What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2021 General Conference talk, and it is called "What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget" by President Russell M. Nelson. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

President Nelson has mentioned the following; 

"... Much has happened in the past two years! Some of you have lost loved ones. Others have lost jobs, livelihood, or health. Still others have lost a sense of peace or hope for the future. My heart goes out to each one of you who has suffered these or other losses. 

I pray constantly that the Lord will comfort you. As you continue to let God prevail in your life, I know that He is just as optimistic about your future as He has ever been. ... Some have found deeper faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Many have found a fresh perspective on life even an eternal perspective. You may have found stronger relationships with your loved ones and with the Lord. ... Difficult trials often provide opportunities to grow that would not have come in any other way.

Think back on the past two years. How have you grown? What have you learned? You might initially wish you could go back to 2019 and stay there! But if you look at your life prayerfully, I believe you will see many ways in which the Lord has been guiding you through this time of hardship, helping you to become a more devoted, more converted man a true man of God.

I know the Lord has great and marvelous plans for us individually and collectively. With compassion and patience, He says: “Ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath … prepared for you; “And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.”

... He wants us to grow and to learn, even through perhaps especially through adversity. Adversity is a great teacher. What have you learned in the past two years that you always want to remember? Your answers will be unique to you, but may I suggest four lessons I hope we have all learned and will never forget.

Lesson 1: The Home Is the Center of Faith and Worship

Often when the Lord warns us about the perils of the last days, He counsels thus: “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.” ... But as our ability to gather in these places has been restricted in varying degrees, we have learned that one of the holiest of places on earth is the home - yes, even your home.

Brethren, you bear the priesthood of God. “The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven.” You and your family have received priesthood ordinances. It is “in the ordinances [of the priesthood that] the power of godliness is manifest.” That power is available to you and your family in your own home as you keep the covenants you have made.

Just 185 years ago, this very day, April 3, 1836, Elijah restored the keys of the priesthood that allow our families to be sealed together forever. ... You may feel that there is still more you need to do to make your home truly a sanctuary of faith. If so, please do it! 

If you are married, counsel with your wife as your equal partner in this crucial work. There are few pursuits more important than this. Between now and the time the Lord comes again, we all need our homes to be places of serenity and security. Attitudes and actions that invite the Spirit will increase the holiness of your home. ...

Have you ever wondered why the Lord wants us to make our homes the center of gospel learning and gospel living? ... However, your commitment to make your home your primary sanctuary of faith should never end. As faith and holiness decrease in this fallen world, your need for holy places will increase. ...

Lesson 2: We Need Each Other

God wants us to work together and help each other. That is why He sends us to earth in families and organizes us into wards and stakes. That is why He asks us to serve and minister to each other. That is why He asks us to live in the world but not be of the world.

We can accomplish so much more together than we can alone. God’s plan of happiness would be frustrated if His children remained isolated one from another.

The recent pandemic has been unique in that it has affected everyone in the world at essentially the same time. ... Because of this, our common trial has the potential to help unite God’s children as never before. ... In this regard, the two great commandments can guide us: first, to love God and, second, to love our neighbor. 

We show our love by serving. If you know of anyone who is alone, reach out even if you feel alone too! ... Just say hello and show your love. Technology can help you. Pandemic or not, each precious child of God needs to know that he or she is not alone!

"Think back on the past two years. How have you 
grown? What have you learned? You might initially
wish you could go back to 2019 and stay there! But
if you look at your life prayerfully, I believe you will see
many ways in which the Lord has been guiding you 
through this time of hardship."
- President Russell M. Nelson.

Lesson 3: Your Priesthood Quorum Is Meant for More Than Just a Meeting

... Nevertheless, the work that the Lord has given to priesthood quorums was never meant to be confined to a meeting. Meetings are only a small part of what a quorum is meant for and what it can do. 

My brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood and elders quorums, expand your vision of why we have quorums. 

How does the Lord wish you would use your quorum to accomplish His work now? Seek revelation from the Lord. Humble yourself! Ask! Listen! 

If you have been called to lead, counsel as a presidency and with quorum members. Whatever your priesthood office or calling, let God prevail in your commitment as a member of your quorum and in your service. 

Experience with joy the righteousness you will bring to pass as you are “anxiously engaged in a good cause.” Quorums are in a unique position to accelerate the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil.

Lesson 4: We Hear Jesus Christ Better When We Are Still

We live in a time prophesied long ago, when “all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.” ... Commotion in the world will continue to increase. In contrast, the voice of the Lord is not “a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but … it [is] a still voice of perfect mildness, [like] a whisper, and it [pierces] even to the very soul." 

In order to hear this still voice, you too must be still! ... Soon we may be able to choose to fill that time again with the noise and commotion of the world. Or we can use our time to hear the voice of the Lord whispering His guidance, comfort, and peace. 

Quiet time is sacred time - time that will facilitate personal revelation and instill peace. Discipline yourself to have time alone and with your loved ones. Open your heart to God in prayer. Take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple.

My dear brethren, there are many things the Lord wants us to learn from our experiences during this pandemic. I have listed only four. I invite you to make your own list, consider it carefully, and share it with those you love.

The future is bright for God’s covenant-keeping people. The Lord will increasingly call upon His servants who worthily hold the priesthood to bless, comfort, and strengthen mankind and to help prepare the world and its people for His Second Coming. ... We can do this! ..."

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

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/36nelson

Stay Tuned until next time.

Learning the Lessons of the Past ~ Part Two

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2009 General Conference talk, and it is called "Learning the Lessons of the Past" from Elder M. Russell Ballard. This post is part two and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Elder Ballard has mentioned the following;  

"In every dispensation, God’s loving desire to bless His children is manifest in the miraculous restoration of the gospel truth to the earth through living prophets. The Restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith in the early 1800s is only the most recent example. ... The 179 years that have passed since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized have been extraordinary by any measure. 

... We live in an era when the boundaries of good taste and public decency are being pushed to the point where there are no boundaries at all. ... Certain factions of society seem generally mistrustful of anyone who chooses to live according to religious belief. 

And when people of faith attempt to warn others of the possible consequences of their sinful choices, they are scoffed at and ridiculed, and their most sacred rites and cherished values are publicly mocked. ... More importantly, what impact will the lessons of the past have on the personal choices you make right now and for the rest of your lives?

The voice of the Lord is clear and unmistakable. He knows you. He loves you. He wants you to be eternally happy. But according to your God-given agency, the choice is yours. Each one of you has to decide for yourself if you are going to ignore the past and suffer the painful mistakes and tragic pitfalls that have befallen previous generations, experiencing for yourself the devastating consequences of bad choices. 

