Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on a April 1998 General Conference talk, and it is called "Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure" by Elder Robert D. Hales. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk, and I hope that you would be able to learn something new as you read through this post. 

Elder Hales mentioned; "Dwelling in the world is part of our mortal test. The challenge is to live in the world yet not partake of the world’s temptations which will lead us away from our spiritual goals. ... Our surrender could cause the loss of souls who respect us in this generation. Our capitulation to temptation could affect children and families for generations to come.

The Church is not built in one generation. The sound growth of the Church takes hold over three and four generations of faithful Saints. Passing the fortitude of faith to endure to the end from one generation to the next generation is a divine gift of unmeasured blessings to our progeny. Also, we cannot endure to the end alone. It is important that we help by lifting and strengthening one another. We are taught in the scriptures that there must be opposition in all things (see 2 Nephi. 2:11).

It is not a question of if we are ready for the tests; it is a matter of when. We must prepare to be ready for tests that will present themselves without warning. The basic requirements for enduring to the end include knowing who we are, children of God with a desire to return to His presence after mortality; understanding the purpose of life, to endure to the end and obtain eternal life; and living obediently with a desire and a determination to endure all things, having eternal vision. Eternal vision allows us to overcome opposition in our temporal state and, ultimately, achieve the promised rewards and blessings of eternal life.

If we are patient in our afflictions, endure them well, and wait upon the Lord to learn the lessons of mortality, the Lord will be with us to strengthen us unto the end of our days: “He that shall [faithfully] endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mark 13:13) and return with honor to our Heavenly Father. We learn to endure to the end by learning to finish our current responsibilities, and we simply continue doing it all of our lives. We cannot expect to learn endurance in our later years if we have developed the habit of quitting when things get difficult now. Enduring to the end applies to all God’s commandments. 

The Lord has called young men to be missionaries. Missionaries are not sent just to have friends and families bid them good-bye. They are called to serve an honorable mission and return home with honor. ... They develop patience in overcoming trials and tribulations which surely will come. They are humble enough to learn new skills and have a determination to endure to the end. No matter what a missionary sacrifices to go on a mission, he must be obedient on his mission to receive the blessings that are rightfully his. Some may say, “How can I be a missionary and endure to the end?

"Endure and you shall triumph." - Thomas S. Monson.

... The Lord doesn’t promise to remove our handicaps when we become missionaries; but by making the extra effort it will take, we develop more ability to cope with individual shortcomings, and that coping ability will be needed throughout our lives in our relationship with others, in our employment, and in our families. 

Everyone has something they must learn to master. Some are just more obvious than others. When we serve as missionaries and the focus is off ourselves and on doing the Lord’s work and helping others, an opportunity for great growth and maturity occurs. When a young elder leaves the comfort of family and friends and masters the skills of functioning in the real world, he becomes a man and develops more faith in the Lord to guide him. 

A missionary faces many challenges that he has not dealt with previously. Giving the best he knows when he arrives will not fulfill the calling. Enduring requires doing better than your best of today by developing additional gifts as granted from the Lord. It takes faith to listen to the Lord and to mission leaders and learn how to accomplish whatever missionaries are called to do. Of course, it is difficult. ... We must recognize who we are and achieve our ultimate purpose.

We must then resolve to overcome all obstacles with great determination to endure to the end. When we take an assignment, we have to think, “I will learn how to accomplish this task by all honorable means, by doing it the
Lord’s way. I will study, ask questions, search, and pray. I have the potential to keep learning. I am not finished until the assignment is completed.” This is enduring to the end: seeing things through to completion. There is more to endurance than just surviving and waiting for the end to overtake us. To endure to the end takes great faith. ... It takes great faith and courage to pray to our Heavenly Father, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt.” 

The faith to believe in the Lord and endure brings great strength. Some may say if we have enough faith, we can sometimes change the circumstances that are causing our trials and tribulations. Is our faith to change circumstances, or is it to endure them? Faithful prayers may be offered to change or moderate events in
our life, but we must always remember that when concluding each prayer ...

As we put our faith in the Lord and keep our focus on the eternities, we will be blessed to be able to accept whatever trial we are given, for life on earth, as we know it, is only temporary, and, if we endure it well, the Lord has promised us: “And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).

As individuals, we do not know when the end of mortality will come. We need to develop the ability to endure and complete our responsibilities of today, however difficult the days ahead may be. ... “Behold, we count them happy which endure” (James 5:11). There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost. ..."

If you would like to read the whole talk now or in your own time, here's the link below.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/04/behold-we-count-them-happy-which-endure

Stay Tuned until next time.

Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

There is no right and wrong answers for the following questions. You may would like to ask yourself and answer those following questions either now or sometime after you finish reading this post.

- What were some of the ways that has helped you to get through while you were enduring your past afflictions?
- Were you able to show happiness while you were enduring your past afflictions?

I know that praying, reading the scriptures, does my best into fulfilling my church callings, keeping myself occupied of other things, and so forth has helped me to get through enduring from my past affiliations. I know that it must have been difficult at times to express happiness while enduring past afflictions.

This post focuses on a April 1998 General Conference talk, and it is called "Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure" by Elder Robert D. Hales. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk, and I hope that you would be able to learn something new as you read through this post. 

Elder Hales mentioned; "We are told in the scriptures that it is essential to endure to the end:

“Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. ...” (1 Nephi. 22:31). “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them ...” (D&C 24:8). “Behold, we count them happy which endure” (James 5:11).

Examples of faithfully enduring to the end are taught by prophets of all ages as they demonstrate courage while enduring trials and tribulations to carry forth the will of God. ... The Savior of the world was left alone by His Father to experience, of His own free will and choice, an act of agency which allowed Him to complete His mission of the Atonement. ... He knew His purpose to carry out the will of the Father through the Atonement.  His vision was eternal “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). 

The Lord could have called on legions of angels to take Him down from the cross, but He faithfully endured to the end and completed the very purpose for which He had been sent to earth, thus granting eternal blessings to all who will ever experience mortality. ...

"By endurance, we conquer." - Ernest Shackleton.

In our dispensation, the Prophet Joseph Smith endured all manner of opposition and hardship to bring to pass the desire of our Heavenly Father the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph was harassed and hunted by angry mobs. 

