Resolutions ~ Part One

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

What is your understanding of the word "Resolutions"? What does "Resolutions" means to a immediate relative? 

This post focuses on a BYU Devotional in January 1994, and it is called "Resolutions" by President Joe J. Christensen. This post is part one, I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the 

Devotional, and I hope that you would be able to learn something new while you are reading through this post. 

President Christensen has mentioned the following;

"... You are going in the right direction, and if you continue choosing the right, you will arrive at a destination that will be good for you now and in the hereafter. ... To a degree, we all know the gospel and what we should be doing in our lives. Very likely, we know more than we apply. Right? ... I would like to visit with you about resolutions - resolutions to conform our lives more closely to what we already know about the gospel. 

I am sure that some of us have made a bundle of New Year’s resolutions, and maybe a few of us haven’t chosen to make any because of prior problems we have had in keeping them. Don’t overlook the power that making good resolutions can have to help make your life happier and more successful regardless of your past behavior. 

"may the new year bring peace, love,and happiness."

Let’s explore for a moment the term resolution. As a noun, it suggests steadfastness of purpose. As an adjective, resolute is characterized by firmness or determination. 

As a verb, resolve brings to mind such terms as courage, mettle, fortitude, tenacity, backbone, and moral stamina in the face of hardship, temptations, and unfavorable odds (see American Heritage Dictionary [Boston: Houghton-Mifflin]).

I was anxious to know something of your concerns and aspirations, and so I had an informal survey taken of 150 young adults who were asked to list three resolutions they felt would help them to become more successful and happy during the new year. Almost everyone in the survey (98 percent) included a resolution to increase the level of his or her spirituality. 

Two out of three (68 percent) indicated they would like to improve their social skills. Half (49 percent) indicated a desire to increase their level of physical fitness, and half (48 percent) wanted to grow intellectually. Everyone indicated a desire to improve. After all, self-improvement is at the heart of why we are here in mortality.

... In the Joseph Smith Translation (Matthew 5:50), we read: “Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect.” The translation of the Greek word for perfect means “complete, finished, fully developed.” ... We believe that the Savior meant what he said and that, for us, becoming like our Father in Heaven and the Savior is a commandment - not just a suggestion. We should strive continually to become more like them.

... In other words, the Savior increased or developed in the same areas that those of you who were included in the poll indicated that you would like to improve, that is: - intellectually (in both wisdom and knowledge) 

- physically (in stature) - socially (in favor with man) - spiritually (in favor with God).

I am convinced that if we made and kept resolutions in these four areas, we would have a happier and more successful new year and every year for the rest of our lives.

Intellectual Resolutions

First, consider this one: I resolve to expand my intellectual horizons. I will increase in wisdom. This year, commit yourself to read good books - not just when you are attending the university or college, but throughout your life. Some people learn to read but don’t read. ... At some point in our lives, we learned to read. But the question tonight is: Are we reading? Are we growing in wisdom?

... We do not have a professional, theologically trained and salaried clergy. Leaders and teachers are called from among the membership - people like you and me. In terms of learning, however, the scriptural commandment to 

us is: “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom” and, “Become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people” (D&C 88:118, 90:15; emphasis added).

Notice the emphasis on best books and good books. What we choose to read will make a huge difference in the development of our minds and character. We cannot justify mentally shifting into neutral and failing to exert our efforts to make progress intellectually. ... So whether or not you are in school, the challenge is the same. 

We should continue learning throughout our entire lives and, especially, learning more about the gospel. ... If we read continually, we would not be able to read more than the smallest fraction of the books in print. We should

not waste time reading anything but that which would be uplifting and instructive. 

... Remember, the scripture said, “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom” (D&C 88:118; emphasis added). 

... Here is a practical suggestion: Ask a few respected people who you know are readers to share with you the titles of the five books besides the scriptures they feel have had the most positive influence in their lives. You will soon accumulate a good list of titles for starters.

In addition to making a resolution that we will read only the best in print, it would be very beneficial if now we resolved not to watch even one R- or X-rated (NC-17) movie, video, or television show from now on. That may sound extreme to some of you, but I assure you that much of our future happiness and success depends on it.

There is safety in following the prophet. President Benson has said: Consider carefully the words of the prophet Alma to his errant [and promiscuous] son, Corianton, “Forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes.” (Alma 39:9)

“The lusts of your eyes.” In our day, what does that expression mean? Movies, television programs, and video recordings that are both suggestive and lewd. Magazines and books that are obscene and pornographic. We counsel you, ... not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for the mind through which this filth 

passes is never the same afterwards. 

Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic. [“To the ‘Youth of the Noble Birthright,’” Ensign, May 1986] In our day, this is one of the most effective tools Satan has to pacify and lull us into carnal security, cheat our souls, and lead us carefully down to hell (see 2 Nephi 28:21). ..."

Stay Tuned until next time.

New Year, New Me

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

I know for myself that I have read a lot of posts on social media accounts that some friends has stated "New Year, New Me." How accurate is that saying? How often do you hear people who has said that saying at the beginning of each year? How can we choose to become new to ourselves during the new year?

"New Year. New Me. Same dreams. Fresh starts."

 I would like to share with you some suggestions of what I have considered about ways of how I can choose to become new myself throughout this year.

~ I would like to focus on drinking more water each day, and I will do my best to keep track of my daily water intake. 

~ I would like to focus on eating more healthier food each day. 

~ I would like to focus on making a habit of regular exercising with a friend. ~ I would like to focus on spending less money towards purchasing extra items. 

~ I would like to focus on getting minimum of seven hours of sleep at night. ~ I would like to focus on doing personal scripture study daily. ~ I would like Jacob and I continue to focus on more into listening to General Conference talks.

Why would I like to focus on drinking more water each day? I know that it is healthier to drink water more than it is to drink soda drinks and drinking juices. 

Why would I like to focus on eating more healthier food each day? I know that for the past several months; I have gotten myself into a habit of eating small serving (62 millimeter/2.2 oz to be exact) of ice cream each day and I know that is not healthy. Each day when I consumed ice cream, I have also been eating a fruit each day. 

I hope I would be able to eat ice cream a few times a week instead of everyday of the week.

Why would I like to focus on making a habit of regular exercising with a friend? I know that at times when I go on walks by myself, I feel lonely and sometimes I just do not feel like listening to Spotify during my walks. I think it would be the best for my well-being if I was able to go on walks with a friend.

~ Why would I like to focus on spending less money towards getting extra items? Throughout last year; I have spent $100 US dollars ($130 ish Australian dollars) towards video games for Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 because I missed playing the Playstation 2 when I was younger, and Jacob and I have been given to us Xbox 360 for free by a friend. 

We decided to keep the Xbox 360 because a friend thought the Xbox 360 was broken, and she told me that if I could fix it, Jacob and I can keep it. It was a simple fix, and in order for us to keep it to use it, we needed to spend money towards getting controllers. 

