Mon 3/7 Alma 26:27 "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst they brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."--> God's idea of success sometimes takes longer than our idea.
D&C 67:13 "continue in patience until ye are perfected"
Luke 13:7-9 The Lord gives us many chances to repent- parable of the fig tree- "let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it"--> When the world has given up on me, the Lord has not. We can not give up on Him!
Choose the Light (Vern P. Stanfill)
"No matter how intense the darkness of doubt, we choose how long and to what extent we will allow it to influence us."--> How do my choices reflect this? How do I show the Lord that I am willing to follow Him and what choices do I make that encourage negative thinking or feed my doubts?
"We must trust in the Lord in order to develop spiritual strength within ourselves."-->I can not rely on the spiritual light of others. If I feel overcome with doubt or confusion, I need to do something more to follow the Savior. What else can I do? Temple weekly? Read scriptures for a longer period of time?
"There is not darkness so dense, so menacing, or so difficult that it cannot be overcome by light."--we have the power to choose light over darkness
"With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. 'Cast not away therefore your confidence.' Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you." Cast Not Away Therefore your Confidence (Jeffrey R. Holland)
Tues 3/8
"Because of His atoning experience in mortality, our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere, but I believe He does so only for those who seek Him and ask for His help."
"We might even say that having descended beneath it all, He is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us the strength we need to endure our afflictions. We have only to ask." Sometimes the asking needs to happen for a long time before we find relief. How can I persist in asking and seeking?
Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Dallin H. Oaks)
Luke 15:5-7 how great is His joy in the soul that repenteth- really, we are all that sheep that has strayed and need His repentance- we should never hesitate to follow Him and use His Atonement. Satan is the one that makes us think we aren't worthy.
Luke 15:10 "there is joy in heaven over one soul that repenteth"
Luke 15:32 God rejoices in the soul that repenteth- we are punished naturally for our sins (just like the prodigal son had natural consequences for his actions) and God does not seek to punish us but to welcome is back with open arms. Beautiful and so true!
Wed 3/9
Luke 17:10 Doing our duty and everything He asks doesn't necessarily qualify me for any blessings. I am still an "unprofitable servant": this cues me in to the mercy of God and my own place before Him.
John 11:1-53 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead - Jesus is surprised when Martha questions His ability to raise Lazarus from the dead because he was in there four days. He responds with "If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God." Belief is fundamental to having miracles happen in our lives. God can do all things, so we should not doubt His works and power and confine it to the abilities of natural man. He has power over physical and spiritual death - believe that He can conquer both in our own lives.
Luke 17:11-19 "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Only one leper "fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks." How do I respond when I receive blessings from God? How thankful am I? How do I show my thanks to God? What are some ways that I can show my thanks to Him? Some ideas that come to mind are, my attitude during the sacrament, my level of obedience, my humility behind my actions, the fervor of my prayers, my willingness to do all things that He asks of me.
Luke 17: "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" --> Focus should not be on myself. Give my life, my plan, my will up to God and He will make my life better than if I did things according to my plan.
Thurs 3/10
Faith is Not by Chance, But By Choice (Neil L. Andersen)
How does the Savior see my faith?
"Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it." (just like any other virtue- love, charity, humility- all attributes take CHOICE to develop. When am I faced with the decision to choose faith or not? How do I manifest my faith?
"The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice."
"How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honestly, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith. Without these, faith diminishes." How does living these principles increase my faith?
"Using our mind without our heart will not bring spiritual answers." (Lord answers our questions through our mind and heart). How can I pay more attention to my mind? My heart?
"Faith never demands an answer to every question but seeks the assurance and courage to move forward, sometimes acknowledging, 'I don't know everything, but I do know enough to continue...'" It is not vital to know all the answers, but rather to be able to move forward with faith and testimony.
"Fear not, the future is as bright as your faith."--> Satan wants to destroy my faith but as I live righteously, God will strengthen my faith!
Fri 3/11
Love Changes Everything (Marily S. Bateman BYU Speech)
"But Christlike love isn’t the giddy wave of affection we often associate with romantic love. It is something much more subtle, something deeper. It is a love that does not alter with our moods or with external circumstances." I love this- if I feel my level of love altering with my moods, then I need to seek His help because that is not love!
