Do Not Fear ~ Part Two

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2004 General Conference talk, and it is called "Do Not Fear" by Elder Boyd K. Packer. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Elder Packer has mentioned the following; "... I counsel you to have faith. Things have a way of working out. Stay close to the Church. Keep your children close to the Church. 

In Alma’s day “the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just yea, it … had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5)."

True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Find happiness in ordinary things, and keep your sense of humor. ... Keep your sense of humor!"

Do not be afraid to bring children into the world. We are under covenant to provide physical bodies so that spirits may enter mortality (see Gen. 1:28; Moses 2:28). Children are the future of the restored Church. Put your homes in order. 

If Mother is working outside of the home, see if there are ways to change that, even a little. It may be very difficult to change at the present time. But analyze carefully and be prayerful (see D&C 9:8–9). Then expect to have inspiration, which is revelation (see D&C 8:2–3). 

Expect intervention from power from beyond the veil to help you move, in due time, to what is best for your family. ... Each of us came into mortality to receive a mortal body and to be tested (see Abr. 3:24–26). Life will not be free from challenges, some of them bitter and hard to bear. 

We may wish to be spared all the trials of life, but that would be contrary to the great plan of happiness, “for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Ne. 2:11). This testing is the source of our strength. ... “Little children need no repentance, neither baptism. … “… Little children are alive in Christ” (Moro. 8:11–12).

Remember the Atonement of Christ. Do not despair or count as forever lost those who have fallen to the temptations of Satan. They will, after the debt is paid to “the uttermost farthing” (Matt. 5:26) and after the healing which attends complete repentance takes place, receive a salvation.

Follow the leaders who are called to preside over you, for the promise is given: “If my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place” (D&C 124:45).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will go forward “until it has filled the whole earth” (D&C 65:2) ... We will be protected by justice and comforted by mercy (see Alma 34:15–16). No unhallowed hand can stay the progress of this work (see D&C 76:3).

We are not blind to the conditions in the world. ... Isaiah promised, “In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee” (Isa. 54:14).

The Lord Himself encouraged, “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come” (D&C 68:6). ..." 

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/2004/04/do-not-fear

Stay Tuned until next time.

Do Not Fear ~ Part One

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2004 General Conference talk, and it is called "Do Not Fear" by Elder Boyd K. Packer. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Elder Packer has mentioned the following; "... The fear of the future was gone. That bright-eyed, little two-year-old can have a good life a very good life and so can his children and his grandchildren, even though they will live in a world where there is much of wickedness.

They will see many events transpire in the course of their lifetime. Some of these shall tax their courage and extend their faith. But if they seek prayerfully for help and guidance, they shall be given power over adverse things. Such trials shall not be permitted to stand in the way of their progress, but instead shall act as stepping-stones to greater knowledge.

As a grandfather and as one of the Twelve, I will give you some counsel, some caution, and a lot of encouragement. ... Mothers know much more about life than fathers do ... We do not fear the future for ourselves or for our children. We live in dangerously troubled times. ...

We cannot take lightly this warning from the Book of Mormon: “The Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him … doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.

“And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him” (Hel. 12:1–3; emphasis added).

... Nevertheless, I do not fear the future. World War I ended only six years before I was born. When we were children, the effects of the war were everywhere present. World War II came only 15 years later. And dark clouds were already gathering. We had the same anxious feelings that many of you do now. We wondered what the future held for us in an unsettled world.

When I was a boy, childhood diseases appeared regularly in every community. When someone had chicken pox or measles or mumps, the health officer would visit the home and place a quarantine sign on the porch or in the window to warn everyone to stay away. In a large family like ours, those diseases would visit by relay, one child getting it from another, so the sign might stay up for weeks.

We could not blockade ourselves inside our homes or stay hidden away to avoid those terrible contagions. We had to go to school, to employment, to church to life! ... The best thing to do then and what we must do now is to avoid places where there is danger of physical or spiritual contagion.

... Parents now are concerned about the moral and spiritual diseases. These can have terrible complications when standards and values are abandoned. We must all take protective measures. With the proper serum, the physical body is protected against disease. We can also protect our children from moral and spiritual diseases. 

The word inoculate has two parts: in “to be within” and oculate means “eye to see.” When children are baptized and confirmed (see D&C 20:41, 43; D&C 33:15), we place an eye within them the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost (see D&C 121:26). With the Restoration of the gospel came authority to confer this gift.

The Book of Mormon gives us the key: “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. … Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you [and your children as well] all things what ye should do” (2 Ne. 32:3).

If you will accept it in your mind and cradle it in your feelings, a knowledge of the restored gospel and a testimony of Jesus Christ can spiritually immunize your children. One thing is very clear: the safest place and the best protection against the moral and spiritual diseases is a stable home and family. 

This has always been true; it will be true forever. We must keep that foremost in our minds. The scriptures speak of “the shield of faith wherewith,” the Lord said, “ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (D&C 27:17). 

... While the shield can be polished in classes in the Church and in activities, it is meant to be handcrafted in the home and fitted to each individual. The Lord said, “Take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand” (D&C 27:15).

Our young people in many ways are much stronger and better than we were. They and we should not be afraid of what is ahead. Encourage our young people. They need not live in fear (see D&C 6:36). Fear is the opposite of faith."

Stay Tuned until next time.

Choose to Trust the Lord ~ Part Three

    Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

I just realized now that it was so much easier to divide the Devotional highlights into three different posts. Oops. There are so much that really stood out to me. 

This post focuses on June 2019 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional and it is called, "Choose to Trust the Lord" by Sister Michalyn Steele. This post is part three. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional.

Sister Steele has mentioned the following; "As we put our trust in the Lord and lean not on our own limited understanding of eternal things, the individualized path He has designed for each of His children will unfold. It is marvelous to contemplate that although He is the great God of the universe and the works of His hands are beyond our numbering, each of us is known and loved by Him. Indeed, we are “graven . . . upon the palms of [His] hands.”

To fulfill God’s purposes for our lives, we must learn to trust in His love and goodness, even in times when we feel alone just as Jesus felt alone. ... The Savior felt the hunger, thirst, fatigue, rejection, grief, pain, and loneliness of His mortal experiences. He even asked that the unimaginable weight of His burden of sorrow and pain be removed, if possible. 

... The experience of Jesus in Gethsemane teaches me that it is not a sin to desire that we be spared some experiences or to ask that burdens be removed. The pain of those crossroads, in which our will and the Father’s will diverge, is profound. Nevertheless, Jesus modeled how such moments are best resolved: choosing, because of our love for the Father, to trust His will. We trust Him by receiving the Lord’s counsel rather than insisting that He take ours.

Principle Number 3: Love Abundantly

The third principle that I would urge you to adopt is to love abundantly. In most any situation we face, love really is the answer. We can trust that the will of the Lord is motivated entirely by perfect love. When we cannot understand the things that are happening or the things that are not happening the one true constant is the perfect love of God. You can trust it entirely.

Alma counseled the people of the Church to avoid contention and to have “their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” I have found that my happiness is multiplied and my challenges are dulled when I have opened my heart to be knit in loving ties to friends, colleagues, and family. 

