The Sacrifices Made For Scriptures

A few nights ago for scripture study we talked about Moroni and how far and long he wandered to stay away from the Lamanites and protect the plates. I hadn’t realized that it was probably thousands of miles. My husband ended by saying and we have the scriptures right by our beds, we need to read them.

Then on Sunday morning I watched this video of the great sacrifices that Joseph Smith and other early saints went through to translate and make available the Book of Mormon. I love Elder Hollands words about how they would not have done what they did if this book wasn't true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I am grateful for the sacrfices made so that I can have access to its words.

Then I thought of others like Nephi who also risked their lives to obtain the word of God and I felt blessed and grateful to all of these wonderful men for their faith and their diligence in bringing the word of God to me. I think I often take for granted all that has gone on before so that I can have access to the scriptures right in my own home, right next to my own bed, always at my fingertips whenever I chose to pick them up. I need to be more faithful and diligent in my personal scripture journey because if I don’t I will be risking my own spiritual life and there is no reason why I or any of us should do this when our scriptures lie right by our beds (or on our bookshelves).

And when I shared all of these thoughts with my husband he reminded me of these great words from Elder Christofferson:

On October 6, in the year 1536, a pitiful figure was led from a dungeon in Vilvorde Castle near Brussels, Belgium. For nearly a year and a half, the man had suffered isolation in a dark, damp cell. Now outside the castle wall, the prisoner was fastened to a post. He had time to utter aloud his final prayer, “Lord! open the king of England’s eyes,” and then he was strangled. Immediately, his body was burned at the stake. Who was this man, and what was the offense for which both political and ecclesiastical authorities had condemned him? His name was William Tyndale, and his crime was to have translated and published the Bible in English.

William Tyndale was not the first, nor the last, of those who in many countries and languages have sacrificed, even to the point of death, to bring the word of God out of obscurity. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude. We owe perhaps an even greater debt to those who faithfully recorded and preserved the word through the ages, often with painstaking labor and sacrifice—Moses, Isaiah, Abraham, John, Paul, Nephi, Mormon, Joseph Smith, and many others. What did they know about the importance of scriptures that we also need to know?

In Tyndale’s day, scriptural ignorance abounded because people lacked access to the Bible, especially in a language they could understand. Today the Bible and other scripture are readily at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy because people will not open the books. Consequently they have forgotten things their grandparents knew.

I suppose that never in history has a people been blessed with such a quantity of holy writ. And not only that, but every man, woman, and child may possess and study his or her own personal copy of these sacred texts, most in his or her own language. How incredible such a thing would have seemed to the people of William Tyndale’s day and to the Saints of earlier dispensations! Surely with this blessing the Lord is telling us that our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any previous time. May we feast continuously on the words of Christ that will tell us all things we should do (see 2 Nephi 32:3).

What We Believe: The Holy Ghost Testifies of Truth

This article was taken from the March issue of the ensign - to read more click HERE.
To learn more about our basic beliefs you can visit mormon.org

WOWW: Family Home Evening Blessings

“Regular participation in family home evening will develop increased personal worth, family unity, love for our fellowmen, and trust in our Father in heaven. It is our promise that great blessings will come to all who conscientiously plan and hold weekly family home evenings. I testify that this is as true today as it was almost 30 years ago.

If we go forward with our family home evenings, our homes will be enriched, our wards and branches will grow and prosper, our lives will be purified, and the gates of hell will not prevail against us."

James E. Faust, “Enriching Our Lives through Family Home Evening,” Ensign, Jun 2003, 2–6

Have you seen the blessings of Family Home Evening in the lives of you and your family?

Thanksgiving: Pondering the Privilege

For many months my little family has been a part of a wonderful journey. We have met in our home many times with a wonderful couple and the missionaries on many Friday afternoons and talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have felt the Spirit and learned a lot along the way but we have seen some ups and downs and wondered what the outcome would be. A little over a week ago the outcome was certain as our little family sat in our Stake Center and witnessed a baptism. It was not of an 8 year old child from the ward but of an adult who made the decision to enter the waters of baptism. I have not been to a baptism in a long time and have never witnessed a baptism of a covert. I felt the Spirit so strongly that day and it was strongly confirmed to me once again that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I felt so happy for him and was reminded of how blessed I am to be a member of the Church.

