How Can We Self Improve in Our Lives?

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay Tuned until next time.

A Gospel of Relationships ~ Part Two

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

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

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

Sister Williams has mentioned the following; 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay Tuned until next time.

A Gospel of Relationships ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

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

Sister Williams has mentioned the following; 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay Tuned until next time.

Revealing Questions ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

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

Sister Magnusson has mentioned the following; 

"Answers to Questions Come Through Personal Revelation

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

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

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

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

Answers Will Come in the Lord’s Time

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

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

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

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

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

Always Remember

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

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

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

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

Do the Required Spiritual Work

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

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

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

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

Revealing Questions ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

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

Sister Magnusson has mentioned the following;

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

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

Learning in Mortality

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

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

Imperfect Knowledge and Revelation

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

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

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

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

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

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

Questions and Uncertainty

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

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

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

Stay Tuned until next time.

Someday

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening,

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

What is your definition and understanding of the word, "Someday"? What does it mean to an immediate relative? 

Throughout every SINGLE month since I have gotten married; I have been constantly getting asked questions that focuses on pregnancy related by many people including several friends whom I haven't spoken to for ages. I strongly feel it is NOT appropriate for anyone (I really do mean anyone despite their age) to ask me if I was pregnant despite how long I have been married for. 

The persistence of the same people who kept asking me those questions certainly does get me thinking about frustration, and upset with no intention to do so because I haven't been able to conceive of any children within the first year of my marriage. I strongly know that I would fall pregnant someday in Heavenly Father's timing NOT my own timing. I know that we CAN'T rush the Lord's timing no matter how hard we may try to do so without acknowledging it. 

There are many reasons why many women can do their best to avoid of answering pregnancy topic related questions that has been asked by their friends, and their relatives including their work colleagues, and so forth because I know that pregnancy topic related questions CAN be very sensitive to many women. We shouldn't have to feel obligated to make any assumptions or expectations how some women can fall pregnant so quickly because it might have taken you a few tries or several tries to fall pregnant so quickly. 

I know that we can choose not to consider and to take some time out to think about some of the possibilities why some women aren't pregnant within the first year of marriage, why some women aren't pregnant after two years mark of being in a relationship, and so forth. I strongly think that we should take some time to think about those possibilities instead of asking if they have spoken to their spouse or their fiancè or their boyfriend about having children, if they were pregnant, when they are having children, and so forth. 

Someday

The possibilities can be;

The terrifying fears that they might've to face according to reading about from other women's worse pregnancy experiences, they may would like to accomplish many things before having children (such as buy a house or build a bigger home to live in, to finish studying their current degree, saving enough funds to contribute towards raising children, and so forth), they may have had experienced some past complications and difficulties during their past pregnancies (such as they've experienced past miscarriages at any stage during pregnancies), and so forth. 

I know that my husband and I would really appreciate if people not asking us pregnancy topic related questions. 

My husband and I are strongly encouraging our FRIENDS and IMMEDIATE RELATIVES including EXTENDED RELATIVES despite how old they are is to STOP asking us the following questions; 

"Are you and your husband expecting?" "Have you and your husband spoken about having children yet?" 

"How many children are you and your husband are planning to have?" "When are you and your husband is going to start to have children?" What are you and your husband going to name the children?" "What is stopping you and your husband for having children?" and so forth. There are so many other questions that we have been getting asked and just before, I have shared the most common questions that we have been getting asked over and over again. 

My husband and I are currently NOT expecting but I do know that someday we would be expecting (we would even announce it to our friends and relatives when we feel comfortable and ready to share it before sharing the announcement on social media), we already have spoken to each other about having children, we trusting in Heavenly Father's timing and NOT our timing when we;re going to start and having children, and again, we feel that there are several things that we would like to accomplish before having children (such as we move and live into a bigger home, we would like me to have my driver's license - so I wouldn't have to rely on my husband or other people to take me to places for transportation, and so forth) and so forth. 

I know that I don't judge anyone, and I wouldn't say to anyone including my friends who gotten married and was able to be expecting within the first year of marriage was RUSHED and LUCKY, I always congratulate them and do my best to remember to wish them the best. I have acknowledged on my Facebook newsfeed of church member friends who fell away from the church and fall pregnant, I still congratulate them. I don't get upset at Heavenly Father and ask him "Why they are able to have children but not me?" I always do my best to stay positive, and hoping that it would be my turn when my husband and I are confident to be ready when we have children. 