... With all my heart I hope and pray that you will be wise enough to learn the lessons of the past. ... You don’t have to follow the path of Cain or Gadianton in order to realize that “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10). And you don’t have to allow your community to become like Sodom or Gomorrah in order to understand that it isn’t a good place to raise a family.

"Learning the lessons of the past allows you to build
personal testimony on a solid bedrock of obedience, 
faith, and the witness of the Spirit."

Learning the lessons of the past allows you to walk boldly in the light without running the risk of stumbling in the darkness. This is the way it’s supposed to work. This is God’s plan: father and mother, grandfather and grandmother teaching their children; children learning from them and then becoming a more righteous generation through their own personal experiences and opportunities. 

Learning the lessons of the past allows you to build personal testimony on a solid bedrock of obedience, faith, and the witness of the Spirit. Of course, it’s not enough to learn these lessons as a matter of history and culture. Learning the names and dates and sequence of events from the printed page won’t help you very much unless the meaning and the message are written in your hearts. 

Nourished by testimony and watered with faith, the lessons of the past can take root in your hearts and become a vibrant part of who you are. And so it returns, as it always does, to your own personal faith and testimony. ... That is how you know. That is how you avoid the mistakes of the past and take your spirituality to the next level. 

If you are open and receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit in your lives, you will understand the lessons of the past, and they will be burned into your souls by the power of your testimonies. And how do you get such a testimony? Well, there’s no new technology for that, nor will there ever be. 

... You gain a vibrant, life-changing testimony today the same way it has always been done. The process hasn’t been changed. It comes through desire, study, prayer, obedience, and service. That is why the teachings of prophets and apostles, past and present, are as relevant to your life today as they ever have been.

That you may find joy and happiness and peace in the future by learning the great and eternal lessons of the past ... wherever you may be ..."

If you would like to read the whole talk, here is the link below.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2009/04/learning-the-lessons-of-the-past

Stay Tuned until next time.

Learning the Lessons of the Past ~ Part One

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2009 General Conference talk, and it is called "Learning the Lessons of the Past" from Elder M. Russell Ballard. This post is part one and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Elder Ballard has mentioned the following; 

"We live in a fascinating and sometimes bewildering time. ... When you are willing to listen and learn, some of life’s most meaningful teachings come from those who have gone before you. They have walked where you are walking and have experienced many of the things you are experiencing. 

If you listen and respond to their counsel, they can help guide you toward choices that will be for your benefit and blessing and steer you away from decisions that can destroy you. As you look to your parents and others who have gone before you, you will find examples of faith, commitment, hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that you should strive to duplicate.

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which it would not be worthwhile to consider and learn from the experience of others. ... New missionaries are assigned to work with a senior companion whose experience helps the new missionary learn the right way to effectively serve the Lord.

Of course, there are times when we have no choice but to venture out on our own and do the best we can at figuring things out as we go along. For example, there are not a lot of people in my generation whose experience can help when it comes to the most modern of technologies. When we have problems with modern technology, we must look for someone who knows more about it than we do which usually means turning to one of you young people.

It is my message and testimony to you today, my young friends, that for the most important questions of your eternal lives, there are answers in the scriptures and in the words and testimonies of apostles and prophets. The fact that these words come largely from older men, past and present, doesn’t make them any less relevant. In fact, it makes their words even more valuable to you because they come from those who have learned much through years of devout living.

...There are great lessons to be learned from the past, and you ought to learn them so that you don’t exhaust your spiritual strength repeating past mistakes and bad choices.You don’t have to be a Latter-day Saint you don’t even have to be religious to see the repeating pattern of history in the lives of God’s children as recorded in the Old Testament. 

Time and again we see the cycle of righteousness followed by wickedness. Similarly, the Book of Mormon records that ancient civilizations of this continent followed exactly the same pattern: righteousness followed by prosperity, followed by material comforts, followed by greed, followed by pride, followed by wickedness and a collapse of morality until the people brought calamities upon themselves sufficient to stir them up to humility, repentance, and change.

In the relatively short span of years covered by the New Testament, the historic pattern repeats itself again. This time the people turned against Christ and His Apostles. The collapse was so great we have come to know it as the Great Apostasy, which led to the centuries of spiritual stagnation and ignorance called the Dark Ages.

Now, I need to be very clear about these historically reoccurring periods of apostasy and spiritual darkness. Our Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and He wants them all to have the blessings of the gospel in their lives. Spiritual light is not lost because God turns His back on His children. 

... It is a natural consequence of bad choices made by individuals, communities, countries, and entire civilizations. This has been proven again and again throughout the course of time. One of the great lessons of this historical pattern is that our choices, both individually and collectively, do result in spiritual consequences for ourselves and for our posterity."

Stay Tuned until next time.

America's Fate and Ultimate Destiny ~ Part Two

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional, and it is called "America's Fate and Ultimate Destiny" by Elder Marion G. Romney. This post is part two, and I hope you will be able to learn something new while you are reading through this post.

Elder Romney has mentioned the following; "Elder Nephi L. Morris supports this conclusion with quotes from Washington Irving’s The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus: 

“In the latter part of his life, Columbus, when impressed with the sublime events brought about by his agency ... looked back upon his career with a solemn and superstitious feeling, he attributed his early and irresistible inclination for the sea, and his passion for geographical studies, to an impulse from the deity preparing him for the high decrees he was chosen to accomplish“(See Irving, p. 18, vol. 1).

“When [Columbus] had formed his theory, it became fixed in his mind with singular firmness, and influenced his entire character and conduct. He never spoke in doubt or hesitation, but with as [such] certainty as if his eyes had beheld the promised land. No trial or disappointment could divert him from the steady pursuit of his object. 

A deep religious sentiment mingled with his meditations, and gave him at times a tinge of superstition, but it was of a sublime and lofty kind; he looked upon himself as standing in the hand of heaven, chosen from among men for the accomplishment of his high purpose. . . .”

... His son Fernando, in the biography of his father quotes him as saying on one occasion: “God gave me the faith and afterwards the courage so that I was quite willing to undertake the journey.” ... 

America Reserved for the Righteous

We who live in America today are here because the Lord led Columbus to this land. We dwell here under the same divine decree, however, as did the ancient civilizations, who, being likewise led here, prospered when they obeyed the laws of the God of the land but who finally ripened in iniquity and, pursuant to the Lord’s decree, were swept off the land. And be it known that we are as well informed of the decree as were those former inhabitants. The manner in which a knowledge of this decree came to us is as follows:

Moroni, an American prophet-historian who, about 421 A.D., closed the sacred Book of Mormon record now available to us, spent his youth and middle life in the final struggle between his people, the Nephites, and the Lamanites. 

