Today I was sitting next to my mom in Sunday school. We were reading from 3 Nephi, about the birth of the Savior. She pointed to a verse and said, "That's one of your Granny Jan's favorite scriptures." That got me thinking. Favorite scriptures are favorite for a reason. They hold a special place in an individual's heart. I asked my mom what her favorite was, and she will be getting back to me on that. I will be doing a post on all my family member's favorite scriptures.
My favorite scripture is D&C 121:7 "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;" I don't when I decided that it was my favorite, but it has been my favorite for awhile. It is always an answer to any prayer of mine.
Anyways. Short post for today.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friends, remission, and randomness
My scripture post today is a suggestion from a friend:
Mosiah 4:3 "And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them."
Repentance: deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like. (dictionary.com)
Repentance: the Greek word of which this is the translation denotes a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and bout the world. (bible dictionary)
Repentance: the gift that Christ gave to the world when He atoned for our sins. The effect of repentance is hope, peace, and happiness; a pure joy that truly can't be compared to any other type of happiness. (my definition)
Mosiah 4:3 "And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them."
Repentance: deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like. (dictionary.com)
Repentance: the Greek word of which this is the translation denotes a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and bout the world. (bible dictionary)
Repentance: the gift that Christ gave to the world when He atoned for our sins. The effect of repentance is hope, peace, and happiness; a pure joy that truly can't be compared to any other type of happiness. (my definition)
This picture hangs on my mirror in my room at home. It reminds me that no matter what, I can repent, and that I can try again. It is so easy to give up or feel like nothing will ever be enough, but this is a reminder of His sacrifice, and that I have so many chances to start over. I'm so grateful for His redeeming sacrifice and love.
Give thee rest.
2 Nephi 24:3 "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, from they sorrow, and from they fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve."
Today, I am home in Farmington for the first time in awhile! It is so weird to be home. This is still my home but not my "home" if that makes sense. I definitely am supposed to be in Provo, attending BYU. However, being home is so great. I feel restored and rested. I got to spend time with family and friends tonight--and I just feel so grateful. Though I'm not in bondage, or fearful, or sorrowful--home does bring me rest. The Lord does bring me rest, and has blessed me so much in my life. I'm so grateful for all that I have. Can I just say that? I have so so much to be thankful for. Let me list a few:
1. My beautiful parents. They love each other so much. They are the epitome of service and charity. They are always looking for ways to serve each other and others.
2. My three sweet angel little sisters. These girls are my life. They know how to make me laugh, think, cry, dance, sing. They are wonderful. I don't know where I'd be without them.
3. My amazing friends, both new and old. I love coming home to my friends who are my constants, constant friends that have been with me through a lot. I love spending time with my friends at college, my crazy amazing roommates, my Kaysville boys, and new acquaintances from all over campus.
4. My. Queen. Size. Bed. Ahhhh! Missed it!
5. Last but definitely not least, this gospel. This happiness, this truth, this wholeness. I'm so grateful for the peace and joy that comes from being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Today, I am home in Farmington for the first time in awhile! It is so weird to be home. This is still my home but not my "home" if that makes sense. I definitely am supposed to be in Provo, attending BYU. However, being home is so great. I feel restored and rested. I got to spend time with family and friends tonight--and I just feel so grateful. Though I'm not in bondage, or fearful, or sorrowful--home does bring me rest. The Lord does bring me rest, and has blessed me so much in my life. I'm so grateful for all that I have. Can I just say that? I have so so much to be thankful for. Let me list a few:
1. My beautiful parents. They love each other so much. They are the epitome of service and charity. They are always looking for ways to serve each other and others.
2. My three sweet angel little sisters. These girls are my life. They know how to make me laugh, think, cry, dance, sing. They are wonderful. I don't know where I'd be without them.
3. My amazing friends, both new and old. I love coming home to my friends who are my constants, constant friends that have been with me through a lot. I love spending time with my friends at college, my crazy amazing roommates, my Kaysville boys, and new acquaintances from all over campus.
