4.30.15

Oaks. The parable of the sower. Sat PM.

I love his explanation and details of this parable. :) I also love how he tells us how to be the good soil. We must all be converted to this gospel.-

It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful. We must seek to be firmly rooted and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We achieve this conversion by praying, by scripture reading, by serving, and by regularly partaking of the sacrament to always have His Spirit to be with us. We must also seek that mighty change of heart (Alma 5:12-14) that replaces evil desires and selfish concerns with the love of God and the desire to serve Him and His children.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng

4.29.15

Sis Oscarson. Defenders of the Family Proclamation. Women's.

This one helped me pinpoint some of my responsibilities as a wife and mother.-

Let us help build the kingdom of God by standing up boldly and being defenders of marriage, parenthood, and the home.

-I'm glad I have a copy of the Proclamation in my living room and I know I need to read it more often than I do.

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng&cid=PA0414-02

4.28.15

Zeballos. If you will be responsible. Sun PM.

He outlines perfectly our duties and responsibilities.-

We have these two great responsibilities. First, to seek our own salvation; and, second, our duty to our fellow men: seeking our own salvation and that of others, with the understanding that in this statement, salvation means reaching the highest degree of glory that our Father has provided for His obedient children.

-I LOVE this one-
These responsibilities that have been entrusted to us-and which we have freely accepted-must define our priorities, our desires, our decisions, and our daily conduct.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/if-you-will-be-responsible?lang=eng

4.27.15

Sis. Wixom. Returning to Faith. Sun AM.

 

I loved this talk. It was about gaining and strengthening a testimony. There were so many good quotes!-

 

Humility, faith, and the influence of the Holy Spirit will always be elements of every quest for truth.

 

Here are truths I love. I can still bear testimony. I will just say those things that I know and trust. It may not be a perfect offering of knowledge, but it will be my offering.

 

We do not condemn others for the amount of light they may or may not have; rather, we nourish and encourage all light until it grows clear, bright, and true.

 

-put your name in for Mother, wow!-
God guides you, dear Mother; you are not so much in the dark as you think. The path to be followed may not always be clear at once. Pray for light; do not decide too quickly, listen to what others have to say, consider their reasons. You will always find something to help you. Guided by faith, by prayer, and by reason with a right intention, you have enough.

 

Returning to Faith

4.26.15

Gibson. Fatherhood-our eternal destiny. Priesthood Session.

Even tho it's about fatherhood, pretty much everything can be applied to motherhood and women as well.-

Our decisions determine our destiny and have eternal consequences.

Let our eternal destiny drive all of our decisions. Regardless of how difficult those decisions may be, Father will sustain us.

The child can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the parents do: for whatsoever things they doeth, these also doeth the child likewise.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/fatherhood-our-eternal-destiny?lang=eng

4.25.15

Christofferson. Why marriage, why family. Sat PM.

Ok, as I was listening, I didn't feel that his talk had anything to do with family, but I looked at my journal and at what I highlighted. I wrote 2 pages! I usually write 1! He was telling us WHY the family and marriage was being targeted! I'll share my favorites. Please read this talk, it is so important to hear!

-Satan seeks to convince men and women that marriage and family priorities can be ignored or abandoned, or at least made subservient to careers, other achievements, and the quest for self-fulfillment and individual autonomy.

Many things are good, many are important, but only a few are essential.

Much that is good, much that is essential-even sometimes all that is necessary for now-can be achieved in less than ideal circumstances.

May God, your Heavenly Father, buoy you up with His love and the witness of His approval as you are about His work.

4.24.15

Sis Burton. Sat AM. We'll ascend together.

This was a great talk. I felt so much peace when she spoke. She asked 5 questions in her talk, please read it and pray about those questions.-

We need to lift each other and help each other become the people the Lord would have us become. we need to work together to lift the rising generation and help them reach their divine potential as heirs of eternal life.

If we pray fervently for guidance, the Lord can bless us to know how to create a home with our husband where the Spirit would be warmly welcomed. (Or how to prepare!)

Sisters and brothers, how often do we intentionally speak kind words to each other?

Here are the 5 questions :
1) When was the last time I sincerely praised my companion, either alone or in the presence of our children?
2) When was the last time I thanked, expressed love for, or earnestly pleaded in faith for him or her in prayer?
3) When was the last time I stopped myself from saying something I knew could be hurtful?
4) When was the last time I apologized and humbly asked for forgiveness—without adding the words “but if only you had” or “but if only you hadn’t”?
5) When was the last time I chose to be happy rather than demanding to be “right”?

