How Can We Self Improve in Our Lives?

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

I know that at times in our lives that we may forget to take the chance to think about and consider of some ways for self improvement. 

We CAN self improve ourselves in our lives by any of the following;

~ We CAN aim our best to get enough sleep (seven to eight hours of sleep) each night, to help us to feel well rested for following day. ~ We CAN forgive ourselves and others (if we are ever holding on to regret, we need to decide to let it go). ~ We CAN take our time to eat, I think that we shouldn't need to feel rushed to eat when we are in hurry. 

~ We CAN be willing to work hard. "As with anything in life, if we want something, we have got to work hard to get it." ~ We CAN help others who are less fortunate than ourselves (as a suggestion, we can give a homeless a bag of several clothes that doesn't fit us anymore). ~ We CAN avoid negative people. 

~ We CAN do random acts of kindness (as a suggestion, we CAN send a handwritten letter to a friend via mail).

~ We CAN become better listeners by doing our best to not interrupt whenever someone else is talking to us.

~ We CAN travel to different places that we haven't been to before and we CAN try out new culture foods. 

"Those who seek a better life must first become a 
better person."

~ We CAN revisit our past short-term goals and long-term goals that we have not achieved yet, and we can renew and create new short-term goals and long-term goals. 

~ We CAN do our best embrace and control our emotions (as a suggestion, it is okay to feel disappointment whenever we are going through difficult challenges). 

~ We CAN learn how to deal with difficult people. ~ We CAN overcome our fears. ~ We CAN choose to learn from people who inspires us (as a suggestion, we can think about and identify who inspires us, and how or why do they inspire us). ~ We CAN quit our bad habits and create new habits. 

I know that it does take time to quit bad habits (as an experience; about over two years ago since my husband has encouraged me, supported me, helped me from stop biting my fingernails. I aimed my best to stop biting my fingernails for about a week or so, and I was able to see that I had LONG and better looking fingernails. ~ We CAN make our lunches and dinners, instead of purchasing fast foods. 

~ We CAN show kindness to ourselves and to others. ~ We CAN be charitable type of people (as a suggestion; we can go through our closets and our cupboards of clothes, and whatever clothes that doesn't fit us anymore, we can donate those clothes to non-profit organization such as second hand shops (Salvation Army, Lifeline, Goodwill, etc). 

Stay Tuned until next time.

A Gospel of Relationships ~ Part Two

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a May 2004 BYU Devotional, and it's called "A Gospel of Relationships" by Sister Marleen Williams. This post is part two, I would like to share with you some highlights whilst I was reading the Devotional. 

Sister Williams has mentioned the following; 

"... There is then no way to provide support for each other in overcoming those weaknesses and challenges. ... When you can openly discuss weaknesses and problems without fear of rejection or ridicule, you can create a “safe place” in the relationship. ... When you can let go of perfectionism, it is easier to feel emotionally close to others. ... Whether or not you have the opportunity to date, meet a romantic partner, and marry at this stage of your life, you can still progress toward that goal by learning how to have good friendships with others. 

... God’s plan for eternal marriage vs. Satan’s plan to destroy relationships. ... Learn how to be friends first, as the foundation for the relationship. Add the capstone of romantic attraction last. A relationship where you can be friends and share thoughts, feelings, beliefs, values, activities, and interests with one another is more likely to stay on fire than one that can share only physical attraction. ... Many young people fear making a commitment to marriage because they fear they cannot keep love alive.

Others may also mistakenly believe, “If I can only find the ‘right one,’ then my marriage will be perfectly happy all of the time and we will never have any problems.” How do you stay in love with someone through all of the challenges of real life, e.g., raising children, disappointments, trials, and discovering each other’s weaknesses ...? ... A person may enter marriage with the belief “If my spouse truly loves me, he or she will always think what I think, want what I want, and feel what I feel. 

"God's love is simply always there." 
- Thomas S. Monson.

Then I will know I have married the ‘right’ person.” ... In reality, all marriages have differences. People enter into marriage having different genetics, backgrounds, childhood experiences, family dynamics, traditions, and personal meanings of events. 

... In troubled marriages individuals are often quick to jump to the most condemning, negative explanations for their spouse’s behavior. You can explain most behaviors in more than one way. When multiple explanations are available, choosing with charity and compassion will strengthen goodwill in the marriage. It is helpful to communicate this goodwill and good intentions to one another. ... Often those differences between marriage partners are what attracted you to each other in the first place. 

Differences can help to fill the gaps in abilities that may be missing in our own personality and help to round out the family. ... These subtle differences between the two parents can help the child to get a more balanced experience in the family than if one parent’s style must always prevail. The child needs to learn both courage as well as tenderness. If the parents are caught in an argument over whose response is correct, the child may miss the benefit of the gifts of both parents.  When couples disagree, they often waste time and emotional energy trying to attach blame to each other. 

