tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23126806122625383592024-03-13T13:18:34.365-04:00Mormon Mommy BlogsMormon Mommy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428665204107871890noreply@blogger.comBlogger2428125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-85660291839663074602016-08-31T04:34:00.000-04:002016-08-31T04:34:00.174-04:00Dear Jane Book Review<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Jane-Rachel-Ward/dp/1462118933/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1472328568&sr=8-3&keywords=dear+jane&linkCode=ll1&tag=melibast-20&linkId=3441af8be141c719aef2e81aa06de8de" target="_blank">"Dear Jane"</a> by Rachel Ward is an excellent read. While I'm generally not a huge fan of LDS romance books, this one breaks the mold by being very real, very charming, and very endearing. It goes beyond the fluff of a lot of romance books as the characters grow through experience and end up as better, but not perfect, people. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnewOMiy3s0/V8Hz1H5rpwI/AAAAAAAAJ48/7UeokoZt5gww91Gvv35CIENNcCLTm1KSwCEw/s1600/dear%2Bjane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnewOMiy3s0/V8Hz1H5rpwI/AAAAAAAAJ48/7UeokoZt5gww91Gvv35CIENNcCLTm1KSwCEw/s400/dear%2Bjane.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="text-align: center;">The book begins a few months after Quinn returns from a mission. During her mission she thought she had life figured out. She felt like she had a firm grasp on how things worked and even had a solid plan for when she returned. Then 3 months before she came home she received a Dear Jane letter and her picture perfect view started imploding. Once she got home things really started changing.<br />
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Quinn experiences some very real, very eye opening family moments. She learns the details of her brother's quick marriage and impending divorce, and through the death of an aunt she discovers that just because you go to church and seem like you have a happy and full life doesn't mean there aren't very serious problems still to be dealt with - real life is hard.<br />
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And there is, of course, romance in this book. There's the tall, handsome, and sort of jerky Nick who Quinn knew as a missionary and is surprised to find herself closely working with at her new job. And then there's Josh, the gorgeous athletic author of the Dear Jane letter who shows up begging for forgiveness. As Quinn gets to know Nick (who's actually not a jerk at all), Josh (who fits into that perfect pre-mission plan), and herself (who might be more changed than she realizes) she realizes what and who it is she wants.<br />
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If you're looking for something amazing to read that will leave you feeling satisfied at the end, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Jane-Rachel-Ward/dp/1462118933/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1472328568&sr=8-3&keywords=dear+jane&linkCode=ll1&tag=melibast-20&linkId=3441af8be141c719aef2e81aa06de8de" target="_blank">"Dear Jane"</a> is definitely for you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">MMB was given a copy of this book to review, but the opinions are all ours.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-91992984625923234352014-10-06T18:46:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:07:33.974-04:00RS Lesson Prep: #19 - In the World but Not of the World<div style="text-align: center;">
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While we are in the world, we are not of the world. We are expected to overcome the world and to live as becometh saints.”</blockquote>
Many years ago I wrote a poem about a candle. I was trying to go to sleep and thought that the brightness of the candle would make it impossible for me to get to sleep with that light in my eyes. It was then I realized that in the glare of daylight the brightness of that same candle would be almost completely eclipsed. I have included it below. (And no, I am not a poet!)
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<em>I am but a candle,</em>
<em> Nigh unto invisible in the daylight under the sun,</em>
<em> But in the darkness, a guiding light</em>
<em> For those who seek truth, wisdom,</em>
<em> And a brighter hope of things to come.</em></blockquote>
Joseph Fielding Smith encouraged the members of the Church to live a better life than that offered by the world. The world is mired in so many vices that ultimately bring unhappiness and despair. The light of the gospel brings joy, and this is what we are to walk by, the light or example of Christ and each other as we live a higher law than what the rest of the world lives. Yes, we are in the world, we cannot be anywhere else, but we should not be of or partaking of the things of this world. I have taken the analogy of the candle poem and expanded it to fit this lesson.
Consider for a moment a world cast in darkness. People have no vision because their sight is limited to their hands in front of their faces. They try to find truth and their way through life, but only know what their other physical senses can reveal to them. They are comfortable in this world, because it is all they know.
One day the Savior comes to them, offering them the light of noon day. Some bask in the light, see life for what it is, understand the way, and follow after him to stay in the light. Others, offended by that much light, angrily seek the darkness they have always found such comfort in. They resent the light and what it represents.
When the Savior left, He left the world in darkness, except for those who had begun to follow what he taught. Some of His light was reflected through them to help them see a little way ahead of them, to help them better make their way through life. It was as though a candle had popped up over their heads and now gave light to all within their homes. Everywhere His disciples went, their light went with them, shining as an example of what was possible by following Christ. The more a person followed the Savior and kept His commandments, the brighter his candle shown, and the further off he could see and the more he could understand of the world around him.
The savior told His disciples that a candle set on a hill could not be hid. We are to let our lights so shine that we give light to all that are within the house. We are not to try to hide the light under a bushel, but put it up for all to see.
Imagine a dark world with millions of candles burning brightly for all to see. Everywhere there are candles there is vision and a better perspective. The Lord does not want us to live and be of the world, walking in darkness and adhering to their standards. He has given us a glimmer of light to show us how to live better than that. The light we receive, the truths we live by shine as an example to all those we come in contact with. Some will be drawn to the light, while others will be offended by it and will resent you for having it and disrupting their perspective of life. We are in the world, as examples of a Christ-centered life, but we are not to be of the world, focused on ourselves and the physical pleasures of the world.
It is true that our light is nothing compared to the light of the Savior, but in a world of darkness, even the dimmest of lights can hurt the eyes. The more we keep the commandments, the more we learn to live by the example of our master, the brighter our light, our example will shine to those who walk in darkness. Those who live by the light can see the path we need to walk.
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<h3>
Keeping the commandments</h3>
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The Sabbath</h4>
When the Lord tells us to rest from our labors on His holy day, the Sabbath, the word rest does not mean to nap. When we rest from our labors we are only turning our attention from the labors of the week and, instead, laboring for the Lord on that day. This is a day of service and focus on things that are of a godly nature, instead of a worldly nature.
What activities are counted as good to do on the Sabbath? Well, we attend our Church services, serve in our ward, branch, or stake callings. We visit our neighbors and strengthen relationships, we spend time with family to draw closer together on the one day we are not pulled apart by the cares of the world. We do genealogy work to further the work of helping our ancestors find salvation they did not get while in mortality. We read the scriptures, listen to conference talks, write in journals for posterity, pray, and do all things we can think of to further the Lord’s work.
The promise of the Sabbath is that when we focus on the Lord one day in seven, our minds will be invigorated for the rest of the week. We will find hidden treasures of knowledge, or in other words, spiritual insights. We will be refreshed and able to tackle the labors of the world better than if we had not kept the Sabbath day holy.
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The Word of Wisdom</h4>
This is a simple law, a basic law.
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<em>If we sincerely follow what is written with the aid of the Spirit of the Lord, we need no further counsel.”</em></blockquote>
Perhaps what some of us need is more of the Spirit to help us understand how to live this law. If you have to justify what you are doing then you are probably not living the law correctly. Any time we find ourselves having to make excuses or explain why we permit a behavior that is questionable, we have reached the edge of what is acceptable and should probably back up and re-evaluate what we are doing.
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Conclusion</h3>
The world does not have the capacity or capability to offer us anything that is of lasting value. The purpose of the commandments is to offer us blessings that are of eternal significance and of enduring value forever. Christ’s life is centered on eternity, versus the world’s life which is centered on a mere 60+ years of mistakes and misery. Mortality cannot offer us anything that is of greater value than what Christ offers us. Individually our light might be very dim indeed, but collectively there is power unimaginable. Seek the company of those who are also reflecting the light and truths of Christ, who are living good examples, and are receiving the blessings of eternity. In this there is strength. In this there is safety.
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<em>- - - - - </em></div>
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<em>To read the full lesson, click here: <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-19-in-the-world-but-not-of-the-world?lang=eng" target="_blank">Teaching of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith: Chapter 19, In the World but Not of the World</a></em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-80303430594185364042014-09-17T18:34:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:02:53.641-04:00Pay Attention to the Details<br />
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It was the fifth inning in the last game of the season. The coach pitched the ball. The batter hit it into the air. The ball bounced into the right fielder's mitt, and he threw it back to first. The first baseman stood ready, glove in the air, one foot on the base, and looking--where? At the ground, or into the other team's dugout, maybe. She definitely did not have her eye on the ball. She could have caught it and made an easy out, but instead the ball bounced off her side, and the batter arrived on base while she scrambled to pick it up. She has good skills, but she was not paying the attention necessary for success in her position.<br />
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Whatever we are trying to accomplish in life, we will be more successful if we pay attention to the right things. Here are a few ways that small investments of attention can make us more successful Mormon Mommy Bloggers.<br />
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As Bloggers, words are the tools we use to convey our messages. Like with any tool, if we know how to use words correctly, we'll be able to build the impression we want to create. If we're careless, someone might get hurt. We all know that a hasty rant or cutting comment can damage a reputation. Sometimes we need to slow down and really think about what we want to say. How we say it is important, too. Spelling and grammar count. See, if you use good grammar and spell your words accurately, no one will notice. They'll just understand what you want to say. But typos, grammar slips, and spelling disasters can be distracting, and possibly misleading.<br />
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Say I'm sharing a recipe with the world. I've worked hard to perfect it, my family loves it, and my friends have asked for it. How much difference is there between "Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes" and "Bake at 550 degrees for 50 minutes" ? Just a few keystrokes, right? And some burned brownies. Unhappy bakers. Readers losing trust in me. Whether our message is a craft tutorial, political opinion, something funny the kids said, or our testimony, it will shine through if we write it well. Let's review, proofread, and pay attention before we publish!<br />
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As Mommies (and Daddies, and other caring Adults), we have many responsibilities. So many that sometimes we try to accomplish several at the same time. Yes, I can cook dinner, run the dishwasher, and hold a conversation at the same time. But I can't pay equal attention to everything. Sometimes I think I'm listening to my child, but find myself planning something else. Pretty soon I don't really know what he is saying. Hearing is not listening. The difference is attention. Sometimes I need to pause a conversation to concentrate on the next step in the recipe. Probably more often, I need to pause my reading to really communicate with my family. Our children will not always be small and confiding. Let's pay attention to them now, before it's too late.<br />
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As Mormons, we have some pretty clear behavioral expectations. We go to church, visit teach, go to the temple. And we'll get the most out of these opportunities if we're paying attention. For example, I like to begin my day by meditating on the words of the prophets. Sounds good, right? In practice, it goes something like this: after I've pried the high school student out of bed and sent him and his Dad off to early-morning Seminary; after I've woken the junior high student, sat by him while he eats breakfast, and made sure he has what he needs for lunch; and before I wake the elementary students, I sit down on the comfortable couch with a blanket and the Conference issue of the Ensign or the Relief Society lesson manual. I read a few paragraphs in the dark, quiet morning. And soon this peaceful feeling comes over me, and my eyes begin to close. I may struggle to read the same paragraph several times, and not remember a thing it says. Or I may just take a nap. It's a comforting ritual, but not the most effective way to study the doctrines of the gospel. I really ought to pay more attention.<br />
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As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have access to true doctrine, amazing revelations, and personal messages from the Holy Ghost. As family members, we have the opportunity to teach and learn from children of God. As bloggers, we can communicate with people all over the world. Let's pay more attention where it counts. We can't afford not to.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-5265335790996745572014-09-15T18:31:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:03:17.791-04:00RS Lesson Prep: #18 - Living by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God
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What exactly does it mean to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God? What does it mean to be justified? These are important concepts to understand if we are to learn how to live by every word of God.
D&C 88:36- 39 teaches us that there is no space where there is no kingdom, and there is no kingdom without laws and conditions to govern that kingdom. In other words, we can’t go anywhere in the universe without already being in a place that our Father in Heaven set up a kingdom and is governing it by laws and conditions. Verse 39 says,
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<em>All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.</em></blockquote>
To be justified means we live in agreement with the laws of the kingdom we are in. This means we cannot be condemned for breaking the laws, for we are living within them. Keeping the commandments (the laws of God) justify us in His eyes, so we stand blameless before Him. The name of the set of laws we live under in mortality is called the gospel of Christ. The gospel contains the complete set of laws under which we will be governed and judged. As long as we live by those laws we are blameless or justified.
