REMEMBER

This year's course of study in Seminary is the Book of Mormon. I have read the Book of Mormon several times in the past, yet I am learning SO much as I study it again with the intent of teaching it to the youth. 

One of the things that is frequently said about us, as a society and as individuals, is that we are too quick to forget what has happened in the past and we end up repeating past mistakes. As I have been studying the Book of Mormon this year, it has come to my attention how often the word REMEMBER is used. Upwards of 200 times. 

"And now remember..."

"I would that ye should remember..."

"Let us remember..."

"Oh, remember..."

"If ye do not remember..."

"See that ye remember..."

"Do ye not remember..."

Constant reminders of what the Lord has done to bless our lives. The entire Book of Mormon is a record of all the different ways that the Lord has blessed people who have followed His commandments and counsel, and how those who do not are not.  Quite often, counsel to stay faithful to the Lord NOW is proceeded by a remembrance of a way that the Lord blessed the faithful THEN. Over and over they are exhorted to remember the captivity of their fathers and how the Lord brought them out of bondage, both temporal and spiritual.

At the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni states:

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts." (emphasis added)

When we remember the blessings that we have received from the Lord, it puts us in the right frame of mind -- it opens our eyes and our ears and our hearts -- to receive counsel, admonition, answers and guidance from our Father in Heaven. It turns our focus towards the spiritual and away from the "natural man". It reminds us that we are better than our past mistakes and that we are not doomed to repeat them. We gain confidence and faith that if others have succeeded, we can too. 

Most importantly, it helps us to open our eyes and our ears and our hearts to the hope of Jesus Christ. Remembering that, through Him, we can be redeemed from our past mistakes and become clean through His Atonement. Each Sunday we have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament in remembrance of all that our Savior has done for us, and we are renewed and strengthened by promising Him that we will do better and try harder and to draw closer to Him. And, as we keep that covenant, hopefully, we can be an example for others to remember.

What a blessing it is to REMEMBER! 


(If you would like a free copy of the Book of Mormon, click HERE)

Seeing new things

One of the things that I LOVE about reading the scriptures over and over is that you see new things each time.  I have read the Bible several times and this last week I found a scripture there I had never seen before.

1 Samuel 3:19 ~ "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground."

That verse really stood out to me this time around!  What it said to me is that we should be so careful and respectful to the words that the Lord gives us that we should let none of them fall to the ground, or fall from our notice, focus and understanding.

How can we treat His words that carefully and respectfully?  I wrote many ideas in my scriptures:

...elevate, share, honor, obey, sustain, testify, teach, believe, listen, pray, cherish, ponder, study, journal...

What other words can you think of?

#ASaviorIsBorn

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has created a beautiful new video for the Christmas season called A Savior Is Born.  

Along with the video is a media campaign, using the hashtag #ASaviorIsBorn.  I used the video and the signs in my Seminary class, and I loved the phrasing that the students used!

A Savior is Born so I...

                ...could repent        ...could remember Him always

                                 ...could live with my family forever

...can be full of peace and happiness  
                          
                     ...could live and have a family

                                                            ...can repent and live forever

Aren't those wonderful, faithful answers?!  I love these kids so much!

This is mine:

In this world of turmoil and stress and distractions, I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the peace that His gospel and the blessing of His atonement bring to my life!

May we know the truth of all things?

In the Book of Mormon, in Moroni 10:3-7, it reads:

     "Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
     "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
     "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
     "And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
     "And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever."

We are familiar with this scripture and it's promise.  If you read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true, then the Holy Ghost will let you know that it is true.  We usually stop after verse 5, and today my studies led me a little farther. Everything that is good testifies of Christ, and we should not deny the power of God.  We will see God's works in our lives as we exercise faith.

In summary, if we have prepared ourselves (reading the scriptures, remembering God's mercy and blessings), as we pray with sincerity and faith, by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things.  But does that mean that God is going to reveal to us "all things"?