4. My. Queen. Size. Bed. Ahhhh! Missed it!
5. Last but definitely not least, this gospel. This happiness, this truth, this wholeness. I'm so grateful for the peace and joy that comes from being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
I Will Trust
2 Nephi 22: 2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."
"And after the storm, I run and run as the rains come and I look up, I look up, on my knees and out of luck, I look up."
"When it gets too hard to stand, kneel."
I just want to testify that the Lord is always there. No matter what.
"And after the storm, I run and run as the rains come and I look up, I look up, on my knees and out of luck, I look up."
"When it gets too hard to stand, kneel."
I just want to testify that the Lord is always there. No matter what.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Lost and Found
Today when I approached my scripture reading, I decided to look for something that I need, something that I can understand. I knew I could easily get lost in all the words of Isaiah, unless I had something in mind to find. I found something!
2 Nephi 18:5 "The Lord spake also unto me again, saying:"
So, an obscure verse, right? Taken out of context, it doesn't really make sense. But, when I read over this, it made me ask the question: "How does the Lord speak to me?"
The prophets and scriptures have talked about various ways that we receive personal revelation and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. I've heard of people hearing literal voices tell them what to do. People have visions, speak with angels. However, these aren't the most common ways to receive personal revelation. Most commonly, promptings come in the form of thoughts or feelings. I'll share one quick experience of this in my life.
When I was in eighth grade, one of the girls in my gym class was very upset because one of her friends had come to school very disoriented and sick. The girl in my class, let's call her Susie, was crying and explaining the situation to another girl in the class. Susie was not a member, and often made fun of me when I would say something church related or when I'd ask her not to swear at me. The point being--she kinda scared me. As I was putting clothes away in my locker, I had the thought to ask Susie if she wanted to say a prayer with me for her friend. "HECK NO TECHNO." Was my first thought. But the thought wouldn't go away. So I timidly asked Susie if she would like to say a prayer with me. She looked kind of shocked, but then agreed. We went to the end of the locker room where no one was and sat down. I quietly said a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help Susie's friend. After I said "amen", we awkwardly got up and walked away.
My story doesn't have any cool ending. Susie didn't join the church. She didn't change her habits. It was assumed that Susie's friend become disoriented because of drugs. But, I knew I had been prompted to ask her to say the prayer with me. To this day, I don't know if it affected her. But, I know it affected me. It showed to me that it is important to follow promptings and listen to the Lord, even when doing what I am prompted to do scares the crap out of me.
2 Nephi 18:5 reminded me of the importance of following promptings and realizing the ways in which the Lord speaks to us individually. Guess what, guys? I looked and found something in Isaiah. :) (Best day ever!)
2 Nephi 18:5 "The Lord spake also unto me again, saying:"
So, an obscure verse, right? Taken out of context, it doesn't really make sense. But, when I read over this, it made me ask the question: "How does the Lord speak to me?"
The prophets and scriptures have talked about various ways that we receive personal revelation and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. I've heard of people hearing literal voices tell them what to do. People have visions, speak with angels. However, these aren't the most common ways to receive personal revelation. Most commonly, promptings come in the form of thoughts or feelings. I'll share one quick experience of this in my life.
When I was in eighth grade, one of the girls in my gym class was very upset because one of her friends had come to school very disoriented and sick. The girl in my class, let's call her Susie, was crying and explaining the situation to another girl in the class. Susie was not a member, and often made fun of me when I would say something church related or when I'd ask her not to swear at me. The point being--she kinda scared me. As I was putting clothes away in my locker, I had the thought to ask Susie if she wanted to say a prayer with me for her friend. "HECK NO TECHNO." Was my first thought. But the thought wouldn't go away. So I timidly asked Susie if she would like to say a prayer with me. She looked kind of shocked, but then agreed. We went to the end of the locker room where no one was and sat down. I quietly said a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help Susie's friend. After I said "amen", we awkwardly got up and walked away.
