"As we set aside time to truly come to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we will be better able to become more like Them. And doing so will also help us find meaning and purpose as we go throughout life."
Mindy Selu, "The Lord's Charge to "Seek Learning," " Liahona, February 2022, pg 28.
"Our loving Father knew that our difficult days would refine us and cause us to turn to Him for divine correction, direction, and connection..."
"The reason why there is peace on the covenant path is that this strait and narrow path leads directly to the Prince of Peace."
"The pressures and challenges in our day can feel extraordinary and suffocating. Unless balanced with faith, stress and worry can narrow our perspective to focus on ourselves - a focus that is self-absorbed, fearful, and despairing, leaving us feeling even more overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed.
"We may also be tempted to compare our circumstances with those of others who appear to be trouble-free. But this kind of comparison robs us of joy, while gratitude enhances it...."
"We must recognize and remember the good in our lives. Countless studies have shown the power of gratitude for our hearts and minds, from improving mood and optimism to reducing anxiety and aches and pains. Gratitude allows celebration of the present, blocks toxic emotions, and strengthens social connections..."
"Both Nephi and the brother of Jared relied on the resources that we "prepared of the Lord". From fruit, seeds, trees, and wild honey to ore and 16 stones, God provided resources for His people to use when they experienced challenges in their journeys. What resources has God provided for you to lighten the load in your journey?..."
"Heavenly Father has promised that if we will not harden our hearts against Him during our trials, we will be both converted and healed."
David Schramm, "Becoming Better without Becoming Bitter," Liahona, February 2022, pg 3, 17-18.
"I've known a few prophets. You'll hear them criticized and attacked, and people will sometimes talk about their failures or their weaknesses, because they're not perfect. But I'll tell you this: Each time I'm with any of those whom you sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators, I'm struck with how the atonement of Jesus Christ has worked in their lives. There is a kindness, a desire to give their all and to do what the Lord would want, to bless and help and care about people that is beyond what they could have done by just wanting to change or resolving to change. The Atonement is real, it works in people's lives, and you don't have to be an Apostle or a prophet to have it work. If you will begin to do the things he would have you do, you really will find that your desire to do evil will decrease. I testify that you don't need to be afraid or discouraged. The Atonement is real. As you steadily do the things the Lord would have you do, a change will occur in you, and Satan's ability to lead you into the things that will destroy you and bring misery to you will become lessened."
"What are some things you could do to have a soft heart? First of all, don't think of repentance as something you do after you've made a very serious mistake. Think of repentance as what you do every day. Find a moment each day to review in your mind those things that might have disappointed your Heavenly Father and your Savior, and then go and humbly plead for forgiveness. I would suggest that you do that especially on Sundays when you take the sacrament. Submit yourself to the sacramental ordinance. Don't simply be there, but say to yourself, "I really want to renew my covenants, and I need to have the Lord's forgiveness. Plead with him for his forgiveness. If you'll do that, you'll find that sacrament meetings will take on a greater meaning to you than you've known in the past. You'll come away refreshed and strengthened."
Henry B. Eyring, From a talk give at a Ricks College Devotional, 21 September 1993.
"[My father] was suffering through the end of a long struggle with bone cancer. He still weighed enough and was in such pain that it was hard work to move him from a chair to his bed. Others far more heroic than spent the months and the days caring for him. But I took some turns on the midnight-to-dawn shift....
"One night when I was not with him and the pain seemed more than he could bear, he somehow got out of bed and on his knees beside it -I know not how. He pled with God to know why he was suffering so. And the next morning he said, with quiet firmness, "I know why now. God needs brave sons." "
Henry B. Eyring, BYU Devotional, 18 November 1986
By President Mark L. Pace
Sunday School General President
I’d like to share a story about how a single verse from the Old Testament has influenced me throughout my life.
In 1974, I was 17. I was enjoying life as a junior in high school. I was looking forward to my mission. In the October 1974 Ensign magazine, I read a powerful message from President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) titled “When the World Will Be Converted.”1 I have read it many times since. To this day it inspires me.
President Kimball presented a sweeping global perspective of the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this dispensation. He taught of our opportunity and responsibility to take the gospel to all the world. President Kimball quoted a verse from the book of Genesis. It inspired me then and it has continued to inspire me throughout my life: “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14, which is scheduled for study in February).
Abraham on the Plains of Mamre, by Grant Romney Clawson
President Kimball reviewed the story of Abraham and Sarah. Sarah laughed at the Lord’s promise that she and Abraham would have a son. They had not been blessed with children. They were now, respectively, 90 and 100 years old. They were well beyond the childbearing years.
“And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh … ?”
“Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:13–14).
Abraham and Sarah exercised faith. The Lord kept His promise. Isaac was born. Abraham became the father of nations.
“Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” This Old Testament scripture has strengthened me when I have faced life’s challenges or worries:
As a new missionary when I felt overwhelmed. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
After my mission, when Anne Marie and I were considering marriage and were nervous about how to pay for food, rent, and college tuition. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
As newlyweds, welcoming children and realizing the financial pressures of life. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
Facing the challenges of graduate school, a growing family, and starting a career. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
When I was president of the Spain Barcelona Mission, Anne Marie and I repeatedly referred to this scripture when teaching missionaries. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” Letters to our missionaries frequently included a reference to “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
“Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.”
Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 41.
April 2017 General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2022/01/making-ministering-meaningful?lang=eng
Liahona, Jan 2022, pg 20
In the end, I realized my efforts were worth it. With my ministering sister’s help, I was able to do something. Whether or not that something meant anything to anyone else, it made a difference to me. Though it didn’t directly benefit my family or heal my body, it helped heal my heart.
EmRee Pugmire
#Kassie