It is important to understand that the laws under which we live are not in place because they are to keep us in line. These are the same kinds of laws God lives by. These laws produce happiness as their byproduct. He wants us to live the gospel to its fullest because then and only then will we experience joy in its fullest sense. By learning to keep the commandments we come to understand that we need to obey them not out of fear, but out of love, because keeping them makes us happy. Keeping the commandments becomes the outward expression of our inward love of God.
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<h3>
Turning From the Lord</h3>
As long as we follow Christ and obey His commandments we are blessed with all the help and support the laws of the gospel allow. It is when we turn away from following Christ and do as we want instead of as He wishes that we no longer have claim upon His blessings. Remember that the law states that only those who are justified have claim upon the blessings of the law. Those who have broken the laws have no promise, for those who break the laws are under condemnation from the law. Unless that person repents and conforms to the law, the end result will be punishment by the laws we have broken. Fortunately for us the Lord delays punishing us as long as possible, giving us the maximum amount of time to repent so he doesn't have to punish us.
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<em>It is necessary for us to walk in the full light of the truth, not in part of the truth only. I haven’t the privilege of discarding some of the principles of the gospel and believing others, and then feel that I am entitled to the full blessings of salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God. If we want exaltation, if we want the place which the Lord has prepared for those who are just and true, then we must be willing to walk in the full light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and keep all the commandments. We cannot say that some of them are small and insignificant and therefore the Lord will not care if we violate them.</em></blockquote>
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Be Perfect</h3>
The Lord has commanded that we become perfect as He is perfect. This is not something that can be accomplished in this lifetime, but we do lay the groundwork in this life. We become perfect by practicing all the virtues of godliness each day. We learn patience, long suffering, charity, forgiveness, faith, and so forth. These all take a lot of practice and many years to master. All we are expected to do is be better today than we were yesterday. If we are not, are we repenting and trying again to be better?
This all assumes we are aware of our short comings and our weaknesses. This assumes we are seeking the Lord’s help in overcoming those things which hold us back and prevent us from receiving the full blessings of the gospel.
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<em>No commandment, at any time, has He given us, that was not for our comfort and blessing. They are not given merely to please the Lord, but to make us better men and women, and worthy of salvation and exaltation in His kingdom.</em></blockquote>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
We are all seeking to be protected from the evils of this world. That protection is had at the cost of obedience to the commandments. The protection Christ offers us is the strength to know evil when we cross its path, the ability to discern it, the power to withstand it, and the joy and comfort that comes from being true to our commitments. In the process of being true, we develop honesty and integrity, the Spirit teaches us godly ways of being, and we become not just more like Christ, but closer to Him because we begin to feel as He feels and to act as He acts. This is what it means to have His image in our countenance. It all starts with the choice to obey.
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<em>To read the full lesson, click here: <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-18-living-by-every-word-that-proceeds-from-the-mouth-of-god?lang=eng" target="_blank">Teaching of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, Chapter 18: Living by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God</a></em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-4115324125858228252014-09-10T18:30:00.000-04:002015-10-24T18:31:02.925-04:00Action Not Reaction: Choosing to Parent Consciously <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ptLQs0dqWKk/Ux6MoBHGh7I/AAAAAAAANnY/tu7U8wjpGFY/s1600/DSC_0524a.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ptLQs0dqWKk/Ux6MoBHGh7I/AAAAAAAANnY/tu7U8wjpGFY/s1600/DSC_0524a.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>My husband is out of town... again.
The house looks like it has been cleaned by a two-year old, the kids are home from school, and the crazy is in full swing.
I jump between the three older kids and help them with their homework while trying to keep the two younger girls from killing each other over the kindle. The baby, who has discovered how much he likes to be held while I'm trying to do things, refuses to be set down without letting me know how much he doesn't care for that plan.
Sign a little something here. Time a little something there. Plead with a child to stay put and, for the love of all that is holy, finish up their homework so we can both go do something else! Get stumped on <em>other</em> homework, call my mom, consult google and... finished!
(I would never last on the <i>"Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader" </i>show.)
Five o'clock and the kids are hungry. They raid the fridge and scarf down a package of hot dogs. I kick them out of the kitchen saying that the next person to sneak something doesn't get dinner!
Which is when I realize that I have to make dinner.
I bust out the dino-chicken nuggets and some salad.
At least they like salad.
I survive dinner while doing some wicked multitasking that involves rocking the baby in his seat with my foot, getting up and down from the table a thousand times for refills, getting more ketchup, grating more cheese, cleaning up spills, and trying to convince the toddler to actually eat her dinner. Between it all, I am shoveling food into my mouth as fast as I can so that I can actually have a bite to eat.
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Tonight is supposed to be our family service night. I have a rare moment of brilliancy and I tell the kids that we will be preforming a service project for their dad! By cleaning the house! Yes, I know he's not even here!
Realizing it is already seven o'clock, I tell them we only have thirty minutes to work so that we still have time for treats.
It's funny how the kids are far more willing to do the work when I put on a timer.
Thirty minutes are up and you can at least see the living room floor and there will indeed be clean spoons (and underwear) for tomorrow.
Now the baby is hungry and the kids are wanting their promised treats.
I tell them to all get ready for bed and in their jammies while I feed the baby.
Finally, I melt down a bag of chocolate and slice up a carton of strawberries.
Getting each child a fork, I dip a piece of strawberry into the chocolate and hand it to the first child. A round of this makes one thing clear... these treats were a really bad idea.
Chocolate is everywhere! On faces, on pajamas, on the table, on the floor. I begin to get upset, then I remember that this was my bright idea.
Finally, blessedly, the strawberries are gone. One by one, I send the children to wash their hands and faces, and then to brush their teeth.
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I take a few minutes to go through the daily routine of removing the baby's helmet, wiping it out and then washing his hair.
He smiles at me.
Then drools on me.
I can't help it, I laugh.
Turning my attention back to the other children, I become frustrated. Some still haven't brushed their teeth, others are fighting, one wants new pajamas, and one soaked their hair instead of washing their face. My stress always seems to escalate before bedtime.
I start to get loud and more forceful with my words. Calm mommy has gone.
The baby is crying... again. The girls are fighting... again. The boys are running around karate chopping everything... again. The oldest is calmly reading a book ignoring everything that is going on around her... again.
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Between all the noise, I feel the boiling anger and frustration in my chest. I sense the urge to shout, to yell, to cry all at once.
And that's when I quite literally take a step back. I inhale a deep breath, and tell myself to act and not react. I have been making a serious effort to be more conscious in my parenting, to relax in the heat of the moment, and to be okay when everything is thrown off schedule for a bit.
Who cares if they to go bed a few minutes late? Is it really worth getting upset?
Saying a quick prayer, I step back into the fray.
This time, in control of myself.
Now I am not bothered by the craziness. I calm down the baby, break up the fighting and quietly stop the boys, asking them to settle down.
It takes a little while but eventually we are all calm enough for family prayer.
Savannah prays. I can't help but smile when she prays for the poor, and roll my eyes under my closed lids as she prays that "<i>we kids can all be kind to one another".</i>
Shooing them all off to bed is put on hold as they all insist on kissing and hugging both me and the baby.
After hunting down lost blankets and sippy cups, they are all in their beds.
Before I can shut the doors I hear the expected call for a story and song.
Claira, like always, sets the precedence for what the story should be about and who needs to be in it.
Right now it's Claira, Alayna, Savannah, Joseph, Jacob, Scooby Doo, Shaggy, Freddie, Velma, and Daphne.
Got it.
After telling some weird story about how the monster who was trying to eat all the chips and kidnap Claira was <em>really</em> daddy, good nights and I love yous are called out and the doors are closed.
The night ends on a fun, uplifting note.
And it felt good.
Five down, one to go.
I spend some time playing with my sweet little Jackson before putting his helmet back on. While feeding him, two of the kids came out, one insisting on a drink, the other needing to use the bathroom.
Jacob comes out and asks his customary question of the night. Usually something about God.
By nine o'clock, all six of my little monkeys are sleeping and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I have done better tonight.
So many times, I have merely reacted to situations. Usually not well.
I'm trying to be an active parent and not a reactive one. Slowly but surely, things are going more smoothly and everyone is happier.
Especially me.
I still have a long way to go, and I know I won't be perfect, but tonight? Tonight I did good.
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I have said before that in the eternities there is nothing more important than families. Name one star system or celestial event that is more important to God than His children? To a Father who loves every child alike, is it even possible to conceive of a plan He could offer His family that did not give equal opportunity to every child to be able to return to His presence? Do we really believe that our Father in Heaven would let us out of His sight, possibly never to return, without putting into action a plan that would give each of us the best possible chance of returning?
When Moroni came to Joseph Smith on the night of September 21, 1823, he gave this modified quote from Malachi. You can read it in D&C 2:1- 3.
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<em>1 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.</em>
<em> 2 And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.</em>
<em> 3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.</em></blockquote>
The key to understanding why the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming is found in the promises made to the fathers. What were the promises God made to our forefathers?
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<em>President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “What was the promise made to the fathers that was to be fulfilled in the latter days by the turning of the hearts of the children to their fathers? It was the promise of the Lord made through Enoch, Isaiah, and the prophets, to the nations of the earth, that the time should come when the dead should be redeemed” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:154).</em>
<em>Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve said, “God made those promises to the ancient patriarchs—Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so forth—and we undoubtedly made them to our own lineal fathers and mothers, those who came to earth before the gospel was restored but whom we promised to provide its saving ordinances” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 297).</em></blockquote>
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Purpose of Temple Work</h3>
What exactly are we doing when we go and do temple work? Yes, we are doing baptisms and ordinance work for the dead, after we have done it for ourselves, but what is the big picture? Remember when I asked the question about how a loving Father could possibly let us out of His sight without first making sure every conceivable effort was made to make it possible for us to return to Him?
In every dispensation prior to this one, the prophets knew that at some point the people would reject the gospel message. When they did there was a period of time before the Lord could restore the gospel message again. And again, the prophets knew that at some point the message would be rejected by the children of God. But we shouldn't assume that because of their knowledge that the children of God would reject His message to them that they loved their people and their posterity any less than we love our own. They plead with the Lord for the salvation of the people of their time. The Lord had already put into place a plan whereby all those who had lived in mortality without a proper opportunity to receive the saving ordinances would have that chance.
These prophets were promised that during the final dispensation of time, when the gospel would no longer have the threat of being rejected, that the way would be opened for their posterity to receive all those ordinances that would enable them to be saved in the Celestial kingdom. That is what we are doing in the temple. In D&C 128:18 part of the verse says this,
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<em>... it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. ...”</em></blockquote>
The keys of the sealing power is not just about baptism for the dead. That is just the tip of the iceberg. The sealing power unites through the priesthood power all the dispensations of mortality. It brings together the purposes of every dispensation into one grand whole, that of saving the whole family of God, whether on this side of the veil or the other side of the veil. God has declared that He will not accept just a few of us back. We stand as a family on this issue. Either we do the work for every one of His children or He will reject the lot of us. What we are starting to do today will only intensify in effort until it becomes the driving force during the millennium. Even then it will take the whole earth a thousand years to complete the work. But complete it we must. In fact, we are being judged on how seriously we take this responsibility.
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<h3>
Full Salvation</h3>
Being baptized and confirmed a member of the Lord’s Church offers only a partial salvation. Full salvation requires the covenants made in the temple. We cannot offer full redemption to our ancestors with baptism alone. We must provide them with all the covenants of the temple. In other words, exaltation comes only through the work in the temple, whether we are talking about the living who need to go there for themselves or the dead who need us to go there on their behalf.
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<em>No man shall receive the fulness of eternity, of exaltation alone; no woman shall receive that blessing alone; but man and wife, when they receive the sealing power in the temple of the Lord, shall pass on to exaltation, and shall continue and become like the Lord. And that is the destiny of men, that is what the Lord desires for His children.</em></blockquote>
Refer back to <a href="http://mormonmommyblogs.com/2014/08/relief-society-lesson-prep-15-eternal-marriage.html" target="_blank">lesson 15</a> for remarks about those who are not able to be sealed to a worthy spouse in this life. A member worthy of exaltation, though sealed to a spouse who does not become worthy, is in the same position as a worthy single person who has never been married. The Lord will straighten it all out so that everyone is happy before we go onto our glory. But no one will be left behind. Our loving Father will not permit it.