My story doesn't have any cool ending. Susie didn't join the church. She didn't change her habits. It was assumed that Susie's friend become disoriented because of drugs. But, I knew I had been prompted to ask her to say the prayer with me. To this day, I don't know if it affected her. But, I know it affected me. It showed to me that it is important to follow promptings and listen to the Lord, even when doing what I am prompted to do scares the crap out of me.
2 Nephi 18:5 reminded me of the importance of following promptings and realizing the ways in which the Lord speaks to us individually. Guess what, guys? I looked and found something in Isaiah. :) (Best day ever!)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah
Okay guys. I gotta admit. I hit my wall again with Isaiah. Wanna know where? 2 Nephi 15:16-26.
"Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet..." Every time, every time I read this verse I picture this:
Okay, so that's obviously not what Isaiah meant when he talked about the daughters of Zion. So...how do I understand this scripture along with the other confusing parts of Isaiah? I found a great talk by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, given in 1973. In this talk, he outlines ten ways to better understand Isaiah:
1. Gain an Over-All Knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and of God’s Dealings with His Earthly Children.
2. Learn the Position and Destiny of the House of Israel in the Lord’s Eternal Scheme of Things.
3. Know the Chief Doctrines about Which Isaiah Chose to Write.
4. Use the Book of Mormon.
5. Use Latter-Day Revelation.
6. Learn How the New Testament Interprets Isaiah.
7. Study Isaiah in Its Old Testament Context.
8. Learn the Manner of Prophesying Used among the Jews in Isaiah’s Day.
9. Have the Spirit of Prophecy.
10. Devote Yourself to Hard, Conscientious Study.
(To read the whole talk: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1973/10/ten-keys-to-understanding-isaiah)
One tool mentioned by Elder McConkie that we have been utilizing in my Book of Mormon class is using the Book of Mormon to gain clarity. We've been taught to look at footnotes, follow scripture trails, and research until we find our answers. This is also where step number ten comes in, devoting myself to hard, conscientious study. This is going to be hard for me. I always just blow past the Isaiah chapters and tell myself that I'll never understand. But, dear readers, I'm going to devote myself to the conscientious study of Isaiah, and I'll let ya know how it goes. I'm going to try to be able to write about at least one insight every day that I gained during my personal scripture study. Starting now:
“And upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night…” (2 Nephi 14:5)
With this scripture, I followed the footnote to Exodus 13:21. In this chapter of Exodus, the children of Israel are wandering in the wilderness. The Lord sends unto them a cloud to follow by day, and a pillar of fire to follow by night. In our day and age, it is easy to get lost in the darkness and wilderness. It is easy to feel tripped up by all the challenges we face. It is oh so easy to get discouraged. However, if we look to the clouds and pillars of fire that the Lord has sent to us to guide us, we can make it. Those pillars for me are: the words of the prophets, the scriptures, and the Holy Ghost.
A year ago on Friday, a little two-year-old girl in my ward died tragically and suddenly. It completely devastated that family and my ward. It devastated me. I came home from school that day and sat sobbing in the fetal position on my floor, unable to get control of myself. While I was so upset, I turned to my scriptures. What I turned to was 1 Nephi 11:17 "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." My questions of "Why?" "Why now?" "Why her?" were all answered in this short verse. I don't know why Heavenly Father chose to take that beautiful little girl away from her family when he did, but I do know that the Lord loves his children. He loves that family. He loves that little girl. His love is all encompassing and healing. The spirit testified to me as I was curled up on my floor that everything was going to be alright.
That weekend was General Conference. I was so grateful that I would have the opportunity to hear from the prophets--hear their messages, feel of their love. I knew that somehow the Lord would comfort our mourning community. During the Sunday morning session, Elder Robert D. Hales gave a talk entitled "Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will be Done." (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/waiting-upon-the-lord-thy-will-be-done?lang=eng read this. It is an amazing talk.) In this talk, Elder Hales answered my prayers and gave me hope.