We think of Moses as being one who was prepared, faithful, sincere, surely one who would receive great revelations and answers from the Lord, one who DID receive visions of all the world and it's inhabitants, and yet, as he stood face to face with God, ". . .the Lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purposes have I made these things.  Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me." (Moses 1:31)  In other words, even with all I have shown you, there are things that I am not going to show you.

Did that mean that Moses was unworthy?  That perhaps he had done something wrong in the eyes of the Lord?  That anything else the Lord had revealed to him wasn't true or of value?  Absolutely not.  The Lord, in His wisdom, decides when and where we will receive the answers, guidance, blessings, etc., that we stand in need of.  

Just because we may not receive an answer in the time frame that we are expecting, does not mean that the Lord does not have an answer to give us, or that there is no answer at all.  It could mean that we may not be prepared for the answer at this time.  That certain events or experiences have to take place in our lives before we can recognize the answer for what it is.  Or, perhaps the Lord wants us to figure it out on our own, rather than He just hand it to us, knowing that the figuring out is what is going to strengthen us.  Maybe the answer is not ours to have.

Some of us want answers to deep, complicated topics.  Some of us are trying to figure out why things happen to some people, but not to others. Some of us may be trying to justify certain behaviors by looking for an answer that we want to hear, rather than obeying the one that has already been given to us.

Does this mean that we aren't sincere in our desires for answers?  Does this mean that, even though the answer isn't absolutely essential for our salvation, we wouldn't really like to have it?  Absolutely not.  We may have devoted much time and effort in our scripture study and prayers to try to find the answers we are looking for.

And then we don't receive an answer.  Does this mean that God doesn't love us, value us, care about our desires? Absolutely not.

     "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
     "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.  The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours."  (Doctrine & Covenants 78:17-18)

I love the beauty of that scripture!  We have not even begun to understand all that our Heavenly Father has for us, in His own hands, in His own time.  We cannot bear (to hold up under, be capable of) all things now. Nevertheless, Heavenly Father WILL lead us along.  He WILL bless us.  All that He has He is willing to give us.  Because. . . 

     ". . .whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
     "And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever."

Deny not the power of God!  Just because we do not receive an answer in the time frame we are expecting, does not mean that everything else we know is not true!  It is all true, and one of those truths is that we may need to wait upon the Lord at certain times in our lives.  He will love us through those times, He will lead us along through those times, He will work by power in our lives.  

I am grateful to know that my Father in Heaven loves me and that He knows me.  He knows my name. He knows my heart. He knows my spirit. He knows my testimony. He knows my needs, and my wants.  I know that with that knowledge, He will provide me with what I need to fulfill my life and mission on this earth. That I will be blessed continually, despite my questions, despite my fears, despite my weaknesses, despite my pride and sins.  The miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ!  I am imperfect, flawed, lacking in all eternal knowledge, and yet, I am provided, DAILY, with forgiveness, blessings, love, support, comfort, understanding, revelations, and, when I need them, answers.

#BecauseHeLives

On www.mormon.org there is a beautiful video for Easter about our Savior, Jesus Christ, entitled Because He Lives.  You can watch the video by clicking HERE.

There is also a link to download a marker to show where you feel the influence of Jesus Christ in your life.  I posted mine to Twitter.  #BecauseHeLives #Easter #scripturestudy #mormon #LDS

UPDATE:  I was showing the whole #HeIsHere #BecauseHeLives thing on mormon.org to a friend and when I got to the page, I got all excited, as there I was!  Right in the middle!  How fun!!

Great are the Words of Isaiah

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The prophet Jacob said: "And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may life up their hearts and rejoice for all men.  Now there are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men."  (2 Nephi 11:8)

Jesus Christ himself said: "An now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things.  Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah."  (3 Nephi 23:1)

I am heading into the Isaiah chapters of 1-2 Nephi and I wanted to share the notes that I have in regards to Isaiah and the Book of Mormon.