He patiently endured poverty, humiliating charges, and unkind acts. His people were forcibly driven from town to town, from state to state. He was tarred and feathered. He was falsely charged and jailed.

Imprisoned at Liberty, Missouri, and experiencing deep, emotional temporal feelings that his own hardships and the tests and trials of the Saints would never cease, Joseph prayed: “O God, where art thou? … Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and … be moved with compassion toward them?” (D&C 121:1, 3).

Joseph was told, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment” (D&C 121:7). Joseph knew that if he were to stop going forward with this great work, his earthly trials would probably ease. But he could not stop, because he knew who he was, he knew for what purpose he was placed on the earth, and he had the desire to do God’s will.

The pioneers who left their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, and elsewhere, traversed the great plains, and settled in the Salt Lake Valley knew who they were. They were members of the Lord’s Church newly restored to the earth. They knew their purpose or goal to not only find Zion but to establish it. Because they knew that, they were willing to endure all manner of hardships to bring it about.

During the past year, I have been touched by those who understand this doctrine. They have faithfully endured opposition, trials, and tribulation in their lives and, in doing so, were not only personally strengthened by their experience, but they also strengthened those around them by their example.

... Often we do not know what we can endure until after a trial of our faith. We are also taught by the Lord that we will never be tested beyond that which we can endure (see 1 Cor. 10:13). ... We were not sent by Father in Heaven just to be born. We were sent to endure and return to Him with honor."

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Strength to Endure

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

Do you have whatever it takes to have the strength to endure anything throughout your everyday life?

This post focuses on a October 2013 General Conference talk, and it is called "The Strength to Endure" by Elder J. Maynes. I would like to share with you some highlights and I hope you would be able to learn something new while you are reading through this post.

Elder Maynes mentioned; "Every morning when we wake up, we face a new day filled with the challenges of life. These challenges come in many forms: physical challenges, financial setbacks, difficulties with relationships, emotional trials, and even struggles with one’s faith. Many of the challenges we face in life can be solved and overcome; however, others may be difficult to understand and impossible to overcome and will be with us until we pass on to the next life.

As we temporarily endure the challenges we can solve and as we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve, it is important to remember that the spiritual strength we develop will help us successfully endure all the challenges we face in life. Brothers and sisters, we have a loving Heavenly Father who has designed our earthly existence so that we can individually learn the lessons we need to learn to qualify for eternal life in His presence.

An episode in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith illustrates this principle. The Prophet and several companions had been prisoners in Liberty, Missouri, for months. While suffering in jail, the Prophet Joseph pled with the Lord in humble prayer that the Saints might be relieved from their current suffering. The Lord responded by teaching the Prophet Joseph, and all of us, that the challenges we face, if successfully endured, will be for our ultimate good.

... Heavenly Father has organized our journey through life to be a test of our character. We are exposed to both good and evil influences and then given the moral agency to choose for ourselves which path we will take. ... Heavenly Father also understood that due to our mortality we would not always make the correct or righteous choice. Because we are not perfect and because we make mistakes, we need help in returning to His presence.
The Savior’s atoning sacrifice makes possible our future salvation and exaltation through the principle of repentance.

"Faith is the ability to endure." - Michael R. French.

If we honestly and sincerely repent, the Atonement can help us become clean, change our nature, and successfully endure our challenges. Endurance is an important principle found within the doctrine of Jesus Christ. 

... Therefore, in order to receive the greatest of all the blessings of our Heavenly Father, which is eternal life, we must complete the appropriate ordinance work and then continue to keep the associated covenants. In other words, we must successfully endure. 

Our ability to endure to the end in righteousness will be in direct proportion to the strength of our testimony and the depth of our conversion. When our testimonies are strong and we are truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, our choices will be inspired by the Holy Ghost, they will be Christ-centered, and they will support our desire to endure in righteousness. If our testimonies are weak and our conversion superficial, the risk is much greater that we will be enticed by the false traditions of the world to make poor choices.

... Spiritual endurance also comes at a price. It is the same price: dedication, perseverance, and self-discipline. A testimony, like your body, needs to be in shape if you want it to endure. So how do we keep our testimonies in shape? ... We need to study and learn the fundamental principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then we must do our very best to live them. That is how we become disciples of Jesus Christ, and that is how we build an enduring testimony.

When we face adversity in life and our desire is to emulate the attributes of Jesus Christ, it is essential to be spiritually prepared. Being spiritually prepared means we have developed spiritual stamina or strength we will be in good shape spiritually. We will be in such good shape spiritually that we will consistently choose the right. We will become immovable in our desire and ability to live the gospel. ...

Because we face challenges every day, it is important that we work on our spiritual stamina every day. When we develop spiritual stamina, the false traditions of the world, as well as our personal daily challenges, will have little negative impact on our ability to endure in righteousness. Great examples of spiritual stamina come from our own family histories. Among the many stories from our ancestors, we will be able to find examples that demonstrate the positive characteristics of endurance. ... 

The race that is set before us on this earth is an endurance race filled with obstacles. The obstacles in this race are the challenges we wake up to each morning. We are here on earth to run the race, to exercise our moral agency, and to choose between right and wrong. In order to honorably and successfully finish the race and return to our Heavenly Father, we will need to pay the price of dedication, perseverance, and self-discipline.

We need to get into spiritual shape. We need to develop spiritual stamina. We need strong testimonies that will lead to true conversion, and as a result we will find within ourselves the inner peace and strength needed to endure whatever challenges we may face. So whatever challenges you wake up to each morning, remember with the spiritual strength you develop ... May the Spirit of the Lord inspire us all to develop within ourselves the strength to endure."

You may would like to or you may not like to read the whole talk in your own time, here's the link below.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/the-strength-to-endure

Stay Tuned until next time.

Endure and Be Lifted Up

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

What does "Endure and Be Lifted Up" means to you? What does "Endure and Be Lifted Up" means to a relative? What does "Endure and Be Lifted Up" means to a church member friend? What does "Endure and Be Lifted Up" means to a non-member friend?

This post focuses on a April 1997 General Conference talk, and it is called "Endure and Be Lifted Up" by Elder Russell M. Nelson. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk recently, and I hope that you would be able to learn something new while you are reading this post.

