"Latter Day saints need to remember that those who live now are being called upon to work out our salvation in a special time in intense and immense challenges. (During) the last portion of The Dispensation of the Fullness of Time... great tribulation and temptation will occur. The elect will almost be deceived and unrighteous people will be living much as they were in the last days of Noah. Therefore, though we have rightly applauded ancestors for their spiritual achievements and we don't and must not discount them now, those of us who prevail today will have done no small thing. The special spirits who have been reserved to live in this The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times will one day be praised for their stamina by those who pulled handcarts."
Neal A. Maxwell, Notwithstanding my Weaknesses, p. 18
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Distraction
"When things of the world crowd in, all too often the wrong things take highest priority. Then it is easy to forget the fundamental purpose of life. Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people. It is distraction. He would have good people fill life with 'good things' so there is no room for the essential ones. have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?"
Richard G. Scott
Richard G. Scott
Feelings of Confidence
"The Lord has given a commandment in our time that applies to each of us. He has said, 'Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.' And with this He has given a promise, 'Then shall they confidence wax strong in the presence of God' (D&C 121:45). I believe He is saying that if we are clean in mind and body, the time will come when we can stand confidently before the Lord.... There will be a feelings of confidence and there will also be smiles of approval.
God bless us to walk with clean hands and pure hearts and be worthy of His smile of approbation."
Gordon B. Hinckley
God bless us to walk with clean hands and pure hearts and be worthy of His smile of approbation."
Gordon B. Hinckley
Not a List of Deposits
"It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin H. Oaks
Monday, April 8, 2019
Attitude Toward Church Responsibilities
Are You Living the Gospel Half-Heartedly?
Our attitudes toward our Church responsibilities really make a difference.
“Do I have to?”
Have you ever had this thought before? It has run across my mind many times. And I’ve learned that such a seemingly insignificant thought is an important indicator of my attitude. Sure, we can all reach out and minister to others, we can accept and uphold our Church callings, and we can attend our Church meetings. Even done half-heartedly, these things can make a difference in our lives. But does it limit God’s ability to use you? Does it limit God’s ability to change you? For me, I think it does.
This idea makes me think of Laman and Lemuel, who did leave Jerusalem, who did go back for the plates, who did help build the ship, who did do a number of obedient things—but they did these things begrudgingly and half-heartedly. They didn’t allow their experiences to change them for the better. Instead, they always murmured and had rotten attitudes in every set of circumstances they found themselves in. And after realizing that, I really don’t want to be a Laman or a Lemuel.
Take a moment to really think about the reasons behind your actions. Do you reach out to others with a focus on the blessings in store for you? Or do you reach out to others because you sincerely want to share light and love with them? Do you do all that’s required for your calling because it’s what’s expected of you? Or do you do it because you want to serve the Lord and those around you?
These are the sort of questions I try to ask myself from time to time. Am I doing all I can to live like a true disciple of Christ with real intent? Or is my heart not completely in it? I think Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop, said it best: “Are we active in the gospel, or are we merely busy in the Church?” (“It Is All about People,” Ensign, May 2018, 112).
Our attitudes toward our Church responsibilities really make a difference.
“Do I have to?”
Have you ever had this thought before? It has run across my mind many times. And I’ve learned that such a seemingly insignificant thought is an important indicator of my attitude. Sure, we can all reach out and minister to others, we can accept and uphold our Church callings, and we can attend our Church meetings. Even done half-heartedly, these things can make a difference in our lives. But does it limit God’s ability to use you? Does it limit God’s ability to change you? For me, I think it does.
This idea makes me think of Laman and Lemuel, who did leave Jerusalem, who did go back for the plates, who did help build the ship, who did do a number of obedient things—but they did these things begrudgingly and half-heartedly. They didn’t allow their experiences to change them for the better. Instead, they always murmured and had rotten attitudes in every set of circumstances they found themselves in. And after realizing that, I really don’t want to be a Laman or a Lemuel.
Take a moment to really think about the reasons behind your actions. Do you reach out to others with a focus on the blessings in store for you? Or do you reach out to others because you sincerely want to share light and love with them? Do you do all that’s required for your calling because it’s what’s expected of you? Or do you do it because you want to serve the Lord and those around you?
These are the sort of questions I try to ask myself from time to time. Am I doing all I can to live like a true disciple of Christ with real intent? Or is my heart not completely in it? I think Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop, said it best: “Are we active in the gospel, or are we merely busy in the Church?” (“It Is All about People,” Ensign, May 2018, 112).