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<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
It is important to remember that those for whom we are doing work in the temple are not dead. They are alive, just not here. So when we do the work for them as their proxy, they are able to accept or reject our efforts as any living person would. They just don’t happen to necessarily be present in the room at the time the ordinance is done.
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<em>This doctrine of salvation for the dead is one of the most glorious principles ever revealed to man. It is the way in which the gospel shall be offered to all men. It establishes the fact that God is no respecter of persons [see Acts 10:34]; that every soul is precious in His sight; and that all men will, in fact and in reality, be judged according to their works.</em></blockquote>
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<em>To read the full lesson, click here: <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-17-sealing-power-and-temple-blessings?lang=eng" style="color: #76d2c5;" target="_blank">Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, Chapter 17: Sealing Power and Temple Blessings</a></em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-63352920840954066752014-09-07T18:26:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:04:18.045-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #16 - Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finding ways to teach our children to be good and to love all that is good is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s world. Satan knows that if the family is spiritually solid then the family and the Church will flourish. This is why he likes to attack anything that would help us come together as family members and individuals. As long as he can keep us apart from each other, he wins. President Smith says,
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<em>Only the gospel of Jesus Christ applied in family relationships will thwart this devilish destructiveness."</em></blockquote>
The only “real protection or adequate defense” we have to protect society from the destruction that is building lies in the home and its influences. We have an opportunity, while the children are still young, to teach them sound principles of Christ-like behavior. In the home is where we give them the foundation of what is right and what is wrong, of thinking, “What would Jesus do?” It is in the home where we can play out the scenarios of helping, forgiving, work ethics, and learning to be charitable with our things and our time.
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<h3>
Outside Sources</h3>
How many times have you had the discussion with your children, or did you hear from your own parents, that if you are not willing to make a decision there are plenty of others out there who will gladly tell you what to do? Sometimes, even as parents, we get caught in this trap. We are so glad to send our children off to school. How often do we even question what they are being taught by the attitudes of the teachers and the curriculum? Were you surprised the last time you wanted to exempt your child from something that was being taught and they told you it was basically none of your business, and that you didn’t have the right to exempt them from what was being taught? I’ll tell you, I was plenty shocked the first time someone told me I had no right to control what was being taught to my child.
We send our children to daycare, to the movies, to places of entertainment, to other people’s houses. How often have we really checked to see what our children were being exposed to in those places? Again with the adage that if we are not willing to take responsibility for what our children are being taught, someone else will. Here is a quote from the lesson that hit a little too close to my home.
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<em>The parents are responsible for the proper teaching of their children, [and] the Lord will condemn the parents if their children grow up outside of the influence of the principles of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."</em></blockquote>
This same principle applies to those of us who, for whatever reason, have relinquished our responsibilities to teach our own children by letting the Church do all the teaching. I hope you can understand me when I claim that no matter what your current understanding of the gospel, to let someone else take over the teaching of your children is still a second rate education for the child. These are God’s children, on loan to us as their parents. He fully expects and demands that we teach them His gospel while they are in our homes. He will hold us accountable for our efforts.
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<em>Parents will be responsible for the actions of their children, if they have failed to teach their children by example and by precept."</em></blockquote>
If we have done all in our power to teach our children to live righteously, and they still choose poorly then the Lord will not hold us accountable for their sins. But note that the Lord will only hold us free of accountability if we have done all in our power to teach them correct principles. That does not mean send them to Church and hope someone else teaches what needs to be taught. That means that we personally take responsibility for the instruction of our children. This requires time and commitment on our part, and it will take up the better part of 20 years for each and every child. This is a serious commitment.
Please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that the Church is not doing an admirable job in teaching our youth. What I am saying is that it is not the Church’s responsibility to raise my child, it is our responsibility as a couple to raise our children and to teach them what the Lord would have them know. The Church is an external resource to assist us, as a family, in the teaching of our children. At no time should we transfer the responsibility for their education in spiritual matters to anyone else, including the Lord’s Church.
Here is a quote that will be difficult for some. There are those who are philosophically opposed to sheltering our children from the evils of the world. This is what President Smith has to say on the matter.
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<em>Individual, personal testimony is and always will be the strength of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A testimony is best nurtured in the family setting. ... The gaining and the keeping of testimonies should be a family project. Do not neglect anything that will help to strengthen the testimony of any member of your family.</em>
<em>We must shelter [children] from the sins and evils of the world as much as we can so they will not be led away from paths of truth and righteousness."</em></blockquote>
Some parents say, “I will not teach my children about any god or any set of moral standards so that when they grow up they can choose for themselves which god they want to worship and which set of morals they want to follow.” This is, in effect what we are saying if we do not actively teach our children the difference between right and wrong, and about the Holy Ghost, and how to follow Christ when they are young. If we want them to do these things when they are older we have to start when they are very young and help them to see that this is an essential part of their lives.
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Conclusion</h3>
No family has it easy when it comes to teaching children how to be God-fearing people. It takes great amounts of time, work, commitment, love, and patience. But what are the alternatives? To refer back to the quote from the first part of this article, “If we are not willing to teach our children what to believe and how to behave, there are plenty of others who would love the privilege of shaping their future using our children to do it. Our children are our future. This is a great blessing from the Lord that He allows us to shape a future generation of Saints. How strong they are in the gospel as adults, will in large measure be a result of the efforts we put into teaching them day in and day out in our homes.
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<em style="color: #222222;">To read the full lesson, click here: <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-16-bringing-up-children-in-light-and-truth?lang=eng" target="_blank">Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, Chapter 16: Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth</a></em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-45425851719530595572014-08-11T18:14:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:05:53.885-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #15 - Eternal MarriageSome lessons are mostly personal narrative, and not a lot of doctrine. This lesson is very little narrative, and almost all doctrine. I intend to hit just the highlights of the doctrines President Joseph Fielding Smith covers, and give you some perspectives to think about for this important topic.<br />
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Establishing a Happy Home<br />
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In an almost off-handed manner the manual says of President Smith’s first marriage, that “they established a happy home…” When I read this my first thoughts were about whether or not it just happened. Does a happy home just exist because it is either there or it isn’t? What does it take to “establish” anything?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9uFIQ-8HNM/ViwOf4wh5eI/AAAAAAAAJxo/Dmw9KvmNL7Q/s1600/newlyweds-washington-dc-temple-199x300.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9uFIQ-8HNM/ViwOf4wh5eI/AAAAAAAAJxo/Dmw9KvmNL7Q/s400/newlyweds-washington-dc-temple-199x300.jpg" width="265" /></a>If you think of settlers moving into an area for the first time and establishing a colony, what is it they have to do? There are so many logistical decisions to be made. Where do we live? What are our resources? Should we build closer to here or closer to there? Where is it safest to be? What will we do to protect ourselves, etc? Sounds like trying to decide where you will go for Thanksgiving and Christmas as newlyweds, doesn’t it? Whose job will determine where you live? Who pays for which bills? Do we keep separate bank accounts or have just one joint account? The list is endless. At least that is how it seems when you start at the top of it.<br />
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Just when you think you have begun to get a handle on life and your social affairs as a couple, you find out you are adding to your family, and suddenly everyone has a vested interest in the grandchild, the new niece or nephew or cousin. Everyone wants to have a say. What you thought was a long list as a couple just tripled in length as you start to make plans for new members to join your family. What kind of parenting will we do? Who will take responsibility for each new job, etc.<br />
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My point is this, that establishing a happy home is anything but accidental. It takes a lot of hard work, cooperation, dedication, sacrifice, and more often than not, more giving than taking on both sides of the companionship. But is there a shortcut to a happy home? Can anyone just walk into our marriages and make us do everything right? Not at all. This is something we have to discover on our own. We have to claw our way through all the pitfalls of relationship time bombs and emerge on the other side still grateful we are together. This is something we have to really want!<br />
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Is it worth all the effort? Of course it is! So tell me this, “Why would you want to go through what it takes to establish a happy home, then throw it all away just because you or your partner dies and breaks the marital contract?<br />
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The Eternal Nature of Marriage<br />
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When the Lord established marriage in the Garden of Eden, it was eternal in nature. Adam and Eve were eternal companions. Marriage was not meant to be a solely mortal institution. The wickedness and disobedience of God’s children introduced that concept. But wait, where did the eternal nature of marriage enter into mortality. Aren’t eternal things supposed to happen after earth life?<br />
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Sometimes we forget just how important mortality really is. Remember the one third of the children of God who never earned the right to come here and receive bodies? Those who earned the right to come here earned more than just the right to get a body to try on for 80 years, give or take a decade. Along with the privilege of being here comes the right to participate in an activity only gods get to experience, that of creating and maintaining a family. This is where most of us are blessed to come and find a companion we want to spend the rest of eternity with, someone with whom we can start our eternal increase. This is where we learn what it means to be parents, like our heavenly parents. Now that we have bodies, we get to experience what bodies can do.<br />
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That is the “fun” part. But with that fun part comes a mess of responsibilities, heartache, and tons of growth and maturing that we didn’t know we were signing up for. What is the point of the gospel of Christ anyway? Is it so we can just get a body? Is it only so we can be resurrected? Why did our Father in Heaven and Christ put all this effort into the whole gospel package? What is the purpose of the gospel?<br />
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Simply put, the gospel is designed to help us make decisions and live in such a way that we will be worthy to return to our Father in Heaven so we can live with our eternal companion forever as gods, just like our heavenly parents. We are literally walking in our parent’s footsteps. This is why the crowning ordinance of the temple is the sealing of a couple to become one in the Lord. This is why we get baptized, keep commandments, make covenants, serve in the Church, all of it. It is so we can learn the lessons of what it takes to be good parents to our children for the rest of eternity. Yes, school is most definitely in session.<br />
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We cannot walk back into our Father’s presence as a single person and receive a fulness of glory. We cannot have eternal increase without a companion, since it takes a companion to create that increase. Our children is that increase.<br />
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So is it hard to establish a happy home? You bet! Is there heartache and trauma, trials and tribulation along the way? Of course! Will we spend our nights weeping over the wayward among us? Will that wayward person sometimes be us or our spouse? Unfortunately, yes. Do we keep loving, praying, fasting, striving, and forgiving in the hopes that lives will change for the better? Our Father hasn’t stopped doing it yet, so why should we?<br />
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Conclusion<br />
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This lesson is one you should read more than once. The doctrine of eternal increase and eternal lives is at the top of the celestial blessings we can receive. We have so many things to do to prepare for these blessings. We’ve talked about the principle behind creating a happy home, but what about the actions and decision that make that happen. Perhaps you could share something you have done that have helped you create a happy home?<br />
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To read the full lesson, click here: <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-15-eternal-marriage?lang=eng">Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, Chapter 15: Eternal Marriage</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-7715084598283728072014-08-04T18:13:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:06:31.433-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #14 - The Gift of the Holy Ghost
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sr3O090Qkk8/ViwO6oVfGHI/AAAAAAAAJxw/D0BdU8Ip28A/s1600/christmas-gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sr3O090Qkk8/ViwO6oVfGHI/AAAAAAAAJxw/D0BdU8Ip28A/s640/christmas-gift.jpg" width="640" /></a><strong>Who is the Holy Ghost?</strong>
The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, who “partakes of the things of the Father and the Son and reveals them to those who serve the Lord in faithfulness.” He is known as the great revelator because He reveals truth. When we receive knowledge from the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, it is called revelation.
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This point may seem a little silly on the surface, but bear with me. If you want to become a great architect, do you hire a great basket weaver to teach you how? If you want to be a great swimmer, do you hire a great baseball player to teach you? Of course not.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are saying that you can become like God. If you are going to learn to be like God, doesn't it make sense that the Lord would provide a God to teach you how? I, for one, fail on a regular basis to appreciate that the gift of the Holy Ghost consists in the companionship of a God who is willing and anxious to teach me how to become like Christ and like my Father in Heaven. His responsibility is to testify of truth and to teach me to recognize truth wherever I find it. He shows us how to use truth, and teaches us how to learn to think like our Father thinks, and to love like Christ loves. He is the great revelator, the giver of knowledge. His presence in our lives is the greatest gift we could be given in mortality.