Why did the Nephites quote Isaiah?

1. He was a relatively recent prophet.
          742-701BC - years of Isaiah's ministry
          100-150 years from the time of Nephi and Jacob

2. Main theme was the destruction of the House of Israel, of which the Nephites were an important branch.

3. Isaiah spoke of the status of the House of Israel in the last days and the Book of Mormon was preserved from those in the Latter-days.

4. Isaiah spoke repeatedly about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

(I did not reference this list in my scriptures, so I am not sure if it was a quote from a book, or notes from an Institute class or something like that.)

Suggestions for better understanding Isaiah

1. Gain an overall understanding of the Plan of Salvation
          Prophets assume that their listeners understand what they are talking about

2. Study the doctrine of the gathering of Israel
          Most of Isaiah's writings are on this subject

3. Use the Book of Mormon - the Book of Mormon is our greatest scriptural commentary on Isaiah
          Quoted by Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi and Jesus Christ
          Bruce R. McConkie: "May I be so bold as to affirm that no one, absolutely no one, in this age and dispensation has or does or can understand the writings of Isaiah until he first learns and believes what God has revealed by the mouths of his Nephite witnesses as those truths are found in that volume of holy writ."  (Ensign, Oct 1973, pg. 81)

4. Use modern revelation
          In Doctrine and Covenants there are sixty-six places that use language similar or identical to Isaiah.  In Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith there are thirty-five Isaiah passages in twenty-one different chapters.

5. Learn how New Testament writers understood and explained Isaiah
          Jesus, Paul, John the Revelator

6. Know and understand the Old Testament settings and context for Isaiah's writings
          For example: because of the wickedness of the people, Isaiah often spoke in figures, types and shadows, but Nephi didn't have to.

7. Understand the manner in which the prophesies may be fulfilled
          Prophesies may have dual fulfillments or multiple applications.  Recognize contemporary events as fulfillment of ancient prophecy.

8. Seek the spirit of prophesy and devote yourself for serious study
          2 Nephi 25:4 - "Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn."

How important is it that we understand Isaiah?

"Isaiah has been reserved for a reason.  Nephi and Mormon went to great efforts to see that Isaiah's writings were a part of the Book of Mormon.  They are meant to be understood.  Nephi never intended that we skip or hurry through the now sixteen-page segment in the middle of his second book.  'If our eternal salvation,' Elder [Bruce R.] McConkie warned, 'depends upon our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah as fully and truly as Nephi understood them -- and who shall say such is not the case! -- how shall we fare in that great day when with Nephi we shall stand before the pleasing bar of Him who said: 'Great are the words of Isaiah'?. . . It just may be that my salvation (and yours also!) does in fact depend upon our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah as fully and truly as Nephi understood them.  For that matter, why should either Nephi or Isaiah know anything that is withheld from us?  Does not that God who is no respecter of persons treat all his children alike? Has he not given us his promise and recited to us the terms and conditions of his law pursuant to which he will reveal to us what he has revealed to them?'." (Ensign, Oct 1973, pg. 78) -- Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, McConkie and Millet, pg. 277

Understanding Isaiah is not the easiest thing in the world to do. I find it fascinating to understand how he described the things that he saw in our day.  I mean, how does someone who lives 700 years before the birth of Christ, centuries before the invention of the automobile and airplane, describe modern transportation?  "They shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary or stumble among them.  None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken."  How might he describe a helicopter or a fighter jet? Maybe the "two tails of these smoking firebrands"? or the "hiss for the fly" or a "bee"?  

Most importantly, Isaiah prophesied of the Savior, Jesus Christ! Studying the words of Isaiah can increase our testimony and love of Jesus Christ! Isaiah's words apply to our day, even more than they did to his day.  I am grateful for the many resources we have to help us to better understand his words, especially the Book of Mormon!  (If you would like a free copy of the Book of Mormon, click HERE)

Ponder, consider and remember

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf posted this on Facebook today, and, as I prepare for General Conference, I thought that this bore repeating, or in this case, sharing:

"April general conference is a time when seasons change. In the southern hemisphere, the leaves turn colors as autumn begins, and spring flowers bloom in the north. Conference provides an opportunity to gather together as friends and families to become more united in our faith in Jesus Christ and in our efforts to serve Him.