Active vs. Busy
For me, when I’m only “busy” in the Church, indifference has sneaked into my mind. This indifference can stem from a less-than-enthusiastic attitude or even from allowing less-important tasks on my schedule to interfere with the ones that really matter. This indifference sneaks in when I’m sitting in sacrament meeting and not paying attention, when I’m saying my nightly prayers and my mind starts wandering to other things, when I quickly scan my scriptures without pondering them, or when I reach out to someone just to say I did so rather than to sincerely try to befriend them.
Sometimes I even feel frustration when I don’t see any progress in my life—when I’m simply being indifferent and “busy” in the gospel—and these feelings linger until I realize what the problem is. Sometimes I have to sit back, reconnect, and ask myself, “Am I giving this calling or this person or this prayer or this scripture my full attention and heart right now?”
After some such epiphany hits me, that’s when change really happens in my life. When I truly pray to see others the way Heavenly Father sees them, when I pray for ministering opportunities, when I pray for guidance in my calling, in my career, and in my day-to-day life, and most importantly, when I act on the promptings He gives me, when my actions mirror my inner desire to become better—that is when I’m being active in the gospel. That is when I feel a true shift in my attitude, in my heart, and in my soul. That is when I see miraculous things unfold. That is when I feel true happiness enter my life. That is when I’m truly trying to change for the better.
Actions vs. Feelings
I think we can all look back at a few moments in our lives when our actions were noble, but our feelings behind them weren’t so much. Sometimes life does get busy, sometimes we aren’t always going to be completely happy in our circumstances, and sometimes things might not always work out the way we want them to. We aren’t perfect, but if we ask Heavenly Father to help us put our full heart into the sometimes tedious or time-consuming things we’re asked to do, we can learn to do them in a more Christlike way.
I can think of times when I reluctantly agreed to do a service project, only to have my heart softened and changed after the experience. Or when I got a calling and complained about it taking too much of my time, only for me to break down in bittersweet tears when I was released because I had learned to love it.
We can share light, fulfill our responsibilities, and receive answers to our prayers most effectively if our hearts are in the right place. If we take the time to analyze the attitudes and intents behind our actions and do everything we can “with a sincere heart, [and] with real intent” (Moroni 10:4), we will be able to better recognize Heavenly Father’s guidance, find greater joy, and make so much more of a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.
Proper Motivation
When we lack the proper motivation for doing spiritual things, we fail to experience the joy of the gospel. As a result, keeping the commandments starts to feel like drudgery, and Satan knows that if he can get us to feel this way, we are likely to stop doing what we know we should be doing...
It is usually little things that bring the Spirit into our lives, keep us from being deceived, and ultimately help us obtain the strength to keep the commandments and gain eternal life. The Savior taught this principle to the elders of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio: “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33).
Why are the small things so important? In the next verse, the Savior explained that “the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:34). Why did the Savior link doing small things with the heart and a willing mind? Because in consistently doing the small things, we yield our hearts and minds to God, which purifies and sanctifies us (see Helaman 3:35).
This purification and sanctification changes our very nature, little by little, so that we become more and more like the Savior. This also causes us to be more receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, which makes us less likely to be deceived.
Three Lessons on Love, Joy, and Peace
From a devotional address, “Happiness, Deceit, and Small Things,” delivered at Brigham Young University on December 5, 2017.
Mind Wandering Prayers
In a Brigham Young University Women’s Conference address, Maurine Jensen Proctor said, “Serious reflection precedes revelation.” She continued:
“Prayer and spirituality demand mental discipline and focus. Is it any wonder that this kind of prayer does not lead to revelation: ‘Dear Heavenly Father, Thank thee for … did I thaw the meat for dinner? Bless us to … I hope this won’t take long. I have so much to do. And please bless … Is the party Friday or Saturday night?’
“Distractions are the enemy of pondering and serious reflection.”
Maurine Jensen Proctor, “Serious Reflection Precedes Revelation” (Brigham Young University Women’s Conference address, May 5, 2006), churchhistorianspress.org/at-the-pulpit.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Have A Relationship With Your Father in Heaven
Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer. It is a relationship I cherish—one I would literally be lost without. If you do not now have such a relationship with your Father in Heaven, I urge you to work toward that goal. As you do so, you will be entitled to His inspiration and guidance in your life—necessities for each of us if we are to survive spiritually during our sojourn here on earth. Such inspiration and guidance are gifts He freely gives if we but seek them.