Please DON'T rush us into getting pregnant, it's not fair on us, DON'T give us any bad suggestions of parenting (we know what we would be best for us to be parent), DON'T give us any negative suggestions of how to raise our children (we would know what would be best for how to raise our children), DON'T tell us to wait until we're in our thirties when to have our first child (we aren't in our teenage years, and we aren't in our early twenties), and so forth.

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Appreciate Your Opportunities ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on October 1975 BYU Devotional, and it is called "Appreciate Your Opportunities" by Brother Marion D. Hanks. This post is part two, I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional and I hope that you would be able to learn something new whilst reading this post. 

Elder Hanks has mentioned the following; "I read from the Book of Mormon: And now, my brethren, I have spoken to you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it? Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever. [Jacob 2:20–21] .."

Appreciation for Yourself

Appreciate your own special spiritual heritage and value. ... In this world, where the Lord needs every strong heart and devoted hand and tongue he can find, I think that’s very sad indeed. What I’m saying to you is that we need to appreciate the special heritage and values that have come to us. Think for a moment what particularly distinctive insight the kingdom of God offers you in these matters: God, Christ, man, life, ..., marriage, family, resurrection, eternity. 

Special instruction has been given to us concerning conservation, pollution, liberation, population, elections, freedom, abortion, government, Christ. In these and many other very important principles, programs, doctrines, and matters, there are distinctive, special insights we have to share. But just knowing that or hearing it doesn’t really suffice, does it? We must learn to understand these insights and become really converted to them, and to act on them.

... To learn and then to act. I know a man who as a bishop won an award for his great skills and success in training teachers who work among underprivileged people. ... Appreciate your own particular, distinctive heritage and the religious insights which it offers. ...

"Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you
miss them." - William Arthur Ward.

Appreciation for Humility

Appreciate the importance of being humble. Do you remember the wonderful words of an anguished father recorded in scripture? “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Do you remember the wonderful line about matters of greater consequence “weightier matters” the Lord called them judgment, mercy, and faith (see Matthew 23:23)? 

... And do you remember the Pharisee and the publican, the one so congratulatory over his religious rigidities, and the other who “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13)?... In the name and worship of Jesus Christ we should be humble.

Appreciation for Responsibility

Two other suggestions and I’m through. Appreciate the responsibility of being an individual in an organized society, a person and a social being with responsibility to others. Avoid, I pray you, that lone-eagle complex that makes some people say, “It’s my life and I’m going to live it. I’m going to do what I want to do in spite of what it does to anybody else, what effect it has on anyone else.” ...

Appreciation for Covenants

Appreciate, please, the need we all have to keep the pledges we have made. ... I remind you to be grateful for your pledges, and to keep them. I exemplify my pledges in an experience I once had. In a small town I had a talk with a lovely young woman about an opportunity she desired and now felt ready for. We were talking about her qualifications. 

She was candid and humble and gentle and forthright, anxious for her great opportunity. As we finished, I said to her, “Does anyone else know about the problem that makes this conversation necessary?” She said, “My bishop and my stake president and my parents.” I said (and I have more often felt blessed by the Spirit to ask a question than in answering one), “What was the reaction of your parents when you told them?” 

She said, “My father put his arms around me and wept. He said, ‘Ah, sweetheart, how could you carry this heavy burden alone without us to help?’” I said, “Was that his first response? Was that his reaction?” She said, “Yes.”

I said, “Do you know how blessed you are? Could I have the honor of meeting your father before we leave here?” The arrangement was made. 

I said to him, “If I can express in my own life the maturity of Christian understanding of the gospel that you have, I will be very grateful.” I bid you remember that, please. It is important to have that quality of character, and that kind of mature understanding of what it is really all about, and that kind of love. I see that as an appreciation of what God really expects us to grow to and is pulling for us to accomplish.

This is a good place to stop, save one, and that one is a scripture:

And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ. ... And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things.[Ether 12:38–39] ..."

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/marion-d-hanks/appreciate-opportunities

Stay Tuned until next time.

Appreciate Your Opportunities ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

Why should you appreciate your opportunities? Have you ever appreciated your opportunities in the past? If not, have you just had a moment to think about starting to appreciate your opportunities from now on?

