Obedience Brings Blessings} Part Two

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening,
this post should take approximately three to five minutes read from start to finish.

This post is part two. This post focuses on a April 2013 General Conference talk and it is called, "Obedience Brings Blessings" by President Thomas S. Monson.

President Monson mentioned the following, "Said President Gordon B. Hinckley, “The happiness of the Latter-day Saints, the peace of the Latter-day Saints, the progress of the Latter-day Saints, the prosperity of the Latter-day Saints, and the eternal salvation and exaltation of this people lie in walking in obedience to the counsels of … God.”

Obedience is a hallmark of prophets; it has provided strength and knowledge to them throughout the ages. It is essential for us to realize that we, as well, are entitled to this source of strength and knowledge. It is readily available to each of us today as we obey God’s commandments.

Throughout the years, I have known countless individuals who have been particularly faithful and obedient. I have been blessed and inspired by them. ...

My brothers and sisters, the great test of this life is obedience. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”

Declared the Savior, “For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.”

"Keeping divine commandments brings blessings, every time!"
- Elder Russell M. Nelson.

No greater example of obedience exists than that of our Savior. Of Him, Paul observed: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”

The Savior demonstrated genuine love of God by living the perfect life, by honoring the sacred mission that was His. Never was He haughty. Never was He puffed up with pride. Never was He disloyal. Ever was He humble. Ever was He sincere. Ever was He obedient.

Though He was tempted by that master of deceit, even the devil, though He was physically weakened from fasting 40 days and 40 nights and was an hungered, yet when the evil one proffered Jesus the most alluring and tempting proposals, He gave to us a divine example of obedience by refusing to deviate from what He knew was right.13

When faced with the agony of Gethsemane, where He endured such pain that “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground,”14 He exemplified the obedient Son by saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

As the Savior instructed His early Apostles, so He instructs you and me, “Follow thou me.” Are we willing to obey?

The knowledge which we seek, the answers for which we yearn, and the strength which we desire today to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when we willingly obey the Lord’s commandments. I quote once again the words of the Lord: “He that keepeth [God’s] commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”

Here is the link to the talk before if you are interested to read the whole talk either now or in your own time.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-brings-blessings

Stay Tuned until next time.

Obedience Brings Blessings} Part One

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening,
this post should take three to five minutes to read from start to finish.

What is your definition and understanding about obedience? What is your definition and understanding about blessings? Do you ever believe in obedience brings blessings throughout your life?

This post is part one. This post focuses on a April 2013 General Conference talk and it is called, "Obedience Brings Blessings" by President Thomas S. Monson.

President Monson mentioned the following, "Throughout the ages, men and women have sought for knowledge and understanding concerning this mortal existence and their place and purpose in it, as well as for the way to peace and happiness. Such a search is undertaken by each of us.

This knowledge and understanding are available to all mankind. They are contained in truths which are eternal. In Doctrine and Covenants section 1, verse 39, we read, “Behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever.”

... Some would ask, “Where is such truth to be found, and how are we to recognize it?” ...

A loving Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing guide even obedience. A knowledge of truth and the answers to our greatest questions come to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God.

"Obedience is required." - President Thomas S. Monson.

We learn obedience throughout our lives. Beginning when we are very young, those responsible for our care set forth guidelines and rules to ensure our safety. Life would be simpler for all of us if we would obey such rules completely. Many of us, however, learn through experience the wisdom of being obedient.

... There are rules and laws to help ensure our physical safety. Likewise, the Lord has provided guidelines and commandments to help ensure our spiritual safety so that we might successfully navigate this often-treacherous mortal existence and return eventually to our Heavenly Father.

Centuries ago, to a generation steeped in the tradition of animal sacrifice, Samuel boldly declared, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

In this dispensation, the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that He requires “the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.”

All prophets, ancient and modern, have known that obedience is essential to our salvation. Nephi declared, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.” Though others faltered in their faith and their obedience, never once did Nephi fail to do that which the Lord asked of him. Untold generations have been blessed as a result.

A soul-stirring account of obedience is that of Abraham and Isaac. How painfully difficult it must have been for Abraham, in obedience to God’s command, to take his beloved Isaac into the land of Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice. Can we imagine the heaviness of Abraham’s heart as he journeyed to the appointed place? Surely anguish must have racked his body and tortured his mind as he bound Isaac, laid him on the altar, and took the knife to slay him. With unwavering faith and implicit trust in the Lord, he responded to the Lord’s command. How glorious was the pronouncement, and with what wondered welcome did it come: “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”

Abraham had been tried and tested, and for his faithfulness and obedience the Lord gave him this glorious promise: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Although we are not asked to prove our obedience in such a dramatic and heart-wrenching way, obedience is required of us as well."