The Savior commanded us to love even our enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use us. My life is not defined by the blessings I have not received but by the abundance of love and blessings that I have received. ... Choosing to love is choosing to heal from the spiritual wounds inflicted by injustice and suffering.

One important way that we magnify our love to others and to the Lord is through the words that we speak. Many Native American creation stories describe the world’s creation as having been brought about because the Creator spoke it. Speaking is, in a way, giving birth to ideas and forming and shaping our reality. 

... Our words are powerful beyond measure. Words have the power to create and heal, but they also have the power to destroy and wound. Let us speak with abundant love and use the power that is ours to heal and build others, just as the Savior uses His.

Most important, we should not place conditions or limits on the love that we offer to our Father in Heaven and His Son. But even when we have done so, having withheld love or obedience, He stands ever ready to receive and heal us. As often as we will repent, He will forgive. His arms are ever outstretched. We can trust His love. ..." 

If you would like to read the whole Devotional or listen to the whole Devotional, here is the link below. 

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/michalyn-steele/choose-to-trust-the-lord/

Choose to Trust the Lord ~ 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 June 2019 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional and it is called, "Choose to Trust the Lord" by Sister Michalyn Steele. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional.

Sister Steele has mentioned the following; "Principle Number 2: “Seek Not to Counsel the Lord”

In addition to the seven generations principle of taking the long view, might I suggest a second principle that seems especially relevant to the ­successful navigation of our trials. I take this principle from Jacob’s plea to the wavering Nephites. He urged, “Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand.”

If you are like me, you are full of great ideas, hopes, and dreams about how your lives ought to go: the timing of change and the fulfillment of blessings, jobs or other experiences we might enjoy, or opportunities that we think would be a good fit and would help us to be happy. 

Indeed, we are commanded to ask the Lord for the desires of our hearts. With faith and with fasting, when appropriate we should plead with and petition the Lord for the experiences we desire. That is a very different thing than seeking to counsel the Lord or resisting His counsel. 

Seeking to counsel the Lord means to me that we adjudge our wisdom and preferences to be superior to the Lord’s. That reflects a fundamental lack of trust in His omniscience, in His omnipotence, and, more important, in His perfect love. We might suppose that if we could only persuade the Lord to do things our way, life would be much improved. We may feel frustrated by what we deem His resistance to our counsel on such matters.

... He sees the end from the beginning, “and there is not anything save he knows it.” ... Those of us who have responsibilities for your education are eager for you to develop sound critical thinking skills and judgment. Whatever your field of study, I have no doubt that you will contribute your learning and good judgment to the inevitable and daunting challenges of your families, your employers, your ­communities, and your congregations.

But no ­matter how learned we may become in whatever field, and no matter the earthly value of our ­counsel, we will never have knowledge or judgment that will exceed the Lord’s. That is why we should not seek to counsel the Lord but should seek to take counsel from His hand.

... We must not allow the great gift and blessing of our learning and education to divide us from His wisdom. Instead, we must let our learning deepen our trust in Him and multiply the gifts we have to offer to Him and His children. I have learned that He does not need to be persuaded to do good things or advised about “how to give good gifts unto [His] children.” 

While there are many settings in which He will draw upon our good judgment and learning to bless lives, we must remember that He does not need the best thinking of the wisest and brightest among us to augment His understanding. He already has all wisdom and all judgment.

... Nephite society, including the Church, was stratified and destroyed because “there became a great inequality in all the land.” What caused the inequality? In part it was because “the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning.” 

The people who had money or who had “chances for learning” looked down on those who did not. Let us never misappropriate the blessing of our education as a cause to vaunt our knowledge over those who have not had the same opportunities we have had and certainly not as a reason to vaunt our wisdom over the Lord’s. 

Rather, let us humbly consecrate our gifts to the Lord. Let us serve and love His children, no matter their circumstances and even when we do not understand the Lord’s purposes. A long time ago, I was called as a missionary to the Texas Houston Mission. 

The call said that I should report to the MTC to prepare to teach the gospel in the English language. As my stake president set me apart as a missionary, I remember him saying these words: “The language the Lord would like you to learn is the language of the Spirit.”

I knew that to learn the vocabulary and grammar of the language of the Spirit, I would need to study the scriptures, identify promptings, and understand the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. I knew that it was a language I had been learning my whole life as my parents taught me to keep the commandments and to love the Lord.

I had mentors and teachers who had modeled fluency in the language of the Spirit. “To take counsel from [the Lord’s] hand,” as Jacob instructed, we must develop our own fluency in the language of the Spirit. To try to learn that language, I undertook a deep study of the Book of Mormon.

Once I had arrived at the MTC, I enjoyed learning the principles of missionary work, but I kept wondering how I might say certain phrases in Spanish. When that happened, I told myself to keep focused on the tasks at hand. But my mind kept wandering to the few Spanish phrases I knew, and I kept wondering about Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

I eventually recognized that these unbidden thoughts were the whisperings of the Spirit helping to prepare me to go to Houston, Texas, where there would be many people I would meet who would speak Spanish. So I went to the MTC bookstore and bought a copy of El Libro de Mormón and put it with my things, pleased that I had felt and recognized a prompting and sure that I would have the opportunity to share that book with someone as a missionary.

When I arrived in Houston a few weeks later, my mission president, Clark T. Thorstenson, pulled me aside at the airport. He said, “Sister Steele, the Lord has made it clear to me that He would like you to learn Spanish. I am assigning you to the Spanish-speaking program.”

I felt like the Lord had been trying to whisper it to me all along and was smiling, now that I was in on the plan too. That evening I wondered how I would ever learn Spanish, and I wished that I could go back to the MTC. Then I remembered my Libro de Mormón. I took it out and began to read. 

My study of the Book of Mormon in preparing for my mission helped me to follow along: “Yo, Nefi, nací de buenos padres.” Buenos padres? “Goodly parents”! At first I had no other books to use to study the Spanish language except for the Book of Mormon. 

But I remembered the inspired counsel of my stake president: the language the Lord wanted me to learn was the language of the Spirit. I enlisted the Spirit who, it turns out, speaks perfect Spanish to magnify my abilities and to tutor me in both the Spanish language and the language of the Spirit. Those two languages would be crucial to my missionary service.

A few months in, I had a companion from El Salvador, Hermana Seravia. She was a great missionary and senior companion. One day she said to me, “Hermana, you are doing pretty good with Spanish, but you talk too much like a Book of Mormon! We don’t really say, ‘Now behold, we rejoice to be in your home.’”

I have reflected a lot in the years since this experience about the way that calling unfolded. I know that the Lord is omniscient. Surely He knew that the people I was called to teach in Houston spoke Spanish and that I did not know Spanish when my call had been issued months earlier.

So why did the Lord send me to Texas without MTC language training? At the time, if I were to have designed the experience for myself, I would have called me to learn Spanish in the MTC. However, although I have the power of choice and autonomy in many things, I am not the primary architect of my own life experiences. 