In this story I just told you, I witnessed the pillar of fire of the Lord. I gained direction in darkness from scriptures, the Holy Ghost, and the words of the prophets. I gained a stronger and firmer testimony that our Heavenly Father loves his children, and that He provides guidance in the darkest of times in our lives.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Isaiah applies to ME
In Book of Mormon, we are studying the word of Isaiah in 2 Nephi. Yes...those dreaded, hard to understand sections. Today, in class, when my professor talked about the fact that we would be reading these scriptures...my mind kinda shut off. I think I've been conditioned to respond like that. My AP Pysch mind goes right back to when we studied Pavlov's dogs.
Unconditioned Stimulus: Isaiah
Unconditioned Response: Reading with little understanding
Conditioned Stimulus: Isaiah paired with groans and expressions of frustration
Conditioned Response: Mind shuts down
Okay, so that's obviously not what really happens, but it's how I feel. I've always been hopelessly lost with Isaiah. But, today I decided to read these chapters with a goal to understand. No matter how much research and time it takes. What made me decide this was Nephi. "And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him." (2 Nephi 11:2) The part that really sticks out to me in this passage is that Nephi will liken Isaiah's words unto his people and unto himself. So, that's probably where I'm struggling. There has to be ways that Isaiah applies to my own life. For example:
2 Nephi 12:2-3 "...when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it."
In the scriptures, the mountains are representative of the temple. With the recent dedication of the Brigham City Temple, this scripture is completely applicable to my life, as well as the life of many others. Another temple of the Lord was built, and people from all nations will flow unto it to receive the the blessings of the temple. I haven't been to the temple for a few months. I really miss it. I miss the peace and joy I feel from it. Whenever I was upset back at home, I would hop in my car and drive to the Bountiful temple. I can't describe the peace that I received from looking at the white spires and the golden angel Moroni. Being close to the house of the Lord brings me the peace I need.
So guess what. I found something in Isaiah that applies to me.
Unconditioned Stimulus: Isaiah
Unconditioned Response: Reading with little understanding
Conditioned Stimulus: Isaiah paired with groans and expressions of frustration
Conditioned Response: Mind shuts down
Okay, so that's obviously not what really happens, but it's how I feel. I've always been hopelessly lost with Isaiah. But, today I decided to read these chapters with a goal to understand. No matter how much research and time it takes. What made me decide this was Nephi. "And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him." (2 Nephi 11:2) The part that really sticks out to me in this passage is that Nephi will liken Isaiah's words unto his people and unto himself. So, that's probably where I'm struggling. There has to be ways that Isaiah applies to my own life. For example:
2 Nephi 12:2-3 "...when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it."
In the scriptures, the mountains are representative of the temple. With the recent dedication of the Brigham City Temple, this scripture is completely applicable to my life, as well as the life of many others. Another temple of the Lord was built, and people from all nations will flow unto it to receive the the blessings of the temple. I haven't been to the temple for a few months. I really miss it. I miss the peace and joy I feel from it. Whenever I was upset back at home, I would hop in my car and drive to the Bountiful temple. I can't describe the peace that I received from looking at the white spires and the golden angel Moroni. Being close to the house of the Lord brings me the peace I need.
So guess what. I found something in Isaiah that applies to me.
"..the manner of happiness."
2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."
This is the theme of my blog. This is the theme of my life. This is the theme of my scripture study. I want to live in a manner of happiness! I want at the end of my life to be able to say that I did my best to be happy and share happiness with others.