"As I have prepared for this conference, I have felt impressed that each one should ponder again about God's plan for our lives and consider our individual place in this divine plan as His children.

"Please, always remember that each one of us matters to Him, wherever we may be."(emphasis added)

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Comparisons, Symbolism and Examples in the scriptures

There is no possible way that I can spend any amount of reasonable time talking about symbolism in the scriptures.  There is just WAY too much to even BEGIN in one blog post.  I mean, the Savior specifically used parables and symbolism so He could separate those who wanted to hear a nice story and those who wanted to understand the greater meaning of the gospel, and they are EVERYWHERE in the scriptures!  However, I would like to lightly rub the surface for a few minutes, based on what I have been reading in the scriptures recently.

This year (and possibly longer) I am reading through the Book of Mormon three times.  It is taking me a LOT longer to do it this way, but I am really thrilled with the results.  I was especially fascinated by 1 Nephi chapter 17.  It took me two weeks to get through this one chapter.  I was AMAZED by all that I had never seen before in this chapter.  (The funny thing is, I am sure that many of you reading this will say, "Pffft! I already knew THAT!"  It amazes me how we all see the same thing in different ways and at different times.)

Specifically, I had never before noticed the incredible amount of comparison and symbolism between the Israelites leaving Egypt and being directed through the wilderness to the promised land, and Lehi's family leaving Jerusalem and being directed through the wilderness to the promised land.  How had I missed that?!!

A FEW comparisons and symbolism that I noticed:

The Israelites had many faithful believers amongst them, and many people who were quick to find fault and complain.  Lehi's family had the same.

The Israelites went through many cycles of obedience and murmuring, as did Lehi's family.  In both instances, there was much "affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue," and in both instances many "were desirous to return"to where they had begun their journey, even if that meant bondage.

The Israelites were led through the wilderness by a pillar of fire, and Lehi's family were led through the wilderness by the Liahona.  (Interestingly enough, Hugh Nibley stated that the interpretation of the word Liahona is "to God is light" or "of God is light".)  Both were led through the wilderness by the light of God.

The Israelites were fed in the wilderness with manna, quail and water, and Lehi's family were fed in the wilderness by the fact that they didn't have to light any fires to cook their food.  They Lord blessed that their food was sweet to them.  It was symbolic of the sweetness of the Lord's blessings, and to the Israelites, it was specifically symbolism of the Savior.  Manna represented the Bread of Life and the water represented the Living Water, both references to Jesus Christ's roles as the Redeemer of mankind.

The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for the space of (around) forty years, mainly as a refining period in which the Lord strengthened those who were willing to remain faithful to Him through their trials.  Lehi's family were in the wilderness for eight years, mainly for the same reason.

In both instances, many reverted to riotous, inappropriate actions, forgetting the power of God that had brought them out of bondage.

In both instances, quite often, direct revelation was received by a visit to a high mountain, representative of the Temple.

As I was sitting in sacrament meeting, as the sacrament was being passed, I considered how I approach the Temple.  Do I approach it as Nephi did, with a newly made bow in hand, asking for directions on how to get food, or do I show up expecting God to fix all of my problems without trying to come up with an idea or a solution on my own?  Honestly, kinda the last part.  It made me realize how I need to rethink the way I approach the Lord.

So, beautifully, wonderfully, the experiences in the scriptures of the Israelites escaping the bondage of Egypt, and Lehi's family escaping bondage of the destruction of Jerusalem, are a comparison, a symbolism, of each of us, individually, escaping the bondage of the natural man, as we strive to become more like our Heavenly Father, returning, one day, to His presence (the promised land).