I am called to trust that the Lord has a plan for my life, just as I know that He has a plan for yours. Both the big picture and the smaller details are within His infinite and loving calculus. ... I had to rely on the gifts and tutelage of the Spirit. I had to plead for the gift of tongues. 

I had to rely on the prayers of loved ones the power of which I could feel bringing words and phrases to my mind and loosing my tongue as I taught. The Lord foresaw that Spanish would be a great blessing in my life but that learning to trust Him and rely on Him while learning the language of the Spirit was an even more important lesson.

Sometimes we are asked to submit to ongoing ambiguity or to a grueling lesson we would prefer not to learn. Such moments provide us with the opportunity to realize one of the purposes of our mortal experience: to choose to trust Him to bless us with the experiences that we need rather than the experiences we might want."

Stay Tuned until next time.

Choose to Trust the Lord ~ Part One

   Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

In what ways do you trust the Lord in your life? Why do you choose to trust the Lord? 

This post focuses on June 2019 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional and it is called, "Choose to Trust the Lord" by Sister Michalyn Steele. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional.

Sister Steele has mentioned the following; " ... I believe that the Lord has preserved many essential truths by preserving the indigenous peoples and their cultures. Just as Joseph of old stored up grain against the time of famine to save the house of Israel, and just as the record of Lehi and his children was preserved against a time of spiritual famine, indigenous peoples and cultures hold truths to teach us in this age of political, moral, and ecological turbulence.

... College is a time of tremendous growth, both intellectually and spiritually. We develop critical thinking skills and take in so much information. ... In this age of abundant information and disinformation, how do we know where to turn as we refine our beliefs and mature our testimonies? And how do we respond as our faith passes through refining fires?

My message to you today is that, whatever your trials mortal or spiritual you can choose to trust in the Lord. While so much around you is inconstant and fleeting, He is faithful. He will never fail you. You may rely on His love as an unerring truth.

In the Midst of Fiery Trials

... The Lord is there to understand and to quiet our anguish. At many points I have seen the Lord’s hand moving miraculously to order and bless the circumstances of my life. He has prepared a path, opened doors, raised up friends, and multiplied joys in my life. I have seen how these blessings have been tailored specifically for me and fitted to my particular needs. Many blessings were set in motion long before my needs arose. 

... There have also been times when I have longed for the Lord’s intervention in specific ways, when I have petitioned and pleaded with the Lord for blessings that have not been realized. There have been questions that have gone unanswered and times when the heavens felt silent. In those moments the adversary has tried to whisper that no one has heard my prayers. 

I have prayed and fasted for many years that the promise of my patriarchal blessing and other priesthood ­blessings that I would find a true companion and be a mother might be fulfilled. Those blessings have not been realized for me on my preferred timeline, despite my most fervent petitioning. 

But it has not been because no one heard them. That was a lie from the adversary. My Father in Heaven has heard and answered every prayer, even when the answers have been difficult for me. ... The Lord has poured out abundant ­blessings meted out with the “good measure” of the Lord, “pressed down” and “running over” far beyond my merits. 

But my life has not looked like the life I would have sought for myself. In coping with the Lord’s counsel to wait or to do without, I have had to learn to choose to trust the Lord. I have had to choose to let these experiences refine and deepen my faith rather than yield to the temptation to despair in the Lord and abandon my hope and faith.

Everyone passes “through fiery trials.” I know that many of you, though you may be young, are like the Savior, acquainted with grief. Many of you may be weighed down with your own sorrows, challenges, or disappointments. Some of you may be wrestling through questions concerning your faith. 

I know that the Savior is intimately acquainted with your grief and sees your sorrows. He has promised one day to wipe away all tears. And He will. But, in the meantime, during those moments of fiery trial, how do we choose to trust in the Lord especially when we may, for a time, feel alone?

I hope that some of the lessons I am learning might be of some comfort to you now or in future times of need. ... In walking my path, I have been given the opportunity to choose to love and obey the Lord, even when I have felt sometimes forsaken. 

... I offer three principles that have helped me choose to trust the Lord in times of trial. I offer these principles humbly knowing that you walk a path tailored for you but also confidently, trusting in the constancy of the Lord.

Principle Number 1: The Seven Generations Principle

First, I offer one lesson from the Seneca ­tradition. It is an idea found in many ­indigenous cultures in some form. It is called the seven generations principle. The seven generations principle in the Seneca culture means that we are obliged to consider the consequences and outcomes of our choices on the next seven generations. 

It is a cultural value that entrenches the practice of taking the long view where possible and acting in the interest of the long term rather than the short term. The seven generations principle challenges us to pause and contemplate how our choices, when multiplied and ­amplified through future generations, might affect our ­relationships with the Creator, with one another, and with the earth.

This principle means that we strive to keep an eye on the things of eternity, even perhaps ­especially in the midst of blinding mortal pain. How do we maintain that long view and choose to trust the Lord when the pain of our physical or spiritual trial is so acute and present, when the suffering is sore and stubborn?

... I mean that we should seek to keep our spiritual gaze fixed on the great eternal sacrifice, the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. The adversary seeks to distract us by fixing our focus entirely on our temporal pain and by tempting us to dwell on perceived slights and injustices, obscuring the Lord’s love. 

This is one reason it is imperative that we partake of the sacrament each week, renewing our covenant to “always remember” the Savior. Just as He suffered, we will suffer as part of the mortal experience. In choosing to trust the Lord, we can consecrate our suffering to a greater understanding of His suffering and allow it to build in us a deeper capacity for compassion and mercy toward the suffering of others. 

.... As Alma taught his son Helaman, “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.” Putting our trust in God does not spare us from trials, troubles, or affliction. Instead, God has promised to support us while we are in those mortal difficulties. 

Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught of our trials, “Rather than simply passing through these things, they must pass through us and do so in ways which sanctify these experiences for our good.” By taking the long view, as the Seneca culture counsels, and choosing to trust the Lord and His eternal timeline, we can pass through our trials and let the trials pass through us as we deepen not abandon our faith and our kindness."

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Importance of Balance ~ 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 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional in June 1998, and it is called "The Importance of Balance" by Elder W Eugene Hansen. This post is part two and I would like to share some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Elder Hansen has mentioned the following; 

"Family

A very important part of achieving balance is having a good family life. We all have the responsibility to be dutiful children, and as we find our life’s companion, to be a good spouse and a good parent. We will never be released from these responsibilities. ...

It is so important to realize that children need both a dad and a mom. It’s pretty hard for one to do both. And we shouldn’t try to justify our absence or neglect by reasoning that we’re doing all this for a spouse or children. Often our time is the most precious and valuable gift we can give our children.

... I have one other important suggestion with respect to the family. I always tried to let the children feel their father’s testimony and know how important the gospel was in my life.

Prayer was an important part of our family life. We had a rule in our home that none of our children left the house in the morning without having family prayer. We defined family prayer as a kneel-down prayer with both of the parents depending on availability or with at least one if the other was gone. Sometimes it was necessary to have more than one family prayer in the morning, as we would not wake up the youngest children to have prayer when others were leaving for early morning meetings, classes, or seminary activity.

