5.30.15

1 Ne 17:35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God...

We are keenly aware of our daily need for food and water to sustain our physical bodies. But are we as concerned with sustenance for our spirits?

The "bread" and "water" needed to sustain our spirits is the word of God. It is iron rod of saving principles and ordinances.

Just as He gave manna to the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness, He promises us spiritual nourishment that will sustain us in whatever "wilderness" we are called to traverse.

Seek Him. Turn to Him.

5.29.15

Moroni 10:8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.
18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.

When we look at the more obvious gifts-the gift of music, of speaking, of miracles, of tongues, of wisdom and knowledge, of faith, of healing- we wonder whether our gifts are significant or praiseworthy.

ALL gifts are praiseworthy and significant because of who they come from!

To be a good listener, to be patient in suffering, to find joy in service, to be discerning, to be strong in testimony, to make our homes a haven where others feel safe and welcome, to enjoy the beauty of the earth, to enjoy the gifts of others, to contribute to the development of other's gifts, to know how to touch and comfort, teach, and bless.

5.28.15

Be the best of whatever you are. L. Tom Perry.

Here are 3 areas he challenges us to be the best.
1) As a Child of God, be the best of whatever you are. You are a divine daughter/son of the Living God! Remember this!
2) As a servant in His kingdom, be the best of whatever you are. This is the most exciting era the Church has ever know. Don't deprive yourself of a most rewarding opportunity of being prepared and willing to serve the Master.
3) As a citizen, be the best of whatever you are. Isn't this the time for those who have been given the knowledge of the truth, the light of the gospel, to stop testing the line between right and wrong and enthusiastically embark of that which the Lord has asked us to do?
I challenge you with all of the great power and potential that is within you to be the best of whatever you are.

-I LOVED this talk! Wow!

5.27.15

Alma 32:23 And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned.

These words are a personal invitation to each of us, and one that carries with it an obligation to act on what we hear.

Hear Him!

5.26.15

Strengthening each other. Pres. Hinckley

Remember, we are not alone. We belong to a great body of friends, thousands upon thousands who are striving to follow the teachings of the Lord.

It is important to know, when you feel down, that many others do also. And its important to know that when one of us is down, it becomes the obligation of his friends to give him a lift. I hope that each of us will cultivate a sensitivity toward the feelings of others, and when encouragement is needed, make an effort to extend it. Be a friend, and you will have a friend.

-Do not be afraid to talk and share your experiences and thoughts with those around you. Often times, talking is one of the best ways to ease pain and unearth our feelings.

5.25.15

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

As parents and family members, we serve our families daily and in countless ways.

The impact of our service may not be immediate, but in days and years to come, those we've served will feel touched and blessed by what we have done, and they in turn will have the pattern in place for their own selfless acts of service.

5.24.15

Alma 40:23 The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.
25 And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God.

It is the Lord's desire to have us share in His exaltation. He glories in being our Savior. He wants us to succeed. He wants us to be ever mindful of His love, of His outstretched and comforting arms, of His awareness of our needs.

He loves us and is aware of our heartache.

Today my mother in law passed away. It is a shock to us all and we are still processing the flood of emotions that came with the news.

5.23.15

1 Ne. 15:8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

Thru prayer we receive comfort in times of sorrow and loss, answers to life's puzzling and often painful dilemmas, courage to face challenges that would be otherwise overwhelming and insurmountable, and the priceless gift of a testimony of our Savior.

Seek Him, ask Him- and He will answer.

5.22.15

1 Ne. 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

No hesitation. No doubt, no fear. This is an affirmation of faith and a positive plan of action. I know the Lord reaches our reaching, He is always out stretched to us, we just need to turn to Him. For ever step we willingly take towards the Savior, He gladly meets us more than halfway. He is there, always.

5.21.15

Nelson. The Sabbath is a delight. Sun PM.

Take a break, enjoy your family. Teach them the gospel and we in turn will learn more-

The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath? I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal.

Faith in God engenders a love for the Sabbath; faith in the Sabbath engenders a love for God. A sacred Sabbath truly is a delight.

I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father.

Ask : What sign do I want to give to God?

5.20.15

Reading Pres. Monson's talk , Blessings of the Temple. He tells a story of a young man searching for answers and another man is prompted to speak with him. They talk and the first man is comforted by the seconds words and his experiences.

To me, this means 1) live your life in such a way that you will be in tune with the Spirit to hear the promptings. 2) always listen to promptings. 3) your challenges and experiences are to strengthen you and bring peace and comfort to others who are going thru it too. Sometimes, just knowing you're not alone is enough to get you thru something really hard. 4) your prayers are heard and will be answered, but always answered in the Lord's time and the Lord's way. He loves us, and NEVER leaves us alone to struggle.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

5.19.15

Wilford Anderson. The music of the gospel. Sat PM.

I love this talk. It hit me hard, because for some reason I just haven't been feeling the joy in my life. There are moments, but the sad, angry, unhappy moments seem to outnumber the happy ones. I think right now it's cuz my unhappy times are fueled by unhappy boys. It seems worse than it is and makes it harder. I have to do the steps first, then teach my family-

We learn the dance steps with our minds, but we hear the music with our hearts. The dance steps of the gospel are the things we do; the music of the gospel is the joyful spiritual feeling that comes from the Holy Ghost.

The dance steps require discipline, but the joy of the dance will be experienced only when we come to hear the music.

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood"-or cuz you're the dad, the mom, the biggest, or the loudest-"only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, by love unfeigned; and by kindness" D&C 121:41-42

5.18.15

Hales. Preserving agency, Protecting religious freedom. Sun PM.

We must not forget that moral agency is an essential part of God’s plan for ALL His children.
-Sometimes we forget that everyone here CHOSE to be here, and that everyone has a choice to make each day. And that choice can change at any time.-

How we live our religion is far more important than what we may say about our religion.

5.17.15

Uchtdorf. Gift of Grace. Sun AM.

There was so much in this talk, please find time to read this. It was really amazing!-

The grace of God-the divine assistance and endowment of strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into exalted beings of truth and light, until we are glorified in truth and know all things.

-This sentence is so powerful. And I looked up the meaning of Endowment: a quality possessed, inherited or given by someone. His Grace is what we need to live with Him again. And His Grace is also what gives us the strength and protection to follow His commandments.

5.16.15

Cook. The Lord is my light. Sat PM.

*Our protections in this life and for eternity will be in individual and family righteousness, Church ordinances, and following the Savior. This is our refuge from the storm. For those who feel they are alone, you can stand resolutely in righteousness knowing that the Atonement will protect and bless you beyond your ability to fully understand.*

That last part: stand in righteousness knowing you will be protected and blessed BEYOND your ability to fully understand. We can't even imagine, comprehend or think of how will will be protected and blessed because of our righteousness! Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.