Meditation

President David O. McKay called meditation "one of the . . . most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 32).

DRAWING THE SAVIOR’S POWER INTO OUR LIVES

 DRAWING THE SAVIOR’S POWER INTO OUR LIVES

 “When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.”

  President Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 42.

Do Family History if You Can't Get to the Temple

 

What the Temple Means to Me

By Lisa Prebble

Years ago a dear sister in our ward shared with me that because an endowment session took roughly two hours and because she lived so far from the temple, she had decided to commit a minimum of two hours a week to family history work. She wanted to show the Lord that she was committed to temple work, even though it was challenging for her to get to the temple. Her goal really touched me, so I set the same goal for myself.

October 2021 Liahona

Increased Opportunities for Temple Experiences

 "I Love to See the Temple" President Eyring, April 2021 General conference

"The temple is a holy place we're revelation comes to us easily if our hearts are open to it and we are worthy of it. ...

My purpose today in speaking of temples is to increase your desire and mine to be worthy and ready for the increased opportunity for temple experiences that are coming for us."

Testimonies Come When...

 "Testimonies often come when there is willingness to serve where we are called. they come when a decision is made to strive to be obedient. Testimonies come during efforts to help, lift, and strengthen others. They come from prayer and from studying the scriptures and applying them in our lives. Whatever our circumstances, there seem to be moments in each of our lives when we can be given the knowledge that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. There is no greater search in life that we can embark upon than the quest to gain a testimony of the truth." (Robert D. Hales, Ensign, Nov. 1994, pg 22). 

How to Heal From Any Struggle

 Wonderful article about the journey of healing. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/06/young-adults/how-to-heal-from-any-struggle-one-step-at-a-time?lang=eng

Empty Nesters

 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/06/together-or-apart?lang=eng

Wonderful article about being empty nesters and to keep your marriage alive. 

Blessings of the Priesthood

 “We sometimes overly associate the power of the priesthood with men in the Church. The priesthood is the power and authority of God given for the salvation and blessing of all—men, women, and children.

“A man may open the drapes so the warm sunlight comes into the room, but the man does not own the sun or the light or the warmth it brings. The blessings of the priesthood are infinitely greater than the one who is asked to administer the gift.”

—Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Power in the Priesthood,” Liahona, Nov. 2013, 92.

We Need Organized Religion

 

Get in the Lifeboat: Finding Safety in the Church

By Brother Bradley R. Wilcox

Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency

Value Organized Religion

Many people believe in God but not organized religion. They say, “I’m spiritual, not religious.” Typically that means they acknowledge God’s existence but do not want Him to ask anything of them, give them any commandments, or expect them to make any changes.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught that spirituality—an individualized experience—might be all we would need if we lived alone on mountaintops, but we live in families, communities, societies. That’s why we need religion—the group practice of spirituality.⁷

It’s easy to sit alone on a mountaintop and say, “I love everyone.” Try feeling the same way when you are late for work because the driver of the vehicle in front of you is going so slow. You want to honk and yell at the driver. In that moment, you need the norms and standards of religion to help you bring mountaintop ideals like love right down to the reality of the moment when someone is being unlovable. That is what religion helps us to do.

Some people see no need for organized religion, and yet they demand organized schools, cities, stores, airports, and hospitals. They see the benefits of going to an organized hospital, where there are rules or expectations. We see the same benefits in our organized Church.

Being part of this organized religion blesses us and those we love in every aspect of our lives. Because the Church is organized, we can care for others more effectively together than we could ever do individually. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said that partway through the world pandemic of 2020, the Church had already participated in over 1,000 humanitarian aid projects in over 150 countries. We provided food and other necessities to care for millions in need. None of us could have done that on our own, but we did it together because we have an organized religion.⁸

Society Needs To Hear from People of Faith

 

The Eternal Importance of Religious Freedom

By Michael R. Morris

Church Magazines

Elder Christofferson concurs: “Values we once shared with the great majority of our fellow citizens are now often considered outdated, naive, and sometimes even bigoted. Because a society’s deepest values drive law and public policy, and because those values in many Western nations are now almost entirely secular, government is increasingly enforcing secular values at the expense of religious ones. And society itself—even without the force of government—can ostracize, stigmatize, and discriminate against religious believers in overt and subtle ways, leaving people of faith marginalized and sometimes even despised.”⁸

Religion and Self-Governance

“One of the reasons the attack on moral and religious principles has been so successful is the reluctance of people of faith to express their views,” said Elder Cook. “Extraordinary effort will be required to protect religious liberty. Our doctrine confirms what the U.S. founding fathers and political philosophers have advocated [see Doctrine and Covenants 134:2].”¹⁵

What they have advocated, President Oaks taught, is the central role religion plays in developing self-governance: “Our society is not held together primarily by law and its enforcement, but most importantly by those who voluntarily obey the unenforceable because of their internalized norms of righteous or correct behavior. Religious belief in right and wrong is a vital influence to produce such voluntary compliance by a large number of our citizens.”