Each believes that the other is at fault and that convincing the spouse of his or her guilt will then solve the problem. They may also believe that nothing can change unless their spouse changes first. The argument goes back and forth like a Ping-Pong ball, but nothing ever really changes. ... In this dialog neither is willing to accept responsibility for their own need to grow, because neither will let go of what they cannot change in the other. It remains a battle of who must change first. Neither will accept the challenge to grow and become more like Christ unless the other does so first.

Accepting responsibility is the beginning of real personal power in relationships. If you can be courageous and loving with yourself, you can begin to look at your own personal areas of needed growth. You are then empowered to have a very different experience. You no longer need to consider yourself a victim who cannot grow because of another’s behavior. Even when you cannot change another, you can still choose to continue your own growth toward becoming a celestial person. ... Taking responsibility for our own growth requires both love and faith. 

When we are willing to examine our lives, we become aware of our need for the Atonement. ... As we struggle with our weaknesses, we develop empathy for how hard it is to change and we become less angry with our spouse for not being able to change as quickly as we wish. When we can acknowledge our dependence upon the Atonement, we realize how much Christ loves us. 

Christ did not wait to love us until we were perfect, had overcome all our weaknesses, or had fully developed our ability to love him. ... By drawing closer to Christ, we can build our spiritual and emotional reserves and have more love and patience to give to our spouse ... Learning how to love requires that we stretch and extend ourselves in service to another. 

... Husbands are commanded to “love [their] wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). Submitting to love means that we allow our hearts to be vulnerable to a righteous spouse. ... In the midst of the miracle of serving, we find ourselves. ... A marriage need not be perfect and without challenges to be one of great joy and peace. 

... When we struggle in important relationships and we lack the wisdom we need, these problems can bring us to our knees in prayer. The Lord can then instruct us how to learn to live more closely to an eternal model of relationships. You need not fear the challenges of marriage if you and your spouse will both commit yourselves to this process of learning how to become eternal, celestial companions. 

Elder George Q. Cannon said ...: We believe in the eternal nature of the marriage relation, that man and woman are destined, as husband and wife, to dwell together eternally. We believe that we are organized as we are, with all these affections, with all this love for each other, for a definite purpose, something far more lasting than to be extinguished when death shall overtake us. We believe that when a man and woman are united as husband and wife, and they love each other, their hearts and feelings are one, that that love is as enduring as eternity itself, and ... that it will endure through eternity. 

If you have not yet found some of these blessings in your life, do not give up. God knows the righteous desires of your heart. He has promised his children that these blessings will eventually be available to all who are faithful and put their trust in the Lord throughout the heartaches, trials, and disappointments of mortality. ... Although God has not revealed all to us in this life and we must walk by faith, He has promised us that through the infinite power of the Atonement we can come forth in the resurrection of the just. ..."

If you would like to read the whole Devotional either now or in your own time, here's the link below.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/marleen-williams/gospel-relationships

Stay Tuned until next time.

A Gospel of Relationships ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take four to seven minutes to read from start to finish.

This post focuses on a May 2004 BYU Devotional, and it's called "A Gospel of Relationships" by Sister Marleen Williams. This post is part one, I would like to share with you some highlights whilst I was reading the Devotional. 

Sister Williams has mentioned the following; 

"... The young adult years lay the foundation for your future. Changes in relationships are one of its most powerful challenges. Leaving the home and family environment, living with roommates, making new friends, and establishing the relational habits for eventually marrying and building a family of one’s own are challenges that become very real. ... All of God’s laws are ultimately laws of love. 

Every commandment is given out of love for you and concern for your happiness. Every commandment ultimately tests your ability to love Him and your fellowman. Just as God has a gospel of relationships, Satan proposes counterfeit principles that eventually lead to the destruction of relationships, both with God and with others. ... Satan encourages jealousy, competition, and uncharitable judgments. These keep you from feeling close and connected to others. 

God teaches you eternal progression and faith in the Atonement, while Satan teaches its counterfeit perfectionism which destroys your confidence in yourself and others. God teaches eternal marriage, where love lasts forever. Satan encourages relationships that are selfish and end when they become inconvenient. ... Look around you. Notice how much people vary. 

They vary not only in appearance but also in their personalities, life experiences, mortal challenges, and missions here on earth. When we become aware of those differences we may feel jealous of others. Yet the scriptures teach that there are reasons for our differences. ... We are all given weaknesses to teach us humility and compassion (1 Corinthians 1:27, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Ether 12:27). We also are different so that we each might have something to contribute and some way to belong (1 Corinthians 12:14–22, 25, 26). 

