"We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that 'gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.' (Cicero, in A New Dictionary of Quotations on Historical Principles, sel. H. L. Mencken (1942), 491.)"
- President Thomas S. Monson ("The Divine Gift of Gratitude" October 2010 General Conference)
It can be easy to see what is in front of us in the world and to think negatively, but lately as I have been more grateful for the things that God has given and is giving me, I have a greater desire and motivation to obey Him and do what He would have me do. When this happens He blesses me even more, which gives another opportunity for gratitude, and the pattern spirals upward. Gratitude is evidence of humility and faith, and we know what the Lord can do with us when we have those two elements (Ether 12:27).
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Lord's Promise of Grace
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
-Ether 12:27
What an incredible promise! Because the Lord has carried our pains, afflictions, weaknesses, sorrows, temptations, and anything else you can imagine, He understands us, and He knows how to strengthen us personally in our times of weakness (Alma 7:11-12)! All that He requires is humility and faith in Him. Sounds like a bargain to me. All I have to do is give the Lord everything I have (which in reality isn't very much), and He'll give me everything I need, and ultimately everything He has one day. I give Him my weakness, and He trades me for His strength. Do I deserve that? No, not at all -- but because of His goodness and mercy, He wants me to have what He has and to become as He is. I have a testimony of this truth and have experienced it firsthand. This is applicable to everyone, no matter what their situation is. This is the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! So use the enabling power of the grace of Jesus Christ! Without it, we're nothing, and without using it, the Lord suffered in vain.
-Ether 12:27
What an incredible promise! Because the Lord has carried our pains, afflictions, weaknesses, sorrows, temptations, and anything else you can imagine, He understands us, and He knows how to strengthen us personally in our times of weakness (Alma 7:11-12)! All that He requires is humility and faith in Him. Sounds like a bargain to me. All I have to do is give the Lord everything I have (which in reality isn't very much), and He'll give me everything I need, and ultimately everything He has one day. I give Him my weakness, and He trades me for His strength. Do I deserve that? No, not at all -- but because of His goodness and mercy, He wants me to have what He has and to become as He is. I have a testimony of this truth and have experienced it firsthand. This is applicable to everyone, no matter what their situation is. This is the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! So use the enabling power of the grace of Jesus Christ! Without it, we're nothing, and without using it, the Lord suffered in vain.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Scriptures!
Often-times we take the scriptures for granted (just like anything else). Watch this clip to see why we should be more appreciative of them!
http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages-gallery?lang=eng#the-blessings-of-scripture
http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages-gallery?lang=eng#the-blessings-of-scripture
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Another Testament
Yesterday in a meeting with 3 other missionaries (known as a district meeting), we decided that our district will all read the Book of Mormon everyday, and take up Moroni's Promise on a regular basis. Moroni's Promise is "And when ye shall receive these things [The Book of Mormon], I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:4-5)
Basically it's saying that if you read from the Book of Mormon, and you entertain the thought that it might be true, that you can receive a spiritual experience from the Holy Ghost, testifying that the things that are written are truly of God and truly did happen. All that is necessary is a sincere heart, (the reader must sincerely want to know if it is true), real intent (meaning that the reader must really intend to do as the book demands--ex. keep commandments, baptism, etc.), and faith in Christ (meaning that the reader must believe that he or she will receive an answer, and will trust the answer that is given). This is a powerful, authoritative promise that is given, and not a weak "maybe you might get an answer if you try it" kind of suggestion.
All four missionaries in our district has taken this promise up before and have found it to be a true promise, but we decided that to strengthen and renew our testimonies, we will try it again on a regular basis, so that we can help others gain that witness for themselves as well. I started this process of reading the Book of Mormon and praying for a witness of it's truth this morning, and I am already having experiences with it! I invite anyone and everyone to do the same! Member of the Church or not :) I know that The Book of Mormon is true. You can too!
Basically it's saying that if you read from the Book of Mormon, and you entertain the thought that it might be true, that you can receive a spiritual experience from the Holy Ghost, testifying that the things that are written are truly of God and truly did happen. All that is necessary is a sincere heart, (the reader must sincerely want to know if it is true), real intent (meaning that the reader must really intend to do as the book demands--ex. keep commandments, baptism, etc.), and faith in Christ (meaning that the reader must believe that he or she will receive an answer, and will trust the answer that is given). This is a powerful, authoritative promise that is given, and not a weak "maybe you might get an answer if you try it" kind of suggestion.
All four missionaries in our district has taken this promise up before and have found it to be a true promise, but we decided that to strengthen and renew our testimonies, we will try it again on a regular basis, so that we can help others gain that witness for themselves as well. I started this process of reading the Book of Mormon and praying for a witness of it's truth this morning, and I am already having experiences with it! I invite anyone and everyone to do the same! Member of the Church or not :) I know that The Book of Mormon is true. You can too!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Love of God
God is Love (1 John 4:8) and God loves you. You and I are both children of our Heavenly Father, and so believe it or not, when we put our trust in our Heavenly Father, everything he puts us through, and every commandment He gives us is for our benefit and to strengthen us.
I definitely have personal experience and testimony of this. I have been blessed with a wonderful life, with many amazing opportunities that God has, for some reason, given to me. I sometimes wonder, "Why me? Why have I been so blessed?" It's easy to see why a loving God would bless us with so many wonderful things and opportunities, but often it's hard to imagine why He would give us difficulties and challenges. Why do you think He would do that? No text-book answers! Answer from the heart from personal experiences. Thanks! :)
I definitely have personal experience and testimony of this. I have been blessed with a wonderful life, with many amazing opportunities that God has, for some reason, given to me. I sometimes wonder, "Why me? Why have I been so blessed?" It's easy to see why a loving God would bless us with so many wonderful things and opportunities, but often it's hard to imagine why He would give us difficulties and challenges. Why do you think He would do that? No text-book answers! Answer from the heart from personal experiences. Thanks! :)
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