My heart is full!

Goals for 2015

I am working on getting my goals for 2015 fine-tuned.  

This last Sunday, I substituted for a friend of mine who was sick, and taught the Teaching for Our Times lesson in Relief Society.  I taught from the General Conference talks: Free Forever, to Act for Themselves, by Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Yes, Lord, I Will Follow Thee, by Elder Eduardo Gavarret.

I taught mainly from Elder Christofferson's talk (which is on agency), but I touched on a few points from Elder Gavarret's talk (which is on choosing to follow Christ), and those are the points I want to focus on for this post.

"The invitation to “follow Him” is the most simple, direct, and powerful invitation we can receive. It comes from a clear voice that cannot be confused.

". . . it is an invitation to act.

"As you strive to come to Him, you will gain the power to relieve life’s burdens, whether physical or spiritual, and experience a positive inner change that will help you be happier.

"The decision to “come unto me” and “follow me” is personal.

"Reach out your hand, touch His garment, accept His invitation, say, “Yes, Lord, I will follow Thee!”—and walk with Him.

"What steps can we take today to “walk with Him”?

1. Feed the desire to be a better follower of Christ.

2. Pray for this desire that your faith in Him may grow.

3. Obtain knowledge from the scriptures, lighting the way and strengthening your desire to change. (emphasis added because it is talking about scripture study!)

4. Make the decision today to act and say, “Yes, Lord, I will follow Thee!” Simply knowing the truth will not change your world unless you turn knowledge into action.

5. Persevere in the decision you have made by exercising these principles daily."

As I am forming my goals for the coming year, I was grateful for the reminder to choose goals that reflect using my agency to wisely follow my Savior, Jesus Christ.

From Elder Christofferson's talk, "we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with."

1. Exert ourselves, make an effort, we have to do more than want it, we have to ACT!

2. Repent, get rid of the baggage that is weighing us down!

3. Choose to follow God, to come unto Him, walk with Him.  Make the conscious effort to act in a way that is pleasing to Him.  Blessings upon blessings will follow as we make that choice!  We will be happier!

I am all for a happier 2015!

Goal for 2014 completed!

I set a lot of goals for myself in 2014.  Some I did well on, some I completely forgot, and others I did so-so on.  One goal I did well on was to read the Book of Mormon with the focus on the Christ-like attribute of mercy.

This morning I finished reading the Book of Mormon and counted the number of times I underlined the word mercy (mercies, merciful).  110 times!  Brilliant!!

I really feel that concentrating on the word mercy has strengthened my ability to be more merciful, to recognize ways to apply mercy to others and to situations.  I am grateful for this experience and the way that it has brought me closer, through the blessings of the Spirit, to my Heavenly Father and my Savior and to the people around me, especially my own family.

I highly recommend the practice of reading through the Book of Mormon with a focus on a particular principle or idea.  I am anxious to begin again on the next focus on my list!

He Is The Gift #ShareTheGift

Remembering

I am reading in Ether these days.  (I had better hurry up if I am going to finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year!)

One thing that has stuck out to me in the last few chapters is remembering.  In Ether 6:12, it talks about the Brother of Jared and his family landing in the Promised Land, after traveling for nearly a year on the ocean.  They immediately drop to their knees in thanks to their God for bringing them safely there.  They "did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because the multitude of his tender mercies over them."

When you look at the footnote for 12c, "tender mercies", it references two other scriptures, Ether 7:27 and Ether 10:2.

In Ether 7:27 it says:  "And there were no more wars in the days of Shule; and he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; wherefore he did execute judgment in righteousness all his days."  (emphasis added)

Ether 10:2 says: "And it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his fathers, and he did build up a righteous kingdom; for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; and he did walk in the ways of the Lord; and he begat sons and daughters."  (emphasis added)

It would seem that the tender mercies that they were referring to came because they remembered.  They remembered that the Lord had done great and marvelous things for them and for those who had come before them.

tender mercies = remembering blessings

good judgement = remembering blessings

righteous living = remembering blessings

I am seeing a pattern here!