"When it is within our power to give love, we should never
withhold it." - Mary Ellen Edmunds. Love is a Verb.

... God teaches us to love one another, and yet you may still find yourself experiencing feelings and thoughts that are less than loving. ... Our personal experience is limited. 

It is often easy to look at another’s situation and believe that we see it accurately when, in fact, we do not. It is easy then to come to believe that you can “work out another’s salvation” for them because you know what is wrong with their life. However, we do not always know another’s private challenges, sorrows, and disappointments. Even more important, we do not know God’s unique plan for that person’s life and may risk prescribing the wrong solutions. 

When we judge uncharitably and attempt to prescribe solutions for other people’s lives, we run the risk of speaking counter to the Lord’s will for that person. 

... How does He reveal His will to an individual? 

One of the greatest gifts you have with which to work out your own salvation is the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can help each of us understand what the Lord would have us do. The Holy Ghost, however, is like the Liahona of old in that it works on condition of our obedience to commandments. ... We can trust the Holy Ghost to help us understand their words in the context of our own lives. 

We can also have more personal instruction from prayerful temple attendance, patriarchal blessings, and additional priesthood blessings. We must be careful not to interfere with these spiritual processes in each other’s lives by gossiping, judging, or giving uninspired advice that may come from our own biases, prejudices, and blind spots, however well meaning we may be. ... So many opportunities and evaluations are based on “beating out” someone else. 

The world teaches you that you have no right to self-respect unless you are first, get the highest grade, are number one, or win a competition. ... Nevertheless, you are not here to prepare to live in a telestial world. You are here to learn how to prepare yourself to obtain celestial glory. In the celestial kingdom there is room for all who qualify. Entrance is not determined by winning a competitive race (Ecclesiastes 9:11). All who enter into the covenants set by God and then keep those covenants can qualify (Mosiah 5:5–9, D&C 25:13–15, D&C 66:2, D&C 97:8). 

... What God requires of each of us is that we do whatever is our unique mission on earth to do and “stay in the race” that eventually culminates with exaltation and eternal life (1 Nephi 22:31, 2 Nephi 31:15, Omni 1:26). When we are consumed with competition, we lose sight of that which God has given to us personally. When we fail to value our own gifts and instead covet those of others, we risk losing the chance to magnify our own calling in life.

We cannot rise to the full measure of our own creation if we are continually trying to be someone else.The second pair of opposing principles is becoming perfected through Christ and the Atonement versus Satan’s counterfeit of perfectionism. Christ’s admonition “Be ye therefore perfect” is not a commandment to possess all skills, knowledge, and good qualities immediately. 

It is a commandment to enter into a covenant process that involves repentance, change, and growth. .. President Joseph Fielding Smith clarified this concept in saying, Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fulness of the Father’s glory. [Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56), 2:18]" 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Revealing Questions ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on a May 2018 BYU Devotional, and it is called "Revealing Questions" by Sister Brianna M. Magnusson. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights whilst I was reading the Devotional. I hope that you would be able to learn something new whilst reading throughout this post. 

Sister Magnusson has mentioned the following; 

"Answers to Questions Come Through Personal Revelation

The answers to our questions will come to us through personal revelation. As children of God, we have the privilege of seeking revelation to direct us in our growth and decision-making. Elder Uchtdorf taught: Latter-day Saints are not asked to blindly accept everything they hear. We are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected to ponder, to search, to evaluate, and thereby to come to a personal knowledge of the truth.

... our Heavenly Father expects us to read, to study, and to practice faith as we seek revelation. Learning to receive personal revelation is a process of preparation and consistent effort. Sister Julie B. Beck stated, “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.”  

... President Nelson has taught us how to begin developing this skill: Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses - yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! 

Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

Answers Will Come in the Lord’s Time

Even with our best efforts, not all questions will be answered quickly, and some questions may not be fully answered until we have again passed through the veil. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once stated, “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

... Answers to our spiritual questions may come in similar fashion. ... At other times, answers or guidance are slow in coming at all. Elder Hales stated: We may not know when or how the Lord’s answers will be given, but in His time and His way, I testify, His answers will come. For some answers we may have to wait until the hereafter. This may be true for some promises in our patriarchal blessings and for some blessings for family members. 

Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary. In situations where it seems an answer is being withheld, our Father in Heaven is asking us to trust Him, to hang on a little longer, to be faithful, to be patient to wait. The scriptures issue the invitation to wait upon the Lord. 

... Elder Hales stated: What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long- suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. To wait upon the Lord means planting the seed of faith and nourishing it “with great diligence, and . . . patience.” ... 

So many questions on my mind, so many 
answers I can't find.