We also followed the custom of giving father’s blessings each year as school began and at such times during the year as there was need for comfort, direction, guidance, or healing, as the case might be.

You may also want to dedicate your home when you are fortunate enough to have one. I believe it was eight years before we were able to extricate ourselves from the rental game and purchase our first home. And remember, it’s not necessary to have it all paid for before you dedicate it.

Now, an important tip: ... We enjoyed traveling, and consequently we took some trips during the early years of our marriage. Not long ones. Usually less than a week. Often members of our extended family were able to help with the children.

Church

We have always accepted Church calls and assignments as they have come. It seemed we found a way to take care of those responsibilities and yet felt we were not neglecting our family or professional obligations. As you do the Lord’s work, you receive blessings in so many ways blessings that make up for the extra time and effort that go into fulfilling a Church calling with a “well done, thou good and faithful servant” result (Matthew 25:21).

And it goes without saying, we should keep the commandments, attend our meetings, pay our tithes and offerings, read the scriptures, show respect for parents and Church leaders, and always be conscious of the importance of example.

"With balance comes happiness and inner peace.
How unfortunate it is that some work a lifetime
on a goal like making money or attaining social status,
only to find that these things do not bring real happiness."

Work

One of the greatest challenges is balancing work and family responsibilities in order that neither go wanting. Of course the family must have sufficient money to take care of needs, but, beyond that, money has very little to do with happiness. ...

Remember the counsel in Jacob 2:18–19: But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

As we continue to lead busier lives, it seems we never have time to do all the things we would like to do or perhaps even need to do. My father gave me some helpful advice as a young man. It has application to both men and women: “Do the most important thing first.” That rule along with setting sound priorities is the best way I know of balancing work with the other aspects of living. ...

Maintaining Spirituality

Now a few words concerning spirituality. If we who have received the greater light the gospel gives are to be true to the faith and effective in our various fields of endeavor, we must be ever sensitive to our level of spirituality.

We should be constantly providing nourishment to our spiritual side. Scriptures, conference reports, counsel given by the Brethren, lesson manuals, and gospel texts provide excellent sources for “treasuring up” the word.

Fasting and prayer also provide nourishment for the soul.

In addition to seeking the positive, we should also avoid the negative. ... We don’t need to view R-rated movies to know that they are not good for us. Nor do we need to become familiar with the ways of the world in order to know that certain conduct or practices are demeaning and offensive to the Spirit.

If those who have been endowed in the temple live worthy of and have a current temple recommend in their possession, high levels of spirituality will be maintained. In summary then, if we are to achieve balance in our lives, we must have our priorities in order.

And my priorities go something like this:

Wife

Family

Church

Work

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that has been restored upon the earth in these, the latter days. I’m thankful that the Lord has provided us the pattern that will see us safely home to dwell with him. And if we will but follow the Lord’s prophets here on earth, there will be joy, happiness, and success in this life and the greatest of all the gifts of God the gift of eternal life.

... Real life is response to the best within us. To be alive only to appetite, pleasure, pride, money-making, and not to goodness and kindness, purity and love, poetry, music, flowers, stars, God and eternal hopes, is to deprive one’s self of the real joy of living. [CR, October 1963, p. 7]

May you develop qualities of courage, faith, and self-control. Use your background and experience in analyzing the choices that are constantly before you. Draw on the Holy Ghost that you are privileged to have and your decisions will be much wiser.

Don’t let habits and excuses interfere with proper choices. Those who rely on excuses at best have only the excuse and not the blessing.

Hear Elder Richard L. Evans on this subject: No matter how good an excuse may be, no reason for failure or defection is ever so satisfying to ourselves or to anyone else as is actually doing what we should do, or delivering on the date that something is due. Excuses are at best a second-choice substitute.

It is a surpassing quality in life to follow through, to keep commitments, to keep the commandments, and no matter how ingenious our excuses are, they don’t cancel commitments, or justify our failures, or relieve us from answering before the highest bar, unless they are founded on real, valid reasons—and not merely on our comfort or convenience. [Richard L. Evans, From the Crossroads [New York: Harper, 1955], p. 20]

... President Spencer W. Kimball provides us with an appropriate reminder: The Lord’s program is unchangeable. His laws are immutable. They will not be modified. Your opinion or mine does not alter the laws. Many in the world, and even some in the Church, seem to think that eventually the Lord will be merciful and give them the unearned blessing. But the Lord cannot be merciful at the expense of justice. [The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), p. 249]

... May we be wise enough and valiant enough to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ; may we cleanse the inner vessel; may we come unto Christ and be perfected in him and deny ourselves of all ungodliness. And may we strive to achieve the balance that will bring everlasting peace and happiness into our lives. ..."

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/w-eugene-hansen/importance-balance

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Importance of Balance ~ Part One

 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 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional in June 1998, and it is called "The Importance of Balance" by Elder W Eugene Hansen. This post is part one and I would like to share some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. 

Elder Hansen has mentioned the following; 

"... There is a sense of enthusiasm and industry, a sense of respect and determination, a sense of confidence and spirituality all of which inspires confidence by the visitors, in you the student body, the faculty, and the Church. That should be reassurance to you of how the world needs a generation of young people who know why they are here and where they are going and the direction they need to take to get there.

... It has been my experience that balance is sometimes very elusive as we struggle to meet the pressures and challenges that are ever present. So I hope I can share some thoughts that will be useful in the challenging experience we call life. I think of the definition someone coined: “Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” 

... I commend you for having exhibited the mental and physical discipline that brings you to this point in your life. ... As you continue to make the right choices, you will have tremendous opportunities for continued growth and development.

It is so sad to see poor choices being made at critical times, choices that have very seriously limited the options a person has for future opportunity. No doubt you will continue to see the “poor-choices” factor operating all the days of your life. 

Consider it ongoing evidence for you to make good choices and to be consciously striving to improve yourself each day. I recall a motivational speaker during my teenage years making the statement, “I know of no one to be pitied more than one whose future is in the past.” 

What a sobering thought bad choices seriously compromising opportunities of the future. So if you are tempted to take that dare or to get involved in activities that may appear exciting, give it careful thought. ... Is the potential thrill worth the risks and the baggage that accompany questionable conduct? You have come so far. 

Don’t let bad choices put a ceiling on your upward mobility and, even more important, bring heartache and sorrow and loss of self-respect into your life. I continue to be amazed at the frivolous way in which choices are made by some, both young and old alike decisions that have eternal and everlasting consequences.

... I refer to conduct that leads to loss of virtue or harm or injury to self or other people. ... What a price to pay for such a moment of abandonment, a moment of thoughtlessness. Of course, not every case of addiction or promiscuity or a wasted lifestyle results from just one experiment or just one drink or just one immoral encounter, but unfortunately we are not able to determine just how strong we will be in a given situation or what effect harmful substances will have on us.

I am reminded of a wise father’s counsel: “If you never take the first one, you’ll never need to worry about the second one.” We should all keep in mind that there is no neutral ground between where the Lord’s boundary ends and the adversary’s begins. The safe rule to remember is to stay on the Lord’s side of the line.