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<em>The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings. Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten.</em></blockquote>
We have been told that the memory of a visit from a heavenly being will fade with time, but a witness from the Spirit will linger and burn within us, even after years of separation from the truth. His witness to us becomes part of us, a part of us that will enable the Lord to judge us by the things we have received at His, the Spirit’s hands.
<strong>Who can learn from the Holy Ghost?</strong>
The influence of the Holy Ghost is everywhere. Anyone who is honestly seeking truth is entitled to inspiration from the Holy Ghost. The difference between an unbaptized person and someone who has been baptized and had the gift of the Holy Ghost conferred upon them, is apparent after knowledge has been given. To the unbaptized person the Holy Ghost can reveal truth, but then He must withdraw His presence, leaving the person alone, and more susceptible to the influences of Satan. To the person who has the gift of the Holy Ghost, His presence can be almost constant. This gift provides greater guidance and protection.
All inspiration and good things come from God to man through the Holy Ghost. Any person in any culture at any time in history is entitled to His company, on a temporary basis. His presence helps the unbaptized person recognize and embrace truth wherever it is found. This helps to lead them to the gospel of Christ, and is what prepares a person to hear the message of the gospel. His influence is also felt in the lives of the members of Christ’s kingdom as the Holy Ghost prepares them to reach out to their neighbors and to strangers and share the gospel with those He has prepared to hear it. The Holy Ghost is the missionary coordinator for the whole family of God, working on both sides of the veil with those both inside and outside of the Lord’s church.
<strong>How do you get the gift?</strong>
The prophet Joseph Smith taught that the confirmation of one’s baptism then, by the laying on of hands by those who are authorized by God to bestow the gift, is the only way to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
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<em>You cannot get the gift of the Holy Ghost by praying for it, by paying your tithing, by keeping the Word of Wisdom—not even by being baptized in water for the remission of sins. You must complete that baptism with the baptism of the Spirit. The Prophet said on one occasion that you might as well baptize a bag of sand as not confirm a man and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands. You cannot get it any other way.</em></blockquote>
<strong>How do we exercise the gift?</strong>
The only way to keep and use the gift of the Holy Ghost is by listening to His promptings and being obedient to the commandments. As long as we bring our lives into line with the teachings of the scriptures and the living prophets, and follow the prompts we receive from the Holy Ghost, we will continue to have His presence in our lives.
As we are obedient the Holy Ghost can comfort us in times of trouble and sorrow, guide us when we need direction, teach us as we seek to learn about the Lord and His work, warn us when we are in danger or headed towards danger. His influence in our lives is as complete as God’s love for us. It is through the promptings of the Holy Spirit that we learn to forgive others and feel the peace that comes from acts of kindness. It is through His urging that repent and know what to repent for. There is no end to His knowledge and wisdom, no end to His love, no end to His power. He is our personal teacher and companion, whose soul purpose is to bring us home to our Father in heaven.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-74322830073751634002014-07-14T17:59:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:06:57.778-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #13 - Baptism
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUkx1XEeyh0/ViwPBuOTX_I/AAAAAAAAJx4/arKSogw7nBo/s1600/baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUkx1XEeyh0/ViwPBuOTX_I/AAAAAAAAJx4/arKSogw7nBo/s1600/baptism.jpg" /></a><strong>How baptism changes us</strong>
Baptism is meant to be a transformational ordinance. President Joseph Fielding Smith describes baptism as “a transplanting, or resurrection from one life to another—the life of sin to the life of spiritual life.” We should not be the same person after baptism that we were before the baptism. We should be a different person.
The key to remaining different after our baptism is to keep the commandments. Continued repentance and faithfulness to the commandments is the condition upon which the Lord can offer us salvation. There is no other way.
Baptism must be by full immersion. It represents the burial of Christ in death and His resurrection to a new life. If we are not fully immersed, we are not “buried” with Christ. Our baptism demonstrates our own desire for the symbolic death of the natural man, and the birth into the life of the repentant and forgiven son or daughter of God.
Baptism is layered with symbolism. It also represents the birth of a child of God. We were born physically through the water, the blood, and the spirit.
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Baptism may seem like a common enough event, in that everyone who enters the Church does so through baptism. But think of baptism as the first indication to God that you are interested in returning home to live with Him. It is a big deal. Of all the covenants we make to enable us to return home and become like our Father in Heaven, baptism is the very first.
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1. The water carries and protects the baby
2. the blood of the mother is shed to give birth to the child
3. and the spirit gives life to the body of the baby.</div>
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Spiritually speaking,</div>
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1. baptism is the water through which we must pass to be born into a spiritual life
2. to be forgiven of our sins through the blood shed by Christ
3. and purified through repentance by the Holy Spirit.</div>
It is important to remember that everyone who is not baptized is spiritually dead, being cut off or separated from God. The only way to return to God is through the ordinance of baptism, which opens the door to all the other ordinances that lead to exaltation.
<strong>Little children and baptism</strong>
The fall of Adam and Eve brought both sin and death into the world. It did not condemn all of their children to separation from God, only those who are accountable for their actions. The Atonement of Christ saves all those who are unable to tell the difference between right and wrong. This includes any individual who is of diminished mental capacity, and all children under the age of accountability, which the Lord has told us is eight years of age. All those who are not accountable for their actions will be saved in the Celestial kingdom. That is God’s promise to us.
Little children and others who cannot distinguish right from wrong are promised salvation. We, on the other hand, are not. We understand the difference between right and wrong. When we do wrong we generally are aware that is what we are doing. We do it by choice, so we are held accountable for our actions. Following is a quote from President Joseph Fielding Smith.
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<em>In the waters of baptism we covenanted that we would keep these commandments; that we would serve the Lord; that we would keep this first and greatest of all the commandments, and love the Lord our God; that we would keep the next great commandment, we would love our neighbor as ourselves; and with all the might that we have, with all the strength, with all our hearts we would prove to Him that we would “live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God;” [D&C 84:44] that we would be obedient and humble, diligent in His service, willing to obey, to hearken to the counsels of those who preside over us and do all things with an eye single to the glory of God</em>.</blockquote>
So how do we accomplish these great tasks? Through repentance and continual effort. Baptism is the first of the Celestial covenants. There are no covenants needed to go to a lower kingdom. All of God’s covenants with us are Celestial in nature. All of them are designed to turn us into Celestial material. Working to keep the commandments, repenting of our sins, and learning to obey the Spirit without hesitation will keep us in a state of holiness, a state of constant repentance, clean and without spot before God. Then it will not matter how long we live, where we live or what happens to us in this life, because we will be prepared to go home to our Father whenever our time here comes to an end.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-80662638011056209262014-07-07T17:58:00.000-04:002015-10-24T17:59:30.651-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #12 The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood<a href="http://mormonmommyblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/aaronic-priesthood-given-to-joseph.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aaronic-priesthood-given-to-joseph" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7036" src="http://mormonmommyblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/aaronic-priesthood-given-to-joseph.jpg" height="640" width="418" /></a>
The introduction to this lesson focuses on the manner in which President Smith magnified his priesthood. When we think of the royal treatment afforded modern authority figures, it is difficult to grasp the lifestyle the apostles had and have to live. Today when “important” people come to our towns they are put up in the best hotels, paid large sums of money, often drive around in limos, wear expensive clothing, and are followed by an entourage. But look at how President Smith traveled and what he had to deal with in order to fulfill his responsibilities. He sat in open wagons, and drove along mere trails in rain and heavy snow, <span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">often</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">in freezing weather just to go to a stake conference and counsel with the saints. These trips often took many days of travel just to arrive at the destination. To serve like this for decades at a time, traveling in the most adverse conditions, with no thought of recompense or honor for the sacrifices made, takes true humility.</span>
<strong>Section 1</strong>
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<em>... everything connected with this higher priesthood is designed and intended to prepare us to gain eternal life in the kingdom of God.</em></div>
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In Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 90–91.</div>
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On God’s part, the oath and covenant of the priesthood means that those who obtain both the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods and magnify their callings in the priesthood will obtain eternal life and receive all that the Father has. On His part this is an unchangeable and unbreakable oath.
<strong>Section 2 </strong>
President Smith reminds us that the whole gospel of Christ is just a series of covenants with rewards attached. When we receive the priesthood it is by covenant, and the reward for receiving that responsibility is everlasting life with God. As long as we keep our end of the covenant that will be our reward. The priesthood covenants affect both men and women equally, as do the blessings of the priesthood. Click on this link for further reading on <a href="http://mormonbasics.com/doctrineinformation/women-and-priesthood" target="_blank" title="To Have or to Hold - Women and the Priesthood">women and the priesthood</a>. The article also has a link to the original talk given by President Smith in the 1970 priesthood session of general conference.
He reminds us that the priesthood does not derive its power from the offices of the priesthood, but the other way around. There is no office in the priesthood that is greater than the priesthood itself. All offices of the priesthood exist only to administer the covenants and needs of the priesthood. No one office in the priesthood is greater than any other office in the priesthood, even though a person will be called upon to lead others in the priesthood through certain offices. The office in the priesthood does not make the man, the it is the priesthood that makes the man. It is the priesthood, not the office that exalts us. It is personal worthiness, not the calling or office we hold that brings us exaltation in the end.
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<em>As the Lord’s agents we are bound by his law to do what he wants us to do regardless of personal feelings or worldly enticements.</em>
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“Our Responsibilities as Priesthood Holders,” Ensign, June 1971, 49.</div>
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Men, of themselves, have no message of salvation or ability to save for eternity. Everything men do in the priesthood is with, and through delegated authority from God.
<strong>Section 3</strong>
We are reminded that the oath is the most binding form of human speech known to man. So when the Father swears to us with an oath that if we keep our covenant we will receive certain blessings in return, we can put our faith and trust in that oath. The Lord has sworn that the oaths with which he has promised us exaltation are unchangeable and eternal. They are the same type of oaths he made about His Son, Jesus Christ when Christ was promised to be a high priest forever and to receive all that the Father has.
All the Lord’s covenants are unchanging and are based on our faithfulness to the conditions of the covenant in question. Be we male or female, if we keep the covenants we will receive the blessings. All the covenants of this Church are designed to make us ready for the Celestial kingdom. There is no covenant in this Church for anything of a lower order. For lower orders no covenants are needed.
<strong>Section 4</strong>
We all have the fullness of the priesthood, but those who are called upon to hold the offices of the priesthood are responsible for the administration and ministering of the blessings of the priesthood through their service and commitment to doing the will of the Lord. By that faithful discharge of their duties to represent the ministry of Christ in all things, they earn their exaltation. Each of us has but to fulfill our callings in the Church, perform service in the temples, and keep all the commandments to be assured that the blessings of eternity will be ours, all because of the covenants we have made with the Lord.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-54852245033734039922014-06-09T17:44:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:00:38.708-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #11 Honoring the Priesthood Keys Restored through Joseph Smith
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The keys of the priesthood are the rights to govern the affairs of the Church. Only one person actively wields or uses those keys or rights at any one time, and that is the senior apostle of the Church, the prophet. The senior apostle delegates by assignment to others the rights to govern the affairs of parts of the Lord’s kingdom.
Those who have only partial keys are restricted in their governing ability by the amount of keys or authority they are given. For example, a Stake President can only make decisions of leadership and have inspiration for those in his geographical boundaries. A Bishop can only preside and direct those within his geographical boundaries. And a quorum leader with keys can only preside over those members of his quorum. It is all very orderly and tightly structured. Anyone operating outside of their proscribed boundaries is out of line and does so without any authority.
The opening section of the lesson discusses President Smith’s admonition to honor and give reverence to those with keys, the rights to govern or lead in their part of the Church. Giving respect is a matter of the office that person holds, not how much they might personally deserve your respect. It is possible to respect the office, and not the person in the office. So when our quorum leader or the Bishop, etc., gives us direction or an assignment, we need to do it because they are the one who holds the rights of governance for their scope of responsibility. We have raised our hand in support of that calling and covenanted with the Lord that we would follow their direction, no matter what.