Thomas S. Monson, "Stand in Holy Places," Ensign, Nov 2011, 84.
Thomas S. Monson, "Stand in Holy Places," Ensign, Nov 2011, 84.
Addiction
“To those who are dealing with an addiction personally or within your family, I repeat, fervent prayer is key to gaining the spiritual strength to find peace and overcome an addictive craving. Heavenly Father loves all of His children, so thank Him and express sincere faith in Him. Ask Him for the strength to overcome the addiction you are experiencing. Set aside all pride and turn your life and your heart to Him. Ask to be filled with the power of Christ’s pure love. You may have to do this many times, but I testify to you that your body, mind, and spirit can be transformed, cleansed, and made whole, and you will be freed. Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John 8:12).”
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One,” Liahona and Ensign, November 2010, 110.
Earn their love
“It is our duty—I should say it is our privilege as well as our duty to take sufficient time to surround our children with safeguards and to so love them and earn their love that they will be glad to listen to our advice and counsel.”
Teachings: George Albert Smith, 228.
Teachings: George Albert Smith, 228.
Everyday Teaching
Their daughter Edith told of one occasion when her father took advantage of a teaching opportunity. She had taken the streetcar home from a piano lesson, and the conductor neglected to collect her fare. “Somehow he passed me by,” she recounted, “and I reached my destination still holding my nickel in my hand, and frankly quite elated that I had made the trip free.
“… I ran gleefully to Father to tell him about my good fortune. He listened to my story patiently. I was beginning to think I was a great success. …
“When I had finished my tale, Father said, ‘But, darling, even if the conductor doesn’t know about this, you know and I know and Heavenly Father knows. So, there are still three of us who must be satisfied in seeing that you pay in full for value received.’”
Edith returned to the street corner and paid her fare. She said later, “I am indeed thankful for a Father who was wise enough to kindly point out the error to me, because if it had been overlooked, I could have thought he approved.”
See Teachings: George Albert Smith, 235.
Natural Missionary Work
A close friend observed how President Smith exemplified “earnestness” in sharing the gospel: “On several occasions I have had the privilege of traveling on the train with President Smith. Each time I observed that as soon as the journey was well underway, he would take a few gospel tracts from his bag, put them into his pocket, and then move about among the passengers. In his friendly, agreeable manner he would soon make the acquaintance of a fellow traveler, and in a short time I would hear him relating the story of the founding of the Church by the Prophet Joseph Smith or telling of the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo and their trials and difficulties in crossing the plains to Utah or explaining some of the gospel principles to his new-found friend. Conversation after conversation would follow with one passenger after another until the journey was ended. In my entire acquaintance with President Smith, which has extended more than forty years, I have learned that wherever he is, he is first and foremost a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Preston Nibley, in Teachings: George Albert Smith, 123.
Preston Nibley, in Teachings: George Albert Smith, 123.
Everyone Will Lose Someone They Love
Trust in the Savior’s Deliverance
From a devotional address, “The Power of Deliverance,” delivered at Brigham Young University on January 15, 2008.
Life ends early for some and eventually for us all. Each of us will be tested by facing the death of someone we love.
The other day I met a man I had not seen since his wife died. It was a chance meeting in a pleasant social holiday situation. He was smiling as he approached me. Remembering his wife’s death, I phrased the common greeting very carefully: “How are you doing?”
The smile vanished, his eyes became moist, and he said quietly, with great earnestness, “I’m doing fine. But it’s very hard.”
It is very hard, as most of you have learned and all of us will sometime know. The hardest part of that test is to know what to do with the sorrow, the loneliness, and the loss that we can feel as if a part of us has been lost. Grief can persist like a chronic ache. And for some, there may be feelings of anger or injustice....
Good people around you will try to understand your grief at the passing of a loved one. They may feel grief themselves. The Savior not only understands and feels grief but also feels your personal grief that only you feel. And He knows you perfectly. He knows your heart....
There are many ways the Savior can succor those who grieve, each fitted to them. But you can be sure that He can and will do it in the way that is best for those who grieve and for those around them....
The Lord can inspire us to reach out for the power of deliverance from our grief in the way best suited to us. We can choose to serve others for the Lord. We can testify of the Savior, of His gospel, of the restoration of His Church, and of His Resurrection. We can keep His commandments.
All of those choices invite the Holy Ghost. It is the Holy Ghost who can comfort us in the way suited to our need....
humility. So the way to deliverance always requires humility in order for the Lord to be able to lead us by the hand where He wants to take us through our troubles and on to sanctification.
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