4.23.15

Alma 29: 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

-For instruments to make pleasing music, they need to be tuned. This is also true of instruments of the Lord. We must be in tune (to Him).

4.22.15

Sun PM. Neil L Anderson. Thy Kingdom Come

This was a great talk. He hit so many good thoughts. -

We have taken His name upon us, and each week as we partake of the sacrament, we pledge that we will remember Him and keep His commandments. We are far from perfect, but we are not casual in our faith.

We believe in Him.
We worship Him.
We follow Him.
We deeply love Him.
His cause is the greatest cause in all the world.

As we are spiritually awake and alert, we see His hand across the world and we see His hand in our own personal lives.

As you keep the commandments and pray in faith to see the Lord's hand in your life, promise you that He will open your spiritual eyes even wider, and you will see more clearly that you are not alone.

-On my bad days, I sit down and count the blessings in my life. If you do that, your eyes will open wider and wider, the world is our blessing, and He has given it to us.

4.21.15

Sunday AM. Pres Monson. Blessings of the Temple.

This talk was great. New temples announced. Reassurance that our personal prayers are answered personally for us! And knowledge that the peace we can feel in the temple is genuine and perfect peace from our Savior.-

As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

-That is one of my favorite scriptures every. His peace. And when I can't find peace in my home or in my heart, I know that I can turn to Him.

4.20.15

Priesthood. Soares. Yes, we can and will win.

I enjoyed this talk because the answer is so clear, and pure and simple. Testimony. I know I don't share mine enough, but if I want my children to not have ANY doubts about me having a testimony, than I need to speak it, share it, show it. I don't want them ever to question my faith or my testimony in this gospel. it has changed my life. -

All of us can receive the strength to choose the right if we seek the Lord and place all our trust and faith in Him. But, as the scriptures teach, we need to have a sincere heart and real intent. Then the Lord, in His infinite mercy, will manifest the truth unto us, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things.

This knowledge acquired through the Holy Ghost is nothing more than our testimony, which propels our faith and determination to follow the teachings of the restored gospel in these latter days, regardless of the popular messages we hear from the world.

-The more we share our testimony, the more it grows. 2015/04/20 11:18:08PM

4.19.15

Pino. The Eternal Perspective of the Gospel.

I liked this talk, I've had to constantly remind myself that my timeline is not always the Lord's timeline, and my plan is not always His plan for me. -

The eternal perspective of the gospel leads us to understand the place that we occupy in God's plan, to accept difficulties and progress through them, to make decisions, and to center our lives on our divine potential.

The Lord knows what He wants to accomplish with each one of us. He knows the kind of reform He wants to achieve in our lives, and we do not have the right to counsel Him. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

- In my journal, I added to the end of that last one : His view is higher than our view. 2015/04/19 11:33:33PM

4.18.15

Stephens. The Family is of God.

I felt that this conference focused on the family. Not just the Women's Meeting, but there was a talk about family during each session. It was great, made me feel guilty for not teaching more and being all that consistent, but it was great. And I really like the song she talked about.-

We accepted Heavenly Father's plan, by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize our divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.

-This. I love this. It shouted 2 things at me that I desperately needed to be reminded of : 1- we are here on earth to PROGRESS towards perfection, not become perfect! 2- each of us has a divine destiny, a divine nature to be Gods,to be His heirs! Woah! 2015/04/18 11:54:10PM

4.17.15

Packer - The Plan Of Happiness

Reading this talk tonight, I was brought to tears. I love my eternal family, he talks with such amazing insight and vocabulary, he puts to words how I feel. He also spoke of the Atonement-

Our physical bodies, when harmed, are able to repair themselves, sometimes with the help of a physician. If the damage is extensive, however, often a scar will remain as a reminder of the injury.

Our spirits are damaged when we make mistakes and commit sins. But unlike our mortal bodies, when the repentance process is complete, no scars remain because of Christ's Atonement. The promise is: Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more

-I have many many scars, and it's hard for me to imagine them not being there. I see them and feel them every day. I've also made many mistakes and its even harder to imagine them being wiped away, but they are, they have been, because of His atoning sacrifice. 2015/04/17 10:44:22PM

4.16.15

Priesthood Session, Ballard. "The greatest generation of young adults"

I love the testimonies the Apostles and all the speakers bear. I love how they point out how the Savior truly knows us. It's difficult to imagine someone going thru exactly what we are, but knowing that He knows us and loves us is an amazing feeling.