What Will Little Children Be Like When They Are Resurrected?

 

The Salvation of Little Children Who Die: What We Do and Don’t Know

By Mark A. Mathews

Seminaries and Institutes

What Will Little Children Be Like When They Are Resurrected?

President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) lost many children to early deaths. He was comforted by the doctrine that little children would be resurrected as little children and raised to maturity by their righteous parents after the Resurrection. President Smith once shared the following: “Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to the mother of a lifeless child, he said to her: ‘You will have the joy, the pleasure, and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit.’ There is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after the resurrection from death. I love this truth. It speaks volumes of happiness, of joy and gratitude to my soul. Thank the Lord he has revealed these principles to us.”²

Not only will little children reach full maturity; they will also reach full exaltation. Abinadi taught that “little children also have eternal life” (Mosiah 15:25). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “you shall have your children; for they shall have eternal life, for their debt is paid.”³

To obtain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, those who are accountable must enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1–3). Little children who die will have this opportunity in the future. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained: “The Lord will grant unto these children the privilege of all the sealing blessings which pertain to exaltation. … When they grow, after the resurrection, to the full maturity of the spirit, they will be entitled to all the blessings which they would have been entitled to had they been privileged to tarry here and receive them.”⁴

How to Heal From Any Struggle

 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/06/young-adults/how-to-heal-from-any-struggle-one-step-at-a-time?lang=eng

Young Adults

How to Heal from Any Struggle—One Step at a Time

By Liahona staff

Wonderful article about healing, and that it can take time, but the healing is always immediate. Wait upon the Lord and practice self-compassion. 

 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/06/together-or-apart?lang=eng

Together or Apart

By Rod Jeppsen

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Wonderful article about finding common ground with your spouse as you age and kids move out. 

Make Your Children Feel That You Love Them

 

Keeping Our Children Close to Our Hearts

By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Well, I have not proven to be the perfect father I vowed to be that night, but I still want to be and I am still trying. I believe this wise counsel from President Joseph F. Smith: “… If you will keep your [children] close to your heart, within the clasp of your arms; if you will make them … feel that you love them … and keep them near to you, they will not go very far from you. …”¹

… We must not pull away from our children. We must keep trying, keep reaching, keep praying, keep listening. We must keep them “within the clasp of our arms.”

Tender Mercies Among Life's Challenges

 

All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues

By Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Truly, for those with faithful hearts and eyes to see, the Lord’s tender mercies are manifest amidst life’s challenges. Faithfully met challenges and sacrifice do bring the blessings of heaven. In this mortality, we may lose or wait for some things for a time, but in the end we will find what matters most.¹ That is His promise.

Moral Virtues of Society

 

Sustainable Societies

By Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

As Elder Stephen D. Nadauld once observed, “[Alma’s] inspired decision was not to spend more time trying to make and enforce more rules to correct the behavior of his people, but to speak to them of the word of God, to teach the doctrine and have their understanding of the plan of redemption lead them to change their behavior.”²¹

There is much we can do as neighbors and fellow citizens to contribute to the sustainability and success of the societies we live in, and surely our most fundamental and enduring service will be to teach and live by the truths inherent in God’s great plan of redemption...

If enough of us and enough of our neighbors strive to make our decisions and guide our lives by the truth of God, the moral virtues needed in every society will abound.

Do Not Contend with Anger

 

Love Your Enemies

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

In a democratic government we will always have differences over proposed candidates and policies. However, as followers of Christ we must forgo the anger and hatred with which political choices are debated or denounced in many settings...

So, we are to follow the laws of men (render unto Caesar) to live peacefully under civil authority, and we follow the laws of God toward our eternal destination. But how do we do this—especially how do we learn to love our adversaries and our enemies?

The Savior’s teaching not to “contend with anger” is a good first step. The devil is the father of contention, and it is he who tempts men to contend with anger. He promotes enmity and hateful relationships among individuals and within groups. President Thomas S. Monson taught that anger is “Satan’s tool,” for “to be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice.”⁵ Anger is the way to division and enmity. We move toward loving our adversaries when we avoid anger and hostility toward those with whom we disagree. It also helps if we are even willing to learn from them.

Work in the Temple

 

Recommended to the Lord

By Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Putting off our shoes at the door of the temple is letting go of worldly desires or pleasures that distract us from spiritual growth, setting aside those things which sidetrack our precious mortality, rising above contentious behavior, and seeking time to be holy...

Our work in the temple is tied to our eternal reward.

More Unity

 

Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity

By Elder Quentin L. Cook

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

When people love God with all their hearts and righteously strive to become like Him, there is less strife and contention in society. There is more unity....