So, in an essence, what is happiness? "Happiness," the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, http://www.lds.org/liahona/2002/07/pathways-to-perfection?lang=eng&query=pathways+perfection)
In the talk that President Thomas S. Monson gave, referenced above, he outlined four ways to stay on the path to happiness as described by Joseph Smith. Those four ways are:
1. An attitude of gratitude
2. A longing for learning
3. A devotion to discipline
4. A willingness to work
Gratitude. Something so easily overlooked. When I focus on what I'm grateful for, I realize how much I have to be happy about. In Alma 34:38, Alma says, "...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." Over the summer, I had a goal to text what I was grateful for every day to one of my friends. When I did this I found the good in supposedly awful days. I saw the sunshine where before I'd only seen rain.
A longing for learning. I'm not going to lie, I can't say I've ever longed to learn. However, I've always loved to read. I love to lose myself in stories of mischief or romance, of theory or passion. Reading is an amazing way to commune with the world, even though one is alone when they read. Out of the best books to read is, of course, the Book of Mormon. “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Joseph Smith) When we abide by the precepts in the Book of Mormon and learn from it, we become closer to God, and thus are happier.
A devotion to discipline--not my strong point. I procrastinate. I get lazy. I get on Facebook instead of doing my homework. This is definitely an area I need to work on. "Our Heavenly Father has given to each of us the power to think and reason and decide. With such power, self-discipline becomes a necessity." (Thomas S. Monson) We have agency, and thus, self-discipline is a necessity.
Lastly, a willingness to work. Doing leads to happiness. I really do see this in my life. Even though I love to sit at home and watch Heroes on Netflix, this doesn't make me happy. At the end of the day I feel pathetic for not having accomplished anything. Of course, some relaxing days are great, but when I do things, when I accomplish my goals, I am happier. I live in the manner of happiness when I work.
But beyond all these ways to stay on the path to happiness, I have a firm testimony that this church, this gospel, is happiness. Jesus Christ enabled us to be happy through his Atonement. I'm so grateful to have the truth in my life.
This is the theme of my blog. This is the theme of my life. This is the theme of my scripture study. I want to live in a manner of happiness! I want at the end of my life to be able to say that I did my best to be happy and share happiness with others.
So, in an essence, what is happiness? "Happiness," the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, http://www.lds.org/liahona/2002/07/pathways-to-perfection?lang=eng&query=pathways+perfection)
In the talk that President Thomas S. Monson gave, referenced above, he outlined four ways to stay on the path to happiness as described by Joseph Smith. Those four ways are:
1. An attitude of gratitude
2. A longing for learning
3. A devotion to discipline
4. A willingness to work
Gratitude. Something so easily overlooked. When I focus on what I'm grateful for, I realize how much I have to be happy about. In Alma 34:38, Alma says, "...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." Over the summer, I had a goal to text what I was grateful for every day to one of my friends. When I did this I found the good in supposedly awful days. I saw the sunshine where before I'd only seen rain.
A longing for learning. I'm not going to lie, I can't say I've ever longed to learn. However, I've always loved to read. I love to lose myself in stories of mischief or romance, of theory or passion. Reading is an amazing way to commune with the world, even though one is alone when they read. Out of the best books to read is, of course, the Book of Mormon. “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Joseph Smith) When we abide by the precepts in the Book of Mormon and learn from it, we become closer to God, and thus are happier.
A devotion to discipline--not my strong point. I procrastinate. I get lazy. I get on Facebook instead of doing my homework. This is definitely an area I need to work on. "Our Heavenly Father has given to each of us the power to think and reason and decide. With such power, self-discipline becomes a necessity." (Thomas S. Monson) We have agency, and thus, self-discipline is a necessity.
Lastly, a willingness to work. Doing leads to happiness. I really do see this in my life. Even though I love to sit at home and watch Heroes on Netflix, this doesn't make me happy. At the end of the day I feel pathetic for not having accomplished anything. Of course, some relaxing days are great, but when I do things, when I accomplish my goals, I am happier. I live in the manner of happiness when I work.
But beyond all these ways to stay on the path to happiness, I have a firm testimony that this church, this gospel, is happiness. Jesus Christ enabled us to be happy through his Atonement. I'm so grateful to have the truth in my life.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)