Elder Nelson has mentioned the following; 

"... Children are prone to do such dangerous things simply because they have not acquired the wisdom their parents have. Similarly, we as children of our Heavenly Father may foolishly want to get “out of the boat” before we arrive at destinations He would like us to reach. The Lord teaches over and over that we are to endure to the end. ... Blessings bestowed by God are always predicated upon obedience to law. 

Applied to my analogy, 

we are first to get “on the boat” with Him. Then we are to stay with Him. And if we don’t get “out of the boat” before we should, we shall reach His kingdom, where we will be lifted up to eternal life. ... Energy is always required to provide lift over opposing forces. These same laws apply in our personal lives. Whenever an undertaking is begun, both the energy and the will to endure are essential.

... Whatever your work may be, endure at the beginning, endure through opposing forces along the way, and endure to the end. Any job must be completed before you can enjoy the result for which you are working. So wrote the poet: Stick to your task till it sticks to you; Beginners are many, but enders are few. Honor, power, place, and praise Will always come to the one who stays. Stick to your task till it sticks to you ...

Sometimes the need to endure comes when facing a physical challenge. Anyone afflicted with a serious illness or with the infirmities of age hopes to be able to endure to the end of such trials. Most often, intense physical challenges are accompanied by spiritual challenges as well. Think of the early pioneers. What if they had not endured the hardships of their westward migration? 

... Steadfastly they endured through persecution, expulsion, a governmental order of extermination, expropriation of property, and much more. Their enduring faith in the Lord provided lift for them as it will for you and for me. The Lord’s ultimate concern is for the salvation and exaltation of each individual soul. ... What if Jesus had wavered in His commitment to do His Father’s will? His Atonement would not have been accomplished. The dead would not be resurrected. The blessings of immortality and eternal life would not be. But Jesus did endure. 

... When we know without a doubt that Jesus is the Christ, we will want to stay with Him. When we are surely converted, the power to endure is ours. This power to endure is critical in those two most important relationships we enter into in life. One is marriage; the other is membership in the Lord’s Church. These are also unique in that they are both covenant - not contractual - relationships.

"Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines,
but it is to the one who endures that the final
victory comes." - Buddha.

                                                                        

Marriage - especially temple marriage - and family ties involve covenant relationships. They cannot be regarded casually. With divorce rates escalating throughout the world today, it is apparent that many spouses are failing to endure to the end of their commitments to each other. 

And some temple marriages fail because a husband forgets that his highest and most important priesthood duty is to honor and sustain his wife. The best thing that a father can do for his children is to “love their mother.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley made a statement recently that each Latter-day Saint husband should heed: “Magnify your [wife],” he said, “and in so doing you will magnify your priesthood. ...” Enduring love provides enduring lift through life’s trials. An enduring marriage results when both husband and wife regard their union as one of the two most important commitments they will ever make. 

The other commitment of everlasting consequence is to the Lord. Unfortunately, some souls make a covenant with God - signified by the sacred ordinance of baptism - without a heartfelt commitment to endure with Him. Baptism is an extremely important ordinance. But it is only initiatory. The supreme benefits of membership in the Church can only be realized only through the exalting ordinances of the temple. These blessings qualify us for “thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers” in the celestial kingdom.

The Lord can readily discern between those with superficial signs of activity and those who are deeply rooted in His Church. ... Loyalty to the Lord carries an obligation of loyalty to those called by the Lord to lead His Church. He has empowered that men be ordained to speak in His holy name. ... Nevertheless, some individuals want to jump “out of the boat” before reaching land. And others, sadly, are persuaded out by companions who insist that they know more about life’s perilous journey than do prophets of the Lord. Problems often arise that are not of your own making. Some of you may innocently find yourselves abandoned by one you trusted. ...

Without a strong commitment to the Lord, an individual is more prone to have a low level of commitment to a spouse. Weak commitments to eternal covenants lead to losses of eternal consequence. ... We are speaking of the most important of all blessings. The Lord said, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

Each of you who really wants to endure to the glorious end that our Heavenly Father has foreseen should firmly establish some personal priorities. With many interests competing for your loyalty, you need to be careful first to stay safely “on the boat.” No one can serve two masters. If Satan can get you to love anything fun, flirtation, fame, or fortune more than a spouse or the Lord with whom you have made sacred covenants to endure, the adversary begins to triumph. When faced with such temptations, you will find that strength comes from commitments made well in advance. ... When priorities are proper, the power to endure is increased. And when internalized, those priorities will help keep you from “going overboard.” They will protect you from cheating in marriage, in the Church, and in life.

If you really want to be like the Lord more than any thing or anyone else you will remember that your adoration of Jesus is best shown by your emulation of Him. Then you will not allow any other love to become more important than love for your companion, your family, and your Creator. You will govern yourself not by someone else’s set of rules but by revealed principles of truth.

Your responsibility to endure is uniquely yours. But you are never alone. I testify that the lifting power of the Lord can be yours if you will “come unto Christ” and “be perfected in him.” You will “deny yourselves of all ungodliness.” And you will “love God with all your might, mind and strength.” The living prophet of the Lord has issued a clarion call: “I invite every one of you,” said President Hinckley, “to stand on your feet and with a song in your heart move forward, living the gospel, loving the Lord, and building the kingdom. Together we shall stay the course and keep the faith.” I pray that each of us may so endure and be lifted up at the last day ..."

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

www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1997/04/endure-and-be-lifted-up

Stay Tuned until next time.

Endurance ~ 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 May 1995 and it is called, "Endurance" by Robert K. Conlee. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional recently and I hope that you would learn something new while you are reading this post.

Brother Conlee has mentioned the following; 

"A second category is enduring the individual conditions of this life—the unique set of circumstances peculiar to us at any given time. 

These may be small, such as ... or why you did not achieve an A in a class in spite of every diligent effort. They may be big, such as prolonged health problems or the death of a loved one. They might be financial burdens that seem insurmountable. Or, as parents, we may have to endure the often incorrect use of free agency by our children. ...

In all these, the test comes in not denouncing our faith or blaming God for our trials. So many times strong members of the Church, when faced with such conditions, denounce God for not righting the set of conditions that brings them agony. By so doing they cease enduring and stand to risk all they have worked for spiritually to that point.