Unity is enhanced when people are treated with dignity and respect, even though they are different in outward characteristics.

Christlike Attributes

 

Becoming like Him

By Elder Scott D. Whiting

Of the Seventy

Truly, there is no other way to heal the wounds of broken relationships or of a fractured society than for each of us to more fully emulate the Prince of Peace....

We must know something of His character,⁸ and we must look for His attributes in scripture, worship services, and other holy places. As we begin to know more of Him, we will see His attributes reflected in others. This will encourage us on our own quest, for if others can attain in some measure His attributes, so can we....

Now, those of us who are brave might consider asking a trusted family member, spouse, friend, or spiritual leader what attribute of Jesus Christ we are in need of—and we may need to brace ourselves for the response! Sometimes we see ourselves with distorted fun-house mirrors that show us either much more round or much more lean than we really are.

Trusted friends and family can help us see ourselves more accurately, but even they, as loving and helpful as they would like to be, can see things imperfectly. As a result, it is vital that we also ask our loving Heavenly Father what we are in need of and where we should focus our efforts. He has a perfect view of us and will lovingly show us our weakness.¹¹ Perhaps you will learn that you need greater patience, humility, charity, love, hope, diligence, or obedience, to name a few....

Once you have made an honest assessment and resolved to start the hike up the mountain, you will need to repent....

Becoming as Jesus Christ is will require changing our hearts and minds, indeed, our very character, and doing so is possible only through the saving grace of Jesus Christ...

Now that you have resolved to change and repent and have sought guidance through praying, pondering honestly, and possibly counseling with others, you will need to select an attribute that will keenly become your focus. You will need to commit to exerting meaningful effort. These attributes won’t come cheaply and suddenly, but through His grace they will come incrementally while endeavoring.

Christlike attributes are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father to bless us and those around us. Accordingly, our efforts to obtain these attributes will require heartfelt pleas for His divine assistance. If we seek these gifts to better serve others, He will bless us in our efforts. Selfishly pursuing a gift from God will end in disappointment and frustration....

It is important for me as I strive to become like Him to record my experiences and what I am learning. As I study with one of His attributes deep in my mind, the scriptures become new as I see examples of this attribute in His teachings, His ministry, and His disciples. My eye also becomes more focused on recognizing the attribute in others. I have observed wonderful individuals both within and without the Church who have attributes that emulate Him. They are powerful examples of how those attributes can be manifest in mere mortals through His loving grace.

In order to see real progress, you will need to put in sustained effort....

In these times, when “all things [appear to] be in commotion; and … fear [is seemingly] upon all people,”¹⁷ the only antidote, the only remedy, is to strive to be like the Savior,¹⁸ the Redeemer¹⁹ of all mankind, the Light of the World,²⁰ and to seek after Him who declared, “I am the way.”

#wordoftheyear

#patience ---> kids, pandemic

#nofaultfind ----> governor, Bradley, Aang

Emergency Plans and Supplies

 

We Will Prove Them Herewith

(Abraham 3:25)

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

But periodic tests absolutely are essential to learning. An effective test helps us to compare what we need to know with what we actually know about a specific subject; it also provides a standard against which we can evaluate our learning and development.

Likewise, tests in the school of mortality are a vital element of our eternal progression. Interestingly, however, the word test is not found even one time in the scriptural text of the standard works in English. Rather, words such as prove, examine, and try are used to describe various patterns of demonstrating appropriately our spiritual knowledge about, understanding of, and devotion to our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan of happiness and our capacity to seek for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement....

The year 2020 has been marked, in part, by a global pandemic that has proved, examined, and tried us in many ways. I pray that we as individuals and families are learning the valuable lessons that only challenging experiences can teach us. I also hope that all of us will more fully acknowledge the “greatness of God” and the truth that “he shall consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain.”...

Some Church members opine that emergency plans and supplies, food storage, and 72-hour kits must not be important anymore because the Brethren have not spoken recently and extensively about these and related topics in general conference. But repeated admonitions to prepare have been proclaimed by leaders of the Church for decades. The consistency of prophetic counsel over time creates a powerful concert of clarity and a warning volume far louder than solo performances can ever produce.

Unusual Rewards

 "Unusual times can bring unusual rewards...

I pray that you will choose to lay hold upon the word of God as it is declared during this general conference."

President Nelson, October 2020 General Conference

Let Patience have her Perfect Work

 

Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!

By Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi

Of the Seventy

We found comfort in the words of Elder Neil L. Andersen in general conference the week before Chad died: “In the crucible of earthly trials, patiently move forward, and the Savior’s healing power will bring you light, understanding, peace, and hope” (“Wounded,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 85).

Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel teaches key attributes of Christ that we can emulate: “Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully” (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, rev. ed. [2019], 126).

Just as the trying of our faith works patience within us, when we exercise patience, our faith increases. As our faith increases, so does our joy....

