Setting Aside Designated Time for the Lord is in Your Control

5 Invitations to Help You Feel More Joy in Living the Gospel

By Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai

Of the Seventy

If it feels like the world is dictating your schedule, remember—setting aside moments of designated time for the Lord is completely within your control....

4. Identify and Clear the Debris

There was one more factor at play that helped many miracle homes survive: The owners had cleared the weeds and debris surrounding their homes. Without the dry brush, the flames had little fuel to ignite.

We have also been invited to clear the debris from our lives. What is the debris in your life? What might set your foundation aflame when the adversary attacks?

I would say debris is anything that takes you away from the Savior and could potentially hurt your relationship with Him, like sin. But there is also more to it.

Are you making choices every day that aren’t necessarily taking you away from the Savior but might be distracting you?

What is wasting your time? What choices are you making that are good but could be better?

Are there individuals you need to forgive but haven’t? Are there things you need to repent of?

In the allegory of the olive tree found in Jacob 5, we can learn about clearing debris. Keeping the tree alive and producing good fruit requires the Master’s involvement. He can trim your branches and strengthen your roots, and He can also show you how to prune and remove the habits or behaviors in your life that are not serving you. It’s all about finding balance, and you don’t have to figure this all out at once; it’s a process.

When you clear the debris from your life, you will see how living the gospel protects you from many hardships, blesses your ability to overcome life’s challenges, refines your relationships, and develops your confidence in your divine identity and potential....

You can find God’s love through scriptures, through prayer, and through temple worship. But if you are doing those things and still don’t realize how He feels about you, you will find and feel His perfect love most abundantly when you share it with others.

Remember, all Lehi wanted to do after he tasted the fruit of the tree was share the “exceedingly great joy” he felt with those he loved most (1 Nephi 8:12).

What if you turn outward instead of inward? What if, when you feel like your calling and other responsibilities at church are a burden, you instead see them as a way to help others feel Christ’s love?

What if instead of seeing your ministering assignment as just another item to check off your list, you see it as an opportunity to help God answer someone’s prayer?

Not everyone will remember everything you say or do as a disciple of Christ. But they will always remember how you made them feel—especially if you share the love of God and Jesus Christ. And you will remember that love too.

Miracles Today

 

A God of Miracles

By President D. Todd Christofferson

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

President Russell M. Nelson (1924–2025) counseled us to “seek and expect miracles,” stating: “Moroni assured us that ‘God has not ceased to be a God of miracles’ [Mormon 9:15; see also verse 19; 2 Nephi 27:23]. Every book of scripture demonstrates how willing the Lord is to intervene in the lives of those who believe in Him.”

President Nelson taught that each miracle, ancient and modern, “took time and may not have been exactly what those individuals originally requested from the Lord.

“In the same way, the Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, ‘doubting nothing’ [Mormon 9:21]. Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith.”

Certainly, that “spiritual work” includes striving to align our will with heaven’s will. When we have the mind of Christ, when our desires are the desires of Christ, and when His words abide in us, “we then ask for things it is possible for God to grant.”

The Evolution, and End, of EFY

 

From the BYU magazine

Oaks BYU Speech at Prophet

 

Coming Closer to Jesus Christ

Dallin H. Oaks

President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I share four impressions that will draw us closer to our Savior:

• First, strengthen our faith in Him.
• Second, increase our humility.
• Third, seek help from others.
• Fourth, be patient.

Quality Time Spent on Devices

 For the rest of us, however, the volume of usage may matter less to our well-being than the quality of the time spent on the device. In fact, experts still haven’t prescribed a set amount of smartphone time for adults or teens. And the results of Coyne’s eight-year longitudinal study of social-media use suggest that the amount of time has little to no connection to levels of anxiety and depression. “Two teenagers could use social media for exactly the same amount of time but may have vastly different outcomes as a result of the way they are using it,” Coyne says.

Gaskin, who studies the impact of different technology on people and work spaces, agrees: “Usually, [an increase in anxiety and depression] has more to do with the motivation behind the use” of smartphones than it does with the amount of time.

The professors say the adults and teens who struggle most are those who use devices to escape reality or who are highly affected by comparison (more on that below). And those who use phones for entertainment fare worse than those who use it for education or for connecting with others.

Healthy device use comes down to being intentional, says Coyne, or choosing to be an active rather than a passive user. Passive device use often involves a lot of scrolling. “That tends to be related to depression, anxiety,” she says. On the other hand, she notes that posting, making positive comments, and other active engagements “actually relate to decreased depressive symptoms.”

Intentional users turn on their phones with an objective in mind—like texting a friend details about an upcoming event, posting a picture of a family gathering, or looking up information on a topic of interest. Passive users, on the other hand, are more likely to open their phones for no reason or for the vague purpose of alleviating boredom. Cue the endless scrolling or hours of unplanned gaming.

Smartphone Best Practices: Take Cues from the Missionaries

Now that many full-time missionaries have smartphones, the Church of Jesus Christ has provided guidelines for how to best use those devices. While some guidelines apply specifically to missionary work, most are wise practices for anyone with a phone.

Know your purpose. “Turn on your device only after your intention is clear. If you can’t remember why you are using your device, stop what you are doing and review your plans.”

Consider your feelings. “Limit the use of technology when you are feeling bored, lonely, angry, anxious, stressed, or tired, or when you feel any other emotion that makes you vulnerable or susceptible.”

Prioritize in-person interactions. “Avoid checking or responding to digital messages while you are talking with someone face-to-face.”

Don’t dodge direct conversations. “Avoid using your device as an excuse to avoid talking to people in person.”

https://magazine.byu.edu/article/phone-smarts/

Reflect on the Meaning of His Divine Names

 

I Glory in My Jesus

By Elder Aaron T. Hall

Of the Seventy

Brothers and sisters, what names of Jesus Christ help you glory in Him? Perhaps Master, Counselor, or Friend?

When life feels infuriatingly unfair and finding the strength to glory in the Lord seems difficult, reflect on the meaning of His divine names and let Him restore peace to your soul.

Christlike Character Grows Out of a Christlike Heart

 

The Character of Christ

By President D. Todd Christofferson

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

When we consider the character of the Savior, we tend to focus immediately on His attributes, such as virtue, integrity, humility, compassion, and courage, but we should also consider, What is it in Jesus that gives rise to such character traits? I believe they are the natural fruit of the thoughts, desires, and intents of His heart. Christlike character grows out of a Christlike heart. Thus, if we are to succeed in developing a Christlike character, we must possess His motivations—His thoughts, desires, and intents of the heart. For us, it will require what the scriptures call a mighty change of heart....

The love of Christ yields character traits such as compassion, patience, a willingness to correct “when moved upon by the Holy Ghost,” and certainly a willingness to forgive....

The meek are models of self-control, using or withholding their considerable powers and gifts as is best in every situation.