... The counsel of President Kimball seems applicable. He wrote: If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith. ... Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and godhood. [Faith Precedes the Miracle (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1978), p. 97] ...

A third area that requires considerable spiritual strength is enduring the persecution that comes from trying to be in the world but not of the world. 

All of the prophets have been persecuted for the Lord’s sake, and many have given their lives rather than denounce the gospel. True followers must never be ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot let the media shake our faith. We cannot let the so-called learned argue against the simple whisperings of the Holy Ghost. ... If the Holy Ghost has testified to you that Jesus is the Christ ... and that this is the Lord’s church, then we must remain allegiant to that testimony to qualify for the blessings of endurance regardless of the events of the world that would conspire against that knowledge. If the Church is true before calamity and during easy times, then it is still true during times of trial and adversity.

... Now, given that trials exist and that all of us will face these trials, how are we expected to endure them?
When we want to gain physical endurance we must train the body by subjecting it to an overload. Weight lifters lift weights to strengthen the muscles to be able to lift more. Runners run long distances to allow the cardiovascular system and muscles to adapt to provide the necessary delivery and use of oxygen to promote endurance. To increase our spiritual endurance we must train spiritually.

When a sudden trial overload comes, we must already be trained in order to endure it. This training involves praying every day so that when we need to pray more fervently we are already accustomed to it. This training also involves regular scripture study so that our testimonies are firm and our understanding of God’s plan is deep. ... This training involves regular Sunday worship, from which we gain the strength to discipline our lives and renew our covenants. Just as we build a physical reservoir through training, we can also develop a spiritual one as well.

Assuming we have been willing to train and to pay the price for spiritual endurance, what are the mechanisms by which we ultimately endure the trials of life? ... We must place our trust in the Lord and allow the Lord’s spirit to lift us. This was expressed by Jacob when he said to his fellow Nephites: “But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions” (Jacob 3:1). The scriptures are replete with the admonition to rely on the Lord.

"Suffering produces endurance." - Romans 5:5.

... The question is: How do we rely on the Lord? How do we avoid the depression that often accompanies the trials of life? We do it by accepting the reality of the Atonement. We often think of the Atonement only in terms of relief from sins and guilt. It is clearly that, but it is more, as we read in Alma about the Savior:

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me." - [Alma 7:11–13]

How does the Lord carry our burdens? Like all other principles of the gospel, it requires faith and effort. We pray earnestly and emotionally for the Lord to strengthen us and lift us, to prepare a way for us to endure ... I have a strong testimony that the Lord accepts our stress and blesses us with strength and courage and hope to continue the fight. Over the years I have had the occasion to pray with great emotion for the well-being of my children and for the strength to allow them to suffer the consequences for the exercise of free agency. I have felt the inner peace that I could endure.

... I want to make another point regarding our reliance on the Lord to carry us through the trials of life. Learned men and women of the world have developed coping strategies to help people endure the trials of life that do not always involve faith. Unbelievers do not go off the deep end the moment adversity strikes because they do not rely on God. Most see their way through. But the believer who turns to God for refuge not only finds the comfort he or she seeks but gains an increase in testimony of the reality of the Savior and of the Atonement. This is the higher purpose of trials in God’s plan - to bring his children to the knowledge of him and his son.

... This is what Moroni meant when he said, “I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). ... Thus we see that the fruits of enduring in the Lord is the miracle of testimony, and testimony helps us to endure to the end. My talk would not be complete if I did not rehearse for you the eternal blessings that come from enduring. In 2 Nephi 31:20, we read: "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

Eternal life seems so far away as we live the daily trials of this earthly probation. But listen to this promise in the Doctrine and Covenants: For there is a time appointed for every man, according as his works shall be. God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now; Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory; A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest.

All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And also, if there be bounds set to the heavens or to the seas, or to the dry land, or to the sun, moon, or star - All the times of their revolutions, all the appointed days, months, and years, and all the days of their days, months, and years, and all their glories, laws, and set times, shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times. [D&C 121:25–31] In the temple covenant of marriage we learn about sharing all that the Father has and about receiving thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and dominions. All these will be ours if we endure to the end.

But even in this life we often are recipients of the blessings that follow righteous endurance. Such blessings usually come after faith has been demonstrated. ... The thing is, we never know what blessings await us when we are asked to endure or when they will come, only that they will assuredly come. I bear testimony that the Lord knows us and knows our needs. ... If we seek the Lord to abide with us, we can make it through the darkest night."

You may would like to or not to read the Devotional either now or in your own time, here's the link below.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/robert-k-conlee/endurance/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Endurance ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

What is your true definition and understanding of the word, "Endurance"?

This post focuses on a BYU Devotional in May 1995 and it is called, "Endurance" by Robert K. Conlee. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional recently and I hope that you would learn something new while you are reading this post.

Brother Conlee has mentioned the following; 

"... I wish to speak to you regarding the fifth principle of the gospel - that being the principle of endurance. I take some liberty here in announcing this principle as the fifth because Joseph Smith wrote in the fourth article of faith: "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." But the Lord himself declared in section 18 of the Doctrine and Covenants that “as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved” (D&C 18:22). ... I wish to suggest that endurance be considered the fifth principle of the gospel, at least for my purposes today.

I have always been interested in the concept of physical endurance or the ability of the body to tolerate stress. This interest was kindled by the agony I endured as a young boy while trying to train for various sports. This agony is best illustrated in my experience as a young tenth grader trying out for the C football team ... I weighed about 110 pounds, and so did the uniform and pads they gave me to wear. I remember the first day of practice and all the stretching and sprinting and twisting and hitting we did. More vividly, I remember the second day of practice
when I couldn’t move because I hurt so badly. I could hardly put on my uniform, let alone practice.

... I learned from early experiences and from a sign that hung in our locker room that “Quitters never win, and winners never quit.” ... My military experience taught me a lot about enduring. ... Not only did we have to endure physical and emotional stress but also the fear of dying. ... What one had to overcome was the fear of these realities, and these fears were constant every day. ... For me to perform my duties under those circumstances necessitated my complete reliance on the Lord to give me the courage necessary to act in spite of my fears. ...