Well, you might keep that in mind as a motivator while you are striving for excellence in whatever pursuit you follow.

Personal

With balance comes happiness and inner peace. How unfortunate it is that some work a lifetime on a goal like making money or attaining social status, only to find that these things do not bring real happiness.

Too often we conjure up thoughts in our minds of things we imagine will make us happy. To some extent we may even become jealous or covetous: If only we could afford the nicer clothes that others have or a better house or new furniture or perhaps a different car. If we had just been blessed with a beautiful singing voice or smaller feet or a more perfect profile or athletic prowess, then we could be happy.

... I had other talents and many other opportunities. But for a period of time I almost lost my effectiveness and made myself miserable worrying about something that really was not indispensable to my progression and happiness.

Sometimes we let reverses or unpleasant experiences undermine our confidence and create more turbulence in our lives than they should. Here I don’t mean to imply that all you need to do is keep a smile on your face and everything will be all right. 

Many have had those experiences in life when it hurts so badly inside that, for a short time at least, it may seem hard to go on. If you ever commence feeling that way, you might try quietly humming the hymn “Count Your Blessings” and reviewing the words in your mind. 

.. Think of the problems and difficulties of others who have been required to bear so much. You might also think in terms of “What could I do to be of greater service to others?” I believe it was the legendary jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes who said, “I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving” (The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table [1858], ch. 4). 

... At any given time in a person’s life we may have feelings of inadequacy or ineptness or lack of confidence or ability. But that will fade as you conscientiously stretch and put forth the effort to become a better student or better at whatever you’re doing, or being a more loving husband, wife, and parent. As we hold fast to correct principles, we will continue to move in the right direction.

I hope I go to my grave never having “peaked out,” but rather striving to improve, to do better, to be better, to enhance my ability to serve, and to learn something worthwhile each day.

... I still remember one occasion, as we were leaving, asking if President Romney had any counsel for us as his stake presidency. President Romney paused and then gave us a sermon in a sentence: “Live a little better each day.”

It has always been my belief that a keen sense of personal accountability is necessary to keep a person in balance. Our moral compass needs to be operating efficiently and accurately. Often I sense an individual is tempted to make bad choices through the urging of the adversary. 

He quietly suggests, “No one will ever know.” But we should constantly keep in mind that our Heavenly Father always knows. And he is saddened when we do not live up to what we are capable of. We all know how important prayer is in maintaining balance. 

If you have trouble remembering, here’s a suggestion. Years ago I read about Brigham Young following the practice of never taking any food or drink in the morning before he had his personal prayer. I have followed that practice for more than 20 years now in fact, ever since I was called as a bishop. I commend that practice to you, and I guarantee you won’t forget your prayers.

... Read your patriarchal blessing from time to time. I received mine when I was just about 12 years of age, and it has been a source of inspired direction my entire life. In fact, one of the reasons I stayed active in the army reserve for 30 years was largely because of counsel given in my patriarchal blessing.

Recognize the difference between pleasure and happiness, and then pattern your lives in such a way that you will seek happiness as opposed to mere pleasure. If adversity strikes, don’t succumb to the temptation to counsel the Lord. Pray for strength to get you through. 

President Harold B. Lee used to say: “Never put a question mark where the Lord has put a period.” Wise counsel is also helpful. ... Work at developing self-control. ..." 

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Some Suggestions of What to Pray About

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post is very similar to the previous post. I hope this post will give you a few new suggestions or some suggestions of what to pray about and I would like to encourage you to think about and answer the following list of some questions that I thought about recently.

Have you ever thought of praying about what you are going to do this day or this evening?

Have you ever thought of praying about what you are going to do this week or this month? 

Have you ever thought of praying about your current plans or near future plans or future plans? Have you ever thought of praying about ways of how you can become a better person this present time than you were in the past? 

Have you ever thought of praying about ways of how you can overcome your current struggles? Have you ever thought of praying about ways of how you can overcome your current trials and current challenges? 

Have you ever thought of praying about ways of how you can overcome your current difficulties? Have you ever thought of praying about ways of how you can come your current hardships and current bad habits? 

Have you ever thought of praying about your choices in relation to making a right choice that you have made? Have you ever thought of praying about purchasing a home or renting a new house? 

Have you ever thought of praying about getting employment (whether it is part-time position or full-time position)? Have you ever thought of praying about your short-term goals and your long-term goals?

Have you ever thought of praying about your immediate family members and extended relatives? Have you ever thought of praying about your friends (church members and non-members)?

Have you ever thought of praying about your current relationship if you are currently in a steady relationship? 

Have you ever thought of praying about your current engagement if you are currently engaged to your partner? 

Have you ever thought of praying about your current marriage if you are currently married with your spouse? 

Have you ever thought of praying about ways how you can resolve any of your concerns that you have at this present time? 

Have you ever thought of praying about your current feelings that you currently have at this present time? 

Have you ever thought of praying about everything? Have you ever thought of praying about many things?
"Did you pray about your current marriage if you are currently married with your spouse?"
"Did you pray about your current concerns that you have at this present time?"
"Did you pray about your current feelings that you have at this present time?"

"The only way to worry about nothing is
to pray about everything."

I know that I always do my best to include in my prayers to mention a lot of things. I pray about my family, I pray about my relatives, I pray about my friends, I pray about my marriage, I pray about my choices, I pray about my concerns, I pray about my short-term goals, I pray about my long-term goals, and I pray about other things too.

Stay Tuned until next time.

Some Suggestions of What to Pray For

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

I hope this post will give you a few new ideas or some ideas what to pray for. I would like to encourage you to think about and answer the following list of some questions that I thought about recently.

"What did you pray for today?" "What did you pray for this evening?"
"Did you pray for someone's health whenever he or she is sick/unwell?"
"Did you pray for your health whenever you are sick/unwell?"

"Did you pray for direction as where you are heading in life at this present time?"
"Did you pray for having the spirit to be with you as you do scripture studies?"

"Did you pray for to have missionary opportunities?" "Did you pray for forgiveness?" "Did you pray for help?"
"Did you pray for safety and protection while you are driving/travelling?" "Did you pray for comfort?"

The list goes on and on. How well did you think you went with answering a few questions from the list?
Did it go well? Did any of the questions made you think more than one minute before answering?

How well did you think you went with answering some of the questiions from the list?
How well did you think you went with answering all of the questions from the list?

"Pray, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will
be comforted. Matthew 5:4."

I would like to share with you some of the things what I pray for. In my prayers, I always pray for the spirit to be with me as I read the scriptures, I always pray for comfort, I always pray for forgiveness, I always pray for safety and protection while I am driving/travelling, I always pray for my family, I always pray for my relatives, I always pray my friends wherever they are in the world now and I always pray for a few other basic things such as pray for direction.

In my prayers, I always strive my best to ask questions, pray for my health and someone's health and many more.

Stay Tuned until next time.

Be a Missionary All Your Life ~ 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 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional in March 2007, and it is called "Be a Missionary All Your Life" by Elder Quentin L. Cook. This post is part two, and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional.

Elder Cook has mentioned the following; "Third: Do not be discouraged because missionary work is hard.

