All Are Blessed By Fasting

“I bear witness of the miracles, both spiritual and temporal, that come to those who live the law of the fast. … Cherish that sacred privilege at least monthly, and be as generous as circumstances permit in your fast offering and other humanitarian, educational, and missionary contributions. I promise that God will be generous to you, and those who find relief at your hand will call your name blessed forever.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Are We Not All Beggars?” Ensign, Nov. 2014, 42.

Greater Control

“As we walk in obedience to the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “we enjoy a continual flow of blessings promised by God in His covenant with us. Those blessings provide the resources we need to act rather than simply be acted upon as we go through life. … Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create.” 

D. Todd Christofferson, "The Power of Covenants," Ensign, May 2009, 21.

Good Feelings - a paper I came across in my stash

Think about them one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one. . .IT DOES MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, especially the thought at the end.

1.      Falling in love.

2.      Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3.      A hot shower.

4.      No lines at the supermarket.

5.      A special glance.

6.      Getting mail.

7.      Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8.      Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9.      Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10.  Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

11.  Chocolate milkshake. (or vanilla or strawberry)

12.  A bubble bath.

13.  Giggling.

14.  A good conversation.

15.  The beach.

16.  Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter.

17.  Laughing at yourself.

18.  Reading a good book by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa.

19.  Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

20.  Running through sprinklers.

21.  Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

22.  Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful.

23.  Laughing at an inside joke.

24.  Friends.

25.  Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

26.  Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

27.  Your 1^st kiss (either the very 1^st or with a new partner).

28.  Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

29.  Playing with a new puppy.

30.  Having someone play with your hair.

31.  Sweet dreams.

32.  Hot chocolate.

33.  Road trips with friends.

34.  Swinging on swings.

35.  Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

36.  Making chocolate chip cookies.

37.  Having your friends send you homemade cookies.

38.  Holding hands with someone you care about.

39.  Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

40.  Watching the expression on someone’s face as they open a much desired present from you.

41.  Watching the sunrise and/or sunset.

42.  Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

43.  Knowing that somebody misses you.

44.  Getting a hug from someone your care about deeply.

45.  Knowing you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think. 

A mission to visit relatives and friends

Our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the Divine Presence messages of love, of warning, of reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh.

Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 436.

How do we obtain a testimony of Jesus Christ?

How do we obtain a testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ?

We gain a testimony of what is real as we read the word of God in the scriptures—both ancient and modern. We learn the reality of the Savior as we listen to and read the testimonies of living prophets and apostles. We find the truth as we pray “with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ” (Moroni 10:4). We discover “the right way” as we “believe in Christ, and deny him not” and as we “bow down before him, and worship him with all [our] might, mind, and strength, and [our] whole soul” (2 Nephi 25:29).

Gary E. Stevenson, "The Reality of Christmas, " Ensign, Dec 2014, 24.

When Our Baby Didn't Come...

It’s easy to culture loneliness or self-pity as you would bacteria in an isolated dish, becoming bitter toward those who have relationships you long for, but Elder Wirthlin pointed out that “those who live abundant lives … fill their hearts with love.”

Mindy Anne Leavitt, Life More Abundant, Ensign, Dec 2014, 14-15.

The Perfect Gift

Jesus the Christ, who knew perfectly how to give, set for us the pattern for giving. To those whose hearts are heavy with loneliness and sorrow, He brings compassion and comfort. To those whose bodies and minds are afflicted with illness and suffering, He brings love and healing. To those whose souls are burdened with sin, He offers hope, forgiveness, and redemption.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Fill the World with Christ's Love, Ensign, Dec 2014, 5.