"I testify to you that the Lord Jesus Christ can help us fix anything that needs fixing in our lives through His atoning sacrifice.

Remember that our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know you best and love you the most. Through the Atonement, the Redeemer took upon Himself our troubles, pains, and sins. The Savior of the world came to understand each of us individually by experiencing our dashed hopes, challenges, and tragedies through His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross." 2015/04/16 11:59:59PM

4.15.15

Bednar. "Therefore they hushed their fears"
Ok, I absolutely love Elder Bednar. I feel like his talks are exactly what I need to hear.
(1) look to Christ, (2) build upon the foundation of Christ, and (3) press forward with faith in Christ.
1. We can be blessed to conquer our fears and strengthen our faith as we follow the Lord's instruction : Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not.
2. We can be blessed to hush our fears as we firmly establish our desires and deeds upon the sure foundation of the Savior through our ordinances and covenants.
3. We can be blessed to hush our fears as we receive the fortitude that comes from learning and living gospel principles and resolutely pressing forward on the covenant pathway.

4.14.15

Sister Esplin "Filling our homes with light and truth"
When filled with the Spirit and with gospel truth, we have the power to withstand the outside forces of the world that surround and push against us. However, if we are not filled spiritually, we don’t have the inner strength to resist the outside pressures and can collapse when forces push against us.

Strong eternal families and Spirit-filled homes do not just happen. They take great effort, they take time. Every home is different, but every home where even one individual seeks for truth can make a difference.

President Uchtdorf said: “God cares about you. He will listen, and He will answer your personal questions. The answers to your prayers will come in His own way and in His own time, and therefore, you need to learn to listen to His voice.”

I know I need to be better at the little things with my boys. We need to say prayers more consistently, and we need to read scriptures. I want them to feel the Spirit in our home.

4.13.15

Isaiah 58:6-11
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

4.12.15

Elder L. Whitney Clayton, "Choose to Believe"

Belief is something we choose—we hope for it, we work for it, and we sacrifice for it. We will not accidentally come to believe in the Savior and His gospel any more than we will accidentally pray or pay tithing. We actively choose to believe, just like we choose to keep other commandments.

Alma 32: 27.. exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

If we are willing to believe, if we desire to believe, if we choose to believe, then the Savior’s teachings and example will show us the pathway forward.

I LOVE IT! If we have just a desire to believe, then the path will be shown unto us! It makes the song Choose The Right much more significant to adults to. Choose to believe, choose to follow.

4.11.15

Eyring, Saturday AM, "Is This Not the Fast That I Have Chosen?"

Your fast offering will do more than help feed and clothe bodies. It will heal and change hearts. The fruit of a free-will offering may be the desire in the heart of the recipient to reach out to others in need. That happens across the world.

This is very much the "pay it forward" principle. I am a firm believer in it. I know when I am served or blessed by friends, I feel a strong need and desire to do the same for someone else. Being blessed and served feels so wonderful, and serving others feels even better. This is the quote for tomorrow's program. :) 2015/04/12 01:19:56AM

4.10.15

Eyring, Women's Meeting, The Comforter :

I have seen that miracle time and time again. We lighten the loads of others best by helping the Lord strengthen them. That is why the Lord included in our charge to comfort others the command to be His witnesses at all times and in all places.

Only God knows hearts, and so only He can say, in truth, 'I know how you feel.' So I can only imagine both her joy and the sorrow that preceded it, but the Lord, who loves her, knows. I can know only partially how much He feels joy each time you, as His disciple, help Him bring a moment of peace and joy to a child of our Heavenly Father. I bear my witness that the Lord has asked each of us, His disciples, to help bear one another’s burdens. We have promised to do it. I bear my testimony that the Lord, through His Atonement and Resurrection, has broken the power of death. I give my witness that the living Christ sends the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to those we are pledged to help Him comfort.

I love this because I get the impression that we are sent to a place, to be a visiting teacher to certain women because they need US specifically. There are ways that only we, you or me, can comfort them. I know we are meant to cross paths with certain people at certain times in our lives. I'm grateful those moments were seized. Take a moment to think about every choice it took to get you to THIS spot. Think of all the times the Lord sent someone to you when you needed comfort. He knows you.