As the sole surviving Nephite, he spent the rest of his life abridging the two-thousand-year record of the Jaredites. ... With these heartrending scenes and his own experiences upon his mind, he was given in vision a view of us who now dwell here.

Knowing that his record would come to us, he wrote as he looked at us in vision: Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. [Mormon 8:35]

And this [the record that he wrote] cometh unto you . . . that ye may know the decrees of God that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. [Ether 2:11–12; emphasis added]

Although the foregoing references to America’s past are brief and sketchy, they clearly show that she is now and has been from the beginning a favored and choice land in which the Lord has taken a personal and peculiar interest. ... (see J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Stand Fast by Our Constitution [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1973], p. 183).

But not only has the Almighty reserved America for a righteous people and decreed that her inhabitants shall serve him or be swept off the land; he has also, as indicated at the outset of these remarks, decreed for her a great and marvelous final destiny namely, that out of her is to go forth to all the world his law.

... Thus America’s ultimate God-given destiny, planned by the Creator [and by him through Isaiah declared], is that out of her shall go forth the law. [Clark, Stand Fast, pp. 174–75] This destiny no power of men or devils can thwart.

Let us now consider for a moment what the Lord has done since he led Columbus to America to move her toward her divine destiny. Reference has already been made to the early settlers, to the growth of the original colonies, to the Declaration of Independence, and to the success of the colonists in the Revolutionary War through which their declared independence was won. 

Later on, between 1820 and 1844, the Lord revealed a new and complete dispensation of his gospel that contains the laws of the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ. This was, of course, made imperative by the divine decree that those who dwell here must obey such laws or be swept off the land. 

His laws have always been given to the inhabitants of America. He gave them to the antediluvians through his prophets from Adam to Noah. He gave them to the Jaredites through the prophets from the brother of Jared to Ether. To the Nephites in a personal visitation and through his prophets from Lehi to Moroni, he revealed his laws. To this generation he has given them anew through his prophet Joseph Smith, Jr.

In God’s economy, America is now and has
always been a choice and favored land. God has
decreed for her a final, great, and glorious destiny.

Free Agency Needed for Obedience to God’s Laws

The giving of these laws, however, would have been abortive without a civil government that would guarantee men the untrammeled exercise of their God-given free agency. 

Without such a civil government men could not be bound by the laws of God even though they were revealed. As a matter of fact, free agency underlies all of God’s laws. 

It is God’s law of liberty. ... God wants men to do good, but he never forces them and does not want them to be forced. He placed in and left with them the power of election. When they do good, he honors them because they could have done evil. 

... God allows men to make their own choices, and he has reserved to himself the judgment as to the correctness of their choices. Free agency has always had rough going, however. Over it the War in Heaven was fought. In the earth it has been abridged by almost all governments, civil and ecclesiastical. Apostate churchmen, kings, and other rulers have from the beginning arrogated judgment unto themselves. 

They have, contrary to God’s law of liberty, preempted man’s right, with or without his consent, to determine what would be best for them to do and by every means within their power have undertaken to force men to do their bidding.

... On July 3, 1776, no government on earth guaranteed God’s law of liberty; but on July 4, 1776, in the Declaration of Independence, that law was declared anew in the earth. ... The colonial patriots did receive the fugitive. 

They fought and won the war of the revolution to obtain freedom. They, under the inspiration of heaven and the interposition of the Almighty, established the Constitution of the United States to secure freedom, God’s law of liberty, not only for all Americans but also for all men.

In this manner did God move America into position to fulfill her destiny. That it was he who did it, he himself affirms. ... According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh [not just for America], according to just and holy principles;

... That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.

In this declaration the Lord reveals three things: (1) that the Constitution of the United States was established by him; (2) that the purpose of it was to protect men in the exercise of their God-given moral agency; and (3) that every man should eventually, under its just and holy principles, enjoy such protection.

... I think I have now said enough to sustain my thesis that America has from the beginning been, and now is, in God’s economy, a choice and favored land, and that he has decreed for her a great destiny. I shall therefore conclude with a statement of these basic facts.

The blessings of our constitutional freedoms were secured for us by the bounty of the Almighty through the patriotism and sacrifices of the founding fathers. They were preserved for us through the suffering and trials of the Civil War. For them we owe a deep debt of gratitude to God and our forebears.

By the grace of God we occupy this land, the blessings of which are unequaled in any other land. It is difficult for us of this generation to fully appreciate these blessings because they were not won by the shedding of our own blood, sweat, and tears, but by that of others.

There are some things, however, that we must no longer fail to appreciate. ... America’s destiny requires that the constitutional safeguards of this freedom be appreciated and maintained. It is imperative that they be maintained and observed here in America in order that they may go out from here undiluted to the protection of all flesh. 

Whether this generation of Americans will live up to its opportunity to obey and preserve them, particularly God’s law of liberty including the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the God of this land remains to be seen. If it does not, the wicked among us will be destroyed, as were the wicked preceding the appearance of the risen Lord to the Nephites.

God will spare the righteous and raise up another generation in this land, for out of Zion the law of God will go forth. There are those among us who feel, and perhaps with good cause, that these constitutional freedoms are being, both wittingly and unwittingly, eroded. 

If this be so, let it be known that with the loss of each constitutional freedom we are surrendering our inheritance in this favored land. What can we do about it? Let me give you a suggestion in the words of the immortal Lincoln. As I read the word laws and I quote him, think of the laws of the gospel and those constitutional laws calculated to preserve our free agency God’s law of liberty. Here is the quotation:

Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well-wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution never to violate in the least particular the laws of the country [and let Latter-day Saints include in that the laws of the gospel of Jesus Christ], and never to tolerate their violation by others. 

As the patriots of ‘76 did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and the laws [of God], let every American pledge his life, his property and his sacred honour; let every man remember that to violate the law is to trample upon the blood of his fathers and to tear the charter of his own and his children’s liberty. 

... Now, my beloved brothers and sisters, young and old, let us who know and believe so much more than others about the fate and ultimate destiny of America lead the way by precept and example to the realization of that great destiny. ..."

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/marion-g-romney/americas-fate-ultimate-destiny/

Stay Tuned until next time.

America’s Fate and Ultimate Destiny ~ Part One

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a Brigham Young University (BYU) Devotional, and it is called "America's Fate and Ultimate Destiny" by Elder Marion G. Romney. This post is part one, and I hope you will be able to learn something new while you are reading through this post.