"Christlike love helps us overcome our natural fear of others. We may fear difference; we may worry about being hurt or slighted. But Christlike love is a love beyond fear. It reaches across the divide of difference. It is in our nature to serve our own interests or the interests of those closest to us. But charity takes us beyond our comfort zone. Suddenly we are less worried about whether others will approve of us. Our concern flows toward them regardless of their feelings for us." I love this- charity is outward-focused and not inward-focused! I am realizing with this talk how much I need to work on this and seek His help.
"...in spite of our superficial differences, we are one."- we don't need to be the same to be unified!
"The Lord will not bless us with charity without a pure heart. This means we must have righteous desires. The Lord will not bless us with charity without a clear conscience. This means we must be repentant and our thoughts must not be compromised by excuses, lies, or delusions. And, finally, He will not bless us with the gift of charity if we lack faith. This means we must believe steadfastly in Christ’s atonement and its power to change us." How does purity, clear conscience, and faith lead to charity?
"The gift of charity comes from the Savior. It is possible because of His atonement. It isn’t necessarily something we develop. Rather, charity is something bestowed upon us. When we possess charity, all of our natural human tendencies are transformed, and we relate to others in a new way."-- Agency comes into play in that I have to choose to believe that God can change the way I view others, and that I have to choose to humbly believe I need His help and then to ask Him with all the energy of heart to bestow this gift upon me. That doesn't mean that it doesn't take work to develop - it grows from a seed just like faith does. But there is agency in understanding my need for Him to help me develop it!
Sat 3/12
Luke 18:11-14 Attitude in prayer- pharisee vs. publican "God be merciful to me, a sinner"
How aware am I of my own weakness when I pray?
Matt 19:4 God made them male and female (this is in the Bible)
"for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh...wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."-->
Matthew 19:8 Divorce happened in Moses's time because of "the hardness of your hearts"--> How can maintaining a soft heart keep spouses together?
Three Principles of Marriage (Matthew O. Richardson)
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2005/04/three-principles-of-marriage?lang=eng
Leave: "We might need to leave the familiar patterns of former friendships and sharing personal feelings with those who were once our confidants."
Cleave: Greek translation is "glue, stick"--> stick with your spouse (implies some force pulling you out or opposition). President Hinckley said that your wife (spouse) should be regarded as, "The greatest treasure of your life."
Luke 18:11-14 Attitude in prayer- pharisee vs. publican "God be merciful to me, a sinner"
How aware am I of my own weakness when I pray?
Matt 19:4 God made them male and female (this is in the Bible)
"for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh...wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."-->
Matthew 19:8 Divorce happened in Moses's time because of "the hardness of your hearts"--> How can maintaining a soft heart keep spouses together?
Three Principles of Marriage (Matthew O. Richardson)
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2005/04/three-principles-of-marriage?lang=eng
Leave: "We might need to leave the familiar patterns of former friendships and sharing personal feelings with those who were once our confidants."
Cleave: Greek translation is "glue, stick"--> stick with your spouse (implies some force pulling you out or opposition). President Hinckley said that your wife (spouse) should be regarded as, "The greatest treasure of your life."
"The words none else eliminate everyone and
everything. The spouse then becomes pre-eminent in the life of the
husband or wife and neither social life nor occupational life nor
political life nor any other interest nor person nor thing shall ever
take precedence over the companion spouse."
"Cleaving is about making choices that reflect our priorities."
Becoming One: "Differences in communication patterns, reasoning, emotions, and even personal preferences may actually benefit a couple...When a man and a woman fully understand that they can be complete only with each other, they learn to appreciate their differences and adjust their behavior as required in the Lord’s plan of happiness."
One flesh: one person is not more important than the other- the good of "we" (little family) over each individual member (becoming a team member)
New creatures: shape your marriage to God's not the other way around
"Cleaving is about making choices that reflect our priorities."
Becoming One: "Differences in communication patterns, reasoning, emotions, and even personal preferences may actually benefit a couple...When a man and a woman fully understand that they can be complete only with each other, they learn to appreciate their differences and adjust their behavior as required in the Lord’s plan of happiness."
One flesh: one person is not more important than the other- the good of "we" (little family) over each individual member (becoming a team member)
New creatures: shape your marriage to God's not the other way around
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