This post focuses on October 1975 BYU Devotional, and it is called "Appreciate Your Opportunities" by Brother Marion D. Hanks. This post is part one, I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional and I hope that you would be able to learn something new whilst reading this post. Elder Hanks has mentioned the following; "... Someone has written, “New leaves do not come because old leaves are falling. Old leaves fall because new leaves are coming.” You are the new leaves. ...

Information and Appreciation

... Abraham Heschel wrote: Two things a man needs information and appreciation. Now when I look at our educational system and many other institutions for civilization, I see a tremendous emphasis upon information, 

but hardly any cultivation of the sense of appreciation. Unless there is appreciation there is no mankind. The 

great marvel of being alive is the ability to discover the mystery and wonder of everything. The real dignity of anything that is, is in its relationship to God Who created it. Unless we learn how to revere, we will not know

how to exist as human beings.

"Opportunity ahead."

For what information and appreciation shall we seek? ... A leaf, a rock, a star, swimming, biology, geology, astronomy all are wonderful. It would be wonderful if each of us had a broad enough base in the laws of nature and the basics of science and the facts of history and the principles of philosophy to be interested in and understand in a measure the great advances being made around us. 

This knowledge contributes richness to life and perhaps to making a living, but more important than any of it, central to all of it, giving it all meaning and coherence, is information about and appreciation of man himself, of 

his relationships with others and with God, and of his understanding of origins and heritage and possibilities, responsibilities, and an everlasting future. ...

Appreciation for Life

Appreciate life. ... These two or three sentences constituted the valedictory, of sorts, of Tom Dooley. Said the questioner, “Dr. Dooley, you are living on borrowed time, yet your contributions to humanity seem to take no account of the trials you personally are called upon to bear.” “Yes,” he said (this conversation was replayed the day he died), “I am living on borrowed time. 

So are you; so is every man who walks this earth. I may live to be as old as you are now; I may not live to see my next birthday. This does not matter. What really counts is what I do in terms of human good with the days, the weeks, the months or the years allotted to me by my creator.” Appreciate life.

Appreciation for Others

Appreciate others and be respectful of their values. I was called upon to pray at a public gathering a few days ago and found myself without premeditation thanking God for the qualities of gentility and civility and caring which permit people of diverse points of view and diverse ways of living to be together in an atmosphere of courtesy and graciousness. ... Do you remember the words of the great apostle who encouraged all of us to “honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17)? We also read of the Prophet, under the inspiration of God, preceding the marvelous words “let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly” with the admonition that we be filled with love toward all men, and to the household of faith (see D&C 121:45). ..."

Stay Tuned until next time.

A Season of Opportunity

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

For this week's topics focuses on Opportunities, and Pregnancy. What is your definition and understanding of the word, "opportunity"? What does "opportunity" means to a friend? What does "opportunity" means to a immediate relative? 

This post focuses on a October 1998 General Conference talk, and it is called "A Season of Opportunity" by H. David Burton. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. I hope that you would be able to learn something new. 

Elder Burton has mentioned the following;

"... As our recent sesquicentennial celebration concluded, our beloved prophet refocused our attention when he said: “The time has now come to turn about and face the future. This is a season of a thousand opportunities. It is ours to grasp and move forward. What a wonderful time it is for each of us to do his or her small part in moving the work of the Lord on to its magnificent destiny” (Gordon B. Hinckley, in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 90–91; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 67).

All of us face challenges in our daily lives. Yet in challenges lie some of our greatest opportunities. As we recognize and act on our opportunities, progress, happiness, and spiritual growth follow. We need to be involved in moving the Lord’s work forward. ... Over and over again we have been reminded ... to fully observe the Sabbath day. If we are not keeping the Sabbath day holy, today is a wonderful time to commit to seize that opportunity, to receive the promised blessings that come from Sabbath day observance. ... The need to reverence the Sabbath day is not new counsel. 

We are only being told today what prior generations have been told by the prophets of their day and reconfirmed countless times by the prophets of our day. ... But I also know that remembering to keep the Sabbath day holy is one of the most important commandments we can observe in preparing us to be the recipients of the whisperings of the Spirit. This is the season of opportunity for families to stand tall and be counted among the faithful who obey the fourth great commandment: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Ex. 20:8–10).