I have spent money towards new clothing because I have not been able to fit some clothes that I used to wear in Australia because I have been gaining a lot of weight, and I would lose weight but just not a whole lot for me to fit into clothes that I used to wear in Australia.

I have been able to donate a portion of clothes that does not fit me, and I have been able to put into a box aside for Jacob's and mine future children to fit into. I am hoping that this year I would not get tempted to spend as much as I did last year into clothing. Every piece of clothing does adds up quickly. 

Why would I like to focus on getting minimum of seven hours of sleep at night? I know that last year, I tend to struggled of getting enough sleep at nights because I would be too focused on playing games on my phone after my bedtime and I do not keep track of the time. I would hope throughout this year that I would do better and not playing games on my phone beyond my bedtime. I used to get minimum about six hours ish of sleep last year. 

I do hope that I would be able to self-discipline myself and allow myself to have seven hours of sleep at night. I would like to avoid having myself feeling too tired in the morning when I wake up, and I would like to be able to achieve as much as I can throughout the daytime when I do get enough of good night sleep. 

Why would I like to focus on doing personal scripture study daily? I would like to get into a habit of doing personal scripture study daily, and I missed reading my scriptures daily. So far of this year, I have not missed a day of doing daily scripture study. 

Why would I like Jacob and I to continue focus more into listening to General Conference talks? I know that Jacob and I have been doing great at listening to past General Conference talks as a couple ever since August last year during most mornings before we start our days, and during most evenings before we go to sleep. 

We currently have thirty-five years worth of listening to past General Conference talks until we have catch up to the most recent General Conference sessions (October 2020). We love learning so much while listening to past General Conference talks and it certainly does help me to work out topics to type up during the weeks time to time. 

In what ways are you going to do to become better yourself this year? 

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Time for New Year's Resolutions ~ 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 BYU Devotional in January 1975 and it is called "The Time for New Year's Resolutions" by Brother Sterling W. Sill. This post is part two, and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Brother Sill has mentioned the following; "Living according to the Bible

There are many places where we do not want to have any recessionals. It is very important that the Lord should be with us yet, lest we forget the promises we have made to him. ... If you read in the Book of Mormon the vision that was given to the prophet Nephi, you will see that he was permitted to see us and our time and what we did here as this great nation was being established upon the Western Hemisphere. 

The angel pointed out to Nephi that these people carried with them a book as they went forth in this great accomplishment. The angel said, “Knowest thou the meaning of the book?” Nephi said, “I know not.” Then the angel explained to him that this book was the great Bible record that was carried by these people as they came to our shores (see 1 Nephi 13:21–23).

As the “land of the Book,” we sell more Bibles in the United States than in all the rest of the world put together. We do more toward trying to help other people. This is the place where the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. This is the center of education. This is the center of invention. 

This is the place that the Lord looks to for the gospel to go out all over the earth. ... Every one of us was permitted to come to this earth with the hope that we might qualify for the celestial kingdom. If we are only interested in the terrestrial or the telestial kingdoms, it is not necessary to be baptized. 

"Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right."
- Oprah Winfrey.

... You can get into the telestial kingdom without any education. If you are only interested in the telestial kingdom, it is not necessary to be married in the temple, because if you qualify only for the telestial kingdom you won’t have your families anyway.

One of the greatest ideas there is in the world for us is that we should be the “land of the Book.” Our lives should be lives patterned after and following the great commandments and directions that are given us in the Holy Bible and in the other volumes of scripture that have been given to assist us. 

This ability to prelive the future includes the opportunity to prelive our eternal lives. ... I do know that it would be something less fine, less glorious, less satisfactory, and we would be less happy. It would be as far below the celestial as the twinkle of a tiny star is below the blaze of the noonday sun.

Planning for our last hours

Somebody said that the most important event in life is death. That is the graduation day. Death is our only possible entrance into immortality. The last hour of life is the key hour. That is the hour that judges all of the other hours. Nobody can judge anybody’s life until his last hour. ... But suppose you go forward today and prelive your last hour and find out what kind of a person you would like to be at that time.

... Every day each one of us in some way trades off some future birthright for some present pottage. ... So on this occasion, I’d like to remind you again of this period of the New Year, when we must not forget the lessons that we have learned in the previous year. 

We should not forget the month of January with the authority Janus had of doors and beginnings. This is the one time each year when we look back into the past and then start over with new beginnings on a clean sheet. This past year we may have been plunged into several kinds of recessions which have made it a little more impressive that we should let no recessions get a hold in our lives.

We pray to God that no recession will ever take place in the significance of Easter or Memorial Day or Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or that first day or each week which is our Heavenly Father’s day. And as we commemorate Thanksgiving and that tremendously important period of Christmas, we ought not to cause a recession by packing up our tinsel and our ornaments and forgetting the significance for which these periods were set apart. 

Father, we ought to pass into the New Year as one of the greatest of all great days where we form convictions and make decisions that will govern all of our future lives. ... I don’t know of any place in the world that is a better place for you to be than here where you can partake of the Spirit of the Lord ... May God help each one of us to be successful ..." 

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/sterling-w-sill/time-new-years-resolutions/

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Time for New Year’s Resolutions ~ Part One

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

I know that I hoped for last year that this blog would reach total of either 9,500 total page views or 10,000 total page views. Overall, I was well pleased to know that this blog has reached over 9,500 total page views in December last year. 

This post focuses on BYU Devotional in January 1975 and it is called "The Time for New Year's Resolutions" by Brother Sterling W. Sill. This post is part one and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Brother Sill has mentioned the following; "... The custom of celebrating holidays

We have a very interesting custom among us of setting aside special days on which we think about special things. We set aside the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, and on this day we let our minds reach up and try to understand the purposes for which this day was set apart. 

We set apart the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day for the same reason. Someone has said that the human mind has some of the qualities of the tendrils of a climbing vine; that is, it tends to attach itself and draw itself upward by what it is put in contact with. 

Then we have some other great days on which we think about other wonderful ideas. We have Memorial Day, Easter, Pioneer Day, and the Fourth of July. We set aside the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. On this day we try to build gratitude and appreciation into our lives. ... As we recount our blessings, we increase them. ...

Importance of the New Year

... This is a time when we make New Year’s resolutions. This is the time when we could make some determinations about the things that we have been thinking about during Christmas. Sometimes after some great event is over, we close our minds on it and forget about what we have done. 

That is, after Christmas, we repack our boxes of ornaments and tinsel. The Christmas themes are taken off the radio, and we go back to doing the things that we did before. Of course, when we do that, we miss one of the greatest values of Christmas. 

When we lay down the ideas that we have associated with during this high point of the year, we frequently have a corresponding recession in our lives. ... The Christmas season loses much of its constructive purpose when we repack our tinsel and forget about it. ...

"NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Something that goes in one year, and out the other."