Just a little over a week later in Relief Society on the board was written:

PONDER the privilege it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I thought back to the baptism and the Spirit that I felt there, I thought back to the Sacrament meeting earlier that morning where he received the Holy Ghost, I thought back to my childhood growing up in a home with the Gospel and again I was reminded of the great blessing it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have so much and we know so much.

This Thanksgiving season I have so many things to be grateful for, big and small. I am grateful for my sweet family, for the little things that brighten my day like my little boys laughter, and I am especially grateful this year for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so grateful for my testimony. I am so thankful for the guidance that the scriptures, a living prophet, and the gift of the Holy Ghost give me in my life. In a time when the world is chaotic, busy, and wicked I am very grateful to know of God's plan for me and to know what I need to do to make it back to Him.

Enjoy this short video of what other's are thankful for and Count Your Blessings.


What are you thankful for this year?

To watch more videos or to read more on gratitude visit the GRATITUDE Topic Page.

Covenants for Priesthood Holders

I have been meaning to write this post for a while now and I am finally here with the last set of covenants - those made by priesthood holders.

The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood:

Priesthood holders covenant to:

• Receive in good faith and with honest intent both the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods (see D&C 84:33).
• Magnify callings by fulfilling all responsibilities associated with the priesthood offices they are called to.
• Teach the word of God and labor with all their might to advance the Lord’s purposes (see Jacob 1:19).
• Obtain a knowledge of the gospel (see D&C 107:31).
• Give service by comforting and strengthening the Saints of God (see Mosiah 18:8–9).
• Be obedient and “give diligent heed to the words of eternal life” (D&C 84:43).
• Listen to and follow revelation from the Lord. “Live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God” (v. 44). See also Elder Carlos E. Asay, in Conference Report, Oct. 1985, 56–58; or Ensign, Nov. 1985, 43–44.

Worthy priesthood holders receive these promises:

1. Be “sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies” (D&C 84:33).
2. “Become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham” (v. 34).
3. Become members of “the church and kingdom, and the elect of God” (v. 34).
4. Receive the Father’s kingdom and “all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (v. 38).
5. Receive of the Father’s fulness and glory and become “gods, even the sons of God” (D&C 76:58).
6. Are warned that anyone who rejects this covenant and “altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come” (D&C 84:41). President Marion G. Romney of the First Presidency made the following comment about D&C 84:41: “I don’t think he is talking here necessarily about the unpardonable sin, but I am saying that those of us who receive this priesthood and understand what it is about and fail to magnify our callings will lose something we cannot recover hereafter” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1974, 116; or Ensign, May 1974, 80).

My Other Posts on Covenants:

Covenants for All Members: It's Time for a Review
Temple Covenants

A Blessing from the Priesthood and a Week at Girl's Camp

I posted this experience previously but I thought it would fit nicely with this post. My husband and I had just moved into a new ward. We had only been married for about 4 months or so. We were excited to start our family and to be living in a new place. We quickly received callings. I was called as the Assistant Camp Director for the Young Women. I was excited by the calling. A few weeks after moving into the ward and receiving our callings I got pregnant and I became quite sick.

I was put in charge of doing all of the shopping for our week long excursion with the Laurels. It was to be a long shopping trip. I was just in the beginning stages of sickness but I remember it took all of my will power to handle rows and rows of foods and smells while in the midst of excited and squeally teenage girls, all the while trying to keep my stomach where it should be. That afternoon was exhausting.

Things only got worse. I got sicker as time went on and as girl's camp drew nearer. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it and if I did I wasn't sure if I would be any help while we were there. I was not very far along so I wanted to keep the news to myself but because of the circumstances I ended up telling the YW's President and the Camp Director that I was pregnant and sick. Telling them helped a lot and I ended up deciding that I was going to go, sick or not. I felt like I was supposed to.