... Early in this dispensation, our forefathers were blessed with the opportunity of sacrificing mightily to build temples. They offered generously of their meager financial means as well as the fruits of their physical labor. As temples were completed in Kirtland and later in Nauvoo, the sacrifice of the Saints was great. They were blessed as they responded. After the migration of the Saints to the tops of the mountains, temples began to appear in a number of locations in the West. Each temple project represented great sacrifice. Divinely promised blessings awaited those who availed themselves of the opportunity to participate in building temples.

"Today is an opportunity to get better. Don't
waste it."

The season of opportunity that awaits us today, in temple service, is different from that of the past. ... We are, however, extended a marvelous opportunity to faithfully pay our tithes so temple construction and the work of the Lord may go forward. We are also challenged to be worthy to offer ourselves in the service of providing sacred saving ordinances for those who have preceded us. ... A few years ago a major communications company used in their advertising the phrase “Reach out and touch someone.” 

President Hinckley has reminded us repeatedly of the many opportunities to reach out and touch someone. In speaking of those who have recently joined with us, he described a need to reach out and touch them with love and fellowship; to those who are estranged, a touch of encouragement, unconditional love, and a full measure of forgiveness if required; to our neighbors, associates, and friends who are not of our faith, the blessing of being touched by the Holy Spirit because of our words and deeds.

In a recent training meeting for stake and ward councils held as a part of a stake conference I attended, well-prepared presentations centered on the opportunities to be “inclusive” rather than “exclusive” in reaching out and touching new and less-active individuals, as well as those not members of our church. Sister Laura Chipman, a stake Young Women president, suggested five I’s to help us to be inclusive in our outreach. 

They are: (1) Introspection - Are we inadvertently communicating an exclusionary attitude? (2) Identify - Do we know the recently baptized, the less-active, or nonmembers who reside in our neighborhoods and communities? (3) Individualize - Do we seek to know the interests, talents, and skills of those we wish to fellowship? (4) Invite - Do we include neighbors and friends in appropriate activities? (5) Involve - Are there ways we can utilize the skills, talents, and abilities of those we wish to include?

... All of our memories were refreshed during the course of the service. ... When the stories and recollections were complete, we all realized that our physically challenged, loving angel of a friend had given us and the wonderful compassionate families who reached out so often in love, far more of real value than he had ever received.

Yes, today is, indeed, a season of many opportunities. It is a season to reach out to touch the life of someone, a season to commit to keeping the Sabbath day holy, and a season to help keep the lights of our temples burning brightly, to name just a very few. ..."

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

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/10/a-season-of-opportunity

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Nature of Needs ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on a BYU Devotional in February 1986, and it is called "The Nature of Needs" by Elder Derek A. Cuthbert. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional and I hope that you would be able to learn something new. 

Elder Cuthbert has mentioned the following; "A Need for Others

Some of the other needs we may have are the need for friends and family, the need to love and be loved, the need for peace of mind and happiness and purpose in life. Then there is the need for good health, and the need to have spiritual guidance to help us make decisions. The secret of fulfilling almost all of these needs is the realization that we all need each other, and we all need God. 

... Everyone of us has heard the adage “The only way to have a friend is to be a friend” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series. Friendship), but sometimes we feel deprived of friendship, not realizing the solution lies in our own hands. We need to reach out and indeed be outgoing, rather than inward looking, bound up in our own little world. ... We make instant friends through the common bond of the gospel, but that does not mean all of our friends must be Latter-day Saints. 

... Over the years, however, when we had just moved into a new town or a new country, we saw how difficult it was until friendships were established. What a great opportunity you have in this great institution of learning to make friendships that will not only span the years ahead, but will span the oceans and continents. How great is the need to make the most of ourselves, go to places, meet people, socialize, and make friends. How important it is to develop the qualities we desire in others.

A Paramount Need

The need for peace of mind is a universal need, for without it there can be no lasting happiness. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace and harmony when fully absorbed into our lives. ... What a great thing it is to be a peacemaker; what a terrible thing to be a troublemaker. Peace of mind is a great blessing to which we are all entitled. ... When we rely on the Lord, we can have fulfillment of his promise, “Peace I leave with you, my peace

I give unto you: . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). He is “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

The need for happiness is a paramount need lasting happiness, not fleeting happiness. True happiness comes from knowing one’s purpose in life and in fulfilling it. Without purpose there is no direction; there is, instead, doubt and darkness, wandering and wavering. ... Without purpose, one goes in circles, instead of making progress, day by day, year by year, toward that goal established by the Almighty God for us, his children: “immortality and eternal life” (Moses 1:39). ...