Today, ... my research interests focus on the endurance capacity of man as it relates to physical performance. The exercise physiologist attempts to determine what limits man’s capacity and how those limits can be expanded through training and through other nutritional or pharmacological manipulation. ... to help you understand my deep interest in the principle of endurance. For not only have I marveled at the principles of temporal endurance, but I have sought to understand more fully the meaning of the words and endure to the end in their spiritual sense.
These words are stated throughout the scriptures.

"The greatest strength is the spirit of endurance."
- Lailah Gifty Akita.

My academic experience has helped me develop definitions for endurance. The opposite of endurance is fatigue. Fatigue is defined as the inability to maintain a given intensity of work. It does not mean a complete cessation of work. It is defined as the inability to maintain a set level of effort. 

Endurance, then, would be the ability to maintain a certain level or intensity of work. Spiritually, endurance is the ability to maintain a belief in Christ and to continue to strive to live the commandments and to perfect our lives in spite of the trials of this life. ... We must, as I emphasized before, understand the rules of the game of life. 

First, none of us is exempt from facing life’s trials, and the fact that we are faithful does not assure us of a life without tests. ... Paul understood the reason for trials, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). 

This idea that trials are for our benefit was reinforced by the Lord himself to Joseph Smith when, after enumerating all the trials Joseph may be called on to endure, the Lord concluded by saying in Doctrine and Covenants 122:7, “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”

... If we know what to expect, we can be better prepared. I cannot enumerate every test, but I would like you to consider some categories.

First, and most obvious, is the trial of temptation to violate the commandments. 

We must live the commandments to be eligible for exaltation. We cannot knowingly and willingly violate the Lord’s commandments and expect to be blessed spiritually in this life or exalted in the next. We must, therefore, endure to the end by living righteously. The challenge here, of course, is that we do not know when the end is. ... But I wonder if even knowing when the end would come would really protect us against the temptations of the world. 

I am reminded of the condition of the people of Nephi just prior to the appearance of the Lord among them as described in 3 Nephi: "And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few [who] were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord."

... And yet we see, in spite of this foreknowledge, that the people did not endure in righteousness save it were a faithful few. We all know what happened to this region prior to the appearance of the Lord. ... The Lord proclaimed to those that remained that they were spared because they were more righteous (see 3 Nephi 9:13). They had endured in righteousness, waiting for the prophecies to be fulfilled concerning the coming of the Lord. ... This is not the time to trifle with the commandments. We must not let Satan cheat us out of our exaltation or cause us to quit the race.'

Stay Tuned until next time.

Several Past Decisions

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

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

Everyone around the world has made decisions in the past, everyone around the world has made decisions at this present time, everyone around the world will be making more decisions in the near future, and everyone around the world will be making more decisions in the future.

Is it necessary to make decisions in our everyday lives? Are we grateful for some of past decisions?
What type of past decisions did you faced? Have we learned anything from some of our past decisions?

Here are several examples of my past decisions that I have made. Most decisions that I have made in the past has taught me so much, and I learned some useful and great lessons.

Towards end of my tenth grade; I was able to make the decision for myself if I would like to continue with schooling of the following two years (eleventh grade and twelfth grade/senior). I was afraid that I might fail in school core subjects and when I eventually decided that I would like to continue with schooling has made me feel forever grateful because I knew that I would have to put more effort into schooling and I had the opportunity to get better grades. I must admit towards end of twelfth grade/senior, I was able to grade High School successfully and I was able to go to Senior Formal/Prom.

"The course of our lives is not determined
by great, awesome decisions. Our direction
is set by the little day-to-day CHOICES
which is chart the track on which we run."
- Gordon B. Hinckley.

Duration of my online seminary; I knew that there has been times when I have made decision to not make huge efforts into online seminary. I knew that I was slacking and I was failing. I remembered during High School, I was able to have some spare periods that I didn't have any school work to focus on. 

Therefore; I wasn't into playing games online, I was able to use those some spare periods to catch up work for online seminary. I have made the effort. I must admit, it was a wonderful feeling to know that I was able to grade seminary successfully. I was the only church member out of my ward in the stake to graduate seminary.

Deciding whether to make Institute a priority or not.

At the beginning of the same year when I was eighteen years old, I have started to attending Institute and it didn't take me too long to make a decision for myself to make Institute a priority in my life. I have attended Institute very often. 

I remembered that I have attended multiple classes, one class per semester. I have been acknowledged and I have received a institute Diploma certificate at Institute Graduation when I was twenty-one years old. I remembered that I still attended Institute after graduation and I attended Institute while I was studying the BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online, and sometimes while I was engaged - whenever I can.

I'm glad that I was able to attend Institute often. I remembered participating in Institute by showing up, sharing some of my life experiences for the answers of the questions that was asked for the whole group discussions, and so forth. I remembered when there has been times for me feeling like that I have known all of the answers, I remembered making countless friends during institute and after institute.

Deciding whether to study the BYU-Idaho Pathways Program or not.

Shortly after I received my Diploma certificate at Institute Graduation, I have made the decision to enroll myself into BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online. I got approved! Indeed it was my first attempt for the enrollment form to BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online and it got approved. I was so happy and I got notified via email. I was able to start BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online in April 2017 and I completed the program in 2018. 

For the first semester of the Program, there was three other YSAs that attended in the same program. I was happy about it because two out of three other YSAs are my friends. Sadly sometime before mid second semester all three other YSAs has stopped studying the program. I stayed strong and positive. I was the only YSA who finished that BYU-Idaho Pathways program. It took time, it took effort, it took encouragement to complete the program. I'm glad that I have completed program because I was able to meet other people while I was in the program and I hope that one day I would be able to study BYU-Idaho online again sometime in the future. 

Deciding whether to move to US or stay in Australia.

I must admit that it was a toughest decision in my life to decide whether to move to US or stay in Australia. My husband and I have thought about and discussed about some advantages and disadvantages about me moving to US and about me staying in Australia. We both have thought about and discussed about some advantages and disadvantages for my husband to move to Australia and for him to stay in US. We knew it was just the right decision for me to move to US. 

Indeed for the last weeks prior to me leaving Australia; I had to reassigned for the job that I was employed at, I had to sell the car that I had, I trusted my Mum to take great care of my pet bird - Bluey, and so forth. It was tougher than I thought it would be for me to say final goodbyes to friends and relatives in Australia. I certainly didn't want to let go of what I already had in Australia and I knew that I was also so excited for a new chapter was just about to begin for me to move to US.