Looking backward and forward in time

We come now to this very important period of January, this time of a new beginning. ... Janus had one interesting peculiarity; he had two faces. With one face he looked back into the past year to discover his own mistakes and his own successes. 

Then through the other face he looked up into the future to make plans for a new year and to put these great ideals into operation that had been formed during the past year.

... Now, God has a time-traveling ability, some of which he has given to the prophets as well as to us. We remember that Abraham was permitted to go back and relive the preexistence. He said, “Now the Lord has shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and that among all these there were many of the noble and great ones” (Abraham 3:22). 

The Lord also put John the Revelator into a time machine and sent him up into the future to prelive the final judgement. We have been given that same ability in our dreams and imaginations. ... President McKay didn’t learn how to be the President of the Church when he was ninety or seventy or sixty. 

He learned those lessons when he was five and ten and fifteen. And then in his dream he went back and relived that important experience so that he could reabsorb the original good. When he had awakened the next morning, even though now his mother had been gone for many years, it was as though he had actually had that experience with his mother during the nighttime.

Preliving the important events of our lives

But no one needs to be asleep in order to dream, and with equal benefit we can go back and relive our marriage vows. We can relive and revitalize the covenants which we made at the waters of baptism when we promised God that we would be faithful. 

We can go back and relive all of those sources in the past from which we may regain strength and ambition, and we can remake our decisions about them. Or we may push the lever in the other direction and prelive the future. ...

We can also prelive our marriage vows and determine in advance the kind of people we would like to be when that great occasion arrives. 

This is much better than being faced with the pressures of the moment when the occasion arises so that we clean ourselves up temporarily to get married. ... However, after the goal has been accomplished, we sometimes drop back into our past mediocrity because we are not prepared to carry through. 

Sometimes we even go to college or we go on missions or we do some other great thing, but because we lack the necessary buildup to give us the follow-through and determination, it doesn’t do us the good that was intended. ... But for all of us, this month of January is a month when we look up into the new year and also plan for more effective lives. We can prelive our marriages. We can prelive our deaths. 

Suppose we think occasionally of the kind of people we would like to be on that very special future occasion of our marriage, when we stand up in the house of the Lord that has been dedicated for his sacred purposes and take some very special person by the right hand and promise her or him that throughout our lifetimes we will be faithful. We will be true to those great trusts of life that have been given us as we have come into mortality."

Stay Tuned until next time.

What are you looking forward to in 2021?

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

What are you looking forward to in 2021? - Well let me ask a proper question, what are you looking forward to achieve in 2021? I know that I would be looking forward to achieve a lot in 2021. If everything goes smoothly and well for me; I think 2021 would be a great year for me. 

I know that I would be looking forward to hopefully finally getting my Green Card and my Social Security Number in the mail because I have been waiting for my Green Card approval and my Social Security Number approval for over a year since I have applied for my Green Card, and my Social Security Number. I think that I would have to reapply for my Social Security Number after receiving my Green Card, but I would not know for sure until that moment of time happens. 

I know that after getting my Green Card approval and arrived in the mail; I know that my husband is happy for me to decide whatever I want to do next. It would certainly open up more opportunities for me to achieve throughout 2021. 

I know that I would be really looking forward to finally getting a current Driver's License, and indeed it would be a Texan Driver's License not Australian Driver's License. It felt so weird for me to go through 2020 without having a Driver's License and not being able to drive anywhere where I would like to and where I needed to go. It has been over a year ago since my Australian Driver's License has expired - to be exact my Australian Driver's License has expired in September 2019 to be exact.

I would be really looking forward to finally legally allowed to work. I do not know how I managed of not going insane for not being able to work for over a year. I do miss working, I do miss earning an income from having a job. I know that everytime I saw places like Domino's, Pizza Hut, Walmart, etc - it seems like everywhere I went had job openings and it was always seeking for full-time positions to be filled. Darn at times I really wished that I had my Green Card already so I could have worked throughout this year. 

I would be really looking forward to finally legally allowed to study. I have been thinking about studying again, I do plan to study online because a course or courses that I have in mind to sign up to and studying is only offered online and it is based on one of the BYU campuses. 

I would be looking forward to more blogging, I would do my best to be more persistent and constant of keeping up to date with this blog. I enjoyed blogging a lot over the past seven years on and off, so I do want to continue with the habit of blogging. 

I would be looking forward to do more vlogging, and creating vlogs. I have enjoyed so much of vlogging on and off for over the past three years. I love sharing videos and photos of excitement and fun times, and also highlights. 

I would be really looking forward to getting into more of my photography. I have been hoping for a very long time to become successful into photography one day. I would like to claim myself as an easy going, budget friendly, caring, and understanding photographer one day. I know that it certainly take time to get there but I would get there eventually. I would be looking forward to make some income from doing photography after receiving my Green Card. 

I would be looking forward to turning twenty-five years old. I always look forward to my birthday each year, but I still do not look like my true age, and maybe just maybe I may look like my true age one day. 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Summary of Some Achievements in the Past Decade

 Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

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

What has been the proudest achievements that you have accomplished duration the past decade? 

I have seen posts by more than five friends to share what they are proud and what they have achieved for the past decade. I would like to make a post that focuses on what I have been proud and achieved for the past decade. 

2010 - I successfully passed my first year of Seminary, and  I have attended my first stake youth conference from ages fourteen years old to eighteen years old).

2011 - I obtained Certificate I in Information, Technology and Communications, and I volunteered at The Coffee Club for work experience.

2012 - I have attended EFY (multi-stake youth conference that goes for five days and four evenings, and it is for ages from fourteen years old to eighteen years old) in January, and I have made many new friends. I came second place in Butterfly Stroke 50 metres out of my age group; I have made it into Districts but I was so close and I did not make it into Regionals. 

I gotten approved to Griffith University to study Bachelor of Communications, I have attended my first annual multi-stake Priest and Laurel's Ball, and I have obtained Certificate II in Business. 

"I HAD A GOOD DECADE." - Brady Anderson.

2013 - I have graduated High School, I went to my ever first date, I had a learners permit, and I have graduated Seminary. I accomplished some Certificate Courses. I obtained Certificate II in Hospitality, Certificate II in Retail,  and Certificate II in Workplace Practices. I worked at Cottone's Discount Feed Shed for temporally. 

2014 - I turned eighteen years old, I went to my ever first group date, I gotten my Australian Driver's License after my second attempt of doing the Driving Practical Test. I flew to Perth and I went to my ever first YSA End of Year Convention. 2015 - I lived in Perth for short period of time, I purchased my first ever car (Mazada 121, 1994), and I had my first ever car accident/car wreck. 

2016 - I completed a degree in Digital Photography, I have graduated Institute successfully. I have submitted my full-time mission papers, and I gotten accepted into a job at Richlands Domino's in Australia. 2017 - I turned twenty-one years old, I received my endowments, I was promoted to be in management position in Richlands Domino's in February, I was in management position in July, and I met my husband on LDS singles website in November.

