I have my patriarchal blessing but have I written down my testimony for my boys? I will.
Day 2
Take His name. Each of us bears a last given to us by our parents and then our spouse. Every word we speak, every act we perform represents the entire family. We have also been given the name of Christ. Each Sunday we take His name upon us, so that we might remember Him in all things. Every word and every act also represents Him, our Savior.
Just as the disciples did, we can consecrate our lives to serve the Lord. Serve, speak, act, witness, remember.
21 Days Closer to Christ by Emily Freeman
Day 1
Come and seek. The Lord has extended the invitation for each of us to come unto Him. It is the same invitation that was given to the fishermen of Galilee, but will we leave behind our nets, which are so full of other interests and everyday challenges?
Holland. May 2006
My desire today is for all of us to have more straightforward personal experience with the Savior's example.
I'm determined to have an attitude of gratitude tomorrow. I have so much to be thankful for. There are so many blessings in my life. And you are one of them. :)
Attitude determines altitude!
There are many gifts we just have to seek for. We have to ask Him for the blessings of gifts in our life, and we can't hide the talents that He has already given us.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton lists a few less conspicuous gifts : to ponder, to look to God, to hear and respond to the still small voice, to be calm, to study, to listen, to offer prayer, to bear mighty testimony, to be a disciple, to have charity.
What are some gifts you are seeking?
President George Q. Cannon : How many of you are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow? If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect.
Elder Hales : One [gift of the Spirit] that I believe has impact on each of our lives is the gift of prophecy or revelation. This gift is different from the priesthood office of prophet. The gift of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.
Ensign, Feb 2002
D&C 46:8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;
Eyring. Oct 2012.
God knows our gifts. My challenge to you and to me is to pray to know the gifts we have been given, to know how to develop them, and to recognize the opportunities to serve others that God provides us. But most of all, I pray that you will be inspired to help others discover their special gifts from God to serve.
*Seek for the gifts He has given us. Ask for them to be shown to us.
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
*Most times we forget that He has commanded us to not be afraid!
Hinckley. 10/03. To the women of the church.
-Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do.
*I'm going to share a bit of my testimony with you. I know that having faith and trusting Him can mean ALL the difference in the world. At times, having faith is the only thing that keeps us going. But I have a testimony of action, of works. Yes, He will bless us, but only when we get up & take action can He pour His blessings upon us.
Hinckley. April 2001. The B's.
Be grateful.
Be smart.
Be clean.
Be true.
Be humble.
Be prayerful.
Read. Jan 2000. Golden plates & feast of trumpets.
For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not (D&C 4:4). As modern prophets have said, the Book of Mormon is the major instrument the Lord prepared to initiate His final harvest.
*As with any instrument, we must practice and study. Study the BofM so that we may bring in the harvest.
Monson. Oct 90 The Lighthouse of the Lord.
Do we in attendance tonight know who we are and what God expects us to become? Remember that the recognition of a power higher than oneself does not in any sense debase; rather, it exalts. If we will but realize that we have been created in the image of God, we will not find Him difficult to approach, for God did create man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Gen. 1:27.) This knowledge, acquired through faith, will bring inner calm and profound peace.
*I've been searching for peace and calm. I just found it.
Benson. 11-1986
It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called the words of life, and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.
*I love this. Read with me.
Jackson. Aug 1990. Moroni visits Joseph Smith.
When Moroni visits Joseph,he quoted Bible verses. Christ did the same when He visited the Americas. There's the pattern. We must teach from the scriptures.
I have completely beside myself when thinking of Joseph Smith's quest to find his answers. I grew up reading the story: he had a question, he read the scriptures, he prayed, he got his answer. But in reading the recitals, I know it didn't happen that way exactly. It took time. He searched for 2-3 years for his answer. His experience gives me strength, I know my prayers will be answered, even if not as soon as I want.
Workman. Nov 2001. Beware of Murmurings.
God has blessed His children with prophets to instruct them in His ways and prepare them for eternal life.
The adversary whispers the deceptive invitation to murmur to thus destroy the power that comes from obedience.
*I love this talk, and it rang true to what is going on in the world today. It made me want to watch conference again! It made me think of what I struggle to obey.
