If Our Faith in Jesus Christ Becomes Casual

 

Bonded to Jesus Christ: Becoming the Salt of the Earth

By Elder José A. Teixeira

Of the Presidency of the Seventy

Like salt can lose its essence, we can also lose our spiritual vitality if our faith in Jesus Christ becomes casual. We may look the same on the outside, but without a strong inner faith, we lose our ability to make a difference in the world and bring out the best in those around us...

When our lives are filled with purpose and service, we avoid spiritual apathy; on the other hand, when our lives are deprived of divine purpose, meaningful service to others, and sacred opportunities for pondering and reflection, we gradually become suffocated by our own activity and self-interest, risking losing our savor. The antidote to this is to continue to be involved in service—being anxiously engaged in good works and the betterment of ourselves and the society we live in....

And finally, using digital communication tools with purpose. Today, digital communication tools allow us to connect as never before. Like most of you, I use these tools to connect with brothers and sisters in the Church and with my family and friends. As I connect with them, I feel closer to them; we can minister to each other in times of need when we cannot be physically present. These tools are undoubtedly a blessing, yet these very same tools can drag us away from the depth of meaningful interactions and eventually cause us to be pulled into habits that waste our time in less purposeful activities. Striving to be the salt of the earth includes so much more than an endless scrolling of reels on a six-inch (15 cm) screen.

Rebellion Can Be Active or Passive

 

Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion

By Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

We might ask ourselves what we could do to follow this pattern, to “lay down the weapons of [our] rebellion,” whatever they may be, and become so “converted [to] the Lord” that the stain of sin and the desire for sin are taken from our hearts and we never will fall away.

Rebellion can be active or passive....

Perhaps the more insidious form of rebellion against God, however, is the passive version—ignoring His will in our lives. Many who would never consider active rebellion may still oppose the will and word of God by pursuing their own path without regard to divine direction. I am reminded of the song made famous years ago by singer Frank Sinatra with the climactic line “I did it my way.” Certainly in life there is plenty of room for personal preference and individual choice, but when it comes to matters of salvation and eternal life, our theme song ought to be “I did it God’s way,” because truly there is no other way....

I believe it pleases our Creator when we do our best to care for His wonderful gift of a physical body. It would be a mark of rebellion to deface or defile one’s body, or abuse it, or fail to do what one can to pursue a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, vanity and becoming consumed with one’s physique, appearance, or dress can be a form of rebellion at the other extreme, leading one to worship God’s gift instead of God.

In the end, burying our weapons of rebellion against God simply means yielding to the enticing of the Holy Spirit, putting off the natural man, and becoming “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.” It means putting the first commandment first in our lives. It means letting God prevail. If our love of God and our determination to serve Him with all our might, mind, and strength become the touchstone by which we judge all things and make all our decisions, we will have buried our weapons of rebellion. By the grace of Christ, God will forgive our sins and rebellions of the past and will take away the stain of those sins and rebellions from our hearts. In time, He will even take away any desire for evil, as He did with those Lamanite converts of the past. Thereafter, we too “never [will] fall away.”

Burying our weapons of rebellion leads to a unique joy....

May we bury—very, very deep—any element of rebellion against God in our lives and replace it with a willing heart and a willing mind.

Do You Love Him More Than Things Of This World?

 

“Lovest Thou Me More Than These?”

By President M. Russell Ballard

Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Do you wonder what Jesus was referring to when He asked Peter, “Lovest thou me more than these?”

Relating this question to ourselves in our day, the Lord may be asking us about how busy we are and about the many positive and negative influences competing for our attention and our time. He may be asking each of us if we love Him more than the things of this world. This may be a question about what we really value in life, who we follow, and how we view our relationships with family members and neighbors. Or maybe He is asking what really brings us joy and happiness...

How would we answer the question “Lovest thou me more than these?”..

At my age, I have attended many funerals. I am sure many of you have noticed what I have noticed. When celebrating the life of a deceased family member or a friend, it is rare for the speaker to talk about the size of the person’s home, the number of cars, or the bank account balances. They usually don’t speak about social media posts. At most of the funerals that I have attended, they focus on their loved one’s relationships, service to others, life lessons and experiences, and their love for Jesus Christ.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that having a nice home or a nice car is wrong or that using social media is bad. What I am saying is that in the end, those things matter very little compared to loving the Savior.