I know that I have plenty of experiences for the past decisions that I was proud of. Don't ever forget that sometimes our past decisions helps us to become for who we are at this present time. 

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Decisions Determine Destiny ~ Part Two

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on BYU Devotional in November 2005 and it is called "Decisions Determine Destiny" by President Thomas S. Monson. At the time of the Devotional, President Thomas S. Monson was the first counselor in the First Presidency. This post is part two, I would like to share with you some highlights

while I was reading the Devotional and I hope you would be able to learn something new while reading

this post. 

President Monson continues and he has the following; "My young friends, there is no royal road to salvation and exaltation. There is no royal road to success in any endeavor. The A grade is the result of each theme, each quiz, each class, each examination, each term paper. So each heartfelt prayer, each Church meeting attended, each worthy friend, each righteous decision, each act of service performed all precede that goal of eternal life.

... I thought of the truth “Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But ... you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.” What ideals, when followed, will bring to you those blessings you so much seek, even a quiet conscience, a peace-filled heart, a loving family, a contented home?

May I suggest these three: Choose your friends with caution.
Plan your future with purpose. Frame your life with faith.

First: Choose Your Friends with Caution

... Those persons whose friends married in the temple usually married in the temple, while those persons whose friends did not marry in the temple usually did not marry in the temple. ... We tend to become like those whom we admire. ... Associate with those who, like you, are planning not for temporary convenience, shallow goals, or narrow ambition but rather for those things that matter most - even eternal objectives. Inscribed on the east transept wall of Stanford University Memorial Church is the truth: “All that is not eternal [is] too short, [and] all that is not infinite [is] too small.”

Beyond your circle of earthly friends, I urge you to make a friend of your Heavenly Father. He stands ready
to answer the prayer of your heart. Being the Father of your spirit and having created you in His own image, knowing the end from the beginning, His wisdom will not fail and His counsel is ever true. Make a friend of Him. There is another important friend you should have, and that is the bishop of your ward. He has been called of God by prophecy and the laying on of hands by those who are in authority. He is entitled to heavenly help in providing you with counsel and guidance. Make a friend of him.

How well I remember the challenges confronting the youth in the ward over which I once presided as a bishop. One evening a lovely teenage girl came to my office with her boyfriend to talk things over with me. The two of them were very much in love ... As we counseled together, each made a pledge to the other to resist temptation and keep uppermost in their minds the goal of a temple marriage. I suggested a course of action to follow and then felt impressed to say: “If you ever find yourselves in a position of compromise and need additional strength, you
call me, regardless of the hour.”

One morning at 1:00 a.m., the telephone rang and a voice said: “Bishop, this is Susan. Remember how you asked me to call if I found myself being tempted? Well, Bishop, I’m in that situation.” I asked where she was, and she described a popular parking spot in the Salt Lake Valley. She and her fiancé had walked to a nearby phone
booth to make the call. The setting wasn’t ideal for providing counsel, but the need was great, and the
young couple was receptive. I won’t mention how often Susan called. 

However, when the mailman delivered her wedding announcement to our home and Sister Monson read, “Mr. and Mrs. Jones request the pleasure of your company at the wedding reception of their daughter, Susan,” she sighed, “Thank heaven!” When I noticed the small print at the bottom, which read, “Married in the Salt Lake Temple,” I said silently, “Thank heaven for the strength of Latter-day Saint youth.” Choose your friends with caution.

Second: Plan Your Future with Purpose

The great Thomas Carlyle said: “... Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.” ...  Some of you within the sound of my voice have already married; others are still seeking that special someone with whom you would want to spend eternity. 

For those of you in the latter category, in your quest for the man or woman of your dreams, you may well heed the counsel given by King Arthur ... King Arthur could well have been speaking to all of us when he declared, “We must not let our passions destroy our dreams.” ... Lucy lived the truth of the verse: "Dare to be a Mormon; Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm, And dare to make it known." Plan your future with purpose.

Third: Frame Your Life with Faith

Amidst the confusion of the times, the conflicts of conscience, and the turmoil of daily living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives. Little children can give us interesting examples of faith. Some time ago I jotted down from one of our national magazines a short compilation of “Children’s Letters to God.” I found them most interesting.

... Jeff wrote: “Dear God, It is great the way you always get the stars in the right places. Why can’t you do that with the moon?” Joyce wrote: “Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy.” I like this one from Matthew the best: “Dear God, I read your book and I like it.” Then he asked, “I would like to write a book someday with the same kind of stories. Where do you get your ideas? Best wishes.”

True faith requires determination, and the kind of determination which is required is that set forth by a 21-year-old female college senior, who declared: "Our generation has been exposed, through every means of communication, to major and minor fears—the little threat of not finding a mate if one does not use a certain mouthwash or fear of non acceptance if one does not succumb to a low moral standard because it is “the nature of the beast.”

... I am old-fashioned enough to believe in God; to believe in the dignity and potential of His creature, man; and I am realistic, not idealistic, enough to know that I am not alone in these feelings. Some say that, unlike other generations, we have no mission in life - that everything has been handed to us. We have not been pampered but spiritually impoverished. ... I cannot live alone. Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Be firm in your faith.

... Though we may not necessarily forfeit our lives in service to our God, we can certainly demonstrate our love for Him by how well we serve Him. He who hears our silent prayers, He who observes our unheralded acts will reward us openly when the need comes. ... Frame your life with faith.

When you choose your friends with caution, plan your future with purpose, and frame your life with faith, you will merit the companionship of the Holy Spirit. You will have a perfect brightness of hope. You will testify through your own experience to the truth of the Lord’s promise: I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. [D&C 76:5–6]"

If you would like to read the whole BYU Devotional either now or in your own time, here is the link below.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/thomas-s-monson/decisions-determine-destiny/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Decisions Determine Destiny ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

Have you ever heard a statement "Decisions Determine Destiny" prior to this blog post? You may or may not have heard of it in past lessons multiple times. I know that I have constantly reminded myself that statement over and over again in the past. This post focuses on BYU Devotional in November 2005 and it is called "Decisions Determine Destiny" by President Thomas S. Monson. 