Sometimes we get impatient when we think we are “doing everything right” and we still do not receive the blessings we desire. Enoch walked with God for 365 years before he and his people were translated. Three hundred and sixty-five years of striving to do everything right, and then it happened! (See Doctrine and Covenants 107:49.)

God Will Do Something Unimaginable

 God Will Do Something Unimaginable

By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

My message today is that even though this pandemic is not what we wanted or expected, God has prepared His children and His Church for this time.

    We will endure this, yes. But we will do more than simply grit our teeth, hold on, and wait for things to return to the old normal. We will move forward, and we will be better as a result.

    In a way, we are seeds. And for seeds to reach their potential, they must be buried before they can sprout. It is my witness that though at times we may feel buried by the trials of life or surrounded by emotional darkness, the love of God and the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring something unimaginable to spring forth....

First, the righteous are not given a free pass that allows them to avoid the valleys of shadow. We all must walk through difficult times, for it is in these times of adversity that we learn principles that fortify our characters and cause us to draw closer to God.

    

    Second, our Heavenly Father knows that we suffer, and because we are His children, He will not abandon us.

    Think of the compassionate one, the Savior, who spent so much of His life ministering to the sick, the lonely, the doubting, the despairing. Do you think He is any less concerned about you today?

    My dear friends, my beloved brothers and sisters, God will watch over and shepherd you during these times of uncertainty and fear. He knows you. He hears your pleas. He is faithful and dependable. He will fulfill His promises.

    God has something unimaginable in mind for you personally and the Church collectively—a marvelous work and a wonder....

Because this is the Church of the living Christ, and because He directs His prophets, we are moving forward and upward to places we’ve never been, to heights we can hardly imagine!

    Now, this does not mean we won’t experience turbulence in our flight through mortality. It doesn’t mean there won’t be unexpected instrument failures, mechanical malfunctions, or serious weather challenges. In fact, things might get worse before they get better....

What is needed during times of crisis is calm and clear-headed trust.

How do we do this?

We face the facts and return to the fundamentals, to the basic gospel principles, to what matters most. You strengthen your private religious behavior—like prayer and scripture study and keeping God’s commandments. You make the decisions based on best proven practices.

Focus on the things you can do and not on the things you cannot do.

You muster your faith. And you listen for the guiding word of the Lord and His prophet to lead you to safety....

Brothers and sisters, with Christ at the helm, things will not only be all right; they will be unimaginable....

As an Apostle of the Lord, I invite and bless you to “cheerfully do all things that lie in [your] power; and then may [you] stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”¹¹ And I promise that the Lord will cause unimaginable things to come from your righteous labors. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Family Media Plan

 “I recently spoke with a youth leader whose opinion was that ‘putting a cell phone with an internet connection into the pocket of a young person is like placing a hot coal in their pocket—they will get burned,’” said Sister Jones. She suggested that every phone have safeguards, even those that belong to teens and adults.⁴

Experts recommend creating a family media plan and setting standards and boundaries together. This could include:

• Establishing set times for use of technology.

• Limiting online contacts to family and close friends.

• Establishing technology-free zones, like bedrooms.

• Establishing a designated media room in a high-traffic area.

• Creating a charging station where digital devices are left at night.

• Blocking inappropriate applications and websites through filters and safe-mode settings.

• Following family members on social media.

• Deciding the types and ratings of video games to be allowed.

• Discussing how to respond to cyberbullying or inappropriate images or texts.

• Setting consequences for the breaking of family standards.⁵

Regarding rules, Elder Bednar said: “Be careful to not regiment excessively the use of technology or proliferate endless rules and restrictions. Desired attitudes and righteous behavior cannot flourish in the soil of constantly constraining control and coercion. Your love, patience, teaching, and ministering will provide vital spiritual support as [children] press forward on the strait and narrow path.”...

• “Use a computer, mobile device, or phone for specific purposes. Decide beforehand what you intend to do and how much time you will spend. Experience shows that people are more likely to encounter inappropriate content on the internet when they are casually surfing the web without a specific purpose in mind.

• “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.

• “Select a background screen image that reminds you of your commitment to follow Jesus Christ.”⁹

Join the Battle

A few years ago, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles made this observation (especially poignant in light of COVID-19): “If this moral plague [of pornography] could catch our imagination the way a medical epidemic does, we would be calling out every available member of the health care industry, every doctor and nurse and technician and orderly; we would have the attention of every father and mother, every grandparent and aunt and uncle asking what they could do; we would see educators and businessmen, lawyers and scientists, PTA organizations and welfare agencies lining up to send out flyers, to flood the airwaves, to give immunization shots. … Yes, this ought to be seen like a public health crisis; like an infectious, fatal epidemic.”

Making Our Homes Media Safe

By Michael R. Morris

Church Magazines