"God will meet ALL your needs."
- Philippians 4:9.

This Blessing of Guidance

Finally, on this second kind of need, I would mention the need to have spiritual guidance to help us make decisions. Is there anyone in this whole wide world who has no decisions or choices to make? No, not one. It is a major part of life to use that special gift of God free agency. Personally, I have decisions and choices to make every day. Some are easy to make; others take time. ... He knows what is right and good for me, and through the Holy Ghost tells me whether I have made a wise choice.

Behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong. [D&C 9:8–9] What a need we all have for the blessing of such spiritual guidance.

“Open Thy Hand Wide”

This leads us then to the third category of need, the kind of need which causes us to look outward and prompts Christ-like feelings of compassion and the desire to help others. I speak of the need that is often qualified by the adjective “dire” or “urgent.” It is a condition requiring relief and, in many cases, constitutes a lack of the very means of subsistence. ... The scriptures are replete with references to this great need and how it should be 

fulfilled. “Open thine hand wide . . . to thy needy,” the Lord proclaimed through Moses (Deuteronomy 15:11). ...

I have at home a tape-recorded message from the Saints in Ghana, West Africa, that is very special to me. Branch President Ato Dodson says, “The Mormon Church is one big family and came to our aid in these critical times. When my members came around for me to distribute the goods, a lot of them shed tears. They couldn’t believe it. Neither could I myself. I discovered that, in the Lord’s true Church, all things are possible. The words of Malachi came true that if we are faithful to the Lord, paying our tithes, blessings would be showered upon us. 

We are very, very grateful and don’t have enough words to express our gratitude. We shall never forget such a gesture by our brothers and sisters in the United States. One day we will be self-sufficient through the programs you have given us.” ... You, the rising generation, have the great responsibility upon your shoulders to reach out to those in need as never before. ... The excellent education you are receiving in these critical years of your life is to help you to determine and discern and discover needs, your own needs and those of others. 

You are also learning how to fulfill those needs, whether they be physical, spiritual, mental, or social needs. Learn well, and live accordingly, and you will enjoy a fullness of life and fulfill the measure of your creation. Above all, have a grateful heart, which will always prompt and motivate you to reach out to others, for “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,” Jesus said, “ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). ... "

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/derek-a-cuthbert/nature-needs/

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Nature of Needs ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on a BYU Devotional in February 1986, and it is called "The Nature of Needs" by Elder Derek A. Cuthbert. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional and I hope that you would be able to learn something new. 

Elder Cuthbert has mentioned the following; "Anciently, the Apostle Paul gave firm assurance that “my God shall supply all your need[s]” (Philippians 4:19). ... As we study man in his many roles and challenges in life, we find that there is not a single one of God’s children who does not have many needs. ... Indeed, he wants to fulfill our needs. ... A need can be a “necessary duty or obligation.” It may also be a “lack of something requisite, desirable, or useful.” Sometimes it can be a “condition requiring supply or relief,” which in the extreme case means the “lack of the means of subsistence.”

Let us consider, then, the nature of needs. This will help us to identify them, and then to fulfill them.

By Duty or Obligation - First, there is our need to do certain things, whether by duty or obligation. 

Of paramount importance here is the need to pray. ... Jesus taught us not only the need to pray but how to pray showing reverence and gratitude, making petition and commitment, praying daily, and in his name. However, the adversary places many obstacles in our paths such as the spirit of rebellion, feelings of selfishness, and a false sense of spiritual self-sufficiency. ... Promptings such as “I won’t pray!” “Why should I pray?” “I have no need to pray” can all be overcome. 

What great blessings come from prayer, which not only brings rich rewards, but is its own reward. ... Answers to prayer are not in man’s time, but in God’s time. Patience, faith, and humble submission are finally rewarded. ... 

There are many other duty–needs, of course, as important as prayer. ... This is surely a duty and an obligation,

for we owe him a great debt of gratitude. ... We show our gratitude by our faith, and we show our faith by our thoughts, words, and especially our deeds. 