When we love and follow Him, we have faith in Him. We repent. We follow His example and are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. We endure to the end and stay on the covenant path. We forgive family members and neighbors by letting go of grudges we may be holding. We earnestly strive to keep God’s commandments. We strive to be obedient. We make and keep covenants. We honor our fathers and mothers. We set aside negative worldly influences. We prepare ourselves for His Second Coming....

As we focus on loving our neighbors as He loves them, we start to truly love those around us.

I ask again, how would you respond to the Savior’s question “Lovest thou me more than these?”

As you consider this question, as I have done, I pray that you may answer as Peter did so long ago, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee,” and then show it by loving and serving God and all those around you.

*Aang Christmas morning*

Forgo Contention

 

Following Christ

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

What should followers of Christ teach and do in this time of toxic communications? What were His teachings and examples?

It is significant that among the first principles Jesus taught when He appeared to the Nephites was to avoid contention. While He taught this in the context of disputes over religious doctrine, the reasons He gave clearly apply to communications and relationships in politics, public policy, and family relationships....

Peacemakers! How it would change personal relationships if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications....

Potential adversaries should begin their discussions by identifying common ground on which all agree....

As followers of Christ, we teach and testify of Jesus Christ, our Perfect Role Model. So let us follow Him by forgoing contention. As we pursue our preferred policies in public actions, let us qualify for His blessings by using the language and methods of peacemakers. In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful. Let us seek to be holy, like our Savior,

How Do You React to Your Afflictions?

 

Favored of the Lord in All My Days

By Elder Moisés Villanueva

Of the Seventy

"My dear brothers and sisters, how do we react to our afflictions? Do we murmur before the Lord because of them? Or, like Nephi and my former missionary friend, do we feel thankful in word, thought, and deed because we are more focused on our blessings than on our problems?...

Jesus Christ showed us that during times of trial and adversity, we can recognize the difficulties of others. Moved with compassion, we can reach out and lift them. And as we do so, we are also lifted by our Christlike service."

........................

Aang not wanting us there on Christmas 2023 :(

Your Spiritual Abilities are Unique

 

God Loves All His Children

By Elder Gregorio E. Casillas

Of the Seventy

One of the greatest reasons your Heavenly Father sent you here at this time is so that you can realize your full potential. Preach My Gospel teaches us that as disciples of Christ, we should avoid comparing ourselves to one another. Your spiritual abilities are unique, personal, and innate, and your Heavenly Father wants to help you develop them. There will always be someone you can help feel the love of your Heavenly Father. Your potential is divine. While it’s certainly important to prepare yourself to succeed in this very competitive world, one of your crucial missions throughout your life is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and to follow the impressions of the Spirit. As you do this, God will bless your life; He will bless your current or future family; and He will bless the lives of His children who you encounter....

If we can help lighten their burdens, even if only for a moment, then we will be able to see the great manifestations of the Savior’s power in their lives....

Let us be good neighbors, good employers, good workers. Let us strive to be good Christians at all times....

Whenever we seek to bless the lives of others, the Lord takes mercy upon us even more; He strengthens us and helps us in our lives....

He has the power to bless you in everything if you believe in Him and do not doubt.

When We Find it Difficult to Understand God's Will

 

Trusting Our Father

By Elder David P. Homer

Of the Seventy

When we don’t understand, we can pause, let our feelings settle, and then choose how to respond. The Savior urged us to “look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” When we focus on the Savior, our faith can start to overcome our concerns....

When we find it difficult to understand or embrace God’s will, it is comforting to remember that He loves us as we are, wherever we are. And He has something better for us. If we reach out to Him, He will assist us.

While reaching out to Him can be difficult, just as the father who sought healing for his son was told by the Savior, “All things are possible to him that believeth.” In our moments of struggle, we too can cry out, “Help thou [my] unbelief.”...

The choice to submit our will to God’s is an act of faith that lies at the heart of our discipleship. In making that choice, we discover that our agency is not diminished; rather, it is magnified and rewarded by the presence of the Holy Ghost, who brings purpose, joy, peace, and hope we can find nowhere else.