2018 - My husband and I have started dating as boyfriend and girlfriend stage in January, I finished the BYU-Idaho Pathways Program in April, my husband applied for my k-1 visa in September, I had my first ever experience of Thanksgiving in November, we finally met in person in February, and we gotten engaged which made us fiancé and fiancée in November as well.

I gotten set apart and called as a Temple Ordinance Worker in Brisbane Latter-Day Saint Temple.

2019 - I turned twenty-three years old, I gotten honorable released as a Temple Ordinance Worker in Brisbane Latter-Day Saint Temple, I attended my k-1 visa interview in early July, I gotten my k-1 visa in the mail within just two days after the interview, my k-1 visa gotten approved when I landed in Dallas in July, I flew to Dallas United States from Brisbane with one way plane ticket, my husband and I gotten married in September, my husband and I applied for my adjustment to status as known as my Green Card in October. 

I have accomplished two Self Reliances courses; I have completed Personal Finances in December, and I have completed Starting and Growing My Business in December as well. 2020 - I have lived in Texas United States for a year, and I finally gotten updates about in relation to my Green Card. Let us hope that I would get my Green Card in 2021.

Stay Tuned until next time.

What am I Grateful for in 2020?

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

Have you thought about what you were grateful for in 2020? What were you grateful for in 2020? Did you appreciate all of the memories or even some of the memories that you have made throughout this year?
Did you made met and created new friendships throughout the year?

This year must have been a tough year for everyone because we all went through to learning about and knowing about Coronavirus, some people went through lockdowns, most stores has reduced their hours from sometime in March this year, fast foods including dine in restaurants does not offer dine in option to customers - they would have to go through drive thru, places where it has been enforced of wearing face masks, weekly worship places has been closed, schools has been cancelled - students has been taught at homes via Zoom, and so forth. 

"The more grateful I am, the more beautiful
I see." - Mary Davis.

I would like to share with you some of things for what I was grateful for in 2020.

I am grateful for all of the memories that I have had throughout this year; 

I know that I have enjoyed bike riding by myself at times, and with my husband at times. I enjoyed video calls to my family members, and my close friends. 

.
I am grateful for meeting and creating new friendships that I have made throughout this year; I could not think of how my life would be like without the new friendships that I have made throughout this year. 

I am grateful for being diagnosed and experiencing small Ovarian Cyst on my left ovary because I was able to be diagnosed early enough without needing to go in for a surgery.

I remembered that I did some research online about what was an Ovarian Cyst shortly after finding out that I have Ovarian Cyst, and I know what symptoms that I should watch for so I can be aware of what to expect if I went through an Ovarian Cyst in the future.

I am grateful for having a dental appointment that involved of me having three fillings to be done because I have not had any fillings done since 2015 when I was focusing on dental requirements for my full-time mission papers - first attempt.

I am grateful for my husband for having a reliable full-time job. There has been some long days, and there has been some short days but by the end of the day, I am grateful for him to be able to work to make an steady income and provide to pay for finances. 

I am grateful for finally being able to go inside Dallas Latter-Day Saint Temple after over nine months for not being able to go to the Temple due to the coronavirus. I enjoyed attending an Endowment session (it has been almost over a year since I last attended an Endowment session) and I enjoyed attending Jonathan and Taylor Lindsey's sealing. 

I am grateful for my in-laws for organizing family gatherings. It has always been good and fun to get together at least once a month, and spend some time together. The fun parts are catching up with each other, playing games, and eating meals together. 

I am grateful for Heavenly Father hearing my personal prayers, and the couple prayers that my husband and I have together. I have personally felt that he has answered my personal prayers by several ways that I did think of before. 

I am grateful for blogging and vlogging throughout this year. I certainly learned so much while reading past General Conference talks, and Devotionals. I know that I had so much fun with sharing my own inputs as well. 

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Real Christmas

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 BYU Devotional in December 1972, and it is called "The Real Christmas" by Elder Howard W. Hunter. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Elder Hunter mentioned the following: "... Christmas is a busy season. Streets and stores are filled with people making last-minute preparations. Travelers on the highways increase, airports are crowded all Christianity seems to come to life with music, lights, and festive decorations. ...

The Meaning of Christmas Today

How is Christmas regarded today? 

The legend of Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, the decorations of tinsel and mistletoe, and the giving of gifts all express to us the spirit of the day we celebrate; but the true spirit of Christmas lies much deeper than these. It is found in the life of the Savior, in the principles he taught, in his atoning sacrifice which becomes our great heritage. 

Many years ago the First Presidency of the Church made this significant statement: Christmas, to the Latter-day Saint, is both reminiscent and prophetic - a reminder of two great and solemn events, which will yet be regarded universally as the mightiest and most wonderful happenings in the history of the human race. 

These events were predestined to take place upon this planet before it was created. One of these was the coming of the Savior in the meridian of time, to die for the sins of the world; and the other is the prospective event of the risen and glorified Redeemer, to reign upon the earth as King of kings. [Millennial Star, 70:1 (January 2, 1908)]

"Christmas means giving. The Father gave his Son, and the
Son gave His life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, and
without sacrifice there is no true worship." - Gordon B. Hinckley.

... It is possible for Christ to be born in men’s lives, and when such an experience actually happens, a man is “in Christ” - Christ is “formed” in him. This presupposes that we take Christ into our hearts and make him the living contemporary of our lives. 

He is not just a general truth or a fact in history, but the Savior of men everywhere and at all times. When we strive to be Christlike, he is “formed” in us; if we open the door, he will enter; if we seek his counsel, he will counsel us. For Christ to be “formed” in us, we must have a belief in him and in his atonement. 

Such a belief in Christ, and the keeping of his commandments, are not restraints upon us. By these, men are set free. This Prince of Peace waits to give peace of mind which may make each of us a channel of that peace. The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. 

The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master. I continue with what the writer defines as the real spirit of Christmas: It is a desire to sacrifice for others, to render service and to possess a feeling of universal brotherhood. 

It consists of a willingness to forget what you have done for others, and to remember what others have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and think only of your duties in the middle distance, and your chance to do good and aid your fellow-men in the foreground to see that your fellow-men are just as good as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts to close your book of grievances against the universe, and look about you for a place to sow a few seeds of happiness, and go your way unobserved. [Baird, p. 154]

... John Wallingford penned these lines: Christmas is not a day or a season, but a condition of heart and mind. If we love our neighbors as ourselves; ... if our charity vaunteth not itself, but suffereth long and is kind; ... if each day dawns in opportunity and sets in achievement, however small; then every day is Christ’s day and Christmas is always near.

A wise man has said: The most amazing thing about the Christmas story is its relevance. It is at home in every age and fits into every mood of life. It is not simply a lovely tale once told, but eternally contemporary. ... It is as meaningful in our time as in that long-ago night when shepherds followed the light of the star to the manger of Bethlehem. [Joseph R. Sizoo, Words of Life, p. 33] ...