Elder Romney has mentioned the following; "... Celebration of the Fourth of July

Although I was born and lived for fifteen years in a foreign land, my parents, who were United States citizens, and their fellow colonists always remembered and observed the Fourth of July. The celebration regularly included a flag and bunting parade and an oration commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

... I hope each of you, and I, have like feelings about this great land of America, about the Declaration of Independence, and about the Constitution of the United States.

Sacred History of America

In God’s economy, America is now and has always been a choice and favored land. God has decreed for her a final, great, and glorious destiny. Here Zion is to be established and the New Jerusalem is to be built. From here the law of God shall go forth to all nations.

America received her first consecration as a favored land when the Lord planted here the Garden of Eden as a habitation for Adam and Eve. A thousand years later Enoch’s Zion flourished here.

And then some six hundred years thereafter this land was deluged by the Flood and left uninhabited, so far as human beings were concerned, until the Lord led to this land from the tower of Babel a colony of people, the Jaredites, declaring as he led them that he was bringing them to a “land of promise, . . . choice above all other lands,” and “that whoso should possess this land . . . from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them” (Ether 2:7–8).

... Six hundred years B.C., as time was running out for the Jaredites, the Lord brought to this land Lehi and his colony. Before they arrived here the Lord said to them, as he had said to the Jaredites, “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20). 

Simultaneously he warned them that if they did not serve him, they would not prosper in the land but would be cut off from his presence. The Book of Mormon record testifies to the fact that, when they obeyed the laws of God, they prospered, and that when they did not obey them, they were cut off from the presence of God. 

Finally the Nephite branch of those people, having ripened in iniquity, was destroyed by the Lamanites, who, under the curse of “their unbelief and idolatry,” were scattered and became the people discovered by Columbus when he was led here in 1492 (see Mormon 5:15).

You, of course, know that the facts I have just recited are not to be found in profane history books. Nowhere in all secular history is mention made of America before Columbus. Why? Because this land has been from the beginning reserved by the Lord for those whom he himself would lead here. 

This we learn from the ancient prophet Lehi. I . . . prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. 

And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for . . . many nations would overrun the land. ... Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. 

And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever. [2 Nephi 1:6–9; emphasis added]

... This remarkable prophecy not only explains why America was to be discovered only by those whom God should lead here; it also foreshadows the forfeiting by Lehi’s descendants of their inheritance and the coming of other nations.

History records that these “other nations” were introduced to this land by Columbus, of whose coming ancient American seers prophesied. As early as 590 B.C., before Lehi made the foregoing prophecy, his son Nephi was given to see in vision Columbus being led by the “Spirit of God” to this promised land. 

Nephi thus described his vision: And I beheld the Spirit of God [before he had ever reached the promised land], that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

... Everyone acquainted with colonial and U.S. history knows how the American Indians were scattered and smitten by the Gentiles who came here following Columbus. Nephi then saw and thus described our colonial history. And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance [that is, the inheritance of the seed of his brethren who had been scattered].

... And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them [the thirteen original colonies]. And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them [in the American Revolutionary War].

And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle. And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations. [1 Nephi 13:15–19]

We know why the colonies were able to win freedom in the Revolutionary War. Columbus, of course, knew nothing about this record of Nephi’s vision. Nevertheless, he corroborates it. He put on record his convictions that he was divinely led to America."

Stay Tuned until next time.

Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling ~ Part One

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

I was going to do a topic focuses on Fathers last week but I decided to do a different topic instead. This week's topic focuses on Fathers.

This post focuses on a April 2004 General Conference talk, and it is called "Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling' by Elder L. Tom Perry. This post is part one. 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 Perry mentioned the following;
"As we take a long, hard look at the world today, it is becoming increasingly evident that Satan is working overtime to enslave the souls of men. His main target is the fundamental unit of society - the family. ... It appears to me that the crosshairs of Satan’s scope are centered on husbands and fathers. Today’s media, for example, have been relentless in their attacks ridiculing and demeaning husbands and fathers in their God-given roles.

Examples from the Scriptures
... Alma the father prayed with much faith that his son would come to a knowledge of the truth a prayer which was answered in a very special way: “And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, … the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder … ; “ 

And so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them. “Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God?

For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people. “ And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.” When Alma the Younger recovered from this experience, he was a changed man.

The Diminishing Role of Fathers
Satan, in his carefully devised plan to destroy the family, seeks to diminish the role of fathers. Increased youth violence, youth crime, greater poverty and economic insecurity, and the failure of increasing numbers of children in our schools offer clear evidence of lack of a positive influence of fathers in the homes. 

A family needs a father to anchor it. ... This was stated plainly by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”:

... “All human beings male and female are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. …

“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. 

"The heart of a father is the masterpiece
of nature." - Antoine Francois Prevost.

“… By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. 

Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. …"

Father’s Roles
Given such urgent warnings about the future of our Father in Heaven’s children, fathers and mothers must search their souls to be certain they are following the Lord’s direction in building up eternal families. 

Focusing on fathers, what does the Lord expect us to do? Once a family has been established, the father’s roles include the following:

1. The father is the head in his family.
“Fatherhood is leadership, the most important kind of leadership. It has always been so; it always will be so. Father, with the assistance and counsel and encouragement of your eternal companion, you preside in the home. It is not a matter of whether you are most worthy or best qualified, but it is a matter of [divine] appointment.”

... “You preside at the meal table, at family prayer. You preside at family home evening; and as guided by the Spirit of the Lord, you see that your children are taught correct principles. It is your place to give direction relating to all of family life.

“You give father’s blessings. You take an active part in establishing family rules and discipline. As a leader in your home you plan and sacrifice to achieve the blessing of a unified and happy family. To do all of this requires that you live a family-centered life.”

Remember, brethren, that in your role as leader in the family, your wife is your companion. As President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: “In this Church the man neither walks ahead of his wife nor behind his wife but at her side. ..."

Since the beginning, God has instructed mankind that marriage should unite husband and wife together in unity. ... The couple works together eternally for the good of the family. They are united together in word, in deed, and in action as they lead, guide, and direct their family unit. ... They plan and organize the affairs of the family jointly and unanimously as they move forward."

Stay Tuned until next time.

Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling ~ Part Two

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2004 General Conference talk, and it is called "Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling' by Elder L. Tom Perry. This post is part two. 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 Perry mentioned the following;

2. The father is a teacher.

President Joseph F. Smith’s counsel applies today: ... “When you recognize the importance of teaching your children, you become humble, because at once you realize that this is accomplished by precept and example. You cannot be one thing and effectively teach another. 