The morning we were to leave I asked my husband for a blessing. Before I walked out the door to my week long girl's camp and pregnancy adventure I had already lost-my-cookies three times. I just knew it was going to be a long week.

Something extraordinary happened that week. I felt better that week than I had in a long time. I only threw up once the whole week. I had more energy. I had a better appetite. I could keep almost everything down. I felt amazing...well amazing for that point in pregnancy. I still had a few moments here and there. I still stayed in bed a little longer in the mornings. I still munched on things quite often. I didn't join the other's on the hike or playing kickball. But...I was there and was okay. The difference was night and day.

On the way home from our adventure the car had to be stopped and I had to step out and the fun began once again. When we made it back to our town I went straight for the bushes and the fun began again. When I got home the fun continued for several more months. I was blessed that week by the power of the priesthood to be filled with the strength, health, and peace I needed to fulfill my calling and to enjoy it.

I know that the priesthood is real. I know that we all can receive the blessings that priesthood has to offer. I know that throughout that week the Power of Priesthood took a great role. I was blessed with strength and health. I was blessed to be able to receive those things for a time by the priesthood.

I am so grateful to have a worthy and loving priesthood holder in my home and to be surrounded by many other great men who hold the priesthood. The blessings of the priesthood can strengthen, uplift, and bless us all. We can receive comfort, guidance, and healing from the priesthood. We are blessed with sacred ordinances because of the priesthood. The priesthood is the power of God on the earth today. It is real. I know that we all have access to the blessings of the priesthood and that through our faith those blessings can strengthen and direct us in our lives.

Surviving a Temple Open House

We had the opportunity to go to a Temple Open House a few days ago. It was beautiful. We were rebels and skipped watching the video at the beginning and just went straight into the temple. We figured this would relieve us of our little boy's potential antsiness.

He loved the chandeliers because they were "sparkly" and had "lots of colors, green, blue, pink, etc." He also wanted to go see the oxen up close and even take a swim in the baptismal font. It was pretty cute. He really did quite well until... he wacked his head on the metal handle of a door which created a crying fest right before we sat down to listen to a couple in one of the sealing rooms. We fought the whining and squirming and little smackings (from him to us not from us to him :) for a few minutes and it was soon over and he was excited to reach the destination of cookies and so was I. We survived.

It really was fun but by the end we were ready to head home. As we got in the car our little boy said, "I wanna go in the temple again." Yeah, right. :) As we pulled away from the temple I realized that we didn't take one single picture of our trip to the temple. I wanted at least one of us outside of it but don't worry we got a few pictures from our trip.

This...

And this...

And This...

Don't worry, we are all okay. So here is what happened. On the way to the temple we felt a little rattle in the car but nothing to be too worried about, or at least we thought. Then on the way home the rattling became more of a shaking and definitely more concerning. Before we knew it our tire had blown into shreds with a loud gun-like sound and we had four lanes to get across. There was smoke and the scraping sound of our front bumper and lack of much of a tire dragging on the ground. Luckily my husband was able to remain in good control of the car and we miraculously had openings to get across the freeway safely. It was getting close to rush hour so the freeway wasn't packed but more congested then it could've been. We were so blessed to not have our car spiral out of control, to not be swiped by another car, and to be able to make it across all of the lanes as smoothly as we did.

We felt so blessed to have a screaming child in the back seat not because of injuries from a horrific accident but simply because he was ready to get out of the car and go play at Daddy's work. The Lord truly is mindful of us and we are so grateful that we were so blessed to be so safe in a scary situation. We also luckily have a ward friend who works at a car place near where we were who was able to send a car to pick us up and a tow truck to get our car. It was indeed an adventure.

Our little boy and I will be carless for the next little while, but we're not complaining. We're just glad we survived a trip to the temple. :)

Life Is O'erflowing with Beautiful Things

My little boy loves this video. We have watched it every day since we discovered it on the Friend's main page. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. It has brought some fun snuggly moments and of course it is a great message of the the many beautiful things we have to be thankful for.