Find the True Spirit of Christmas

If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees alone or with loved ones give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that his spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve him and keep his commandments. He will take you by the hand and his promises will be kept. ..."

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/howard-w-hunter/real-christmas/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Enduring Joy ~ Part Three

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on BYU Devotional in January 2020, and it is called "Enduring Joy" by President of Brigham Young University - Kevin J. Worthen. This post is part three. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

President Worthen mentioned the following; "Third, recognize and remember that true joy, enduring joy - the joy that many visitors to campus sense ultimately comes only through keeping God’s commandments. Remember, King Benjamin indicated that joy describes “the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.” 

... As Joseph Smith explained: Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.

It is only when we live in accordance with celestial law that we are able to experience celestial joy. ... And one of those commandments is to love our neighbors and to demonstrate that love through serving them, whether it be through formal ministering assignments or just through simple deeds of kindness for a roommate or a stranger. 

Focusing on the well-being of others increases our joy, regardless of our external circumstances. ... It is concern for the well-being of others that gives God joy. It is in following Him and His example that we will experience that same fulness.

President Nelson summed up the connection between joy and keeping the commandments with this very practical, but powerful, observation: Every time we nurture our spouse and guide our children, every time we forgive someone or ask for forgiveness, we can feel joy. Every day that you and I choose to live celestial laws, every day that we keep our covenants and help others to do the same, joy will be ours.

"God's doctrine shows that we are all his children
and that he has created us to have joy."
- President Dallin H. Oaks.

Fourth, because we will not in our mortal state keep the commandments perfectly, repentance is a critical part of experiencing enduring joy. Many in the world, and too many in the Church, view repentance as an unpleasant, even dreaded process, confusing the consequences of failing to repent with repentance itself. 

... One stake president wisely observed that “if we really understood the doctrine of repentance, we would run to repent.” ... This does not mean that repentance is easy or that it should be done casually. President Nelson has taught, “To repent from sin is not easy. But the prize is worth the price.”

Repentance always stretches our souls, sometimes beyond what we think we can stand, ... So if we want to experience joy, we need to repent - and to even repent joyfully. Because, as President Nelson observed, “when we choose to repent, we choose to . . . receive joy - the joy of redemption.”

Fifth, we need to recognize and remember that joy is a principle of power. Joy is not just a reward for a lifetime effort to follow God’s commandments and to repent when we fail. Joy can increase our ability to stay on the covenant path that leads to enduring joy, to do things we might not otherwise be able to accomplish.

... Similarly, we can bring God’s power into our lives by focusing on joy. President Nelson asked: If we focus on the joy that will come to us, or to those we love, what can we endure that presently seems overwhelming, painful, scary, unfair, or simply impossible? 

... What repenting will then be possible? What weakness will become a strength? What chastening will become a blessing? What disappointments, even tragedies, will turn to our good? And what challenging service to the Lord will we be able to give?

Sixth, and finally, all of this is possible only because of Jesus Christ. President Nelson summed it up: “How, then, can we claim . . . joy? We can start by ‘looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith’ ‘in every thought.’”

Let me repeat again, with a little different emphasis, the quote that so many Church leaders have recently shared:

The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.

When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation . . . and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not ­happening in our lives. 

Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. . . . For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy! Thus Christ is not only “the author and finisher of our faith” but is, in one sense, the author and finisher of our joy. We begin to have joy when we focus on Christ. We can then bring the power of Christ into our lives by focusing on joy.

I bear witness that He lives and that because He lives, we can, in the world to come, experience the fulness of joy that is part of our eternal destiny, if we so choose. And in this life we can, through joy, survive and flourish spiritually. ..."

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/kevin-j-worthen/enduring-joy/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Enduring Joy ~ 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 BYU Devotional in January 2020, and it is called "Enduring Joy" by President of Brigham Young University - Kevin J. Worthen. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

President Worthen mentioned the following; "Thus, even though we may not experience a complete fulness of joy until the next life, it is very much in our interest to do what we can to experience all the joy we can in this life both because it will make our current lives better and because it will better prepare us for our ultimate destiny to experience the fulness of joy that God wants to share with us.

So how do we do that? How can we cultivate more joy in our lives now and thereby increase our capacity to experience joy in the next life? Let me share six suggestions.

Cultivating More Joy in Our Lives

First, we need to recognize, and constantly remember, that our ability to have joy in this life and in the eternities is not dependent on external conditions.

As President Nelson so eloquently put it: The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation . . . and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not happening in our lives.

This is the quote that Elders Christofferson and Andersen cited in their most recent general conference talks. This is the quote that Elder Kearon shared in the Christmas devotional and that Sister Bingham shared in her most recent BYU devotional.

It is so contrary to what many in the world think and that erroneous thinking diverts us from joy that it bears repeating: The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus

of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation ... and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not happening in our lives.

The JOY we feel has little to do with the CIRCUMSTANCES
of our lives and everything to do with the FOCUS of our lives."
- Russell M. Nelson.

This is not a mere abstract concept. It is to be taken literally. ... This is what President Nelson invites us, as well as all the world, to experience what he calls “enduring joy” joy that can exist even when we fail a test, feel rejected, or face ridicule. ... So don’t wait for your circumstances to change before experiencing an increase of joy. Draw 

on the power of joy in every situation.

Second, we should recognize and remember that enduring joy constant joy does not mean uninterrupted bliss and a life free of challenges. Suffering and adversity are part of the eternal plan, a part of the process by which we come to develop enduring joy. Joy helps us transcend temporary trials; it does not eliminate them from our lives.

... Even God, who is the very essence of joy, experiences sorrow.

... So don’t let Satan fool you into thinking that you are failing in your quest for joy because you have tough days. All of us do. Satan wants us to be miserable like unto him, and one way he strives to do that is by discouraging us into thinking that the challenges and difficulties we experience are the result of our own inadequacies and prove that we are not worthy of joy. 

But many of life’s events are beyond our control. We may struggle with mental health issues or be radically affected by the inadvertent, or even intentional, misdeeds of others, or maybe we just struggle because of the vicissitudes of life. If so, we should not blame ourselves or think ourselves beyond God’s reach. Instead we should recognize that with the Savior’s help, we can still experience joy even in the midst of our afflictions.

As President Nelson explained, because of Christ “we can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year!” When you experience the inevitable challenges that lie ahead, believe in God and believe that He is concerned for you individually. He will weep with you, even as He bids you to “lift up your heart, and be glad.”

And when you are struggling, do not overlook the positive impact that you can have on others even while you are feeling inadequate. You are probably doing much better than you think, and others around are uplifted even when you are struggling inwardly. ..."

Stay Tuned until next time.

Enduring Joy ~ Part One

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

How do you endure JOY? How does an immediate relative endure JOY?