You must live and study and pray for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. You must purify and organize your life so that your example and leadership reflect the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “You must plan your day as guided by the Spirit of the Lord 

... As we have been taught by living prophets, ‘No other success in life can compensate for failure in the home’ (David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1964, 5; quoted from J. E. McCulloch, Home: The Savior of Civilization [1924], 42).”13

3. The father is the temporal provider.

President Ezra Taft Benson expressed it clearly: 

"A family needs a FATHER to anchor it."
- L. Tom Perry.

“The Lord has charged men with the responsibility to provide for their families in such a way that the wife is allowed to fulfill her role as mother in the home. 

… Sometimes the mother works outside of the home at the encouragement, or even insistence, of her husband … [for the] convenience[s] that the extra income can buy. 

Not only will the family suffer in such instances, brethren, but your own spiritual growth and progression will be hampered.” Fathers, by divine decree, you are to preside over your family units. 

This is a sobering responsibility and the most important one you will ever assume, for it is an eternal responsibility. You place the family in its proper priority. It’s the part of your life that will endure beyond the grave. ... “… There is no higher authority in matters relating to the family organization, and especially when that organization is presided over by one holding the higher priesthood, than that of the father. 

… The patriarchal order is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and eternity. There is then a particular reason why men, women, and children should understand this order and this authority in the households of the people of God, and seek to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and preparation for the highest exaltation of His children. 

In the home the presiding authority is always vested in the father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is no other authority paramount.” ... May we heed the voice of the prophets, who, from the beginning of time, have warned us about the importance of fathers in the home. 

May we determine more fully to fulfill our duties and responsibilities that the Lord has given to us as fathers in Zion ..."

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

https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/fatherhood-an-eternal-calling

Stay Tuned until next time.

Happy Belated Father's Day

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

Yesterday was Father's Day in US and other countries that celebrates Father's Day in June. I know that Australia and there are other countries that celebrates Father's Day in September. I hoped all fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, and so forth that they had a great Father's Day. 

"Fun Dad, Wise Dad, Kind Dad, Strong Dad, 
Fair Dad, Sweet Dad, Best Dad, My Dad."

As I was growing up; I always have done my best to remember most fun times that I had with my Dad. He has taken my family to go on trips together such as going to the Darling Downs Zoo, going to Australia Zoo, going to the beaches, going to Wet N Wild Theme Park - Gold Coast, and so forth. 

When I was seventeen years old and eighteen years old; I remembered when my Dad has supervised me while I was learning how to drive in Australia. 

I have always appreciated every time when my Dad has done his best to support me as I was growing up, and I will continue to appreciate every future times when my Dad will support me in the near future and in the future. I have always appreciated every time when my Dad has told me that he loves me, and I will continue to appreciate every future times when my Dad will say that he loves me in the near future and in the future. 

I have always appreciated the conversations that my Dad and I had via text messages, letters, emails, phone calls, and so forth, and I will continue to appreciate the conversations that my Dad and I will have in the near future and in the future.

I have always inspired by my Dad for planting and harvesting fruits, and vegetables as I was growing up. It has encouraged me to do planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables sometime in the near future and in the future. 

I have always appreciated my Dad's efforts towards Family History in the past, and I will continue to appreciate his efforts towards Family History in the near future and in the future. I have always appreciated everything that my Dad has done for me, and I will continue to appreciate everything else that my Dad will do for me. 

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Keep Walking, and Give Time a Chance

  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 April 1997 General Conference talk, and it is called "Keep Walking, and Give Time a Chance" by Sister Virginia H. Pearce. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Sister Pearce has mentioned the following; “... Most of our lives are not a string of dramatic moments that call for immediate heroism and courage. Most of our lives, rather, consist of daily routines, even monotonous tasks, that wear us down and leave us vulnerable to discouragement. 

Sure, we know where we’re going, and if it were possible we would choose to jump out of bed, work like crazy, and be there by nightfall. But our goal, our journey’s end, our Zion is life in the presence of our Heavenly Father. And to get there we are expected to walk and walk and walk.

This week-after-week walking forward is no small accomplishment. The pioneer steadiness, the plain, old, hard work of it all, their willingness to move inch by inch, step by step toward the promised land inspire me as much as their more obvious acts of courage. It is so difficult to keep believing that we are making progress when we are moving at such a pace to keep believing in the future when the mileage of the day is so minuscule.

Do you see yourself as a heroic pioneer because you get out of bed every morning, comb your hair, and get to school on time? .... Do you see the greatness in doing the dishes over and over and over? Or practicing the piano? Or tending children? 

Do you recognize the fortitude and belief in the journey’s end that are required in order to keep saying your prayers every day and keep reading the scriptures? Do you see the magnificence in giving time a chance to whittle your problems down to a manageable size?

President Howard W. Hunter said, “True greatness … always requires regular, consistent, small, and sometimes ordinary and mundane steps over a long period of time.”

How easy it is to want quick and dramatic results in exchange for a day’s labor! And yet how happy people are who have learned to bend to the rhythm of paced and steady progress—even to celebrate and delight in the ordinariness of life.

Don’t be discouraged. ... Be the person who reaches out your hand toward others as we all move forward together. When you get into bed at night, rehearse the things you have accomplished during the day. Allow yourself to feel the satisfaction that comes of work completed or even partially completed.

... Are we expected to be cheerful as we do our daily work? Well, maybe not every minute of every day. Certainly we are sad and even angry at times. But we can make a decision to refrain from wallowing in our sadness or anger. 

... Just like the pioneers, just like you and me, it must have been a process of walking forward, step by step, over a long period of time. ... I first met Carly when she was 12 years old. A new and inexperienced Beehive, there were some temporary bumps in her world. 

Listen to her voice as she describes some of her feelings [a short videotaped segment was shown]:

“Change has always been real hard for me. My problems aren’t that bad, but when I look at them it just seems like they are the worst in the world when I have them. Everyone was kind of worrying about themselves, you know. I was kind of alone all the time.

And I didn’t ever want to go to school. I just felt like Heavenly Father didn’t care if I was sad. And he didn’t care if I was upset or didn’t have any friends. And I just felt like he wasn’t there. I just felt like no one really cared.” This is Carly. She is now 16. 

“When I hear my 12-year-old self talk, I remember how big those problems seemed then and how small they are now. I remember how much I wanted a magic solution. I now believe that there isn’t just one thing that can make everything all right. The thing I did know when I was 12 was that I wanted to be good.

That desire kept me reading my scriptures, going to church, and saying my prayers. Now, four years later, I feel so different, mostly because I kept doing those things. I now get answers from the scriptures, I am closer to the Lord through prayer, and I understand the lessons in church so much better.