Any thinking person would like to make a fresh start, begin a clean sheet, correct past mistakes, and go forward, untrammelled by the past. It all becomes possible by first having faith in Jesus Christ as our personal savior and redeemer, and second, by making the necessary changes to conform with his teachings through the process of repentance. We all have a need to repent and make changes, every day, every month, every year. After repentance a person is ready to be baptized. Baptism is also a fundamental and universal need, for it is the gateway into the Lord’s church, the church of Jesus Christ. ...

There is a great need for every person in the world to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost in their lives. The Holy Ghost helps us in our work and in our studies, protects and warns us, and brings things to our remembrance. This great gift is bestowed upon us following baptism into the Lord’s church. It is indeed a duty to seek to have this gift, for we can bring blessings to others and live purposeful lives ourselves when we have the Holy Ghost. ...

“Things Ye Have Need Of”

... I would like to discuss with you the second kind. These are the needs that represent “a lack of something.” Sometimes we do not recognize these, but it is good to have the assurance that our “Father knoweth what things [w]e have need of” (Matthew 6:8).

Your needs.

A Need for Knowledge

I will select a few of the many needs, beginning with knowledge, especially knowledge of the Almighty God, and of his beloved son, Jesus Christ. ... 

The missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are such teachers, who will not only impart facts and share knowledge, but who will also help us to develop wisdom.

... There are many more great teachers exemplars of whom I could tell but I just have one more, my dear wife. How much I have learned from her in charity, in patience, in endurance, in joyfulness. She has lifted me now for over forty years, and has shown me wisdom as we have counseled together, prayed together, laughed together, and cried together. ...

Sometimes we do not realize what knowledge or wisdom we need, but God knows and we should “ask the Father ... for what things soever [w]e shall stand in need” (Mormon 9:27). ... What of us? Some of us tend to say, “I keep the commandments, I attend my church meetings, I pay my tithes and offerings, and I live the Word of Wisdom.” Then the Lord gives us a real test. Leave the things of the world and give yourself in service. Will we do it? Will you do it when the call comes?

Why should we respond to such a demand, such a sacrifice? Why did the Savior respond to the great demands upon him as he endured persecution, ridicule, and betrayal? Why did he, the Son of God, respond by sacrificing his very life? He did it because he loved us, and loves us, unconditionally. Why should we respond? “As I have loved you . . . love one another,” he has challenged (John 13:34). The degree to which we follow him and keep his commandments indicates the depth of our gratitude to him and the sincerity of our love for him. Each of us has different needs, but the gospel fulfills them all. I can truly testify to you today that since becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have had all my needs fulfilled—spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially." 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Marriage Is Intended to Be Forever ~ 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 April 1971 General Conference talk and it is called, "Marriage Is Intended to Be Forever" by 

James A. Cullimore. 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. 

Brother Cullimore has mentioned the following; "Other important desires and plans in marriage should be well understood by both parties as well. ... Possibly to list some of the most common causes for which civil divorces 

are sought might be helpful in avoiding these problems: incompatibility, adultery, money matters, physical abuse, dishonesty, not living the gospel, infidelity, not honoring priesthood, desertion, constant bickering, apathy, drunkenness, uncontrolled temper.

Incompatibility has come to be such a common word, it seems to be the justification for many problems. ... Have we made every effort to compromise our likes and dislikes with those of our spouse? If we were truly living the gospel, there would be much less incompatibility. ... The matter of disinterest, lack of voluntary expression, lack of affection are common causes for breakdown of marriage. 

President Harold B. Lee recently said this ... “... the most dangerous thing that can happen between you and your wife or between me and my wife is apathy, … for them to feel that we are not interested in their affairs, that we are not expressing our love and showing our affection in countless ways. Women to be happy have to be loved and so do men.” (Seminar for Regional Representatives of the Twelve, December 12, 1970)

"If you want something to last forever, you treat
it differently." - F. Burton Howard.

To take lightly the law of chastity or to violate the moral teachings of the Savior is a sober matter. It seems incredible that priesthood holders and women who have been considered worthy to hold a recommend to the temple and be married therein are so often guilty of adultery, infidelity, and other 

... In this day when so many women are working out of the home, as men and women work together, many homes are broken up by what at first starts to be an innocent association. 