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<em>When men are commissioned by the one who holds these keys, then their acts are valid. That which they do is sealed and ratified in the Church both on earth and in the heavens.</em>
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In Conference Report, Apr. 1967, 99.</div>
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The message of the second section of this lesson is that no ordinance performed in the name of God or for the benefit of God will be recognized by Him unless the person performing the ordinance is one of His authorized servants. That is the reason that each of the prophets from previous dispensations were required to come and pass their rights of authority to Joseph Smith so he was duly authorized to perform those ordinances.
In order for the prophesied restoration of all things to take place, all the keys from all the prophets of every dispensation had to be passed on or restored to the modern church. The restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood was not enough. We still needed the keys to the gathering of Israel, the rights to the everlasting covenant of marriage, and so forth. The prophets who held those keys came to Joseph Smith to pass their keys on to him as the head of this dispensation.
Section three of the lesson emphasizes that the prophet is the only one on earth to actively use all the priesthood keys at one time. Even though all the apostles have the keys, they are only able to exercise them as a body of twelve, and that is generally done only to pass along that right use all the keys to the next prophet. They, like the rest of us, receive their assignments from the prophet.
Section four talks about the honor we need to understand and give to the prophet who holds all the authority from God to manage the affairs of the Lord’s kingdom on earth. We sometimes do not realize that if, at any time, the prophet says that no one is allowed to perform this ordinance or that ordinance, then that is the end to the matter. That ordinance is no longer allowed to be done for any reason. He has complete control over what is done and who does it in the Church. By the same right, if the prophet changes how something is to be done, then that is the new “law” of the Church, and that is how things will be done from now on. No one but the Lord himself can overrule the prophet.
Section five reminds us that the brethren of the Twelve, the First Presidency, and the prophet will never lead us astray. The Lord will not allow them to do so. We need to look to them for all our guidance and direction. When the world says one thing and the Brethren say something different, we need to follow the Brethren. The Lord will bless us for our obedience to their counsel.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-48268336538811672112014-05-12T17:43:00.000-04:002015-10-24T19:00:09.461-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #10 Our Search For Truth<div style="text-align: left;">
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There are several types of spiritual traps that we can easily fall into when it comes to learning as a member of the Lord’s church.
The first is complacency. If we are born into the Church we are spoon fed the teachings of the gospel from the time we are infants. Unless there is some outside push to learn more than what is given to us in Primary or Sunday School, many of us stop at the most basic level of doctrinal learning and the Church and its activities becomes just a way of life. It becomes easier to rely on the knowledge and testimonies of our church leaders than to get that knowledge and testimony for ourselves.
The second is relying on our basic testimony to see us through a lifetime of experience. Even if we are fresh converts to the gospel, we cannot afford to assume that the first testimony we received of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is enough to see us through a whole life of adversity and experience. That is like assuming that the first diaper put onto the baby’s bottom is all that the child will ever need.
A third trap is general ignorance. Knowledge is the currency of heaven. Look through your scriptures and you will find that those whom the Lord blesses are blessed with knowledge. These are the people God considers to be rich. Those who are wicked, stubborn, or slothful - slow to do what the Lord commands - have knowledge taken away from them. These people are in spiritual darkness, and are considered to be spiritually poor or asleep as to the things of God.
The gaining of knowledge is an actual requirement of those who make covenants with God. He expects us to search and seek after more knowledge than we currently have. The prophets and apostles encourage us to get as much education as possible in the ways of the world or secular knowledge. But what are we doing to move ourselves forward in the spiritual world?
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<em>It is more important, a thousand times over, to have a knowledge of God and his laws, so that we can do the things which bring salvation, than it is to have all the worldly knowledge that can be obtained.</em></div>
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Address at the Logan Utah Institute of Religion, Jan. 10, 1971, 1–2, Church History Library; unpublished manuscript.</div>
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<em>It is far more important to know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, that he has given unto us the principles of eternal life, than it is to know all that can be obtained in secular education.</em>
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In Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 51.</div>
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President Smith is emphasizing that, though all knowledge is important, some knowledge is far more important to us than other knowledge. As important as it is to know what the world has learned, it is more important to learn what the Lord has to teach us. The opening quote of this lesson tells us that we are “required” to familiarize ourselves with what the Lord has revealed. Why? Because if we do not it will be all that easier for someone to lead us astray in spiritual things. We need to know the laws and doctrines we have been required to live by so that we can live them correctly.
The acquisition or gaining of knowledge in spiritual matters is not a matter of just learning facts and figures. Once we have learned the whys and wherefores about the gospel we are required to study what we have learned in our minds and in our hearts, take our new information to the Lord, and ask for understanding as to how the Lord would have us use this knowledge in His service. In other words, we need to gain knowledge then seek for the wisdom to use it.
The rate at which revelation is being received is increasing. We are gaining worldly and spiritual knowledge faster now than at any other time in the history of the world. What are we doing to keep up? As quickly as the Lord reveals truth in any field of understanding, Satan is there to pervert its use and interpretation. It is also our responsibility to be putting to the test every word that comes from our Church leaders.
The principle is simple and clear. When we seek the Lord with purity of heart, and test His word, he will reveal its truthfulness to us. This is how we gain our testimonies. When the prophet tells us that we need to do a certain thing between now and next Conference, for example, we will not have a witness that this is the will of God unless we go and do what the prophet directs us to do, and we get on our knees and plead with the Lord to receive a witness of the divinity of the prophet’s counsel. That witness will come to us either through the heartfelt prayer of the righteous or through putting into practice what the Lord’s servant commanded us to do.
The point of this lesson is that our temporal (earthly) salvation, as well as our spiritual (eternal) salvation depends on our personal pursuit of knowledge. We cannot be saved in ignorance (spiritual darkness). We need to have the Lord reveal himself and his works to us through prayer and study. This is the only way we can hope for eventual exaltation. If you are one who does not like learning new things or studying then you have a challenge ahead of you, for you will have to learn to love to study the things of God. The more you do it the more you will come to appreciate and love what it does for you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-48542244419223111592014-05-05T17:41:00.000-04:002015-10-24T18:58:50.146-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #9 Witnesses of the Book of Mormon<div style="text-align: center;">
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<strong>Three Witnesses</strong></div>
Even though we have the witnesses of those who were called to be special witnesses of the Book of Mormon, in the end, it is our own witness that we have to rely on to get us through each day. We need to know what the special witnesses had to say about the Book of Mormon, and we need to know that they never recanted their testimonies, that they stuck to what they said to their dying breath. And just to be clear, they all stuck to their testimonies of the Book of Mormon to their dying day, even if they had left the Church.
<strong>Nephite Witnesses</strong>
We tell the world that the Book of Mormon is inspired and divine, but we sometimes forget that so is the Bible. Speaking of the Book of Mormon, President Smith said this:
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<em>It is the American volume of scripture, and is just as sacred and inspired as is the Bible, which contains the sacred records of the Hebrew race on the eastern hemisphere.</em>
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“Origin of the First Vision,” Improvement Era, Apr. 1920, 503; see also Doctrines of Salvation, 3:209.</div>
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When we speak with those in the Christian community at large, we need to remember that we also believe that the Bible is of divine origin, and is also the record of God’s chosen people, the Israelites, which includes the Jews.
The Book of Mormon prophets all knew that the Nephites were going to be destroyed by the Lamanites. All the main prophets from Lehi on down were shown the future of their descendants. It was their pleading with the Lord to save the remnant of their descendants that prompted the promise from the Lord that a record of their people would be preserved to come forth in a future generation for the salvation of their posterity. The Lord even got the record started before the prophets started to ask for it. He had already instructed Lehi and Nephi to make records, which by Nephi’s own admission, he did not know the reasons for making them.
The Nephite prophets knew that their record would come forth in a day when even the record of the Jews (the Bible) was in need of support because of unbelief. That is why the Book of Mormon is a second witness of Jesus Christ. Those prophets wanted those of our generation to know that they knew of Christ and his mission, and that he had revealed the fulness of the gospel to them as well.
<strong>Our Witnesses</strong>
As part of our baptismal covenants we promise to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all places. We each need to have our own testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel we preach. President Smith gave this statement of his own assurance of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon:
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<em>I am just as firmly convinced that this Book of Mormon from which I have read is the word of God and was revealed, as Joseph Smith declared it was revealed, as I am that I stand here looking into your faces.</em>
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In Conference Report, Oct. 1949, 89; see also Doctrines of Salvation, 3:231–32.</div>
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President Smith was very clear about our responsibility to get our own personal witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
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<em>… No member of this Church can stand approved in the presence of God who has not seriously and carefully read the Book of Mormon.</em>
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In Conference Report, Oct. 1961, 18.</div>
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This is a serious charge. If we want to be approved by God, we have to seriously and carefully read the Book of Mormon. The Lord expects it of us.
One way we can know that the book is true is to see how it was written. It was written as events unfolded, not centuries after the fact. It was written by prophets who were instructed by the Spirit of God to write certain events, with the eternal understanding of the significance of these events shown to them so they could write in such a way as to benefit us most. The most important part of this pattern is that they did not write this record for the people of their own day. They wrote for us in our day, knowing that they would be in the grave many centuries before anyone of us ever saw their testimonies. They wrote to us with all the energy of their hearts in the hopes they could convince us to follow Christ and gain salvation through him. We were the people they wrote the book for, not their own people in their own day and time. Because we were going to be the ones to take this message to their posterity, they wrote their records to convince us of the truthfulness of what they were saying. The salvation of their descendants depended upon it.
The more we read the Book of Mormon the more precious it will become to us. This is the sentiment about reading the Book of Mormon left to us by President Joseph Fielding Smith.
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<em>This record endears itself to me more and more day by day as I see unfolded the fulfillment of prophecies uttered by these prophets who now speak from the dead, and from the dust to the nations of the earth, crying unto them repentance, and calling upon them to believe in Christ.</em>
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In Conference Report, Apr. 1925, 73.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-29421951468170997232014-04-15T17:30:00.000-04:002015-10-24T18:55:27.792-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #8 The Church and Kingdom of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This lesson has just a few main points. Getting people to see and comprehend the significance of those points will be the difficult task of this lesson.
Joseph Fielding Smith had a unique upbringing, in that he was one of the first people in thousands of years to be born and raised in the company of prophets, as family members. Think about that. How long has it been since anyone else could make such a claim?
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Joseph Fielding Smith’s father, Joseph F. Smith, was a prophet. His grandfather, Hyrum Smith, was a prophet (<a href="http://mormonmommyblogs.com/2014/04/relief-society-lesson-prep-7-joseph-and-hyrum-smith-witnesses-for-christ.html" title="Relief Society Lesson Prep: #7 Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Witnesses for Christ">refer back to lesson seven</a>). And Joseph Fielding Smith’s grandfather’s brother was the prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. His first encounter with a prophet outside of his own family was with Brigham Young at the age of nine months. Even by today’s standards, that is an extraordinarily rich heritage.</span>
Joseph Fielding Smith was steeped in the history and doctrines of this dispensation like none who had come before him. He spent almost half a century as a Church historian, and had a special calling to write articles to defend the faith of the Church, earning him the title The Defender of the Faith.
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“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in literal reality the kingdom of God on earth”.
“Use the Programs of the Church,” Improvement Era, Oct. 1970, 3.</div>
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Go back and read that quote a couple more times to see if it sinks in. The Church today is the kingdom of God on earth. When the Savior comes to open the Millennium he will not need to set up His kingdom; it is already here. His authorized representatives, the prophets and apostles are running the kingdom of God on earth at this very moment. He has priesthood representatives, and judges in Zion all over the earth. His kingdom is growing and expanding, changing with the times as new needs arise. He is preparing his people for his coming even now.
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“I desire to say that no man of himself can lead this church. It is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ; he is at the head. The church bears his name, has his priesthood, administers his gospel, preaches his doctrine, and does his work.”
In Conference Report, Apr. 1970, 113.</blockquote>
Let’s recap this quote starting from the end of the quote and working our way backward. This Church does God’s work on earth. We preach his doctrine, administer his gospel (message), we bear his name, and we hold his authority (priesthood) to do the things we do. Christ, himself stands at the head of this church. No man could do what is necessary to lead this church by himself. We need the Lord directing the work. That is why the Lord has called a prophet to stand at the head of the earthly organization.