“My dad has a saying on the wall: ‘Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go’ [William Feather]. I am so glad I hung on! I even think we need those times where we have nothing left in us. They help us build a trust and dependency on the Lord.

“Some popular songs and movies teach us to believe that nothing really matters, that we should give up because everything is temporary anyway. We know differently. We have the gospel. It isn’t temporary. It is eternal. We can’t quit. We can’t give up.

We may not see it now, but everything we do, every day we live is for a purpose. And we have a Heavenly Father who will always be there to lift us up and cheer us on.” We care so much about one another as we walk together on our journey. ..."

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

https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1997/04/keep-walking-and-give-time-a-chance

Stay Tuned until next time.

Never, Never, Never Give Up! ~ Part Two

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a April 2010 General Conference talk, and it is called "Never, Never, Never Give Up!" by Sister Mary N. Cook. I know this post may seem to be targeted to the women in the church but you can do your best to think of ways about how this post applies to you as well. This post is part two, and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Sister Cook has mentioned the following; 

"Determine now to do what is required to repent. “Partake worthily of the sacrament each week and fill your life with virtuous activities that will bring spiritual power. As you do this, you will grow stronger in your ability to resist temptation, keep the commandments, and become more like Jesus Christ” (Young Women Personal Progress, 71).

Latter-day prophets are on the earth to help you as well. Prophets speak for today. Be riveted on their words. They will give you the signposts that will warn you of danger and keep you safely on the path. ... One of the great blessings of the plan is that we are organized into families. 

You have parents whose greater wisdom and experience will help you reach your divine potential. Trust them. They want the best for you. Learn from your mother, your grandmother, and other righteous women with strong testimonies. 

The role of a mother in the plan is to be a nurturer. Mothers, no one loves your daughter as you do. You are her best leader, mentor, and example. ... As I learned from working on the virtue value with my mother, your relationship will be strengthened and you both will be blessed by your mutual love,

support, and encouragement.

Young women, choose good friends who will support you in your righteous decision to follow the plan. ... Earning your Honor Bee will give you opportunities to strengthen another young woman with your righteous example and testimony as you mentor her with her Personal Progress.

Finally, live to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. ... You will need that peace and assurance when Satan tries to confuse you with winds of doubt, when you are tempted to take

another path, or when others are unkind or mock you for your beliefs.

Let me share with you the experience of Julie, a young woman who was able to face a challenge by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. She was studying the Old Testament one day, and the thought came to her mind, “Read Matthew 5. Read Matthew 5.” She thought, “Why would the thought come to me to read the New Testament?” 

She acted on that prompting and read in Matthew, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). The next day she had some difficulties with her friends who were unkind and betrayed her. 

At first she was very upset, and then she thought, “I’ve been prepared for this. The Spirit prompted me to read Matthew, and I must love and pray for my friends.” The small step of reading the scriptures prepared her to respond in a Christlike way. 

From that experience, she was assured that the Lord knew her, and through the promptings of the Holy Ghost, she knew what she was to do. My dear young women, I have met many of you who, just like Julie, have not given up when faced with difficult circumstances but have chosen to follow the plan. 

I pray that step by step you will continue to strengthen your testimony. Seek the help of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, prophets, and others who will support you in your decision to follow the plan. Live a virtuous life so that you may have the companionship of the Holy Ghost to safely guide you. 

I testify that if you will do these things, the Lord will be with you and you will be able to stay on the path that leads to the temple and to eternal life. “Be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:9) and never, never, never give up! ..."

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

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/04/never-never-never-give-up

Stay Tuned until next time.

Never, Never, Never Give Up! ~ Part One

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

Have you ever felt discouraged and felt like you are going to fail on certain things in life? 

I would like to suggest to you for do your best to not feel discouraged, stay motivated and instead of telling yourself that you are going to fail on certain things in life, start telling yourself that you are

going to be successful in those things in life. 

This post focuses on a April 2010 General Conference talk, and it is called "Never, Never, Never Give Up!" by Sister Mary N. Cook. I know this post may seem to be targeted to the women in the church but you can do your best to think of ways about how this post applies to you as well. This post is part one, and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. 

Sister Cook has mentioned the following; 

" ... Have you ever been afraid and discouraged as you’ve faced a challenge that seemed far beyond your ability? Have you ever wanted to give up? Imagine how Joshua, the successor to the great prophet Moses, must have felt, knowing that he was to lead the children of Israel to the promised land. 

At times I’m sure he wanted to give up. But the Lord comforted him by reminding him three times to be strong and courageous (see Joshua 1:6–9). With faith that God would be with them, the children of Israel committed, “All that thou commandest … we will do” (Joshua 1:16). 

The scriptures are full of accounts of men and women who showed great courage to do whatever the Lord commanded, even when the tasks seemed impossible, even when they may have wanted to give up. What does the Lord want you to do? 

He wants you to be a valiant and virtuous daughter of God, dedicated to living each day so that you can be worthy to receive the blessings of the temple and return to Him. In today’s world that will take courage. ... Moral agency, the ability to choose, is an essential part of this plan. 

You’ve already made some good choices. Before you were born, you made the choice to come to earth to receive a body and to prove yourself. You’ve made the choice to be baptized, which is the first ordinance required on the path to eternal life. 

You are now experiencing mortal life, where you continue to make choices, to learn, and to grow. Making sacred covenants and receiving the ordinances of the temple is another important step in the plan. As you are growing older, young women, the path is becoming steeper, and you may want to give up. 

"What does the Lord want you to do?"

Life is more challenging, filled with decisions and temptations at every turn. ... You may be tempted to try another route, even when signs of danger are posted. 

You may doubt your abilities ... And my counsel to you is similar to that given by Winston Churchill during World War II: never, never, never give up! (see “Never Give In” [speech, Harrow School, London, England, Oct. 29, 1941]).

This will take great courage, but you have His plan! What will help you follow the plan and be a valiant and virtuous daughter of God? First, gain a strong testimony, step by step. Second, seek the help of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, your family, and others who will support you in your decision to

follow the plan. 

And finally, live to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Of the importance of gaining a strong testimony, President Thomas S. Monson promised the young women, “Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe” (“May You Have Courage,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2009, 126).

Your testimony is strengthened “gradually through your experiences. No one receives a complete testimony all at once” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 179). ... To gain a testimony, 

you must nourish it step by step. “[Your testimony] will increase as you make decisions to keep the commandments. 

As you lift and strengthen others, you will see your testimony continue to develop.” As you establish personal habits of prayer, scripture study, obedience to the commandments, and service to others, “you will be blessed with moments of inspiration that will [strengthen] your testimony” (see True to the Faith, 179–80).