... No matter what the reason for divorce, those usually hurt most are the children. Too often the children are robbed of the basic needs to prepare them for life. President McKay said there are three fundamental things to which every child is entitled: (1) a respected name, (2) a sense of security, (3) opportunities for development. (The LDS Family, p. 406.) The possibility of any of these is lessened in divorce. ... Important to any marriage is complete confidence trust in all things. 

The confidence born of true love, never doubting, never questioning the integrity of each other. ... To counsel with each other and make decisions together is so important to a happy marriage. Counsel which includes the whole family might build good family relationships. Counseling with each other in all that is done will strengthen the bonds of marriage. I suppose there is no surer need in marriage than constant compromise. It is through compromise that we grow closer to each other. 

As we acknowledge our own faults and recognize the virtues in the other and make the adjustments, we strengthen our marriage. ... Neither should courtship end at the altar. How important it is to constantly be conscious of our marriage and work at it every day we live, keeping alive our courtship by kind acts, thoughtfulness, and consideration always. 

Archibald F. Bennett, in his writings on family exaltation, expresses this beautifully: “Too many couples have come to the altar of marriage looking upon the marriage ceremony as the end of courtship instead of the beginning of an eternal courtship. Let us not forget that during the burdens of home life … that tender words of appreciation, courteous acts are even more appreciated than during those sweet days and months of courtship. 

It is after the ceremony and during the trials that daily arise in the home, that a word of ‘thank you,’ or ‘pardon me,’ ‘if you please,’ … will contribute to that love which brought you to the altar. … The wedding ring gives no man the right to be cruel or inconsiderate, and no woman the right to be slovenly, cross or disagreeable.” (The LDS Family) May we keep sacred our marriage vows and live so that we might enjoy its eternal blessings ..."

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

www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1971/04/marriage-is-intended-to-be-forever

Stay Tuned until next time.

Marriage Is Intended to Be Forever ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

Do you think marriage is intended to be forever? 

This post focuses on April 1971 General Conference talk and it is called, "Marriage Is Intended to Be Forever" by 

James A. Cullimore. 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. 

Brother Cullimore has mentioned the following; "... Marriage in the temple for time and eternity should be the goal of every member of the Church, for marriage is ordained of God. Marriage is a commandment. ... Marriage is a sacred relationship entered into primarily for the rearing of a family, in fulfillment of the commandments of the Lord. Marriage with children, and the beautiful family relationship which can come of it, is the fulfillment of life. 

If things were as they should be, we would see a mother and father in a home having been married in the temple for time and eternity. The father honoring his priesthood, presiding in his home in righteousness. Father and mother loving each other and their children. Children loving and respecting each other and mother and father. All actively engaged in their church responsibilities. The Lord intended that marriage performed for eternity in the temple should endure forever. 

"you will forever be my always."

... It is evident from the scriptures that marriage performed in the Lord’s way should not be dissolved. It is sad, indeed, to see how lightly some take their marriage vows. There is great concern among the Brethren as to the increasing number of divorces in the Church today.

... Divorce is usually the result of one or both not living the gospel. ... If, in marriage, both parties would make gospel standards and principles the basis of their marriage, 

few problems would arise they could not handle. 

When one or the other or both begin to compromise gospel standards, problems follow. Marriage is a sacred relationship, and good members of the Church would know that it is entered into primarily for the rearing of a family. 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Happy One Year to Marriage

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post is short and sweet. This week's topics focuses on Marriages, and Needs. Today marks my first year wedding anniversary in other words, I have been married to my husband for one entire year. 

I remembered prior to getting married; I have done some research, and a few friends has advised me what I should expect within the first year of marriage. I remembered reading somewhere about within the first year of marriage can be difficult. I would suggest to everyone who is currently engaged, and planning to get married soon to be not have very high expectations of what happens throughout their first year of marriage. 

I know that my husband and I have learned so much throughout our first year into our marriage. We had great opportunities when it seems like we were constantly getting to know each other, we were able to learn some effective ways to avoid disagreements, we tried some new meals that we haven't had before, and so forth. I always love seeing my husband sometime after he finishes work, and I always love spending some time with my husband. 

"One year down, FOREVER to go!"