This post focuses on BYU Devotional in January 2020, and it is called "Enduring Joy" by President of Brigham Young University - Kevin J. Worthen. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional.

President Worthen has mentioned the following; " ... President Nelson summed up Lehi’s life in terms that may sound a bit like your life at times: “Clearly, Lehi knew opposition, anxiety, heartache, pain, disappointment, and sorrow.” President Nelson also noted that, in these trying circumstances, “Lehi taught a principle for spiritual survival” by declaring “boldly and without reservation a principle as revealed by the Lord: ‘Men are, that they

might have joy.’"

There it is. Joy is the key to our spiritual survival in the trying times in which we live, as well as in the trying times that lie ahead of us. When we experience “opposition, anxiety, heartache, pain, disappointment, and sorrow” things all of us are likely to face in this coming year - how are we to survive? By tapping into the power of joy.

Experiencing “a Fulness of Joy”

I believe we often underestimate the importance of the concept of joy. Without much thought, we sometimes casually wish others a joyous holiday season or invite them to spread joy. But I am not sure we fully appreciate how central joy is to God’s plan for us. 

... So my request for this coming year is that we focus more on joy; that we seek to understand it better; that we come to view it not just as a mental or emotional concept or feeling of comfort but as a principle of power - power to survive and thrive spiritually and otherwise; and that we come to experience what President Nelson has called “enduring joy.”

"The greater our sorrow, the greater our capacity to
feel joy." - Mormon Messages, "The Refiner's Fire."

So we begin by asking, “What is joy?” ... Part of the difficulty is that language is a little imprecise and ultimately inadequate to capture the concept fully. ... However, this much seems clear: joy is not merely a temporary emotion but rather a more permanent and constant condition. 

As stated in the Guide to the Scriptures, joy is “a condition of great happiness coming from righteous living.” It is not some momentary sensation of rejoicing but a condition a state of being. 

King Benjamin described it this way: Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.

President Dallin H. Oaks explained it this way: Joy is the ultimate sensation of well-being. It comes from being complete and in harmony with our Creator and his eternal laws. The opposite of joy is misery. Misery is more than unhappiness, sorrow, or suffering. Misery is the ultimate state of disharmony with God and his laws. 

Joy and misery are eternal emotions whose ultimate extent we are not likely to experience in mortality. In this life we have some mortal simulations, which we call happiness or pleasure and unhappiness or pain.

Notice three common elements in King Benjamin’s and Elder Oaks’s descriptions:

1. In its fulness, joy is a condition or state of being; it is a constant.

2. It comes from living in harmony with God’s laws, from keeping His commandments.

3. We may not experience it fully in this life. Indeed, because of the limits of our mortal bodies and finite minds, we likely cannot even fully describe or understand this condition.

... In fact, the scriptures indicate that we can completely experience “a fulness of joy” only after resurrection, when our perfected bodies and spirits are “inseparably connected.” Thus joy is in one sense a description of our ultimate destiny. 

Joy is at the center of God’s plan for us. ... Note that the scripture indicates we shouted for joy and not with joy. It may well be that we were not just generally rejoicing at the announcement of the plan but rather were celebrating the concept of joy itself, shouting for joy, overwhelmed at the beauty and depth of the concept of joy and our realization that we, too, might enter into that state of being that our Heavenly Parents enjoyed. 

As Joseph Smith put it, joy or “happiness is the object and design of our existence.” Joy is the very purpose for which we, and everything else in the cosmos, were created. Thus it should be no surprise that it was the “good tidings of great joy” that the angel pronounced to the shepherds at Jesus’s birth.

However, just because we may not completely experience a fulness of joy in this life, it does not mean that we are without joy in the world. Adam and Eve both recognized that their choices in the Garden of Eden made it possible that “in this life [we] shall have joy,” even “the joy of our redemption.”

Indeed, one of the purposes of this life is to develop our capacity for joy and the extent to which we do that will impact the degree to which we will experience joy both in this life and even more in the world to come. As Elder Jack H. Goaslind once observed, “Our joy in God’s kingdom will be a natural extension of the happiness we cultivate in this life.”

Thus Moroni taught that our level of joy does not automatically change with death. When the Judgment comes, he wrote, “he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.”

Stay Tuned until next time.

Serving the Lord

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on October 1999 General Conference talk, and it is called "Serving the Lord" by Elder Adhemar Damiani. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Elder Damiani has mentioned the following; "When Joshua’s life was coming to a close, he gathered the tribes of Israel and recalled the mercy and blessings which God had bestowed upon them. Because of the kind of life they were living, Joshua admonished them and said: "... "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

In our day, we are being admonished in the same manner through apostles and prophets. We are to fear the Lord, serve the Lord, put away worldly gods, and choose whom we will serve. Fearing the Lord means to be reverent and to love Him and to keep His commandments. 

We show that we serve the Lord by the way in which we live the commandments received from Him, by the work we do to help establish the kingdom of God on earth, and by the way we act towards our neighbor. Putting away worldly gods means keeping impure thoughts out of our minds, shedding all hateful feelings from our hearts, and ridding our lives of everything which may prevent the Holy Ghost from being always with us. 

For some, putting away worldly gods may mean giving up a small habit. For others, it may mean giving up serious sins they are committing. For others still, it may mean forgetting sad events which happened earlier in their lives. Whatever the situation, in each one of us there is the power to change our life, the power to transform the bad feelings we have in our hearts. The Lord Jesus Christ will give us this power and will help us. 

"Service is the real key to JOY!" - Heber J. Grant.

All He asks from us is that we have faith in Him, follow His example, and obey His commandments. When we love God, serve the Lord sincerely, and give up the things of this world, we become true followers of Christ.

... Serving Christ is not in itself a way to escape the hard reality of life. ... Both the person who serves the Lord as well as the one who disdains Him live in a world ruled by the same laws of nature.

Many are the things that come upon him who is a saint as well as upon him who is a sinner - disease, death, catastrophes, accidents, and so forth. ... Physical suffering is not evidence of wickedness, nor is it punishment for sin.

What then are the rewards of serving the Lord? The gospel of Jesus Christ does not promise that we will be free from tribulation. But it does strengthen our spirit so that we can accept adversity and face it when it comes. ... The person whose life is founded upon the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to: Face adversity with hope; Withstand offense with forgiveness; and Face death with serenity.

The person who chooses to follow the Lord and who keeps His commandments: In his weaknesses, he knows where the source of his strength is; In his strength, he remains humble; ... A person who can live this way, without fear or hate but with love, is a happy person.

The fruits obtained from serving the Lord are essentially spiritual. ... Jesus promised eternal life to His followers: “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, “Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

In this life, we are building our eternal dwelling. Are we building upon the rock which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, or are we building upon the sand which lies in the falsehoods of this world? Each moment we must choose whom we will serve, for we have been placed upon this earth to be proven and tested.