Stay Tuned until next time.

Believe, Obey, and Endure} Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

this post should take approximately three to five minutes to read from start to finish.

This post is part two. This post focuses on a April 2012 General Young Women's talk that I like called, "Believe, Obey, and Endure" by President Thomas S. Monson. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. President Monson mentioned,

"Besides attending your Sunday meetings and your weeknight activities, when you have the chance to be involved in seminary, whether in the early morning or in released-time classes, take advantage of that opportunity. Seminary can change lives.

There will be times when you will face challenges which might jeopardize your testimony, or you may neglect it as you pursue other interests. I plead with you to keep it strong. It is your responsibility, and yours alone, to keep its flame burning brightly. Effort is required, but it is effort you will never, ever regret.

Next, young women, may you obey. Obey your parents. Obey the laws of God. They are given to us by a loving Heavenly Father. When they are obeyed, our lives will be more fulfilling, less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear. We will receive the Lord’s promised blessings. He has said, “The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.”

You have but one life to live. Keep it as free from trouble as you can. You will be tempted, sometimes by individuals you had thought friends.

Precious young women, make every decision you contemplate pass this test: “What does it do to me? What does it do for me?” And let your code of conduct emphasize not “What will others think?” but rather “What will I think of myself?” Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice which testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised, “Thine ears shall hear a word saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.”

My beloved young sisters, you have the precious gift of agency. I plead with you to choose to obey.

"Believe, Obey, and Endure."

Finally, may you endure. What does it mean to endure? I love this definition: to withstand with courage. Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.

I have spoken over the years with many individuals who have told me, “I have so many problems, such real concerns. I’m overwhelmed with the challenges of life. What can I do?” I have offered to them, and I now offer to you, this specific suggestion: seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch.

Each of us can be true for just one day and then one more and then one more after that until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness. The Savior promised, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.”

For this purpose have you come into mortality, my young friends. There is nothing more important than the goal you strive to attain even eternal life in the kingdom of your Father."

I encourage you to read the whole talk in your own time. Here's the link below.
www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/believe-obey-and-endure

Stay Tuned until next time.

Believe, Obey, and Endure} Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

this post should take approximately three to five minutes to read from start to finish. 

I would like to encourage you to think about the following question either now or in your own time.
"What does Believe, Obey, and Endure means to you?"

This post is part one. This post focuses on a April 2012 General Young Women's talk that I like called, "Believe, Obey, and Endure" by President Thomas S. Monson. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. President Monson mentioned,

"A joyous welcome, however, awaited you here on earth. Those first years were precious, special years. Satan had no power to tempt you, for you had not yet become accountable. You were innocent before God. Soon you entered that period some have labeled “the terrible teens.”

I prefer “the terrific teens.” What a time of opportunity, a season of growth, a semester of development marked by the acquisition of knowledge and the quest for truth. No one has described the teenage years as being easy. They are often years of insecurity, of feeling as though you just don’t measure up, of trying to find your place with your peers, of trying to fit in.

This is a time when you are becoming more independent and perhaps desire more freedom than your parents are willing to give you right now. They are also prime years when Satan will tempt you and will do his utmost to entice you from the path which will lead you back to that heavenly home from which you came and back to your loved ones there and back to your Heavenly Father.

The world around you is not equipped to provide the help you need to make it through this often treacherous journey. So many in our society today seem to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace.

"Wonderful, glorious things are in store for you, if only
you will believe, obey and endure." - Thomas S. Monson.

I wish to talk with you tonight about three essential signals from the Lord’s lighthouse which will help you to return to that Father who eagerly awaits your triumphant homecoming. Those three signals are believe, obey, and endure.

First, I mention a signal which is basic and essential: believe. Believe that you are a daughter of Heavenly Father, that He loves you, and that you are here for a glorious purpose to gain your eternal salvation. Believe that remaining strong and faithful to the truths of the gospel is of utmost importance. I testify that it is!

My young friends, believe in the words you say each week as you recite the Young Women theme. Think about the meaning of those words. There is truth there. Strive always to live the values which are set forth. Believe, as your theme states, that if you accept and act upon those values, you will be prepared to strengthen your home and your family, to make and keep sacred covenants, to receive the ordinances of the temple, and to eventually enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

These are beautiful gospel truths, and by following them, you will be happier throughout your life here and hereafter than you will be if you disregard them.

Stay Tuned until next time.