At the time of the Devotional, President Thomas S. Monson was the first counselor in the First Presidency. This post is part one, I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional and I hope you would be able to learn something new while reading this post. 

President Monson has mentioned the following; "... Well, my young friends, what a thrilling life awaits you! ... But you can be explorers in spirit, with a mandate to make this world better by discovering improved ways of living and of doing things. The spirit of exploration, whether it be of the surface of the earth, the vastness of space, or the principles of living greatly, includes developing the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility.

... As Latter-day Saints, we know who we are and what God expects us to become. Listen to the truth taught to us in the first book of Moses, called Genesis: God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them. [Genesis 1:26–28] Created in the image of God.

We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound sense of strength and power. As Latter-day Saints, we know that we lived before we came to earth, that mortality is a probationary period wherein we might prove ourselves obedient to God’s command and thus worthy of celestial glory. Yes, we know who we are and what God expects us to become. Such knowledge, however, does not ensure our success in reaching our goal of eternal life.

During the last half century or so, there has been throughout the world a gradual but continual decline in many phases of life. We observe relationships without morality, science without humanity, knowledge without character, business without ethics, worship without sacrifice, pleasure without conscience, politics without principle, and wealth without works.

"Decisions Determine Destiny." - Thomas S.
Monson.

... This is your world. The future is in your hands. The outcome is up to you. The way to exaltation is not a freeway featuring unlimited vision, unrestricted speeds, and untested skills. Rather, it is known by many forks and turnings, sharp curves, and controlled speeds. Your driving skill will be put to the test. Are you ready? You are driving. You haven’t passed this way before. Fortunately, ... even our Heavenly Father, has provided a road map showing the route to follow. He has placed markers along the way to guide you to your destination.

Perhaps you may recognize some of His signs: 

“Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). 

“Search the scriptures; for ... they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). 

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). 

...

That evil one too has placed road signs to frustrate your progress and to lead you from the path of truth into detours of sin. His detours all lead to a dead end. Have you noticed his markers? Just this once won’t matter. It can’t hurt anyone but me. ... my life is mine to live. Times have changed. Now we see coming into focus the responsibility to choose, that inevitable crisis at the crossroads of life. He who would lead you down waits patiently for a dark night, a wavering will, a confused conscience, a mixed-up mind. Are you prepared to make the decisions at the crossroads?

I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences. May I provide a simple formula by which you can measure the choices which confront you. It’s 

easy to remember, sometimes difficult to apply: You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right. Your personal conscience always warns you as a friend before it punishes you as a judge.

The Lord, in a revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet at Kirtland, Ohio, May 1831, counseled: That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light. [D&C 50:23–24] ... Where money, rather than morality, dictates one’s actions, one is inclined away from God. Turning away from God brings broken covenants, shattered dreams, vanished ambitions, unfulfilled expectations, crushed hopes, and ruined lives.

Such a quagmire of quicksand I plead with you to avoid. You are of a noble birthright. Eternal life in the kingdom of our Father is your goal. Such a goal is not achieved in one glorious attempt but rather is the result of a lifetime of righteousness, an accumulation of wise choices, even a constancy of purpose. Like the coveted A grade on the report card of a difficult and required college course, the reward of eternal life requires effort.

There is a fable told about Euclid and Pharaoh and geometry. It is said that Pharaoh, entranced by some of the explanations and demonstrations of Euclid, wished to learn geometry, and Euclid undertook to teach him. He studied for a brief period and then called in Euclid and said the process was too slow for him. He was a Pharaoh; there must be a shorter road. He did not want to spend all his time to learn geometry. Then Euclid gave voice to this great truth. Said he to his Majesty, “There is no royal road to geometry.”

Stay Tuned until next time.

Decision Making The Lord's Way ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on May 2009 BYU - Hawaii Devotional and it is called; "Decision Making The Lord's Way" by Steven C. Wheelwright. This post is part two and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the devotional. I hope you will learn something new while you are reading throughout this post.

President Wheelwright mentioned the following; "Scriptural Examples of Righteous Decision Making

... In addition to Joseph, consider the stories of Ruth, Job, Esther, Nephi, and so many others; these courageous men and women trusted in the Lord with humility, gratitude, and faith. Faced with life-altering circumstances and decisions, they chose to trust in the Lord rather than lean unto their own understanding. By so doing, they were blessed with safety and peace, just as we will be. Following the Lord’s process of decision making results in consistently and powerfully righteous decisions.

And that pattern of righteous decision making in turn develops our character. Elder Scott explained the relationship between making decisions the Lord’s way and forming righteous character. He said: "... When strengthened by obedience and worthy acts, correct decisions form a fabric of character that brings victory in time of great
need. Righteous character provides the foundation of spiritual strength that enables you to make difficult,
extremely important decisions correctly when they seem overpowering.

Building our character is certainly part of the Lord’s process of building us into a palace. Trusting in the Lord actually becomes an upward spiral: when we trust in the Lord, our faith and character are strengthened, and the stronger our character and the deeper our faith, the better we are able to trust in the Lord, and so on, which all results in better decision making." This was certainly the case with Nephi in the opening scenes of the Book of Mormon. ... Nephi is faced with many critical decisions. ... We know he had “great desires to know of the mysteries of God.” 

In other words, he had a desire to know God’s will for him, and that desire led to action - he “did cry unto the Lord,” and the Lord visited him, softening his heart and teaching him to believe the words of his father. ... We probably all know Nephi’s faith-filled reply by heart: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

"The decision to BELIEVE shapes all our other
decisions." - L. Whitney Clayton.

Elder Scott described this type of motivating faith as follows: Motivating faith is centered in trust in the Lord and in His willingness to answer your needs. ... The consistent, willing exercise of faith increases your confidence and ability to employ the power of faith. 

Again we see the upward spiral that results from having a spiritual perspective: the stronger our faith, the more we are able to trust in the Lord, and the better the decisions we will make.

The scriptures and the lives and experiences of modern-day prophets are filled with excellent examples of making decisions the Lord’s way. I urge you to study the scriptures with a focus on searching these out. 