A prophet is needed because a prophet is righteous enough and worthy enough to receive the revelation from God to follow the guidance he receives from God to run his kingdom until the day comes he can return and run it himself. The prophet is the head servant in the kingdom to the master of the kingdom. He oversees all the work of the master in the master’s absence.
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“If this were the work of man, it would fail, but it is the work of the Lord, and he does not fail.”
In Conference Report, Apr. 1970, 113.</blockquote>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">No man can run God’s kingdom successfully without being directed by God in what he is to do. Men eventually fail. Businesses fail, plans fall through, things get frustrated and programs change course. But this is God’s work, and when God designs that something is to happen and declares it to be so, then it happens exactly as God declared it to be. “He does not fail.”</span>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">President Lorenzo Snow taught the same doctrine in last year’s lessons when he taught that we never have a need to fear that we will fail when we are on the Lord’s errand. When we are fulfilling the will of God we are always guaranteed success. For this reason we have every reason to exercise complete faith in our own success, because we are on the Lord’s errand, and sooner or later we will succeed, guaranteed.</span>
With this preparation in hand you are ready to read and study the lesson. Remembering that this is the Lord’s kingdom, that he is in charge of his kingdom, and that because he is a God, we cannot fail, should give you a good mindset with which to study this lesson.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-91031177185103558252014-04-07T17:28:00.000-04:002015-10-24T18:54:53.743-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #7 Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Witnesses for Christ<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4jy_ewkLBBc/ViwMMjRXsKI/AAAAAAAAJwc/bshJletyrm8/s1600/joseph-and-hyrum-smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4jy_ewkLBBc/ViwMMjRXsKI/AAAAAAAAJwc/bshJletyrm8/s400/joseph-and-hyrum-smith.jpg" width="378" /></a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">This lesson is all about having and gaining a testimony of the restoration and of the importance of knowing that Joseph Smith was a living prophet. Even though Joseph Fielding Smith was able to gain personal knowledge of Joseph Smith from relatives who knew the prophet, he makes the point that the love and knowledge of Joseph Smith, as a prophet, comes from the Lord.</span>
Gaining a testimony of the prophet, of any prophet, is had by one way only. We can all know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that we have a living prophet today. To those who really want to know, President Smith said,
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“ … every soul that will humble himself, and in the depths of humility and faith, with a contrite spirit, go before the Lord, will receive that knowledge just as surely as he lives.”</blockquote>
Sometimes we might wonder why Joseph Smith has so much attention focused on him. We have had many wonderful men as prophets since Joseph Smith’s time, but none of them did what the Prophet Joseph did. We make such a big deal about Joseph Smith because it was through him that the gospel was restored. It was through Joseph Smith that the priesthood was once again given to the children of the earth. It was the revelations given to Joseph Smith that redefined who and what God is, and His relationship with His children. It was the revelations given to the earth through Joseph Smith from all the prophets of old that defined the mission of the Church and many of the doctrines that had been lost to humanity for many centuries. It was not so much that these things happened, because we believe these things can happen today. It was that they had not happened at all since shortly after the death of Christ, and it was happening again for the first time in the last days through Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith became the nexus, the focal point between the Church of Christ in all ages past and the future kingdom of God. All of that knowledge passed through Joseph Smith.
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“Joseph Smith is the revealer of the knowledge of Christ and of salvation to the world for this day and generation.”</blockquote>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Just as we stand boldly and tell people that Jesus is the Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, and the bringer of salvation to the world, so we tell people that Joseph Smith is the prophet chosen by the Lord to usher in the final dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times. As the head of this dispensation Joseph remains the founder, the head. Being the head, the founder of this dispensation means that all people must come, figuratively speaking, to the Prophet Joseph to learn about the true nature and character of God. They must come to the teachings Joseph received from the heavenly messengers to learn about the gathering of Israel and the covenants of the priesthood. It was through him that the Lord revealed all these things, and more.</span>
President Smith goes on to say of Joseph Smith,
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“That the church that he organized by divine command prospers because it follows the revelations that came through him;
And that all who believe the teachings of Joseph Smith and labor in the course set by him shall come to a knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified for the sins of the world.”</blockquote>
This raises the question; do we ever feel love for our prophet? Do we ever feel a sense of debt and obligation for the work and sacrifice our prophet has made for us? Do we ever express that out loud, especially to our children? This goes both for the Prophet Joseph Smith and for every prophet who came after him. There is not a prophet in any dispensation who has not made great sacrifices to follow the will of the Lord in trying to reach as many of God’s children as possible with the message of salvation. Are we properly grateful for their efforts in our behalf?
Hyrum Smith
We often forget that the Lord always has a second witness in all things. After Oliver Cowdery fell away, Hyrum Smith was called to hold the keys of the kingdom jointly with Joseph Smith. They shared all the same trials and all the same tribulations - even death was shared equally between them.
The Lord said,
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"…blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith, for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord.” [D&C 124:15.]</blockquote>
Look at what the Lord had to say of Hyrum’s character. Read how the Prophet Joseph felt about his faithful older brother who stood by him through thick and thin. We don’t usually think of Joseph Smith having an equal, but Hyrum came as close as anyone could to being Joseph’s equal in all things. They loved each other without reserve, and respected each other’s personal righteousness. Joseph spoke highly of Hyrum’s standing before the Lord, and in Joseph’s own heart.
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Joseph Fielding Smith said of his grandfather, Hyrum Smith,</span>
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“The Lord also revealed to Hyrum Smith all that was necessary to make him completely and to the full degree, a witness with his brother Joseph, as a prophet, seer, revelator and president of the Church, and to stand through all time and all eternity at the head of this dispensation with his brother Joseph, a witness for Jesus Christ.”</blockquote>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">That Hyrum was a second witness and co head of this dispensation does not in any way take away from the Prophet Joseph Smith. It does, on the other hand, verify that the Lord lives up to his own laws that there be two or more witnesses in all things. Joseph Smith relied heavily on the support he received from his brother Hyrum. It would have been even more difficult for the prophet to have done what he did without Hyrum by his side.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-10928861756543470402014-04-03T17:26:00.000-04:002015-10-24T18:54:10.794-04:00April 2014 Visiting Teaching Handout<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://bit.ly/apr2014english" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zhdh4YEsd50/ViwL3xEJv1I/AAAAAAAAJwU/1-vbcgiJazM/s1600/april-2014-Visiting-Teaching-Printable1.png" /></a></div>
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The April 2014 Visiting Teaching message is <a href="https://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/04/the-divine-mission-of-jesus-christ-savior-and-redeemer?lang=eng" target="_blank">The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Savior and Redeemer</a>.
It's available for download in <a href="http://bit.ly/apr2014english" target="_blank">English</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/apr2014espanol" target="_blank">Espanol</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/apr2014francois" target="_blank">Francois</a>, or<a href="http://bit.ly/apr2014blank" target="_blank"> blank</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-41862614963760472382014-03-17T12:00:00.000-04:002014-03-17T12:00:05.896-04:00Imperfections and Improvement: A Practical Parable <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W7X8ZgfG0Nw/UuBn-bcCdvI/AAAAAAAAD2g/yuzzFftLVQ8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+6.51.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W7X8ZgfG0Nw/UuBn-bcCdvI/AAAAAAAAD2g/yuzzFftLVQ8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+6.51.56+PM.png" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
By profession, I am a teacher. I teach choir to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Given all that happens in middle school, singing can be a challenge. You have changing voices (or, worse for some kids: unchanging voices), the pressure to look cool, shifting social landscapes, evolving relationships with members of the opposite sex, and on and on. All of these things can make singing extremely difficult.<br />
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In light of that, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. I remember one year I had a class that just sounded awful. We worked and worked and worked and worked and by the time the performance came, we did a pretty decent job. It wasn't world class, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it was pretty good considering our progress.<br />
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An adult heard the performance and said something a bit critical, although basically true about the way the kids sang. I found myself getting defensive--but not about my contribution. I found myself getting defensive for my students. <i>You have no idea</i>, I thought. <i>You clearly don't remember what it's like to be afraid someone will make fun of you. You have forgotten how frightening it is to stand out. Do you not remember the fear that your voice might crack in front of a girl? Or, do you not realize how sensitive it is for some of these girls to appear in public because they are so conscious of a changing body? Have you really forgotten the days when being uncool or lame was a fate worse than death? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>I was not unaware of the deficiencies of the performance. I didn't think it was better than it was. In fact, I imagine I knew better than anyone in the audience exactly what the shortcomings were.<br />
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But I understood everything else going on in the lives of these students. I saw what a major challenge it was and I saw how much they had improved. I saw their progress and effort and was delighted. Their performance had a special beauty to me because of the improvement and effort I had seen.<br />
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And, seeing that, my focus was not on what they lacked. It was pride in what they had done. I loved them for their efforts, for trying and improving, even when it was hard. I loved them, in fact, because it was hard.<br />
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I often feel the Lord must get very tired of my mistakes. He must get frustrated with my constant imperfections and all of my flaws. He is surely more aware than anyone of just how far I fall short.<br />
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Or, could it be that he understands just how difficult mortality is? Perhaps he sees the efforts and improvement and is able to assess the full picture. Is that why he's commanded us in very absolute terms to not judge and criticize each other? Might he be aware of the progress we are making and rejoice in the improvement seen there? Do our honest efforts and growth bring his smile on us, in spite of the objective flaws inherent in our performances?<br />
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I think there is reason to hope.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9HM9TC-Y9Y/UuBlv8HhO0I/AAAAAAAAD2U/74Y2IvrlSFk/s1600/Braden+headshot+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9HM9TC-Y9Y/UuBlv8HhO0I/AAAAAAAAD2U/74Y2IvrlSFk/s1600/Braden+headshot+2012.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<i>Braden Bell is a husband, father, teacher, director, and writer. He's the author of <a href="http://www.bradenbell.com/about-the-road-show-faqs.html" target="_blank">The Road Show</a>, and <a href="http://www.bradenbell.com/" target="_blank">The Middle School Magic</a> series. His next book, <a href="http://www.bradenbell.com/luminescence.html" target="_blank">Luminescence</a>, will be published in March. He blogs about all of the above at <a href="http://bradenbell.com/">bradenbell.com</a>.</i><br />
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<br />Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-82549117356522307742014-03-17T11:46:00.000-04:002014-03-17T11:46:54.617-04:00Spiritual Spa Label Printables<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mormonmommyprintables.com/printables/spritual_spa_printables.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CdEWcDUb30o/UycXJ1jJuvI/AAAAAAAAIuA/FpWS2oRBYvM/s1600/spritual_spa_printables+PREVIEW.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mormonmommyprintables.com/printables/spritual_spa_printables.pdf" target="_blank">Just click the image to download these free spa printables.</a></td></tr>
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These Spiritual Spa printables work great for Visiting Teaching, RS activities, or to give as gifts any time. They will remind you to relax and be positive because The Lord is always there to help.<br />
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Just click the image to download the free printables. In the set you will get:<br />
• baggy topper<br />
• soap label<br />
• lotion label<br />
• shower gel label<br />
• bubble bath label<br />
• three tags<br />
• washcloth label<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-58916679738341069242014-03-15T12:00:00.000-04:002014-03-15T12:00:05.279-04:00That moment when everything clicks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okCCryOJumM/T9kLaKcdB6I/AAAAAAAAHPM/EMFGh_IuVps/s1600/_MG_8358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okCCryOJumM/T9kLaKcdB6I/AAAAAAAAHPM/EMFGh_IuVps/s1600/_MG_8358.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Photo by Erin</td></tr>
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I am a new convert. Well, fairly new. I grew up in several different churches, but had questions that were just weren't answered. I knew there was an answer somewhere because God isn't a God of confusion. So I set out to find my answers.<br />
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I was baptized into the church on February 27, 2010, the same day I married my current husband, Eron. I had met Eron while working as a computer technician in 1998, in Magna, UT. He was married and I was married...but not to each other. He and his (eventual) ex-wife helped me when I left my first husband and they showed me acceptance without judgement. They opened their house to me and gave me a safe place to go. That was the first time I had personal experience with the LDS church and its members. I lived with them for a couple months, went to church with them, sat with her when her visiting teachers came, and really enjoyed what I was experiencing even though I was going through a difficult time in my life. After my divorce, I moved to Hawaii to live with my parents and they went on with their lives. We lost touch with each other for 10 years.<br />