Oaks. May 1995
Our understanding of the nature and purpose of God the Eternal Father explains our destiny and our relationship in his eternal family. Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them. Under the merciful plan of the Father, all of this is possible through the atonement of the Only Begotten of the Father, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As earthly parents we participate in the gospel plan by providing mortal bodies for the spirit children of God. The fulness of eternal salvation is a family matter.
Backman. 01/1985 1st vision
The four surviving recitals of this theophany were prepared or rendered through different scribes, at different times, from a different perspective, for different purposes and to different audiences.
Of utmost importance was not the specific language in which the truths were unfolded but the truths themselves.
My favorite thing I learned :
The First Vision did not occur after a brief quest but took place following a 2-3 year inquiry initiated by Joseph's concern for the welfare of his soul.
(I love technology. I read the talks on my Kindle cuz it's bigger, I highlight awesome things, then I sync my scriptures app. I open the app on my phone and the copy and paste the awesome quotes into a text that I send to my family. I have not missed a single day this year. <3 )
Benson. 6-1981
God's revelation to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the Ark. Noah needed his own revelation. Therefore the most important prophet so far as you and I are concerned is the one living in our day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing His will for us.
*Follow the Prophet, he will never lead us astray. We will always ALWAYS be blessed for following the words of the Prophet.
I am now doing my reading for my Institute class.
Oaks. 5/04
We are not commanded to gather to a place, but gather to Christ. In this way, the stakes of Zion are for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.
What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow-thru our premature death or thru His unexpected coming-what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we stop? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?
If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them.
Moroni 10
I finished the Book of Mormon today. And I absolutely love it. I feel so good that I was able to set this goal and accomplish it. I have a deeper understanding and love for my Savior and the Atonement.
In church, I've struggled feeling the Spirit because I get frustrated with wrestling my boys. Today, we sat in the chapel the whole time. Today it hit me. I have this family, my eternal family, because of the Atonement. I am blown away. I feel so loved by that thought. I know the Atonement is a very personal thing for each of us, but that thought just made it more personal to me.
I love you.
Moroni 9:25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
*Don't stress about the past, nothing will change it. All you can do is live, prepare for the future, trust Him.
Moroni 7:9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.
*I've heard it all before, good cannot give evil and evil cannot give good. But today it clicked. It has to do with the INTENT. If we believe in Christ, we will pray with real intent, always, once we have that faith and belief it's hard for us to give up that REAL INTENT.
(Today is day 97, I only have 3 chapters left, technically it's 2 days of reading and then I am going to do my institute class reading list of conference talks.)
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devils takes power. - Joseph Smith in Nauvoo (Teachings of Presidents)
*I love this. I have never thought of it this way, and it completely makes sense. I will try harder to not allow the devil any power.
Ether 12:29 And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith;
*ok, honestly, all of 12. It's such a faith building, beautiful chapter. His grace is sufficient.
Ether 8:26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.
*Some of our responsibilities and choices will have no affect on this generation, but will affect so many of our posterity.
(I am just going to say : I absolutely, without a single hesitation or doubt, HATE the words affect and effect. Seriously. Who's idea was that?)
Ether 6:9 And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.
*I am grateful for music, and how many emotions are evoked with music. I love quite a few of the hymns we sing, and I love piano hymns. It put me at peace and makes me feel loved.
I'm still thinking about Ether 3:4-5. I love those. Today is the first day of November and many are starting a Month of Gratitude. The first thing I always think of is doctors. I am so grateful for modern medicine that has made it possible for me to be here. And has made it possible for me to have 2 beautiful, strong and healthy children. I am so amazed and blessed. I see His Hand in my life. I need to remember the miracles that I have been given.
Ether 3:5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.
*I love this! We know the story, Jared's bro goes to the Lord, asking Him to touch the rocks so they'll have light. The bro has such strong faith that the Lord can and will do this that he sees Him! There have been many times I've seen His hand in my life.
Another line stood out in 4: And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man.
*He will do anything and everything He can to benefit and help us. He loves us. I need to look harder for His hand in my life and be more positive about the things that have yet to reveal their benefits.