Even the promise of the Book of Mormon found in Moroni 10:3-5 says:

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

acquiring truth = remembering blessings

(If you would like a free copy of the Book of Mormon to learn more about this amazing promise, click HERE)

The scriptures are so vital to us that Heavenly Father has gone to great lengths throughout history to make them available to us.  He inspired prophets and faithful saints through countless generations to preserve their history and experiences.  He sent Nephi back to get the plates to preserve the record of their fathers.  He made sure that faithful men kept the records of the Nephites safe so that they would not be destroyed.  He blessed Joseph Smith on numerous occasions to avoid men who were intent on destroying the gold plates.  The scriptures are a record of those who have gone before us that help us to remember the blessings that have come before us, AND the blessings that we might have for ourselves!  We should spend valuable time to search the scriptures to find these marvelous insights that inspire us to do better, to become closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  To remember.

remembering blessings = scripture study

Definitions

When I am able to sit down and really study my scriptures or a lesson or a General Conference talk, one of the things that I like to do is look up words in the dictionary to discover their meaning.  Most of the time, I already know what the word means, but often I have found that there is usually more in the definition of a word than I realized.  

For example, the lesson for Relief Society/Priesthood yesterday was from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, chapter 20: Love and Concern for all of Our Father's Children.  As I read through the lesson, in section 1, there was the following quote:

I think if all men knew and understood who they are, and were aware of the divine source from whence they came, and of the infinite potential that is part of their inheritance, they would have feelings of kindness and kinship for each other that would change their whole way of living and bring peace on earth.

We believe in the dignity and divine origin of man. Our faith is founded on the fact that God is our Father, and that we are his children, and that all men are brothers and sisters in the same eternal family.

As members of his family, we dwelt with him before the foundations of this earth were laid, and he ordained and established the plan of salvation whereby we gained the privilege of advancing and progressing as we are endeavoring to do.

I love that first paragraph! Beautiful! 

Actually, this is what my page looked like:

But the word I want to focus on is privilege.  I know what that word means.  It means that you have something that someone else doesn't, by virtue of your birth or work or efforts.  When I looked up the word, however, I discovered that it had a lot more meaning than I thought.  And, in a different way, I am sure, than Mr. Webster had in mind.

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I was intrigued by the fact that nearly all of the definitions for the word privilege contained the word immunity.  That concept in relation to the word privilege had never before entered my mind.  

From a Latter-day Saint perspective, with an understanding of the Plan of Salvation, the word immunity, in relation to privilege, makes perfect sense!

Because we know the Plan of Salvation, because we love God and keep His commandments, and, most importantly, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we can "endeavor to advance and progress" because we can repent and be forgiven and strive to do better.  This gives us an advantage, because as we take these steps, we gain immunity from the effects of physical and spiritual death.  How great is that?!!  And, that is definitely something to be enjoyed!

I am so grateful for the many resources that bless our lives and help us to find greater meaning and application to the scriptures in our lives!  It is indeed a privilege! 

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Prayer Journal

I know that this doesn't immediately sound like it is related to scripture study, but prayer and scripture study are essential to each other, so it is. : )

I know there is a quote somewhere that says that our journals are basically the scriptures of our lives.  What we write in our journals is recorded in the heavens.  President Spencer W. Kimball said, in a talk entitled President Kimball Speaks Out On Personal Journals (December 1980), said:

From time immemorial the Lord has counseled us to be a record-keeping people. Abraham had a book of remembrance, and Adam had one. Early in the American life of the family of Lehi, his son Nephi said: “Having had a great knowledge of the goodness and mysteries of God, therefore, I make a record of my proceedings in my days. …

“And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.” (1 Ne. 1:1, 3.) This great record included not only the movements of his people, but his own personal life.

When the Savior visited this continent following his resurrection, he commanded the Nephites and Lamanites to bring their records up to date. He said to them: “Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not.