Temple Covenants

Well, it is time that I come back and give one of my follow up posts to Covenants for All Members: It's Time for a Review (you can read about the covenants that all Church members make at this post). I thought it was fitting to post about the covenants we make in temples after my last post.

Again I hope that sharing these covenants will serve as a review to all of us. Elder Ballard's words truly show how important this is, “A periodic review of the covenants we have made with the Lord will help us with our priorities and with balance in our lives. This review will help us see where we need to repent and change our lives to ensure that we are worthy of the promises that accompany our covenants and sacred ordinances. Working out our own salvation requires good planning and a deliberate, valiant effort” (Ensign, May 1987, 14).

Again the list of covenants and promised blessings comes from the Eternal Marriage Student Manual.

Temple Endowment -

We covenant to:

“Observe the law of strict virtue and chastity, to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure; to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the race; to maintain devotion to the cause of truth; and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive her King,—the Lord Jesus Christ” (James E. Talmage, House of the Lord, 84).

Blessings Promised:

1. “With the taking of each covenant and the assuming of each obligation a promised blessing is pronounced, contingent upon the faithful observance of the conditions” (Talmage, House of the Lord, 84).
2. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the endowment was designed to give us “a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 324), “to prepare the disciples for their missions unto the world” (p. 274), to prevent us from being “overcome by these evils” (p. 259), and to enable us “to secure the fullness of those blessings which have been prepared for the Church of the Firstborn” (p. 237).
3. President Gordon B. Hinckley in the dedicatory prayer of the Vernal Utah Temple said, “We pray that Thou wilt visit it, and may Thy Holy Spirit dwell here to sanctify it and make it holy unto all who enter its portals” (“We Thank Thee for This Sacred Structure,” Church News, 8 Nov. 1997, 4). Through the temple endowment, we may seek “a fulness of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 109:15). Temple ordinances are seen as a means for receiving inspiration and instruction through the Holy Spirit and for preparing to return to God’s presence.


Celestial Marriage -

Couples who promise to abide the law of celestial marriage:

• Covenant in pure love to remain faithful to each other and to God through all eternity.
• Covenant to confine their intimate affections and sexual relations to each other.
• Commit to live in ways that contribute to happy and successful family life.
• Covenant “to ‘be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth’ (Gen. 1:28). A primary purpose of temple marriage in this life is to grow and mature in sharing God’s creative work in raising a family in righteousness. Parents enter into a partnership with God by participating in the procreation of mortal bodies, which house the spirit children of God” (in Ludlow, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 2:859).

Blessings Promised:

1. Husbands and wives will receive eternal life in the world to come, the glory of the celestial kingdom (see D&C 88:4; Moses 6:59).
2. They shall become gods with all power and “shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers” (D&C 132:19).
3. They shall obtain exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial glory (see D&C 131:1–4).
4. They will come to know God the Father and Jesus Christ (see D&C 132:48–50).

Have You Seen His Hand in Your Life?

The Blessings of the Priesthood

We just subscribed to The Friend in hopes to have a more toddler friendly magazine. I meant for it to be mostly for the enrichment of our son but I have found myself reading almost every morsel of our first magazine. It is wonderful. I love how short and simple the stories, experiences, and articles are. The children of the church are so strong and such good examples.

I really enjoyed President Monson's Message in the February Friend. He shares an experience of being in the military and having the opportunity to use the power of the priesthood. He had just recently become an Elder and had never given a blessing before when a fellow member in the military asked him for a blessing because he was very sick. He received a prompting to go to his bag where he had the missionary handbook in the bottom of his suitcase. It directed him in giving his first blessing. The man whom he gave the blessing to fell asleep quickly and felt much better the following morning. The power of the priesthood is great.


What a great blessing it is to have the power of the priesthood in our homes and/or in our lives. I remember hearing this story before, but this time it brought back a powerful experience to my memory.

My husband and I had just moved into a new ward. We had only been married for about 4 months or so. We were excited to start our family and to be living in a new place. We quickly received callings. I was called as the Assistant Camp Director for the Young Women. I was excited by the calling. A few weeks after moving into the ward and receiving our callings I got pregnant and I became quite sick.