4.9.15

In "Defenders of the Family Proclamation" Sister Oscarson quoted Pres. Monson's talk "Behold Thy Mother" Ensign Jan. 1974 “May each of us treasure this truth; one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and our earthly mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.” I love this. This right here is motherhood. But it is also life. This is what family, and the gospel is all about : becoming closer to Christ, closer to God. God created the earth, He created us, He gave us the tools and the means to create worlds for ourselves and our families. It's up to us to create a world for our family to grow in truth and righteousness, strength and faith.

4.8.15

Mosiah 2: 22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. 24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast? All He asks of us, is that we keep His commandments, and we will be IMMEDIATELY blessed. It is key to remember that patience, peace, comfort, strength, and endurance are also blessings from Him. 2015/04/09 12:12:22AM

4.7.15

Elder Holland "For Times of Trouble" 5 things to remember when trouble strikes, when doubt and fear sneaks in. They are among the most fundamental truths of a gospel-centered life : Pray earnestly and fast with purpose and devotion. Ask in righteousness and you shall receive. Knock with conviction and it shall be opened unto you. Immerse yourself in the Scriptures. You will find your own experiences described there. You will find spirit and strength there. Serve others. The heavenly paradox is that only in so doing can you save yourself. Be patient. As Robert Frost said, with many things the only way out is thru. Keep moving. Keep trying. Have faith. (See Moroni 7:35-37) I love this man and his wonderful talks, speeches and addresses. My soul is touched with every word he speaks. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland_times-trouble/ 2015/04/08 12:27:42AM

4.6.15

Helaman 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. Isaiah 41: 10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Have faith in Him. He created you. Have faith in you! You have a divine nature and purpose. You are His. Never ever forget that. He will give thee aid, and strengthen thee! 2015/04/07 12:12:36AM

4.5.15

1 Cor. 15: 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. He lives, he lives who once was dead. He lives, my ever-living Head. (Hymn 136) I know my redeemer lives and loves me. 2015/04/05 11:23:00PM

4.4.15

With this being Conference weekend and Easter, and with all the ruckus from the afternoon session, I felt I should tell you what I know. I know President Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God. And he is His mouthpiece in this day and time. I know that he, and the 12 Apostles are ordained as prophets, seers and revalators and have seen and bear witness of Jesus Christ. I know this is His true Church and His ways are higher than our ways. I know God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in the grove, and that Joseph followed their commandments in righteousness to gain the keys of the priesthood. I know the power of the priesthood comes from God, I have felt it and been healed. I know the Holy Ghost is our companion and guides us if we live righteously. I know I am a Daughter of God, and that I have a special purpose and part in HIS plan, a plan that I fought to be a part of. I love this gospel and I love my prophet and I will stand. I love each of you so much. 2015/04/04 11:33:21PM

4.3.15

Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land. When we keep the commandments we are blessed so much there will not be room enough to receive it. I've been seeing a lot of blessings in my life these past few days. Where I felt so burdened and weighed down 3 days ago, I feel so much relief and so lifted. I know it is the blessings from my Father and my Savior, and I know that when we trust in them and continue to follow the commandments, we will be blessed so greatly, we will have not the room to receive it. I feel that way right now, even tho I know it's only a very small portion of the blessings that wait for us above. 2015/04/04 01:34:07AM

4.2.15

3 Nephi 22: 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Being a parent is a calling from God the requires the very best of our heart, might, mind, and strength. The Savior loves the precious spirit He entrusts to our care. We need look no further than the scriptures for proof that this is true. As parents, we share a sacred partnership with the Lord, a partnership in which we covenant to do all in our power to teach and guide our children in His ways. All the Lord expects of us as parents is our very best, and because we love Him, that is what we will give, even though it may be far from perfect. And because He loves us and is a perfect Parent, His Atonement will make all the difference. 2015/04/02 11:06:47PM

4.1.15

D&C 136:23 Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another. Whether it has its inception in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, or the church, contention is out of place and out of harmony with the Savior's gospel. It is well to remember that the Lord created us with two cheeks so we can always turn one or the other. As I prepare for conference, I try to rid myself of all contention. Within and for myself and for others. I try to remember all as children of God, regardless of the choices they make. 2015/04/01 11:31:31PM