Always Remember

The opportunity for further revelation is enhanced when we humbly remember the witnesses of the Spirit that we have already received. In the sacrament prayers we witness that we will “always remember him.” Without doubt we are promising to remember the beautiful sacrifice of our beloved Savior, but I believe we should also strive to always remember the tender confirmations of the Spirit.

... Although our Heavenly Father intends for us to be happy and find joy, it is often true that our periods of significant growth will be accompanied by hard things. Spiritual strength is built in much the same way that physical strength is built: through adversity.

... Similarly, challenging circumstances in our lives and trials of faith can diminish our remembrance of previously revealed truth. Adversity comes to us all—even the most righteous among us. We must be careful not to allow adversity to erase our memory of spiritual experiences.

... In that address, Elder Holland, referring to the adversity that inevitably accompanies significant revelation, said, “Don’t panic and retreat. Don’t lose your confidence. Don’t forget how you once felt. Don’t distrust the experience you had.”

Do the Required Spiritual Work

I hope that you have had experiences with the spirit of revelation. Although you may not have seen grand miracles, I hope you have felt the tender feelings of the Holy Ghost comforting you and confirming truth to you. ... President Nelson said, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” ...

President Nelson also said: I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that though mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” ..."

If you would like to read the Devotional either now or in your own time, here's the link below.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brianna-m-magnusson/revealing-questions

Revealing Questions ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This week's posts focuses on Questions, Relationships, and Self-Improvement. This post focuses on a May 2018 BYU Devotional, and it is called "Revealing Questions" by Sister Brianna M. Magnusson. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights whilst I was reading the Devotional. I hope that you would be able to learn something new whilst reading throughout this post. 

Sister Magnusson has mentioned the following;

"... A university education requires that you learn about many different subjects, some of which will come naturally to you and some of which you will never quite feel confident about. Some subjects will be exciting and engaging and others you will vow never to willingly revisit. Regardless of the subject, you know from the beginning that success will require you to work usually to work hard. 

You will have an instructor to guide you in your journey, and she will provide you with things to read, assignments that make you think, and exams that allow you to prove yourself. You may have teaching assistants who can help you, and, of course, you have the assistance of the instructor.

Learning in Mortality

... Elder Robert D. Hales taught, “The purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences.” ... These trials allow us to prove that we are progressing in our mortal journey, and they may be particularly intense periods of growth. ...

To fulfill the purpose of learning and gaining experience, it was essential that, as we were born onto the earth, we passed through a veil. In so doing, we came to earth having forgotten all that had occurred before. This is perhaps one of the most challenging things about our lives. Because we are now restricted by mortal eyes, there is much about the eternal perspective and the purposes and timing of God that we do not understand. ...

Imperfect Knowledge and Revelation

... Spiritual knowledge may operate the same way. When we receive confirmation of truth through personal revelation, we may be met with opposition from our contemporaries because we cannot explain how or why something is. ... our understanding of spiritual truths has grown exponentially since the day when Joseph Smith knelt in the Sacred Grove. Yet, despite all that has been revealed, we know there is still more. 

The ninth article of faith says: We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. We believe He will yet reveal many great and important things. This promise of pending revelation tells us that the process of revelation is ongoing and that things we do not yet know will someday be known.

"If we stop asking questions, stop thinking, stop pondering, we can
thwart the revelations of the Spirit." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

Personal revelation is the ongoing and lifelong process of thinning the veil that separates us from our Father in Heaven. Revelation increases our capacity to understand spiritual things and expands our knowledge. 

Because our Father in Heaven wants us to succeed, He has provided for us the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets to help us. 

We have peers, teachers, and Church leaders with whom we can discuss these materials. We have a living prophet, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and, most important, access to our Father in Heaven through prayer. Just like learning in a classroom, success in acquiring spiritual knowledge will require diligent and effortful work.

Questions and Uncertainty

As we strive to expand our spiritual knowledge, questions about policies, procedures, or principles come to us all. Elder Hales wrote, “As we grow in the gospel, it is natural to have questions and sometimes even doubts. Genuine questions can actually fuel our spiritual growth.”... Spiritual discovery, or revelation, also begins this way. We observe or encounter something we do not understand and we begin to ask questions. 

Questions can serve as a starting point for receiving personal revelation. Gospel questions may also arise from the influence of competing voices. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated: Never in the history of the world have we had easier access to more information—some of it true, some of it false, and much of it partially true. Consequently, never in the history of the world has it been more important to learn how to correctly discern between truth and error.

When we have concerns or questions about the gospel, seeking revelation on the subject should be our most important objective. Questions particularly questions that arise about the gospel can be especially trying. Questions are inherently born of uncertainty, and we as humans are vehemently opposed to uncertainty. We dislike the feeling of not knowing because we feel vulnerable. ...

Stay Tuned until next time.