I was put in charge of doing all of the shopping for our week long excursion with the Laurels. It was to be a long shopping trip. I was just in the beginning stages of sickness but I remember it took all of my will power to handle rows and rows of foods and smells while in the midst of excited and squeally teenage girls, all the while trying to keep my stomach where it should be. That afternoon was exhausting.

Things only got worse. I got sicker as time went on and as girl's camp drew nearer. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it and if I did I wasn't sure if I would be any help while we were there. I was not very far along so I wanted to keep the news to myself but because of the circumstances I ended up telling the YW's President and the Camp Director that I was pregnant and sick. Telling them helped a lot and I ended up deciding that I was going to go, sick or not. I felt like I was supposed to.

The morning we were to leave I asked my husband for a blessing. Before I walked out the door to my week long girl's camp and pregnancy adventure I had already lost-my-cookies three times. I just knew it was going to be a long week.

Something extraordinary happened that week. I felt better that week than I had in a long time. I only threw up once the whole week. I had more energy. I had a better appetite. I could keep almost everything down. I felt amazing...well amazing for that point in pregnancy. I still had a few moments here and there. I still stayed in bed a little longer in the mornings. I still munched on things quite often. I didn't join the other's on the hike or playing kickball. But...I was there and was okay. The difference was night and day.

On the way home from our adventure the car had to be stopped and I had to step out and the fun began once again. When we made it back to our town I went straight for the bushes and the fun began again. When I got home the fun continued for several more months. I was blessed that week by the power of the priesthood to be filled with the strength, health, and peace I needed to fulfill my calling and to enjoy it.

I know that the priesthood is real. I know that we all can receive the blessings that priesthood has to offer. I know that throughout that week the Power of Priesthood took a great role. I was blessed with strength and health. I was blessed to be able to receive those things for a time by the priesthood.

I am so grateful to have a worthy and loving priesthood holder in my home and to be surrounded by many other great men who hold the priesthood. The blessings of the priesthood can strengthen, uplift, and bless us all. We can receive comfort, guidance, and healing from the priesthood. We are blessed with sacred ordinances because of the priesthood. The priesthood is the power of God on the earth today. It is real. I know that we all have access to the blessings of the priesthood and that through our faith those blessings can strengthen and direct us in our lives.

Gratitude

I love this time of year. I love the colors of the leaves on the trees. I love to close my eyes and feel and listen to the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. When I was younger I thought that stepping on dry fall leaves sounded and felt like I was crunching potato chips underneath my feet. I remember that each Fall and enjoy it. I also really love the smell of the leaves. I love to take a few leaves in my hands and put them up to my nose and take a good, long, deep breath. I am grateful for all of these wonderful things that this time of year brings.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching we all tend to think about how blessed we are and how grateful we are to have all that we have. We think of our families and friends. We think of our homes, our clothing, and our food. We think of the Gospel, our testimonies, and of the Savior. We recognize that we have been given so much. I love how this time of year causes us to reflect on these things and notice how abundantly we are blessed.

As I was thinking about how we are led to relect and recognition our blessings I thought about how we can truly show our appreciation, our love, and our gratitude. My thoughts turned me to this question: Do we just merely recognize that we are blessed or do we take it a step further and actively show our gratitude to our Savior and our Heavenly Father?

I researched a little bit about how we can truly show gratitude and acknowledge God's hand in all things. The quotes below are excerpts from Gospel Topics: Gratitude or True to the Faith and are only a few of the many wonderful ways we can express our gratitude.

TITHING - By paying tithing, Church members show their gratitude to God for their blessings and their resolve to trust in the Lord rather than in material things.

FASTING - Fasting is one way of worshiping God and expressing gratitude to Him (see Luke 2:37; Alma 45:1).

PRAYER - We can silently express gratitude to our Father and ask Him to strengthen us in our responsibilities. Every morning and every evening, we should kneel together in humility, giving each family member frequent opportunities to say the prayer and uniting in gratitude for the blessings Heavenly Father has given us.

