Tues 10/26
"Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?" J. Devn Cornish
-Everyone's career has challenging and discouraging moments. It is not uncommon!
"We torture ourselves needlessly by competing and comparing. We falsely judge our self-worth by the things we do or don’t have and by the opinions of others. If we must compare, let us compare how we were in the past to how we are today—and even to how we want to be in the future."
How am I doing compared to how I was a few years ago? What do I understand and know about myself that I didn't know then?
"The only opinion of us that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks of us. Please sincerely ask Him what He thinks of you. He will love and correct but never discourage us; that is Satan’s trick."
Am I asking Heavenly Father what He thinks of me daily in prayer?
-all the Lord expects of us is to try. But we have to really try.
Jeffery R. Holland: "However many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made … , I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” -- the Atonement reaches me and helps me to overcome all things. Do I have faith in this? How is my faith manifest? How can I choose faith and hope instead of discouragement?
"...because of the Savior’s Atonement, we can repent and be fully forgiven, as soon as our repentance is sincere."
"What we cannot do is rationalize rather than repent. It will not work to justify ourselves in our sins by saying, “God knows it’s just too hard for me, so He accepts me like I am.”
Do I justify my shortcomings by saying, "this is how my family is?" Or do I sincerely try to give it up unto God and do so joyfully?
Mon 10/31
John 8:29 Christ does things that please Heavenly Father
Mosiah 15:7 Christ's will was swallowed up in the will of the Father
John 17:23 Goal is to become unified with the Father. Do I pray like that? With the intent to become unified with Christ and God? How can I change my perspective so that I am more unified with the Father?
2 Ne 32:9 Pray unto the Father before I perform any thing and he will consecrate them to my good. How can I utilize this idea in my daily life? How can I consecrate my classes and work to God?
Mon 11/7
Nephi 2-3. Difference between Laman/Lemuel and Nephi/Sam/Lehi is attitude. NSL are obedient and have faith. That faith is reflected in their attitude "I will go and do," (3:7), "he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanders them" (3:7), "it is wisdom that we should obtain these records" (3:20), "soften my heart that I did believe" (2:16), "cry unto the Lord" (2:16), "he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, therefor ehe did as the Lord commanded him" (2:3)
LL had a bad attitude, complained, and doubted the ability of the Lord to help them in their lives: "they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them" (2:12) "neither did they believe" (2:13), "it is a hard thing" (3:5), "speak many hard words unto us" (3:28), "How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands?" (3:31). Their actions are governed by fear, doubt, and so they murmur, complain, react with anger, and even violence.
How often am I like LL and how often am I like NSL? It reminds me of the talk by Russell M. Nelson about Joy and Spiritual survival - our happiness has nothing to do with the circumstances of our lives but with our focus in our lives. NSL were focused on the Savior and being obedient, and so they were joyful even though they experienced the same hardship as LL. How does obedience to Christ and His commandments a source of joy in my life? How often do I complain, drag my feet, and react with fear and doubt when things don't go my way? That is LL/Satan's way.
Tues 11/8
1 Ne 5:21-22 It wasn't until after NLS got the plates from Laban that they really understood why they were supposed to do so; sometimes we are asked to do things that we don't fully understand, but as we act in faith we will be able to understand that "it was wisdom in the Lord" (5:22) When have I not understood completely why I needed to do something or why something happened and then understood later? I don't think I understood fully how serving a mission would help me until the end of my mission. In addition, everyone goes into marriage somewhat blind as to what will happen, but then it slowly is apparent why marriage is ordained of God and how it can make us become better people. I also feel like this with grad school - why the timing? Hopefully one day it will also be "wisdom in the Lord." Interesting that they had to search the plates to understand their great worth. How often do not put in the effort to understand the will of God and then complain? Do we really search to understand?
1 Ne 4:6 "I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." This should be my approach for missionary work. Sometimes I try to think hard of people that might be receptive (a good practice) but I should also be open to the idea that people that don't appear to be "ready" may be just as ready as anyone else. How can I recognize and rely on the Spirit more fully in my life?
Wed 11/9
6:4 "fullness of intent" of the scriptures= to come unto God. This is the full purpose of life. Politics are not the biggest thing. God is the biggest thing, and my personal integrity to Him.
7:12-13 "How is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Where let us be faithful to him." What a wonderful scripture of hope! The "word of the Lord will be fulfilled." Period. There are not ands, ifs or buts in that statement. Do I have faith in that? How does it affect my daily attitude towards myself, others, media, politics, and all of the other influences in the world? Lately I have been feeling that I need to cut down on some of the media influences in my life. Particularly Facebook. There are too many opinions, to emotional and to inflammatory. It is good to be informed, but much of the information we are bombarded with is not encouraging of what God is trying to communicate with me here - that God will trump all negative in our lives and all we have to do is have faith in Him, follow Christ's example. Hardly to do to perfection, but really simplifies our life and priorities. Literally nothing else matters. What am I doing in this respect today? How can I be kind to someone else today?
Sat 11/12
1 Ne 8:7 Even after following Christ, we will pass through "dark and dreary waste" like Lehi did in vision.
8:15-16 "come unto me" Lehi acts almost like a mediator between the people and the Father, almost kind of like Christ. He leads his family to taste of the love of Christ. How has my own father led me to Christ? How does Samuel do so in our home? How can we lead our children unto Christ?i
8:23 How does the mist of darkness influence me? --Confusing right/wrong. Media, worldly beliefs, putting to much emphasis on my appearance or other worldly things all can confuse us. How do we navigate the mist of darkness in our lives?
8:21 "press forward," 8:24 "clinging to the rod of iron," 8:30 "continually holding" --steady and consistent effort of making these things spiritual habits. 8:33 "heed them not (mockers)"
8:28 Beware of being ashamed because others mock you. Expect this. Why am I surprised when this happens in my interactions with other people?
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