... Missionaries experience this kind of rejection every day. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, in speaking about how hard missionary work is and has been, said:

I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?

Fourth: Be a good example and take every opportunity to share the gospel.

Paul counseled Timothy, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” It is not enough to preach the gospel. One must also live the gospel. Very often people are receptive to being taught because they have had a positive experience with a Church member.

... The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve are the missionary committee of the Church and oversee all aspects of missionary work. President Hinckley became president of the Church 12 years ago yesterday March 12, 1995. Under his prophetic guidance a great deal has been accomplished. Let me give you some numbers describing what has happened during those 12 years:

• Approximately 387,750 missionaries have entered the mission field, which represents almost 40 percent of the missionaries who have ever served in this dispensation.

• About 3,400,000 converts have been baptized, which is the equivalent of more than one-fourth of the total current membership of the Church.

• The total number of missions in the Church has increased from 303 to 347.

• The number of converts increased by almost 30,000 in 2006.

• Retention as measured by sacrament meeting attendance, priesthood ordinations, and tithing faithfulness has increased significantly.

"Missionary work is not just one of the 88 keys on a piano
that is occasionally played; it is a major chord in a compelling melody
that needs to be played continuously throughout our lives if we are to
remain in harmony with our commitment to Christianity and the
gospel of Jesus Christ."

I am very enthusiastic about where we are at this time in missionary work. But, as President Hinckley always counsels the Brethren, “We can still do better.” Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service was first introduced in October 2004. 

.. He called for the missionaries to learn the doctrine and teach the principles by the Spirit in their own words and avoid rote recitations of the discussions. ... I was deeply touched when President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of Twelve, speaking of Preach My Gospel, said, “It was designed beyond the veil and put together here.” Over 1.4 million copies of Preach My Gospel have been acquired by members of the Church. 

I hope you will all become familiar with this great missionary guide. It will help strengthen you to live worthily to receive sacred temple ordinances. For you young men, it will help prepare you for mission service. For you sisters, it will help you apply doctrine in a future role as a wife or mother, and, if you choose to serve a full-time mission, you will be prepared to preach the gospel.

There are great blessings, including eternal joy, in helping to bring souls unto Christ. Among the blessings of being a full-time missionary are the lifelong relationships you develop with missionary companions. ... Other blessings of serving a mission are having the opportunity of being nurtured under the guidance of a mission president who has been called by inspiration; developing gospel knowledge and study habits that will serve you well throughout your life; and achieving the enormous strength that comes from doing something that is very challenging. 

Having increased faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the restoration of His gospel is a most significant blessing. But the most important reason for going on a mission and being committed to missionary work throughout your life is because it is doctrinally what the Savior has asked us to do.

The last chapters of Matthew, Mark, and Luke; the last two chapters of John; and the first eight verses of Acts contain the only New Testament accounts of the risen Christ. Suppose for a minute that you had been a disciple of the Savior during His life here on earth. Suppose you had believed His teachings. Can you imagine how wonderful it would have been to actually behold the risen Lord? ...

There may have been other things the risen Lord taught that were not recorded, but the overwhelming message in each of the accounts was to preach His gospel. The next-to-last verse in Matthew is a good example: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

We could go to almost any part of the Book of Mormon for the same message. Think of Alma and his lifelong commitment to bring souls unto repentance even when he was the head of state. What about missionary work in this dispensation?

... Every missionary is called to serve by the prophet and assigned to a field of labor by one of the Twelve Apostles. As I see missionaries all over the world including here in North America teaching investigators in so many languages, it is inspiring to reflect on D&C 90:11: For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power.

Missionary work is not just one of the 88 keys on a piano that is occasionally played; it is a major chord in a compelling melody that needs to be played continuously throughout our lives if we are to remain in harmony with our commitment to Christianity and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

My specific challenge to each of you is to make a commitment to be a missionary for the rest of your life. ... If you look at your group of friends back home, there are many who would respond to the gospel if you would have the faith to share the message of the Restoration with them. 

What we desperately need is for member-missionary work to become a way of life for the Savior’s mandate to share the gospel to become part of who we are. I pray that this generation of leaders here at BYU, along with your colleagues across the world, will follow the Savior’s counsel and the prophetic counsel of all of the prophets of this dispensation to preach the gospel throughout your lives. ..."

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/quentin-l-cook/missionary-life

Stay Tuned until next time.

Be a Missionary All Your Life ~ Part One

 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 Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional in March 2007, and it is called "Be a Missionary All Your Life" by Elder Quentin L. Cook. This post is part one, and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional.

Elder Cook has mentioned the following; 

"... Many of you are recently returned from full-time missions. Many of you will soon be full-time missionaries. I hope all of you are committed to being lifelong missionaries. Some feel this is a difficult time to do missionary work. ... As I tour missions, many missionaries memorize the Standard of Truth. It conveys in a concise way what must be accomplished. 

As I recite it, I invite those of you who know it to say it with me: No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

Who is going to help achieve this? You and your generation! I believe with all of my heart that we are on the threshold of the most significant missionary success to date. ... The gospel truly changes people’s lives.

... Listen carefully to the requirements for baptism as set forth in D&C 20:37:

All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.

These two accounts emphasize the great joy that comes into the lives of new converts. People all over the world are seeking permanent happiness. ... Happiness has little to do with material wealth. Nor does permanent happiness come from entertainment or fun and games. Instead of being diversions from an otherwise productive life, these pursuits have become all-consuming to many people.

Contrast this with those who prepare for baptism with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. ... We all face problems and challenges. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, but those who accept the gospel and live righteously have a wonderful promise in D&C 59:23: “But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.”

Peace in this life does not come from merely pursuing worldly objectives. Eternal life, especially exaltation, does not come from pursuing merely worldly objectives. Our challenge is to share the joyous, eternally significant gospel with our brothers and sisters so they can find peace and happiness and exaltation.

With this in mind, how can we be effective missionaries?

First: Be a missionary all your life.

President David O. McKay taught that every member is a missionary, and it is as true today as when it was first declared.

President Gordon B. Hinckley has said it this way: “Great is our work, tremendous is our responsibility in helping to find those to teach. The Lord has laid upon us a mandate to teach the gospel to every creature.” ...

Second: Overcome feelings of hesitancy or inadequacy.

The account of the first missionary to serve outside of North America in this dispensation is inspiring.

... Almost everyone who attempts missionary work feels inadequate in some way. The idea of such a mission was almost more than Heber could bear, but his faith and obedience prevailed. He stated:

However, all these considerations did not deter me from the path of duty; the moment I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed; . . . I felt that the cause of truth, the Gospel of Christ, outweighed every other consideration. 

Just think of the challenge of being a missionary and opening a new country without members, church buildings, a mission home, or any funds. Despite these feelings of inadequacy, Elder Kimball worked hard and was very humble. He and his companions were very successful."

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Adjustment Suggestions into Reality After Missionary Service

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post is focuses on for all returned missionaries who serves from full time missions, church service missions and for those missionaries who has came home and finished their missions early. 