SACRAMENT and TEMPLE WORSHIP - As we reverently partake of the sacrament and attend the temple , we remember and worship our Heavenly Father and express our gratitude for His Son, Jesus Christ.

REVERENCE - As people show reverence for God, they also show reverence and gratitude for His blessings, His commandments, His prophets , His Church, His ordinances , His priesthood , and His plan for His children.

HYMNS - Through the hymns, we can express gratitude and praise, learn the Savior’s restored gospel, remember His Atonement, and commit to follow Him.

WORD OF WISDOM - You are a spirit child of God, and your body is created in His image. To show your gratitude for these blessings, you can care for your body by obeying the Word of Wisdom.

Thank your Heavenly Father for His goodness to you. You can express your gratitude to God by acknowledging His hand in all things, thanking Him for all that He gives you, keeping His commandments, and serving others. Thank Him for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Express thanks for the Savior’s great example, for His teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help, for His infinite Atonement. Thank the Lord for His restored Church. Thank Him for all that it offers you. Thank Him for friends and family. Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at being grateful. You will find that it yields wonderful results.

I really enjoyed the line above..."Work at being grateful." Being grateful is something that takes work. We must strive to recognize our blessings and to actively live in such a way to express that gratitude. My challenge to us all this Thanksgiving season is to not just simply recognize how blessed we are but to find some way that we can better express our gratitude through the way we live our lives.

Fighting the Evils of the World with Spiritual Weapons

Recently my husband and I got into a discussion about becoming complacent or feeling carnally secure. We thought of examples of this going on in the world all around us but most importantly we realized that sometimes more often than we might think it happens behind the walls of our own home.

As our conversation deepened we thought about the ways people try to combat temptation and worldly desires and we realized that often many of us try to fight off the negative influences in the world through using temporal means or knowledge rather than by using our spiritual weapons - weapons that we have been told will fight off Satan and his ability to tempt us and lull us away into carnal security. With this on my mind I came across this talk by President Monson. I will share some from his talk as well as a few additional quotes from others.

Constant Truths for Changing Times
President Thomas S. Monson

This talk was given while he was the

First Counselor in the First Presidency

The faith, the service, and the actions of our members are praiseworthy...However, lest we become complacent, may I quote from 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon: “At that day shall [the devil] … lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls.” 1


We cannot afford to be complacent. We live in perilous times; the signs are all around us. We are acutely aware of the negative influences in our society that stalk traditional families. At times television and movies portray worldly and immoral heroes and heroines and attempt to hold up as role models some actors and actresses whose lives are anything but exemplary. Why should we follow a blind guide? Radios blare forth much denigrating music with blatant lyrics, dangerous invitations, and descriptions of almost every type of evil imaginable.


We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must stand up to the dangers which surround us and our families. To aid us in this determination, I offer several suggestions (the first two are from President Monson):

1. Family Home Evening - We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere.


2. Debt - Avoid the philosophy and excuse that yesterday’s luxuries have become today’s necessities. They aren’t necessities unless we ourselves make them such.


3. Family Prayer - President Hinckley -I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle.


4. Family Scripture Study - President Marion G. Romney - “I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness”.


5. Temple Attendance - President Hunter - Let us hasten to the temple as frequently as time and means and personal circumstances allow. Let us go not only for our kindred dead, but let us also go for the personal blessing of temple worship. President Benson - When you attend the temple and perform the ordinances that pertain to the house of the Lord, certain blessings will come to you: You will love your family with a deeper love than you have loved before. You will be endowed with power from on high as the Lord has promised.
   

We have been promised many great blessings if we use the simple and basic, but extremely important, spiritual weapons we have been counseled to use for our protection. All of these spiritual defenses will help us to fight off the temptations and careful lulling of Satan. All of these will help us to avoid complacency and remember that we have room to grow and we can become better.

Have we become too comfortable or content with where we are at? My challenge to us all is to check ourselves to see if you we could be doing better at having one of the spiritual weapons at hand.

Blessed by Obedience

This is another portion of the talk a gave a few weeks ago.