We cannot choose to serve God and the world at the same time. If we want to follow the Lord, we should keep His commandments and follow our prophet and his teachings: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” ..."

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

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/10/serving-the-lord

The Joy of Unselfish Service

  Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on October 2018 General Conference talk, and it is called "The Joy of Unselfish Service" By Cristina B. Franco. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Sister Franco has mentioned the following; "... Sometimes as we serve, we get to sit in different seats. Some are quite comfy and some other ones are not, but we have promised our Father in Heaven that we will serve Him and others with love and do His will in all things. 

A few years ago, youth in the Church learned that “when you ‘embark in the service of God’ [Doctrine and Covenants 4:2], you’re joining the greatest journey ever. You’re helping God hasten His work, and it’s a great, joyful, and marvelous experience.”

It’s a journey available to all of any age and is also a journey that takes us along what our beloved prophet has spoken of as “the covenant path.” Unfortunately, however, we live in a selfish world where people constantly ask, “What’s in it for me?” instead of asking, “Whom can I help today?” or “How can I better serve the Lord in my calling?” or “Am I giving my all to the Lord?”

... Widow's Mite

... Sisters, are we giving our all to the Lord without reservation? Are we sacrificing of our time and talents so the rising generation can learn to love the Lord and keep His commandments? Are we ministering both to those around us and to those we are assigned with care and with diligence sacrificing time and energy that could be used in other ways?

"Simple acts of service can have profound effects on
others as well as on ourselves." - Jean B. Brigham.

Are we living the two great commandments to love God and to love His children? Often that love is manifest as service. President Dallin H. Oaks taught: “Our Savior gave Himself in unselfish service. He taught that each of us should follow Him by denying ourselves of selfish interests in order to serve others.”

He continued: “A familiar example of losing ourselves in the service of others … is the sacrifice parents make for their children. Mothers suffer pain and loss of personal priorities and comforts to bear and rear each child. Fathers adjust their lives and priorities to support a family. … 

“… We also rejoice in those who care for disabled family members and aged parents. None of this service asks, what’s in it for me? All of it requires setting aside personal convenience for unselfish service. … “[And] all of this illustrates the eternal principle that we are happier and more fulfilled when we act and serve for what we give, not for what we get.

“Our Savior teaches us to follow Him by making the sacrifices necessary to lose ourselves in unselfish service to others.” President Thomas S. Monson likewise taught that “... In reality, you can never love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people.” In other words, sisters, it will not matter if we sat in the comfy seats or if we struggled to get through the meeting on a rusty folding chair in the back row.

It won’t even matter if we, of necessity, stepped into a foyer to comfort a crying baby. What will matter is that we came with a desire to serve, that we noticed those to whom we minister and greeted them joyfully, and that we introduced ourselves to those sharing our row of folding chairs reaching out with friendship even though we aren’t assigned to minister to them. And it will certainly matter that we do all that we do with the special ingredient of service coupled with love and sacrifice. ..."

If you would like to read this talk either now or in your own time, here is the link below.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/the-joy-of-unselfish-service

Stay Tuned until next time.

Convenient Service ~ 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 BYU Devotional in July 2014, and it is called "Convenient Service" by Sister Sherry Patten Palmer. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Sister Palmer has mentioned the following;
"How did you change their lives or help them in times of need? How did you serve your brothers? Did you even notice when they needed help?” ... So, how can we make service convenient? We start by practicing with “automatic responses." ... Giving service and having it become “convenient” is a work in progress. 

... Service is a stepping-stone toward these two great doctrines of our religion. It is up to us how big this stepping-stone of service is. ... If we treat service like helpful small pebbles that line our pathway back to the Savior, we may find that these pebbles become convenient guides that will help us along the way. If we can master the task of providing service to those around us, how much easier, then, is it to sacrifice for others and consecrate what we do for the Lord.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave a talk in April 1975 about obedience, consecration, and sacrifice. He said: 

We have covenanted in the waters of baptism to love and serve him, to keep his commandments, and to put first in our lives the things of his kingdom. In return he has promised us eternal life in his Father’s kingdom. We are thus in a position to receive and obey some of the higher laws which prepare us for that eternal life which we so sincerely seek.

Elder McConkie then went on to say: “He who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.” (D&C 88:22.) The law of sacrifice is a celestial law; so also is the law of consecration. Thus to gain that celestial reward which we so devoutly desire, we must be able to live these two laws. Sacrifice and consecration are inseparably intertwined. [“Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice,” Ensign, May 1975, 50; emphasis in original]

I would like to add: How can we ever get to the laws of sacrifice and consecration without first applying service in our lives? When we are physically serving our brother, we are sacrificing whether it be our time, our physical abilities, or our material blessings.

When we perform service with the right kind of spirit, we practice consecration. We are consecrating our time, our physical abilities, and our material blessings to others and in essence to the Lord. Service in our lives is similar to stepping-stones; the way we perceive or encounter service determines the size of those stones.

Are they helps or hindrances to our eternal progression? Just like we consciously work on other fine attributes in our lives, we need to put in place a conscious decision to make service convenient. We need to plan on this behavior. ... When we act and serve as Jesus did, we become more like Him.

How can we make service our way of life? How can we have it be an immediate reaction instead of a thought-out action? How can we make it convenient? We can prepare for service. We may start out with creating a habit of always being willing to or being ready to do something extra.

Maybe you enjoy mowing the lawn, so if a neighbor needs help, that can be your automatic reaction you can mow their lawn. ... Maybe you have a keen listening ear and enjoy conversation that can be your automatic reaction when a family member is in need. The key is to create automatic reactions within ourselves. They do not have to be big service activities.

"The world tells us to seek success, power and money; 
God tells us to seek humility, service and love." 
- Pope Francis. 

President Spencer W. Kimball said: It is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. .. So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving ... help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow ... from small but deliberate deeds! 

[“Small Acts of Service,” Ensign, December 1974, 5; quoted in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006), 82]

Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone gave a talk about serving when it is inconvenient. He said: Now my young friends, ... think of all the opportunities you will have to serve at inconvenient times. I promise you that most of the service you render to the Lord will come at times not convenient to you. Think about some of them:

Your call to serve an 18-month mission, right in the middle of your schooling, courting, and vocational training.

... An invitation to speak at church. Home teaching visits. Early-morning seminary, which in many stakes begins at 6:00 a.m., not a convenient hour.

... Someone with a flat tire or other auto problems on the highway. It generally is not a convenient time to stop. Shoveling snow or mowing a lawn of someone in need a widow or neighbor when your day is already too full.

Elder Featherstone went on to say: I could list many, many more opportunities that may well come to all of us in a lifetime but most often at an inappropriate time. You can make a decision that you are too busy, but that is generally only an excuse. ...