I have been considered that I am a returned missionary from serving as a Temple Ordinance Worker in Brisbane LDS Temple from December 2018 to July 2019 by my current stake president. Although I did not serve a full time mission and I did not serve a church service mission. 

I know that you probably thinking why would you do a post that focuses on adjustment suggestions into reality after missionary service whe. you have not served a mission yourself. Well if you were thinking about that question, the answer is I would like to help any kind of returned missionaries either from serving a full time mission or from serving a church service mission as know as serving from home, to know what some suggestions that I have for them that would help them to adjust into reality after their missions. 

If you have ever learned and developed new skills and habits during your mission, I would like to encourage you to continue applying those skills and habits into your lives. A new skill can be learning the mission language successfully. A new habit can be doing scripture study daily and personal prayers daily. 

From doing scripture study daily and personal prayers daily, it can help invite the spirit into your life and feel guidance by Heavenly Father of what he would like you to achieve each day. 

If you have served into a location where your mission was in a different time zone than your local time zone, I would encourage you to keep yourself busy, productive, and do your best to adjust to your local time zone first to not think about too much about your mission time zone. Although if you have gotten jetlag, let yourself to get into the routine and not think about too much about your mission time zone.

I know that missions can be tough about finding opportunities to get to go to the Temple. Therefore, I would like to invite you to attend Temple sessions as often as you can. It should be a good feeling to going to the Temple after so long of not going to the Temple. 

Institute classes are always a great way to create and meet new friendships. Institute classes are also great way to encourage yourself to participate in class discussions by sharing your experiences from your mission, and from you sharing your experiences from your mission can always inspire and helpful to someone who has not yet served a mission to make a decision and want to go on a mission one day. 

I know how busy life gets after coming home from serving a mission when life gets in the way from studying a career, or working a full time job or getting married and having your own family, but it is always wonderful idea to stay in touch with people that you choose to keep in contact with after your mission. It would be a wonderful idea to stay in touch with the investigators that you have met in all of your areas, the converts that you and your companions have converted, the church members that you became great friends with, the friendships that you have made during your mission, and the companions that you had during your missions. 

"Welcome Done thou good and faithful servant."

When that time comes that you are ready to apply for employment again, there are always an option to find out if you can go back working at the same job that you were working prior to your mission, and you can always pray to have the spirit to be guiding with you of to where to apply for a job.  

You can always find effective ways of serving others. You can always serve others by fulfilling your callings that you have been called after your mission, you can always do your ministering to your brothers or to your sisters that you were given by the list who to minister to. You can always help to provide rides to elderly church members in your ward to go to church with you. 

Young Single Adult activities and events are always great to making new friendships. Please try to do your best to not being shy and get out of your comfort zone. Young Single Adult activities and events are also great way to catch up with friends that you haven't seen since before you have left for your mission. 

If you're ready for marriage within the first several years of being home from your mission, you can always seek around to go on dates and get to know bunch of people. I know it would be a good idea to praying and fasting to Heavenly Father to ask him if that is the person you're supposed to marry and if that person would be your eternal companion. 

I know that there are some past General Conference talks that mentions about post missions and I think it will help you of some ideas what to do after your mission other than these suggestions that I have mentioned above.

Stay Tuned until next time.

Preparing Yourselves for Missionary Service

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

Are you preparing to serve as a missionary for full-time mission? Are you preparing to serve as a missionary for young church service mission? Do you see yourself serving a mission one day?

This post focuses on a April 1985 General Conference and the talk is called, "Prepare Yourselves for Missionary Service" by Elder Ezra Taft Benson. I would like to share with you the part that I liked what he mentioned and I hope you will learn something new. 

"FUTURE MISSIONARY 
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS"

Elder Benson has mentioned the following; 

"Let me suggest four ways that you young women can prepare now for your missions"

First, prepare yourselves physically. 

A eighteen mission today requires good physical health. It requires that you keep your body clean. In your early teenage years, when temptations come to you to take things into your body which are unsuitable, have the courage to resist. Live the Word of Wisdom - no smoking, no drinking of any alcoholic beverages, and no drugs. Keep your body pure.

Stay morally clean.
This means that you keep a clean mind. Your thoughts will determine your actions, and so they must be controlled. It’s difficult to control those thoughts if you submit yourself to temptation. So you will have to carefully select your reading material, the movies you see, and the other forms of entertainment in order to have good thoughts rather than unwholesome desires.

Second, prepare yourselves mentally. 
A mission requires a great deal of mental preparation. You must memorize missionary discussions, memorise scriptures, and ofttimes learn a new language. The discipline to do this is learned in your early years.

Establish now the daily practice of reading the scriptures ten to fifteen minutes each day. If you do so, by the time you reach the mission field, you will have read all four of the standard works. I urge you to read particularly the Book of Mormon so that you can testify of its truthfulness as the Lord has directed.

Third, prepare yourselves socially. 
A mission requires that you get along with others. You must get along with your companion, who is with you twenty-four hours a day. You must learn to meet people and be gracious and practice good manners. One of the greatest assets that a person has in life is the ability to make friends. When you make a friend of a person, you can teach him the gospel.

Fourth, prepare yourselves spiritually.
A spiritual person obeys all the Lord’s commandments. He prays to our Heavenly Father, and he gives service to others.

Yes, young women, prepare now. Prepare yourselves physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Always be obedient to authority. Start a savings account for your mission if you haven’t done so already. Pay your tithing, and seek a testimony of the gospel through study and prayer."

If you are preparing for your mission, I definitely would recommend you to read the whole talk either now or in your own time. The link is below.

www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/04/preparing-yourselves-for-missionary-service

Stay Tuned until next time.

It's Okay to Make Mistakes

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we feel so much regret, feeling hurt, and wishing that we have not made those mistakes. I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may think that Heavenly Father and Jesus doesn't love us anymore or for a period of them. 

I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may think that Heavenly Father and Jesus expects us to be perfect. I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may be thinking that it's not okay to make mistakes. 

I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may forget that everyone including people around us makes mistakes too. I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may choose not to love people because of something that they have done. 

I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may make ourselves to feel bad people from the actions that we have done that has hurt someone. I know that most times whenever we have made mistakes in the past, we may make ourselves to feel bad people from the words that we have said that has hurt someone. 

Keep in mind that I do know that our unrighteous decisions, our unrighteous actions, and our unrighteous words can hurt someone. I do know at times that people can have some expectations including high expectations for us to fulfil to make them happy and satisfied. 

We should be more focused towards our own expectations and fulfill them as best as we can whether it takes days or weeks or months or years to achieve them.

"You are more than the mistakes you've
made." - Al Carraway.

Always remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus loves you no matter what, they don't expect us to be perfect.

Always remember that it's okay to make mistakes. 

Always remember that everyone make mistakes. 

Always remember that we can love people even if we don't love what they do. Always remember that making a mistake doesn't make you a bad person.

Instead of focusing on what you did wrong, focus on what you learned and can do better. Repenting and trying again helps us grow.

Stay Tuned until next time.

Overcoming Mistakes

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

How to overcome our mistakes? If you were to ask me that question, I would have answered seeking forgiveness through prayer, encouraging myself to make better choices and do my very best to not do the same mistake again. 