Elder Paul V. Johnson - Every time we are obedient…we reap great blessings. We receive more blessings than we can understand at the time, and we continue to receive blessings long after our initial decision to be obedient.

Here is a list of just 10 of the many blessings that come from being obedient:

1 – PROTECTION AGAINST SATAN
Elder Wirthlin - Willing obedience provides lasting protection against Satan’s alluring and tantalizing temptations.
Elder Ted E. Brewerton - "If we do not obey, the power to obey is lessened. Our capability to recognize good is weakened." If we do obey, then our power to obey is stregthened.

2 – CONSTANT COMPANIONSHIP OF THE HOLY GHOST AND THE GIFT OF PERSONAL REVELATION
Elder Robert D. Hales - Our diligence in keeping the commandments allows the Holy Ghost to dwell within us. We are given the gift of personal revelation. This is a spiritual light that protects us and serves as a beacon, guiding us in righteous ways.” (So with constant obedience you can have the constant Companion of the Spirit.)

3 – ENDOWED WITH POWER
President Benson - "When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment, God will endow us with power."

4 – RECEIVE HEAVENLY FATHER’S LOVE
John 14:21 - He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father”

5 – GREATER SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE AND A STRENGTHENED TESTIMONY
John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine...
Simple phrase from the friend – I CAN GAIN A TESTIMONY BY BEING OBEDIENT

6 – HAPPINESS AND PEACE
Elder Wirthlin – (When you are obedient)You will enjoy your life more; you will be happier and at peace with yourself because you will know that your life is acceptable to your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

King Benjamin also taught this principle. "I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God, For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. (Mosiah 2:41).

7 – RECEIVE ANSWERS TO PRAYERS
D&C 101:7 They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble. So if we are quick to obey, the Lord will be quick to hearken to our prayers.

8 – WE BLESS OTHER’S LIVES
Sister Ardeth G. Kapp: - “When you keep the commandments and follow the Savior’s example, it’s like holding up a light. Your good example helps others to find their way in a darkening world.”

9 – BE BETTER IN EVERTHING WE UNDERTAKE IN LIFE
Elder Wirthlin - In addition to helping you to become better servants of the Lord, obedience…will help you to be better in everything you undertake in life, whether it be your activity in the Church, your family, education, business, profession, science, athletics, or any other worthwhile endeavor…

10 – ETERNAL LIFE
Robery D Hales: “How I love the commandments of the Lord! They guide and protect us and allow us to return back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. If we faithfully obey the commandments, we are promised the blessings of eternal life. Eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7), is to be exalted and to live with Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ in all the eternities to come. He dearly wants us to return to Him.

Obedience

I was asked to give a talk this last Sunday and I thought I would just share a portion of it here.

5 Aspects of Obedience that Will Bring Blessings When Applied in our Lives

1 - Be Quick to Obey:

David A. Bednar - Sister Bednar and I are acquainted with a returned missionary who had dated a special young woman for a period of time. He cared for her very much, and he was desirous of making his relationship with her more serious. He was considering and hoping for engagement and marriage. This relationship was developing during the time that President Hinckley counseled the Relief Society sisters and young women of the Church to wear only one earring in each ear.

The young man waited patiently over a period of time for the young woman to remove her extra earrings, but she did not take them out. This was a valuable piece of information for this young man, and he felt unsettled about her nonresponsiveness to a prophet’s pleading. For this and other reasons, he ultimately stopped dating the young woman, because he was looking for an eternal companion who had the courage to promptly and quietly obey the counsel of the prophet in all things and at all times.

Elder Wirthlin - Jesus is our perfect example of obedience and in this case our perfect example of prompt obedience. Learn to do as He did when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness. Even though He was weakened by fasting, His answer was quick and firm: “Get thee behind me, Satan.” 19 Elder Neal A. Maxwell said this of the Savior’s example in resisting temptation: “Jesus noticed the tremendous temptations that came to Him, but He did not process and reprocess them. Instead, He rejected them promptly. If we entertain temptations, soon they begin entertaining us!” 20 When Satan comes calling, cast him out as quickly as possible. Do not let temptation even begin to entertain you.