My beloved young friends, determine to serve one another. Listen to the spirit when your flesh is weak. ... The blessings are tenfold when we do those good, kindly acts of Christlike service when it is inopportune or not convenient. [“The Message: Why Now? Why Me?” New Era, January–February 1984, 7]

... I have experienced memorable acts of service. I have been the giver and the receiver. Yet even with many years of experience, I still struggle with how “convenient” the service is. I have felt my heart pierced with love, compassion, thankfulness, and the Spirit. Shouldn’t these feelings be enough motivation?

... Yes, service becoming convenient is a work in progress. Giving service throughout our lives is like being led down a beautiful path of stepping-stones. However, to make service convenient, we must practice and practice. ..."

I would like to encourage you to read the whole Devotional either now or in your own time. Here is the link below.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/sherri-patten-palmer/convenient-service/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Convenient Service ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

What does "Convenient Service" means to you? What does "Convenient Service" means to a immediate relative? This post focuses on a BYU Devotional in July 2014, and it is called "Convenient Service" by Sister Sherry Patten Palmer. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Sister Palmer has mentioned the following; "... President Thomas S. Monson said, I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish and in effect save their lives. [“What Have I Done for Someone Today?” Ensign, November 2009, 85]

Furthermore, we read in Revelation 2:19: I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notice how “works” is in this scripture twice actually, I believe it is in there four times, as charity and service could also be “works.” 

Heavenly Father is saying here that He knows our works. So what works or service are we personally known for? Do we hesitate when confronted with the opportunity to serve? Is it convenient to serve? Or is service something we sign up for once in a while when the sign-up sheet is passed around?

... What of these people who are less fortunate than we are? How do we serve them? In my travels I have wondered why there is so much variation of wealth, health, or material blessings. What do others desire when
they appear to have so little? 

"As we serve, we draw closer to God." - Carl B. Cook.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said something that has helped me understand: God thus takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose upon us. [“According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts,” Ensign, November 1996, 21]

Of course everybody has similar desires, but it is the performance and the degree of difficulty it takes for us to perform that God considers. God takes into account the degrees of difficulty. 

So what does that say when it truly is quite easy to give a little service because of our blessings and fortune? ... We have a low degree of difficulty, and we should really be getting off the couch, so to speak, and providing meaningful service. We are blessed for a reason. 

If it is only a little difficult to render service, should we not do it more often? If it is only a little inconvenient, why can’t we do it more frequently? What about those who have a higher degree of difficulty in providing service? Think of those who are struggling in the world. 

I am sure many missionaries can relate to the experiences I had while I was on my mission years ago. Families who had little to eat would prepare food for the missionaries. Surely these families have a different degree of difficulty when it comes to giving and rendering service. ... Even though there are material inequalities in the world, we all can have the righteous desire to serve.

And it is the pursuit of these righteous desires that measures our reward in heaven. We do not have to travel abroad to have fascinating and memorable experiences of service. We can and should start right here in our homes and neighborhoods. Jesus did not travel very far; often He served those very near to Him.

We have opportunities to serve by simply being sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters. We serve through our church callings and by being members of our wards. I often think that Heavenly Father will ask me, “What did you do to serve the women you visit taught?"

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Opportunities to GIVE and RECEIVE Service in the Past

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

Do you remember how you felt when you gave service to your immediate family members and your extended in the past? If yes, how did it made you feel? Did you felt happiness?  

Do you remember did you feel when you gave service to your friends in the past? If yes, how did it made you feel? Did you felt happiness?  

Do you remember did you feel when you gave service to strangers in the past? If yes, how did it made you feel? Did you felt happiness? 

Did you remember how you felt when you have received service to you? How did it made you feel? 

"It's not where you SERVE, but how." 
- President J. Reuben Clark.

Duration of my friend Jordan's mission; I had an opportunity to meet his Mum Helen and his Grandma Marjorie one day.  We had great memories together. I had multiple opportunities to serve Helen which always made me feel happy. I remembered constantly putting Helen's name and Marjorie's name on the Temple Prayer Roll each time when I went to the Temple. I added other names on the Temple Prayer Roll as well.

I was able to go with Helen when she went out to go groceries shopping, I watched over Marjorie in the car while Helen had to go to the bank, I went with Helen to visit Marjorie when she was in hospital, and so forth. I was able to live with Helen for a short time frame. I still kept in touch with Helen these days. It was recently when I found out the sad news, and that was Marjorie has passed away. I felt disappointed that I was not able to attend to Marjorie's funeral. I felt privileged to meet Marjorie when I did. 

I have reflected over the years that my parents has given me countless of times for service. One of the services that has helped me as I progressed in this life was when they taught me how to drive and supervised me while I was learning how to drive. They did not ever give up on me, and I was always willing to drive whether it was to short distances, or long distances, I was happy to drive at any time of the daytime and night time.

I remembered being employed at three Mount Ommaney Domino's, Calamvale Domino's and Logan Central Domino's; all of those stores has something in common for what I have done for giving service in the past. At least one in-store employee from each store that I had the opportunity to take them home after I have finished my shift if I have finished working roughly at the same times they did. 

I made me happy that I was able to do that for them. I know that they were always grateful and relied on me to take them home from work. I am grateful for the friendships that I have made with them. 

I remembered being called and set apart as a Temple Ordinance Worker. Most times, I enjoyed serving in the Temple. I always feel happy and seeing church members feeling happy while they're inside the Temple. Out of all the evenings that I have served in the Temple, there was one evening was a great a reminder to myself. 

Let me to share that evening about it was a great reminder to myself. While I was waiting for the sisters to come for an endowment session, I noticed that the evening was so quiet. I did not see any sisters coming. I waited for a little longer. I saw a sister named Sister Wood. She wanted to do an endowment session.

I immediately apologized to her that there was no other sisters for endowment session and I offered to her if she would like to do a different session inside. I mentioned about that she could do initiatory session instead. She felt grateful that she was still able to do another session in the Temple in replacement of not being able to go to an endowment session. 

You probably wondering why that evening was a great reminder to myself. That evening has helped me to remind myself of my purpose why I have chosen to become a Temple Ordinance Worker, and that was to help others to feel when there is no session available of what they are wanting to do, there are always other sessions that they can do instead. 

I remembered the same evening of my first car accident, and I was driving home from a former friend's home. It was not long after my car accident when my friend Monique's Dad was driving past the car accident scene and Monique has recognized it was me looking scared.. I am glad that friend was able to tell her Dad to stop and turn around. 

I am glad Monique and her Dad was able to help me out. Heavenly Father put two people that I knew on my path to provide a lift to the local chapel. I felt shakened, and disappointed because that car was my first ever owned vehicle but I felt so happy for Monique and her Dad was able to reach out and gave service to me.

I somehow was not able to contact to anyone at home by using my own phone so I thought to ask Monique if I could borrow her phone. She allowed me to, I was able to call Emma if she can pick me up at a local chapel. I am confident that I had a priesthood blessing for comfort after arriving at the local chapel. 

Stay Tuned until next time.