This post is focuses on a Liahona article from July 1981 and it is called, "Overcoming Our Mistakes by Lowell L. Bennion."

"It is not possible to make real change all by ourselves." - Julie B. Beck.

It is so true and we always need to ask Heavenly Father for assistance, guidance, help and support to make real change happen. We also always need to act upon the real change and continue make a habit of changing. I would like to share with you some highlights that I loved during reading the article. 

"... The second suggestion I have is that we ought to realize that no matter what we’ve done in life, no matter what we do, God and Christ still love us just as much as they did before we failed. God and Christ do not separate themselves from the sinner, from the wrongdoer.

I remember a missionary who had just recently returned from the mission field who came into the Institute of Religion when I was there. He had committed a grave mistake that caused him to think that his life was ruined forever. And I said to him, “God loves you just as much today as he did last Thursday,” and he couldn’t believe it.

The thought had never occurred to him. He wept like a child. You know, sometimes we think that God loves us to the extent that we please him, to the extent that we’re good boys and girls, good men and women. Love from God is not earned. It is not merited; if it is, it is justice and reciprocity and reward. 

Love comes from a loving heart, and God’s love is unconditional. And he loves the worst of us and the best of us equally, I believe. We cause him to suffer when we do wrong, when he sees us live our lives in ways that destroy us, and when he sees us hurting other people this must cause him pain.

Therefore, the reason we have to repent is to be able to forgive ourselves and to be able to get in harmony again with the principles and laws of good living. We don’t have to repent to earn God’s love, even though some scriptures portray him as being very angry with the sinner. Others portray him as angry with sin, not with the sinner.

Another way to overcome the past is to make amends. We know when we’ve done wrong, but sometimes we’re afraid to go to those whom we’ve wronged. We are too proud to admit our failures. But when we have the courage to do it, we find that a great reconciliation takes place.

It’s the offended person’s responsibility to react to our efforts to be reconciled. And when we can’t compensate a person for a wrong, when it’s too late or impossible, then we can bless other people. We all belong together in this world. We’re brothers and sisters with the same Eternal Father; we belong to the same human community. There are others we can bless, though we can’t repair the damage we may have done to some of his children."

In your own time, you can read the whole article. Here's the link below, and I hope you will enjoy reading it. www.lds.org/liahona/1981/07/overcoming-our-mistakes

Always try to find time and talk to whoever is making the mistake. Tell them how you feel, be honest and don't be afraid to share with him or her or them this article. It takes a lot of progress of repenting if the mistake doesn't get dealt straight away.

Stay Tuned until next time.

Return and Receive ~ Part Two

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2017 General Conference talk and it is called, "Return and Receive" by Elder M. Russell Ballard. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights that stood out to me as I was reading the talk and I hope you will learn something new. 

Elder Ballard mentioned, 

"I have found that to stay focused on returning and receiving the promised blessings, I need to regularly take time to ask myself, “How am I doing?” .. It’s kind of like having a personal, private interview with yourself. And if that sounds unusual, think about it: who in this world knows you better than you know yourself? 

You know your thoughts, your private actions, your desires, and your dreams, goals, and plans. And you know better than anyone how you are progressing along the road to returning and receiving.

As a guide for me during this private, personal review, I like to read and ponder the introspective words found in the fifth chapter of Alma, wherein Alma asks: “Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” Alma’s questions are a reminder of what our goals and plans ought to include in order to return and receive.

.. During the coming weeks, find time to review your life’s goals and your plans, and make sure they align with our Heavenly Father’s great plan for our happiness. If you need to repent and change, then consider doing so now. Take the time to prayerfully think about what adjustments are needed to help you keep your “eye single to the glory of God.”

We must keep the doctrine and gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of our goals and plans. Without Him, no eternal goal is possible, and our plans to achieve our eternal goals will surely fail.

.. Prayerfully reading “The Living Christ” is like reading the testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the prophets of the Book of Mormon. It will increase your faith in the Savior and help you stay focused on Him as you follow your plans to reach your eternal goals.

Despite our mistakes, shortcomings, detours, and sins, Jesus Christ’s Atonement allows us to repent, prepared to return and receive the matchless blessings God has promised to live forever with the Father and the Son in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom.

Now as you all know, no one will escape death; therefore, our long-term goal and plan should be that when we return to our Heavenly Father, we will receive all that He has planned for each one of us.

I testify there is no greater goal in mortality than to live eternally with our Heavenly Parents and our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is more than just our goal it is also Their goal. They have a perfect love for us, more powerful than we can even begin to comprehend. 

They are totally, completely, eternally aligned with us. We are Their work. Our glory is Their glory. More than anything else, They want us to come home to return and receive eternal happiness in Their presence.

.. Let us look deeply into our own lives, setting our own goals and focusing our plans to align with God’s in a way that will ultimately lead us toward our precious privilege to return and receive ..."

I would like to encourage you to read the whole talk either now or in your own time. Here's the link. www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/return-and-receive 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Return and Receive ~ Part One

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

"What is your definition of return?" and "What is your definition of receive?" 

This post focuses on a April 2017 General Conference talk and it is called, "Return and Receive" by Elder M. Russell Ballard. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights that stood out to me as I was reading the talk and I hope you will learn something new. 

Elder Ballard mentioned, "My brothers and sisters, it is now my assignment to speak to you, and your assignment is to listen. My goal is to finish my assignment before you finish yours. I will do my best.

Over the years, I have observed that those who accomplish the most in this world are those with a vision for their lives, with goals to keep them focused on their vision and tactical plans for how to achieve them. Knowing where you are going and how you expect to get there can bring meaning, purpose, and accomplishment to life.

Some have difficulty differentiating between a goal and a plan until they learn that a goal is a destination or an end, while a plan is the route by which you get there. ... Goal setting is essentially beginning with the end in mind. And planning is devising a way to get to that end. 

A key to happiness lies in understanding what destinations truly matter and then spending our time, effort, and attention on the things that constitute a sure way to arrive there. ... Wise goal setting includes the understanding that short-term goals are only effective if they lead to clearly understood longer-term goals. 

I believe that one important key to happiness is to learn how to set our own goals and establish our own plans within the framework of our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. If we focus on this eternal path, we will inevitably qualify to return to His presence.

It is good to have goals and plans for our careers, for our education, even for our golf game. It is also important to have goals for our marriages, our families, and our Church councils and callings; this is especially true for missionaries. But our greatest and most overriding goals should fit into Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

.. The words are return and receive.

Return and Receive.

To return to His presence and to receive the eternal blessings that come from making and keeping covenants are the most important goals we can set. 

.. Because of his premortal choices, Satan can neither return nor receive. The only thing left for him is to oppose the Father’s plan by using every possible enticement and temptation to bring us down and make us miserable like unto himself. Satan’s plan to accomplish his diabolical goal applies to every individual, generation, culture, and society. He uses loud voices—voices that seek to drown out the small and still voice of the Holy Spirit that can show us “all things” we should do to return and receive." 

Stay Tuned until next time.