Elder Wirthlin and Maxwell allude to the idea that even a slight hesitation or a momentary consideration may lead to our downfall. We must be quick to observe the commandments of God.

2 – Willingly and Cheerfully Obey:

D&C 123:17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us acheerfully bdo all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the csalvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

1 Nephi 3:7 –Nephi’s Courage:

The Lord commanded Nephi to go and get the plates
From the wicked Laban inside the city gates.
Laman and Lemuel were both afraid to try.
Nephi was courageous. This was his reply:

Chorus
“I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.
I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.”

3 - Be Steady in Obedience:

This is an experience from Elder Wirthlin’s youth that taught him the importance of constant obedience.

Our university [football] team faced the University of Colorado in a contest for the conference championship. We were well coached and really well prepared. The star of the Colorado team was Byron “Whizzer” White, an all-American who was a tremendous athlete. He was a fast and powerful quarterback.

Our wise coach was Ike Armstrong. His warnings before the game included two simple instructions: one, do not kick off or punt the ball to Whizzer White, and two, never let him get past the line of scrimmage.

We followed his instructions and held Colorado scoreless throughout the first half. Early in the second half, however, Whizzer White kicked a field goal. We answered with a touchdown and kicked the extra point. We were ahead seven to three at the end of the third quarter.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, we punted. The ball sailed deep into the corner of the field, near their end zone. Whizzer White plucked the tumbling ball out of the air at his fifteen-yard line and dropped back to his five-yard line to evade the first of our tacklers. Then with the speed, strength, and agility that had built his reputation, he started upfield and sidestepped every player of our team. I managed only to touch him with my little finger. He ran the entire length of the field for a touchdown—thrilling for Colorado, but disappointing for us.

Later in the fourth quarter, Whizzer dashed around his own right end and beyond the line of scrimmage and ran fifty-seven yards for another touchdown. The game ended with a score seventeen to seven. Colorado won the game and the conference championship.

Though we lost, I learned the importance of constant obedience to detailed instructions of our leader. Failure to obey our coach’s two pregame warnings for just two plays—two brief lapses in an otherwise outstanding effort—cost us the game and the conference championship. That is all it took for us to lose something we had worked so hard to achieve.

Just like Elder Wirthlin and his team we can’t afford to have even brief lapses in our obedience. We need to be constant and steady in our obedience.

4 - Obey with Exactness:

2,000 Stripling Warriors: Alma 57:21 - Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness;

1 Samuel 15 - Saul commanded to smite and destroy the Amalekites and all that they have. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them (so that they could give sacrifice): but every thing that was vile they destroyed utterly. The Lord said, “he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.” Later Samuel tells Saul, “Behold, to cobey is better than dsacrifice.”

Elder Glenn L. Pace. - There are some of our members who practice selective obedience. A prophet is not one who displays a smorgasbord of truth from which we are free to pick and choose. However, some members become critical and suggest the prophet should change the menu.

Elder Wirthlin: Some people choose to follow the teachings of the Lord and of his living prophet only when convenient, but reject them when sacrifice or deeper commitment is required.

We should be exactly obedient in all things.

5 – Selflessly and Lovingly Obey: Our motivation for obeying should not be to merely gain a blessing or reward.

Dallin H. Oaks - in ascending order from the lesser to the greater reasons for [obedience].
1 - Some may [obey] for hope of earthly reward or blessing.
6 - The last motive I will discuss is, in my opinion, the highest reason of all. In its relationship to [obedience], it is what the scriptures call “a more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:31.) It is the pure love of Christ.” (Moro. 7:47.) Our [obedience] when motivated by our love of the Lord is the highest reason of all.

John 14: 15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

President Monson - When faced with the agony of Gethsemane, where He endured such pain that His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground, He exemplified the obedient Son by saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

He demonstrated his love for his Father and for us by his willingness to do something that was so difficult and painful that it lies beyond our comprehension. He suffered for our sins without having committed any sins himself.