Personal Progress provides a wonderful way for you to nourish your testimony step by step. Value experiences and projects are small steps that will nourish your testimony of Jesus Christ as you learn His teachings and regularly apply them in your life. This constant nourishment will keep you safely on the path.

Second, seek the help of others to give you added strength and support. Look first to your Heavenly Father through prayer. You are His daughter. He knows you and loves you. He hears and answers your prayers. ... As you pray, the Lord will be with you just as the Lord was with Joshua.

We each need the help of the Savior to follow the plan and return to our Father in Heaven. Perhaps you have made some mistakes or started down another path. "... The Savior’s atoning sacrifice has made it possible for you to be forgiven of your sins” (Young Women Personal Progress [booklet, 2009], 71). “The sooner you repent, the sooner you will find the blessings that come from forgiveness” (For the Strength of Youth [pamphlet, 2001], 30)."

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Happiness

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post is focus on April 1986 General Conference talk, and it is called "Happiness" by Elder Jack H. Goaslind. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk.

Elder Goaslind has mentioned, "As I have occasion to be with wonderful people throughout the world, I am often moved by the many individuals I meet who are looking for happiness, but not quite finding it. They yearn and strive and endure, but seem to be asking, “Am I happy yet?”

I desire to assure you that happiness is real. It can be experienced here, and we can know a fulness of joy in the hereafter. May I share with you some insights about the kind of happiness promised by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:24–25.)

Our wise and loving Father in Heaven is concerned for the welfare of his children. He desires to see us happy. The very purpose of our lives can be defined in terms of happiness. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it.” (History of the Church, 5:134.)

Our yearnings for happiness were implanted in our hearts by Deity. They represent a kind of homesickness, for we have a residual memory of our premortal existence. They are also a foretaste of the fulness of joy that is promised to the faithful. We can expect with perfect faith that our Father will fulfill our innermost longings for joy.

In fact, the plan he has given to guide us is called “the plan of happiness.” (Alma 42:16.) In the meridian of time, it was heralded by angelic messengers as “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10.) The Book of Mormon makes it clear that happiness is our destiny. It speaks of dwelling “with God in a state of never-ending happiness.” (Mosiah 2:41.) 

It is also made clear that “all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame, … raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil.” We also learn that we are “raised to happiness according to [our] desires of happiness.” (Alma 41:4–5.)

"HAPPINESS is letting go of what you
think your life is supposed to look like and
celebrating it for everything that it is." 
- Mandy Hale.

Our happiness is diminished by at least two things: sin and adversity. Of the two, sin is the most tragic. Sin is the most persistent cause of human suffering and of the two brings the deepest remorse. Sin and the temptation to do evil are part of our mortal test. We are being tried to see if we will choose good or evil. It is a hard test, and only those who have resisted temptation can know and gain the strength thereof. 

Sin is sin because it destroys instead of saves; it tears down instead of builds, it causes despair instead of hope. The suffering that results from sin is most tragic because through our own choices we can choose to avoid it. We have that power. We also have the capacity to repent of our sins and to experience the sweet joy of forgiveness.

If we are unhappy, let us examine ourselves to see where we need to repent. If we have questions about what we need to do, or not do, we need only listen to our conscience and follow the promptings of the Spirit. Striving for happiness is a long, hard journey with many challenges. It requires eternal vigilance to win the victory. 

You cannot succeed with sporadic little flashes of effort. Constant and valiant living is necessary. That is why patience and faith are so often associated in the scriptures. You must “withstand every temptation of the devil, with [your] faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Alma 37:33.) But remember, faith is not a magical formula.

It requires that you make a deliberate decision to do good and then carry out your decision. Do it. Simply do it, and do it long enough that you experience success, no matter how hard it may seem. Your victory over self brings communion with God and results in happiness lasting and eternal happiness."

I encourage you to read the whole talk in your own time. Here's the link to the talk below.
www.lds.org/general-conference/1986/04/happiness

Stay Tuned until next time.

Choose Happiness ~ 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 March 2016, and it is called "Choose Happiness" by Elder Larry R. Lawrence. This post is part two, and I hope that you will be able to learn something new while reading throughout this post. 

Elder Lawrence has mentioned the following; "The prophet Nephi expressed gratitude for his parents in the very first verse of the Book of Mormon. He praised them by saying, “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Nephi 1:1). 

... An excellent way to express gratitude is by giving sincere praise. Praise lifts both the giver and the receiver. ... God showed us the importance of giving praise by His own perfect example. At the baptism of Jesus, Heavenly Father announced, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

Jesus Himself gave many compliments during His ministry. Some of them are recorded in the scriptures. ... When John the Baptist was in prison, the Savior made a point of praising this good man publicly. Jesus said, “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” (Luke 7:28).

... And don’t forget Nephi, son of Helaman. One day when he was especially discouraged, the voice of the Lord came to him and delivered these words of praise: Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee. ... Behold, I will bless thee forever. [Helaman 10:4–5]

If we truly want to emulate the Lord, we need to be looking for the good in others and then voicing it. If there is anything ­virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy, we should be seeking after these things (see Articles of Faith 1:13). Praise is a precious gift that costs the giver nothing. So if you see something, say something. 

... President Ezra Taft Benson warned that whenever we are “withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another,” we are manifesting the sin of pride. On the other hand, when we point out the good in others, the Holy Ghost helps us discover the good in ourselves and everybody wins.

... Sincere compliments from parents mean a lot; sometimes they are remembered for a lifetime. Even when a compliment comes from a complete stranger, it can make your whole day. My niece told me about a difficult time she had when she was a single college student. 

"Happiness comes from living the way the Lord wants
you to live and from service to God and others."
- Thomas S. Monson.

The whole week had been a disaster, and she was feeling lonely and discouraged. While saying her prayers one morning, she asked Heavenly Father to help her feel His love that day. 

After praying, she was prompted to go to the temple, so she put on a dress and fixed her hair. On the way there she passed an older woman who smiled and stopped to compliment her beautiful, wholesome appearance. 

The gracious stranger had no idea that a few kind words from her had delivered a message from heaven. My niece immediately felt a feeling of love wash over her and realized that her morning prayer had been answered.

... Years ago President David O. McKay gave this valuable counsel to Latter-day Saints: “Start out to make somebody else happy and see how quickly your own soul is filled with joy.” ... I remember the first time I met President Gordon B. Hinckley. 

I was attending a luncheon held at the Church Office Building. By some tender mercy I found myself seated at the same table as the prophet. During that lunch hour I observed that he rarely talked about himself; he was more interested in learning about others. He directed the conversation by asking questions of each person at our table.