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During that 10 years, I married my second husband and missed the wholeness I had felt while living with and going to church with my friends in Utah. My second husband would invite the LDS missionaries to our house to eat and to debate the Bible vs. the Book of Mormon. I don't remember a whole lot about those discussions but I do remember the peace that would settle over the house while the missionaries visited and left when they did. That was my second personal experience with the church. My second husband decided after 7 years that he didn't want to be married to me but to his Jr High sweetheart that he had found online, so I packed up my son and myself and we moved from Hawaii to Arizona in 2008.</div>
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In late 2008, I found Eron again, online. He and his (eventual) ex-wife had moved around and had been living in New York when he got a job offer in Arizona. He took the offer and was moving down while she was staying in New York till the kids finished school. I was excited about reconnecting with some friends and said so. Little did I know that during those years of separation, they had fallen away from the church and were in the process of talking about divorce themselves. I will admit that having gone through 2 divorces myself, I was really hoping they could work things out...if nothing but for the sake of the kids. They didn't. </div>
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While Eron was working at the new job, his boss was a member and strongly encouraged him to become active again. During one of our dates, I asked Eron if he believed in Jesus Christ and that He died for our sins. He said, "Yes." I had been raised to avoid LDS and Catholics for most of my life, because they didn't believe the same things "we" did. This question opened up the dialog and Eron sent the missionaries my way. I decided that the only way I was going to get answers to the questions I had was to be honest about how I was raised and ASK! So I did. I mentioned a couple of the strange stories about LDS members that I had been told while growing up, I mentioned the questions I had about my personal faith, I asked, prayed, read the Book of Mormon for several months. I love how Heavenly Father can give you those small little answers when you are open to them. All those questions about the Trinity, how Heavenly Father could know us before we were conceived, and little things like that were starting to be answered and the "puzzle pieces" were starting to click into place. It was amazing.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd7u2wLeQao/UFior9fizTI/AAAAAAAAHJY/Y2bEs30o76Q/s1600/+2012+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd7u2wLeQao/UFior9fizTI/AAAAAAAAHJY/Y2bEs30o76Q/s200/+2012+1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Photo by ShotByChristina</td></tr>
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When Eron proposed to me, he said that he wanted to marry me in the Temple so we could be together forever. He didn't care which Temple, that was my choice. This raised a whole new question for me...married, forever? Is that possible? So I picked the missionaries brains about Temple marriages and all that Families are Forever stuff. Since Eron's first wife refused to be Temple married to him, we didn't have anything standing in our way but our membership. So, mine started on February 27, 2010 and he started working on becoming active again. We were sealed to each other and all our kids on December 3, 2011. I feel so blessed. I have someone in my life who believes in Heavenly Father, families are important, little blessings, and that we will be together forever. I am so glad Heavenly Father was patient with me and kept putting people in my life to lead me to the church.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Photo by Erin</td></tr>
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<i>Erin is a stepmother to 3 boys and a mother to her 1 boy. She gets to be a stay-at-home mom and enjoy the blessings of making her house a home for her family. Her hobbies include paper crafts, photography, and reading. She is a business management major with a background in finance.</i></div>
Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-8973289705233949342014-03-13T12:00:00.000-04:002014-03-13T12:00:07.035-04:00Throw Out Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14XPcBNKm3I/Uwb0PS-WarI/AAAAAAAAPcE/V6m8yXSKS6Q/s1600/one+word+365.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14XPcBNKm3I/Uwb0PS-WarI/AAAAAAAAPcE/V6m8yXSKS6Q/s1600/one+word+365.png" /></a></div>
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There seems to be a trend in the blogging world to choose one word and focus on that one little word for the whole year. Forget resolutions, one word, carefully chosen, can be applied to almost every aspect of your life. No more failed resolutions...One Word...Simple enough.<br /><br />In 2012, I chose the word <b>'Simplify'</b>...I focused on simplifying physically, emotionally and even spiritually as I learned to embrace what is most important. In 2013 I chose a word, but it never felt quite right. A few weeks into the new year, my word chose me...It was '<b>Grateful'</b>, and I tell you living and focusing on gratitude every day was life changing.<br /><br />This year, I am focusing on being <b>'Brave'</b>. I have been called on to do hard things that are a stretch for me...I can be brave as I perform what He has called me to do. I can be brave as I put myself out there more as a writer. I can be brave as I prepare to run a race post back surgery. I can be brave and, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippinas 4:13<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Will you join me in choosing one word to focus on?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">What word would you choose?</span></i><br />
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<i>Lisa is the mother to one Air Force Son, one Missionary Son and one Sophomore in High School daughter. She has been married for 24 years to her best friend and blogs at <a href="http://hamershappenings.blogspot.com/">That's What She Said...</a></i></div>
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<i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo from <a href="http://oneword365.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One Word 365</a></span></i><br />
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Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-58622989407076145232014-03-11T14:00:00.000-04:002014-03-11T14:02:58.803-04:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #6 The Significance of the Sacrament, Joseph Fielding Smith<i>Lesson helps are for your personal study as your prepare to teach or participate in the lesson. This weeks lesson help is based on Teaching of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, chapter #6: <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-6-the-significance-of-the-sacrament?lang=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Significance of the Sacrament</a></i><br />
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In the Law of Moses, the most significant act was the sacrificing of the Paschal or Passover lamb. This was a very visceral or physical reality. The newborn lamb was held up and its throat was slit with a knife to let its blood drain away as an offering for the people. In today’s society we forget that they were dealing with a very real killing that represented the very real death of a person who would someday come and, with just as much innocence, allow himself to be slaughtered for our sins, and let his blood be spilled upon the ground so that we, his family, might have life.<br />
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The death of Jesus, which was the main reason he was born, was to perform this very sacrifice. This death was the assignment he accepted in the premortal council in heaven when he volunteered to be our Savior. How could the apostles, who did not yet have the gift of the Holy Ghost, appreciate the sacrifice he was about to make on their behalf when Christ instituted the practice of the sacrament just hours before he paid for the sins of all creation in Gethsemane and on the cross?<br />
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The sacrament is a simple substitution of a piece of bread which represents the physical body of Christ which he willingly allowed to be used and killed for our benefit. The water is an elemental substitution of water that we drink in exchange for the blood that he spilled in our behalf as he suffered for the spiritual crimes we commit, often with such careless abandon.<br />
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Is it any wonder that President Smith makes this reference in the lesson to those who come to the sacrament table seemingly oblivious to the sacredness of the experience of partaking of these emblems of Christ’s body and blood?<br />
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<i>“I have seen two members of the Church sitting together [in sacrament meeting], enter into a conversation, stop long enough for the blessing to be asked on the water or on the bread, then start again on their conversation. … That is shocking to me, and I am sure it is to the Lord.”</i></blockquote>
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He saw the sacrament as so important a commitment in our covenant-making process that he boldly stated that anyone who could take the sacrament, who chose not to for any reason, is not “loyal to the truth.” Indeed, if we find other things more important than being in church on Sunday to partake of the sacrament, we have truly lost our spiritual bearings.<br />
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<i>“The person who absents himself from a sacrament meeting week after week and month after month, and nothing prevents him from coming, is not loyal to the truth. He does not love it. If he did, he would be present to partake of these emblems—just a little piece of bread, a little cup of water. He would want to do that to show his love for the truth and his loyal service to the Son of God.”</i></blockquote>
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We are reminded that Christ commanded that this act of gathering to commemorate His sacrifice was to be done often so we will not forget what has been done in our behalf. This is why we take the sacrament each Sunday, so we do not forget the nature of the sacrifice he made for us.<br />
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<i>Kelly Merrill of <a href="http://www.mormonbasics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.mormonbasics.com</a></i>Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-46184113699789311202014-03-11T12:00:00.000-04:002014-03-11T12:00:02.505-04:00A Slice of Eternal Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Eternal Life. How would you define eternal life? Heaven? A place of happiness? What we receive after we endure to the end? The place where God lives? Being exalted and living with our Heavenly Father? I've heard these and much more in my many years in the church. Eternal life was always one of those big general ideas in the church that I knew about by hearing it in context with other topics, but one that I couldn't seem to define. Until one day I read a scripture that changed my life.<br />
<br />You know the kind; a verse you've read a hundred times before, but had never caught your eye, hadn't said much to you until exactly the right moment. I don't remember where I was at the moment or what led up to it, but I remember exactly how I felt that day when I read John 17:3 for the hundredth time.<br /><br />
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<i>And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent. <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/17.3?lang=eng">John 17:3</a></i></blockquote>
<br />I learned a lot about my life in that one sentence of scripture, that one line of the Great Intercessory Prayer.<br />
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<br />You see, I was teenager. One that hadn't grown up in church, but had known of it's truth for a while. My testimony was built in Seminary and Young Women's and I was learning all this on my own. When a youth leader of mine had challenged us to imagine Christ and Heavenly Father sitting next to us as we prayed, I gained an understanding of my personal relationship to them. As I read and sought to understand the scriptures in those years, I learned that not only did He want to hear from me, but that He wanted to communicate back with me. As I felt and responded to the promptings of the Spirit in my life, I came to understand that He knew me as an individual, as His daughter, and that He wanted to be a part of my life. My personal knowledge of His love for me became the cornerstone of my testimony and remains so today.<br /><br />I knew that He wanted to be a part of my life, every day of it. I knew that I wanted to continue to learn of my Father in Heaven and grow closer to Him in this life, right now. So when I read the Savior's definition of eternal life, to know God and Jesus Christ, <i>my life changed</i>. I could no longer see it as a challenging trial that had to be completed well and endured faithfully until the end, when I would finally be rewarded for my good choices. Instead, it became a glorious and wonderful place where every day, every moment, held the opportunity to live life with Him, to feel His warmth, and bask in His love. Instead of a trophy waiting at the end of the race, eternal life became the beautiful scenery and loving companionship that blessed me as I ran along.<br /><br />We can't come to know God completely in this life. We'll never know all His reasons or understand all the ways He cares for His children. But we don't have to wait till our mortal eyes can see Him. As we welcome His love and influence into our lives, as we communicate with Him through prayer, the scriptures and prophets, and the gift of the Spirit we can come to know Him better. We can come to live each day with Him as a part of our lives. We can come to know Him a little better every day. Every day we can have a little slice of eternal life.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">image via <a href="http://www.lds.org/media-library/images/by-speaker/president-thomas-s-monson?lang=eng#quote-monson-mountains-1173267">lds.org media library</a></span><br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChCGF_uXURk/Ubt-tXGrRRI/AAAAAAAAALE/GF0kqKobOrQ/s1600/Right+of+Fireplace+small+3.JPG" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #d977ae; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChCGF_uXURk/Ubt-tXGrRRI/AAAAAAAAALE/GF0kqKobOrQ/s200/Right+of+Fireplace+small+3.JPG" style="border-width: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChCGF_uXURk/Ubt-tXGrRRI/AAAAAAAAALE/GF0kqKobOrQ/s1600/Right+of+Fireplace+small+3.JPG" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></a><i>Monica Lynn is wifey and momma dedicated to making life beautiful. You can follow her adventures at <a href="http://www.domesticartistry.blogspot.com/">{domestic artistry}</a></i>Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-53985826885556418612014-03-08T12:00:00.000-05:002014-03-08T12:00:05.311-05:00Book Review and Author Interview: Covenant Motherhood by Stephanie Dibb Sorenson<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbJFwTqXYrQ/UvEULhPrT5I/AAAAAAAAD4I/ZNvPsYQccA4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-04+at+10.22.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbJFwTqXYrQ/UvEULhPrT5I/AAAAAAAAD4I/ZNvPsYQccA4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-04+at+10.22.34+AM.png" height="320" width="219" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I read a book last year, and I've pondering it ever since. The book is <i>Covenant Motherhood: Reflecting the Role of Christ in Our Lives</i> by Stephanie Dibb Sorenson. Full disclosure: The world of LDS authors is fairly small, and Stephanie is a friend of mine. Still, my thoughts are genuine. I decided long ago that I would only review books I really liked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll acknowledge at the outset that I'm not a mother. So, if that fact disqualifies me from writing this review, it might be best you stop reading now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But I am married to a mother. I'm the son of a mother, and the brother to mothers. As a teacher, I work with a large number of mothers. I have been the bishop of mothers, and I'm currently in a calling where I give temple recommends to mothers. So, while I'm not one, I am around them often.