“And it came to pass that he said unto Nephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept.

“And when Nephi had brought forth the records, and laid them before him, he cast his eyes upon them and said:

“Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so?

“And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord, …

“And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?

“And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written, … therefore it was written according as he commanded.” (3 Ne. 23:6–13.)

You should continue on in this important work of recording the things you do, the things you say, the things you think, to be in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life.

What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved? Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity.

We hope you will begin as of this date. If you have not already commenced this important duty in your lives, get a good notebook, a good book that will last through time and into eternity for the angels to look upon. Begin today and write in it your goings and your comings, your deeper thoughts, your achievements, and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. We hope you will do this, our brothers and sisters, for this is what the Lord has commanded, and those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.

A while ago, a friend that I follow on Twitter, Ashley Frederickson, tweeted about her Prayer Journal.  She had written a post on her blog and was talking about how it was benefitting her life.   Being the journaler that I am (is that a word?), I loved the idea of keeping a better record of what I have been praying for and how the Lord has been answering my prayers.

So, I got a journal and started writing.  It has been a marvelous experience, as, with my preparation, I feel that I have received answers to my prayers in ways that I might not have recognized previously.  I highly recommend it!

Answers from General Conference

This weekend was AMAZING!!! I was incredibly uplifted and strengthened! I LOVE General Conference weekend!!

This year I worked very hard to prepare for Conference before it started. I had questions and concerns that I was bringing before the Lord and I wanted to be able to receive the answers through the talks in General Conference. I wrote my thoughts and questions in my prayer journal and I fasted and prayed for two Sundays in a row that included our local Stake Conference and General Women's Meeting. I did not want to exclude any possible avenue for guidance from the Lord.

One of my questions, I will admit, was a little on the whiney side. Basically, "if I am doing what You have asked of me, why am I still struggling so much?" Other questions were more about how I can improve myself and help others in their struggles. One was about how I can improve my newly-developing business.

During Stake Conference, especially, I was inundated with answers to how I can help others in their struggles, and a firm strengthening of my testimony that Heavenly Father knows of my questions and concerns and cares about them.

As General Conference arrived, I was excited for the answers I knew I would receive from the Lord. As is my habit, I watch General Conference with my laptop, tabs open on Drive (to keep notes), Twitter, and lds.org. After each session, I kept seeing tweets from people saying how their prayers and questions had been answered by a particular talk. I always responded to them, saying how wonderful that was, and then thought to myself, next session I will receive my answer! I even watched the Priesthood Session, again, not wanting to exclude any possible guidance I might receive.

I received a great deal of guidance from the Lord, about all kinds of different things, just as I always have with every General Conference I have ever listened to. I heard a lot of counsel to not let worry and hardships test my faith, to turn to the Lord for strength to get through them. I know all that. I know it to be true. But, I don't want to have strength to continue to bear up this burden, I want it taken off my back, for good!  I wanted the Lord to speak TO ME!

In the 3rd to the last talk of General Conference, Elder Larry S. Kacher, of the Seventy, spoke about where we look for answers to our questions. He told us to turn to a loving Heavenly Father. Then he said: Choose to set aside doubts, allowing the Lord to answer in his own time.

The Spirit spoke to my heart and mind.  I KNEW that was the Lord speaking TO ME. I was humbled.

Elder Kacher followed with this scripture, Doctrine & Covenants 50:40 - "Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth."

I read beyond that and read the next six verses:

"Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

"And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost.

"And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.

"Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. (emphasis added)

"And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am.

"Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen."

Three times during General Conference I was excited to hear my favorite Book of Mormon scripture quoted, Helaman 5:12!

And here it was again: "He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall."

I don't have to worry about WHEN the Lord will answer my question, as long as I am built upon the rock of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and rely on His Atonement for grace, mercy and strength.