Somehow he knew that I had served as a mission president in Siberia, so he asked me how the Russians heat their big apartment buildings in the winter­time. He was a very gracious listener, sincerely interested in everyone and everything much like the Master whom he served.

Consider the unselfish life of the Savior. ... Try to imagine meeting the Savior in person. How would He greet you? Would He be slouched over, looking intently at His cell phone, or would He smile and look right into your eyes?

I believe He would call you by name and make the conversation about you. He would offer reassurance and help. Most of all, I believe He would radiate love. ... Someday we will meet Jesus and feel His profound love for us. Until then, we have many lessons to learn. 

There are going to be both smooth days and rough days throughout our lives, but the Lord has commanded us repeatedly to “be of good cheer.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland observed that “we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other.” Sometimes we just plain choose to be grumpy. At those times we turn inward instead of outward.

... We realized why the Church members were so kind and outgoing because that’s what the gift of the Holy Ghost does to people. Jesus taught, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). ... I was baptized when I was a young medical student at the University of Arizona. 

The first time I attended Church meetings at the LDS institute, I looked around hoping to find a familiar face. Thank goodness another medical student recognized me and came right over to say hello. His name was Phil Freestone. Phil sat with me and introduced me to other Church members. 

It is not easy to be a newcomer, and Phil’s friendship meant a great deal to me at that important time in my life. I came to understand what the Savior meant when He said, “I was a stranger, and ye took me in” (Matthew 25:35). Latter-day Saints who are guided by the Spirit should be the most congenial people on earth. 

... It takes very little effort to say hello, but whenever you do, you make the world a better place. Today I have pointed out a few practices that can lead to greater happiness: smiling more often, expressing gratitude, looking for and praising the good in others, welcoming the newcomer, and reaching out to those who need a friend.

... All of us need a little cheering up sometimes. Book of Mormon readers are often surprised when they come to the chapter in which Nephi was grieving over his imperfections. He expressed himself in these words: “O wretched man that I am!” (2 Nephi 4:17). 

Most of us on a good day wish we could be as “wretched” as Nephi. His sorrowful lament makes us wonder, “Why do good people even prophets like Nephi occasionally feel discouraged and unworthy?”

Let me tell you a fable about the devil that offers some perspective. The story goes that Satan went into his garage one day and noticed that everything was a complete mess. He couldn’t find what he was looking for because there were so many rusty tools lying around cluttering up the place.

Satan decided on a solution. He would have a garage sale. He cleaned up his old tools and offered them at a discount price for other devils to purchase. Some tools sold right away for example, the hammer of hatred, the wrench of fear, and the clamp of addiction. 

They were very popular items. When he was asked why he was selling off so many of his tools, Satan explained that he had decided to concentrate all of his personal efforts on bringing down the Latter-day Saints. He preferred to use his favorite tool on them. What do you think it was?

It was the wedge of discouragement. Satan boasted about it, saying, “With this one tool I can inflict major damage on the faithful. Discouragement works wonders every time even when nothing else will. It can bring misery to the most conscientious souls those who are striving to keep the commandments.”

Then Satan, using his favorite tool, went about whispering lies. To the humble followers of Christ he said, “You are worthless,” “You never do anything right,” “Give up,” “No one cares about you,” and “You can never change.” Sadly, many good people believed him.

There is a lesson to be learned from this fable. The devil specializes in discouraging the faithful and those who are trying to repent. For that very reason, Church members must continually lift and encourage each other. Don’t forget that Satan wants all men to be “in misery, like unto himself” (2 Nephi 9:9). 

Jesus, on the other hand, wants men and women to “receive a fulness of joy” (D&C 138:17). In summary, Jesus votes for us, Satan votes against us, and we cast the deciding vote. It is my prayer that each of us will use our agency to choose happiness. ..."

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

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/larry-r-lawrence/choose-happiness/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Choose Happiness ~ Part One

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

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

This post focuses on a BYU Devotional in March 2016, and it is called "Choose Happiness" by Elder Larry R. Lawrence. This post is part one, and I hope that you will be able to learn something new while reading throughout this post. 

Elder Lawrence has mentioned the following; 

"... I was interested to learn that many Saints have been prompted to “be more cheerful” or to “smile more often” or to “count their blessings.” I am convinced that, more than anything else, our Heavenly Father wants His children to be happy. Latter-day prophets have taught that happi­ness is the purpose of our existence. 

Joseph Smith understood this principle. In spite of all his challenges, he chose to be happy, maintaining his cheerful disposition to the end of his life. One who knew him well described the prophet as always wearing “an unconscious smile.” I have known people like that ­individuals who are continually smiling ­without even realizing it. Their faces reflect genuine inner peace. 

... A smiling face in a crowd of strangers is a great comfort. What is the secret of inner happiness? The obvious answer is righteous living. But besides being “temple worthy,” what are some ways that you can increase the joy in your lives?

... For example, President Gordon B. Hinckley taught that the more often a person says thank you, the happier he will be. It might be a worthwhile experiment to keep track of how many times you say thank you in a typical day and then to make an effort to increase it.

The theme of gratitude has been addressed by every latter-day prophet and more often than almost any other topic. Our inspired leaders know that being grateful leads to happiness, and they are compelled to remind us. 

In the scriptures we are commanded to “thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7), and that means to thank Him for trials as well as for obvious blessings. If we look close enough, we discover that there is always something to be grateful for. 

"We live after the matter of HAPPINESS." - 2 Nephi 5:27.

... Besides expressing thanks to our Father in Heaven, President Thomas S. Monson has encouraged us to also thank our friends and family. 

He said: We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until it is too late for us to express that gratitude. 

... Have you ever had a rush of gratitude come over you? Did you make a phone call or write a note or take time for a personal visit? 

Have you experienced the happiness that comes from saying thank you and feeling it with your whole heart?

My father died of cancer when I was just eighteen years old. I was not yet a member of the Church, and I didn’t have the sensitivity that the gift of the Holy Ghost can bring. I never really took the opportunity to thank him for all that he had done for me before he passed away. 

... I wish I had thanked him for working with me night after night when I was learning to read in the first grade. I wish I had thanked him for teaching me how to work and to value family. Please don’t make the same mistake that I made. Thank your parents often while you still have the opportunity. It doesn’t matter if your parents are not perfect.

They still changed thousands of diapers and provided countless meals for you. They taught you how to walk and to talk and a million other things. They gave you plenty of rides and even let you learn to drive by practicing in their cars. .... They deserve your heartfelt thanks, and someday you will realize it when you are doing all these things for someone else." 

Stay Tuned until next time.