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a unique dynamic I've noticed with many mothers, both in and out of the Church. I don't know how to articulate it fully, but most mothers I know severely undervalue their work. Others in their life will tell them how wonderful they are, how important their work is, and so forth. But it doesn't seem to sink in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This has always made me sad. Even as a fairly young child, I noted the disparity between my mother's value to our family and that which she assigned herself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I was a bishop, it was difficult. Long hours of difficult, soul-stretching work, and constant, unremitting feelings of inadequacy. But I was able to get through because, in spite of my weaknesses, I believed in what I was doing. I felt divinely called and guided, and although I was deeply flawed, I didn't doubt I was divinely appointed (although I often wondered why in the world that would be the case. But that's another story). In short, I felt that a divine purpose trumped my many flaws. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I drew strength from these things in spite of the struggles, both internal and external. A lot of mothers I know make far larger sacrifices for far longer, but don't seem to have the internal support of believing in the ultimate value of what they are doing. Or at least, they don't believe their own personal efforts have value.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It is in that regard that I find this book to be so profound. It is short and simple, quick and easy to read. But there is so much here. In a concise and cogent way, Stephanie lays out a foundation and she shows how deeply the tasks of motherhood parallel the things that Christ does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I always saw motherhood as an intrinsically spiritual work, but Stephanie shows why, and explains just how closely the work of a mother echoes and prefigures the various functions of the Atonement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I saw some reviews of the book that were dismissive. They made a mistake, in my opinion, of confusing simplicity with depth, writing off these parallels as facile mottos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Savior taught in simple parables. He used the day-to-day features of people's lives to teach profound and eternal truths. Coins. Yeast. Wheat. Birds. Seeds. Sheep. In his hands, all of these became powerful sermons about concepts that could transform human souls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stephanie has done something similar, finding the ways in which the work of a mother testifies of Christ's divinity, and elucidates the divinity of the work of the women who have consecrated their lives to being co-creators with him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is all the more remarkable when you understand Stephanie's story, and why she came to seek the answers she has elucidated in her book. You can read that for yourself, but this book represents the testimony of one who was converted to a principal that once seemed annoying and even burdensome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For that reason, I wish every mother in the world could read and really understand this remarkable book. I would very much like Stephanie to write a companion volume for fathers. Until then, my appreciation for the women in my life and the Atonement of Christ have both increased.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If I have one quibble, it is with the title. I don't think it really reflects the fullness of the content. However, to be fair, most authors have very little control over their titles, which are usually chosen by a committee at the publisher. I think a more descriptive, but admittedly less-poetic title would be: "How the Daily Work of a Mother Reflects the Atonement of Jesus Christ." That's a small quibble, though.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stephanie was kind enough to answer some questions for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Q: <span style="background-color: white;">I know you refer to this in the book, but I think the genesis for this book is fascinating and inspiring. Can you give explain that for the readers?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A: </b>I was afraid to be a mother because I didn't feel like I would be good at it. I also knew it was an important part of God's plan, so I eventually took a leap of faith. We started our family, and I was right. It was hard, and I wasn't very good at it. Because I so often felt that way, I struggled with the daily challenges of motherhood. Even though I knew motherhood was important for my children in an eternal sense, I struggled to see what it meant for me. Did all this hard stuff really matter? I started a quest to study what I now call the doctrine of motherhood. I read everything I could find in the scriptures and the teachings of prophets and apostles about why motherhood matters. I knew that if I could understand the why, and have a testimony of its importance in God's plan, then I could do it. I asked for a clearer vision of my purpose, and little by little, the pieces came together. I began to see my role the way God sees it. The process was extremely reassuring and liberating. I collected what I learned and decided to put it into a book because I felt like having it all in one place might be helpful to another mom who experiences similar feelings about her role. (And I also had a strong desire to bear my testimony about what the Lord had taught me.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Q: If I understand the timeline correctly, this book began as a series of blog posts. At what point did it grow to become a book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A:</b> This is kind of a chicken-and-the-egg answer. I started my blog long before I had any idea about writing a book. Titled "Diapers and Divinity," it was the beginning of my quest to find faith in motherhood. Once I started looking for (and asking to see) the divine in what I was doing day in and day out, I would write posts about what I was learning. I had a lot of experiences that felt like what Elder Richard G. Scott calls "packets of light"--snippets of revelation that made things a little more clear. At some point along that journey, I got the idea that I should collect those lessons into a book. From that point on, I would share experiences on my blog, jot down thoughts and scripture references in notebooks and on restaurant napkins, and collect piles of highlighted talks. When I finally started writing the book almost two years later, I drew upon the blog a lot to help me remember the personal experiences I wanted to share.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Q:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> What projects are you currently working on?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A:</b> I love to study and teach about the gospel. I finished Covenant Motherhood and got a part-time faculty position in Church History and Doctrine at BYU right as my youngest child started school. Even though I only teach 1-2 classes a semester, that keeps my free time kind of busy. I wrote a chapter for a book called A Mother's Prayer that will be released this Spring. This summer I will be teaching at BYU Women's Conference and Especially for Youth, so I'm trying to get those presentations prepared. I also have three new book ideas rolling around in my head, but I'm still in the research stage for all three. I'm curious to see how it all plays out.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Q: Do you consider yourself an expert on motherhood?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A:</b> <span style="background-color: white;">I always want someone to ask me if I think I'm an expert on motherhood, mostly so I can shout, "No!" I have a testimony of motherhood, but I'm still working every day on being converted. I tried so hard to write the book in a way that would help every mother recognize the good that she's already doing and not make her feel like a failure for what she's not doing. Probably 75% of my days, if you asked my children and husband if I am a motherhood expert, they would laugh at you. So thanks for "asking."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you, Stephanie!</span><br />
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<i>Braden Bell is a husband, father, teacher, director, and writer. He's the author of <a href="http://www.bradenbell.com/about-the-road-show-faqs.html" target="_blank">The Road Show</a>, and <a href="http://www.bradenbell.com/" target="_blank">The Middle School Magic</a> series. His next book, <a href="http://www.bradenbell.com/luminescence.html" target="_blank">Luminescence</a>, will be published in March. He blogs about all of the above at <a href="http://bradenbell.com/">bradenbell.com</a>.</i><br />
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Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312680612262538359.post-6932495594829129752014-03-06T12:00:00.000-05:002014-03-06T15:28:49.188-05:00Relief Society Lesson Prep: #5 Faith and Repentance, Joseph Fielding Smith<i>Lesson helps are for your personal study as your prepare to teach or participate in the lesson. This weeks lesson help is based on <b>Teaching of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith</b>, <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-5-faith-and-repentance?lang=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">chapter #5: Faith and Repentance</a></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>This is 'a dispensation of warning, not peace'</i></span></div>
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-Joseph Fielding Smith.</div>
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Peace begins within each person, which requires becoming “right” or square with God. This requires repentance. We are called to repent with the sole purpose of being ready for a celestial glory. In preparing ourselves for final judgment it is important to remember that it is the nature of love to be gentle and caring, so any negative judgment will be given with sorrow and sadness, not stern retribution.</div>
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<i>“Remember, everyone has weaknesses, and there are at least two sides to every story. If you err in judgment, be sure you err on the side of love and mercy.”</i></blockquote>
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<b>Faith</b><br />
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The first principle of the gospel or good news is faith in Christ. The principle of faith is what creates the power within us to increase in good and become the kind of person we need to become to return to the presence of God. Our faith must be centered on Christ or we will not return home. We demonstrate our faith in our Father in Heaven by following His Son.<br />
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Christ came into the world to perform a two-fold mission. He came to pay for then die for our sins, so He could forgive our sins based on our repentance. He came to die for us, so he could resurrect himself and provide all of us life eternal with a physical body. Without His resurrection we would be left with no place to go, remaining as spirits with Satan forever. Because of the resurrection we will receive an immortal body which, if we are repentant, will be able to become perfect and be exalted, like our heavenly parents.<br />
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President Smith makes an important point. Without faith in our Father in Heaven and in His Son, Jesus Christ, we will not have sufficient faith to follow Christ’s representatives, the prophets and apostles, and all His other ordained servants. Having faith in the perfection of God and His Son helps us exercise faith in, and obey their mortal servants.<br />
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<i>“ ... if we have faith in God the Father and the Son and are guided, as we ought to be, by the Holy Ghost, we will have faith in the servants of the Lord through whom He has spoken.”</i></blockquote>
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Faith is a principle that creates power only because it is based on action. When we believe in something that is true, and act on that belief, that action generates power to grow and change. Faith has two parts, it must be based on truth, and there must be action or behavior involved. No amount of verbal profession of belief can make up for lack of doing the will of God. Only doing the Lord’s will builds the character of a righteous individual.<br />
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<b>Repentance</b><br />
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The result of doing the Lord’s will is a change in our own behavior and attitudes. This needs to be done deliberately. We need to choose to change through the act of repenting of our old ways and adopting the life that God wants us to live. Changing our habits is only part of the process of repenting. It is important for us to recognize why our old ways were ineffective and counterproductive, and offensive to the Lord. We must feel genuine sorrow for the things we have done that have offended Him, whether it was because it broke His commandments or because it hurt one or more of His children. The change has to grow from a desire to be like Christ, and to please God.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“There is no place in Zion for the wilful sinner. There is a place for the repentant sinner …”</i></blockquote>
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We are a Church of sinners who want to be better than we currently are. There is all the room in the world for those who want to repent. There is no “place in Zion” for those who have no desire to repent. Exaltation is only for the righteous. The righteous are defined by the Lord as those who repent and make covenants with Him. The emphasis here is having a desire to repent, a desire to be obedient. None of us has already completed all the repenting that needs to be done, so none of us has a right to judge someone else for not being righteous “enough.” Part of our learning and growing experience is to learn to love and have patience with each other and ourselves as the Lord has shown love for each of us.<br />
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<b>Mercy</b><br />
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As one who sins, each of us tend to concentrate on how hard the justice of God will be on us at the last day. What we need to be focusing on is all the mercy God wants to show us in the meantime. As we repent it is Christ’s mercy that forgives our trespasses and sins, cleanses our souls of guilt, changes our heart, our disposition, so we no longer have a desire to break the commandments. It is the law of mercy that frees us from the punishing effects of the law of justice, and let’s us grow and change to become better today than we were yesterday.<br />
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Just as sin creates a vicious cycle of sorrow and defeat, faith has a redemptive or saving cycle which creates joy and strength. This is the cycle of faith. We choose to believe in something that is true then act on that belief. Christ rewards that action with knowledge and a small change of heart. Because of our action, mercy is applied and sins are forgiven. Joy and additional freedom to act is the result, and more repentance follows.<br />
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<b>Now is the Time</b><br />
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Repentance is not designed to be an activity enjoyed in the afterlife. It is designed to be done here and now. After this life it is very difficult to repent. The prophets continually remind us that this life is the day for repenting. Whatever level of repentance we achieve in this life is what we carry with us into the judgment. Whatever level of mercy we experience in this life is what we will carry with us into the judgment. If we have experienced no mercy in this life, why should we expect it in the next? Mercy is something we can get anytime we want it. Repentance and obedience is the price of mercy. Now is the time to get as much of it as we can, for now is the time when we are committing all of our sins. We can erase those sins and replace them with joy and rejoicing by demonstrating true sorrow for those sins and seeking the Lord’s help in changing our ways.<br />
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This is a dispensation of warning that the Lord’s return is near and that we all need to prepare ourselves for His return. If we want peace in this life, only Christ can offer it. It must start within each of us then, when we have been warned, we must go and warn our neighbor that they may find peace as well.<br />
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<i>Kelly Merrill of <a href="http://www.mormonbasics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.mormonbasics.com</a></i>Caroline C. Binghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883064932707416161noreply@blogger.com