My question has now changed to: Please allow Your grace to help me bear up my burdens, to find peace from the relentless stress of my burdens, by continually guiding me in how I can better learn from, change (especially change!), and accept my circumstances, in recognizable and sustainable ways.

Now I am going to take the things that I have learned from General Conference and LIVE them!  I am going to take my notes and make goals for ways that I can improve, change and draw closer to my Heavenly Father and His will for me!  I can't wait for the November ENSIGN to come out so I can re-read the talks and study them in greater depth!

(image source)

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who chastens me and reminds me who should be in control of my life.  I am in these stresses and problems because I chose to made decisions without asking Him for guidance and direction, and relied upon my own meager "wisdom".  When I allow the most omnipotent and powerful being in the universe, who knows me better than I know myself, to guide my life according to His will and His timing, I will ALWAYS be blessed beyond measure!  I will ALWAYS find the greatest happiness!  I am grateful for the Prophet and Apostles who prayerfully speak the words that the Lord would have them say to us, right now, at this time, when we need them the most!  This gospel is a marvelous and beautiful blessing!!

Twitter posts

School has started, schedules are being realigned and I am hoping to get my blogging schedule back online.  I haven't been slacking off, I have just been posting a lot of my scripture study on Twitter.  I recently got back onto Twitter after quite a long absence.  I got annoyed with all the spamming, so I quit going there.  Recently I started a new account with a spiritual focus, and I am enjoying that a LOT more!  There are many Tweeters there who are sharing wonderful, uplifting quotes, scriptures, thoughts, ideas and testimonies!  I love it.

This year I am reading through the Book of Mormon, focusing on the attribute of mercy (read here and here) and recently I started posting on Twitter each day about something I have focused on during my scripture reading each day.  It has been great!

Here are a few examples:

I am focusing on mercy, but I am also enjoying seeing all the other gems that are on each of the pages of the Book of Mormon!  (If you would like a free copy of my favorite book, click HERE!!)  In this one, Alma is teaching his son that the only way we can be saved is through Jesus Christ.  He tells him to go teach this truth to others, and he then describes to him how to do it.  Be bold, but don't force it on anyone.  When we teach, it should be because we love those we are teaching!  Be up and about it!!

I love the footnotes!! So much knowledge to be had there! Here we understand what Alma meant by "cross yourself". Practice self-mastery. We cannot expect a perfect, sinless Jesus Christ to have carried his cross for us, and it be that easy. We have to be worthy of that incredible gift. We have to share some of the load and show our appreciation for Christ's Atonement by refraining from sin. 3 Nephi 12:30 says: "For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell." Matthew 10:38 says: "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

This scripture in Alma 40:26 struck me as I realized that it plainly states that if we do not repent of our sins, we will drink our portion of the bitter cup that Christ drank for us in the Garden of Gethsemane.

These two tweets show the study I have been doing on the attribute of mercy.  I especially like that the Plan of Salvation is also referred to as the Plan of Mercy!!

This last tweet is from this morning.  There is a LOT going on in the book of Alma.  Lots of wars.  Many people question why the Lord would have Mormon add so many chapters on war into the Book of Mormon.  There was so little room, so why add all that.  I have discovered in the last few times through, that the Lord is showing us how to over come evil.  AND, it is okay to use stratagem to do it!  First of all, the Nephites were prepared because they were in full armor.  They sent spies out to see where the enemy was going.  They asked the prophet where they should go, and then they followed his counsel.  We can fight evil by putting on the whole armor of God, we can pay attention to what we are seeing and hearing on the radio and television, etc., and head it off by turning it off, leaving the theater, putting down the book, magazine, etc..  We can pay attention to the newest trends in technology and shield our children (and ourselves) from the things that will lead them astray.  And, we can follow the prophet, which means listening to his counsel, and then FOLLOWING IT!  The Nephites, as soon as they heard the word of the Lord from Alma, they acted upon it!

So many marvelous blessings found in the scriptures!!

(You can follow me on Twitter at @LTNehring  #scripture study)