The lessons we learn from the scriptures will strengthen us and fortify our determination to seek the Lord’s will in our own lives as well.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell summarized beautifully the blessings of habitually trusting in the Lord: ... If you will but trust the Lord to lead you from what you are to what you have the power to become. .. If you are righteous, his purposes will be served. Remember, each of us can choose to trust in the Lord, ... what better time to commit to developing the habit of following the Lord’s process of decision making and learning to trust in Him than during this critical period of young adulthood, full of frequent and significant decision-making opportunities.

If we can shift from the world’s way of making decisions to the Lord’s way, our paths will be safe and peaceful and our destination divine. ... Rather than focusing on ease and prestige, may we concentrate on eternal considerations as we make life’s daily decisions. I pray that we will be able to replace feelings of self-centeredness, entitlement, and political correctness with an attitude of humility, gratitude, and faith through righteous obedience to God’s commandments.

... Our free will is literally the only thing that is truly ours; therefore, the ultimate consecration is in yielding ourselves to God. I pray that as we seek to know the Lord’s will for us and as we humbly and gratefully make decisions in His way, ... and that we will enjoy His promised peace in the process." 

I enjoyed learning the part that stated, "Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be." I know that statement is true and applicable into my life because I know that several times in my life, I have forgotten about how agency determines who I was in the past, who I currently am and what I will be in the future. Most times, I like trusting and putting my faith into Heavenly Father with my past decisions whether it is good decisions or not because I know that I have been able to decide on my own choices and follow any consequences afterwards. I know that sometimes I would just act and do something without thinking about if it is a good decision or not.

Duration of my youth; I would make tons of friendships throughout the years. I have forgotten to ask myself whether some of those friends would still be my friends when I leave Young Women's, and move into YSA (Young Single Adults) or would some of those friends would leave me and won't be my friend anymore before I turned eighteen years old. I guess at times I didn't know how to be a great friend to someone who really needed a friend.

I have read about "friends" from The Strength of Youth pamphlet. I love how a section that stood out to me and that was; "To have good friends, be a good friend. Show genuine interest in others; smile and let them know you care about them. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, and refrain from judging and criticizing those around you.
Do not participate in any form of bullying. Make a special effort to be a friend to those who are shy or lonely, have special needs, or do not feel included."  Decision making in the Lord's way can help us to feel peace and assurance that we would be able to feel the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

You may or may not like to read the whole devotional either now or in your own time, here is the link below.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/steven-c-wheelwright/decision-making-lords-way/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Decision Making The Lord's Way ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on May 2009 BYU - Hawaii Devotional and it is called; "Decision Making The Lord's Way" by Steven C. Wheelwright. He was the president of BYU Hawaii at the time, this post is part one and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the devotional. I hope you will learn something new while you are reading throughout this post. 

"Following the Lord's process of decision making results in consistently and powerfully righteous decisions. And that pattern of
righteous decision making in turn develops our character." 

President Wheelwright mentioned the following; "... Elder Robert D. Hales said, “Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be.” While agency is a powerful, eternal principle, our approach to decision making can be considered its mortal embodiment. Agency, the ability to make our own decisions, is a great blessing bestowed by a loving Heavenly Father on all His sons and daughters. In 2 Nephi we read: "Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves - to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life." Choice is inevitably accompanied by opposing forces. Opposition is, in fact, the very essence of choice. Today I’d like to focus my remarks on ... processes of righteous decision making.

“The Valley of Decision”

... Most of you have already made the wise decision to further your education, but you may now be choosing what to study, what classes to take, and what career path to pursue. You may have had your roommates assigned to you, but you have the choice of whom to spend time with and how to spend your time. Hopefully you young men are considering serving a mission, or, if you have already served, you are choosing to maintain the righteous habits you acquired on your mission.

And I suspect more than a few of you are deciding whom to date and even whom to marry and when. The list of decisions you each face goes on and on. ... If you learn to make decisions according to the Lord’s process, you will form one of the habits most critical to both your earthly and your eternal success.

The Process of Making Decisions

... When we are presented with a choice, our perspective and our attitude combine to largely determine the course of action we will pursue - or, in other words, the decision we will make. ... making decisions the Lord’s way versus making decisions the world’s way. We’ll begin with a closer examination of the world’s way. Let’s use the example of choosing a career path as our choice or decision to be made and assume two possible outcomes, option A and option B. The world’s perspective on such a significant decision would certainly consider... potential for prestige and power, and ease of acquisition. And a worldly attitude might include such things as self-centeredness, a sense of entitlement, and even political correctness as major factors in choosing between options A or B.

Working together, the influences of perspective and attitude will largely determine the decision we make or, in this example, which career path we choose. The result of following the world’s process of decision making in selecting a career would greatly favor certain professions over others. In contrast, let’s now take a closer look at making decisions the Lord’s way. We’ll begin with the same choice of which career path to follow, but, since we know that all things are spiritual to the Lord, we’ll consider a spiritual perspective and a spiritual attitude in this process.

A spiritual perspective would, first and foremost, consider eternity, ... and it would allow for a quality journey. ... For example, opportunities to provide service to others, to strengthen one’s family, and to spend meaningful time in Church callings would all be considered in the Lord’s process. When a spiritual perspective and a spiritual attitude are factored into a major decision, such as the choice of a career, the resulting action might well be quite different than that resulting from following a worldly decision-making process.

Now, let’s superimpose one of my favorite scriptures over this decision-making process. Proverbs 3:5–6 reads: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Using this scripture, we can subtitle the world’s approach to decision making “leaning to thine own understanding.”

Our own understanding is imperfect. We cannot see the future, nor can we see our ultimate potential, but when we follow the world’s process, we rely on that understanding anyway. Similarly, using this scripture, we can subtitle the Lord’s approach to decision making “trusting in the Lord.” The Lord does see the future, and only He knows our divine potential - thus this approach requires trusting the Lord. 

C. S. Lewis described this great truth when he likened our lives to a house undergoing renovations: At first, perhaps, you can understand what [God] is doing. ... Therein lies the key reason we need to make decisions by following the Lord’s process: He is building a palace far beyond our wildest plans. ... Left to our own understanding, we are unintentionally false and unsteady. But through trusting in the Lord with humility, gratitude, and faith, we are blessed and we prosper. If we trust in the Lord and acknowledge Him, not only will He “direct [our] paths,” but He will also ensure that “then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble,” and that “her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”

Stay Tuned until next time.