Throughout our first year into our marriage; I have been very grateful for my husband's continuous non-stop support that he has for me, I have appreciated of everything that he has done for me, I have appreciated the compliments that I received from my husband so often, I have appreciated all of the memories that I had with my husband (especially whenever we went bike riding together), and so forth. I know that my husband has been very grateful for my continuous non-stop support that I have for him, he has appreciated of everything that I have done for him, he has appreciated all of the compliments that he has received from me so often, he has appreciated all of the memories that he had with me, and so forth. 

I have accomplished some things throughout our first year into our marriage. 

I often do my best to keep myself occupied and busy while my husband is working. I have started to go bike riding again in February this year (I haven't ridden a bike since sometime in 2018), I have started and completed two Self-Reliance courses last year and those courses called "Starting and Growing My Business", and "Personal Finances". About several weeks ago, I have started doing a course focused on institute at home by myself and the course that I am doing is "Building an Eternal Marriage." I do that course twice a week, and it is a continuation from "Preparing For Eternal Marriage" course. 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Love Takes Time

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

Have you ever heard the saying "Love Takes Time" before? Have a immediate family member of yours ever heard the saying, "Love Takes Time" before? Have a friend of yours ever heard the saying "Love Takes Time" before?

This post focuses on a October 1975 General Conference talk, and it is called "Love Takes Time" by Marvin J. Ashton. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. Elder Ashton has mentioned 

the following; "... The world is filled with too many of us who are inclined to indicate our love with an announc-

ement or declaration. True love is a process. True love requires personal action. Love must be continuing to be 

real. Love takes time. Too often expediency, infatuation, stimulation, persuasion, or lust are mistaken for love. 

... We must at regular and appropriate intervals speak and reassure others of our love and the long time it takes to prove it by our actions. Real love does take time. ... Love demands action if it is to be continuing. Love is a process. Love is not a declaration. Love is not an announcement. ... Love is not an expediency. Love is not a convenience. ... Keeping is a process of care, consideration, and ... All of us need to be constantly reminded it takes a heap of living and loving to make a house a home. How do we best show our love? How do we prove our love?

... When were you last fed by a family member or friend? When were you last given nourishment for growth and ideas, plans, sorting of the day, sharing of fun, recreation, sorrow, anxiety, concern, and meditation? These ingredients can only be shared by someone who loves and cares. Have you ever gone to extend sympathy and comfort in moments of death and trial, only to come away fed by the faith and trust of the loving bereaved? 

Certainly the best way for us to show our love in keeping and feeding is by taking the time to prove it hour by hour and day by day. Our expressions of love and comfort are empty if our actions don’t match. God loves us to continue. Our neighbors and families love us if we will but follow through with sustaining support and self-sharing. True love is as eternal as life itself. Who is to say the joys of eternity are not wrapped up in continuous feeding, keeping, and caring? We need not weary in well-doing when we understand God’s purposes and his children.

Undoubtedly our Heavenly Father tires of expressions of love in words only. ... not too uncommon, of people who, hour by hour, day by day, and month by month, have taken the time to love one another. ... because, gratefully, all around on a daily and continuing basis, we see true love in action. ... What a pleasure it is also to witness all along life’s paths others - people not driven by tragedy, crisis, or loss practicing the basic principle of true love. In the usual routines of life often courtesy, consideration, and kindness are best exhibited in the little day-to-day meaningful expressions that denote real love.

... The opportunities for showing love for God through the home, neighborhood, mission field, ..., and family are never-ending. Some of us are inclined to terminate our love processes in the family when a member disappoints, ..., or becomes lost. Sometimes when family members least deserve love, they need it most. Love is not appropriately expressed in threats, accusations, expressions of disappointment, or retaliation. Real love takes time, patience, help, and continuing performances. ... Love of God takes time. Love of family takes time. Love of country takes time. Love of neighbor takes time. Love of companion takes time. Love in courtship takes time. Love of self takes time.

Whether we are a young son, not wanting to hear of love, but preferring to see it in action, a prisoner, a student, a mother, a father, daughter, or the stranger, we need and deserve more than the declaration, “I love you.” Let us resolve to take the time to give of ourselves in putting love into appropriate action and performance. God, too, needs more than words. He is made happy by our feeding, keeping, and continuing. I pray our Heavenly Father will help us to learn the truth that meaningful love is a continuing process that will bring joy and happiness to all participating parties. ... God help us to take the time to enjoy the blessings of feeding, keeping, and caring. ..."

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

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1975/10/love-takes-time

Stay Tuned until next time.