Balance

"We must remember that much spiritual growth does not occur suddenly but rather through time and experience. The encouraging message of the gospel is that God does not often require us to perform sensational or extraordinary deeds but rather to try to do better today than we did yesterday. He is mindful of our desires, our determination, and our direction as well as of our deeds." 

--Brent L. Top, "A Balanced Life", Ensign, Apr. 2005, 26

Change of Heart/Repentance

"...we must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant... But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. They are like the Lamanites, who the Lord said "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Ne. 9:20; italics added.)"
--Ezra Taft Benson, "A Mighty Change of Heart," Ensign, Oct. 1989, 2

Armor of God

"We voluntarily came from the presence of God the Father to this mortal probation with agency, knowing we would have "opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11). Our objective is to take upon us the whole armor of God and withstand "the fiery darts of the wicked" with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, to endure to the end, and to be worthy to stand and live in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, for all eternity-to achieve what is called eternal life." 

--Elder Robert D. Hales, "Blessings of the Temple", Ensign Oct 2009, 46–49

Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer

“Our promised blessings are beyond measure,” President Thomas S. Monson declares. “Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”

Transformed through Righteous Choices

In addition to President Monson, other living prophets and apostles reinforce the same message. “The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction” is evidence of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s infinite love for each of us, says President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency. Through facing the challenges of mortality we prepare for “the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. . . . For us to have that gift and to be given that trust, we must be transformed through making righteous choices where that is hard to do.”

The true test of life, President Eyring explains, is not adversity but “to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us. And to endure well is to keep those commandments whatever the opposition, whatever the temptation, and whatever the tumult around us.”

Just Do the Very Best You Can

Rather than waste time and energy worrying over our ability to endure to the end, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggests, “Just do the very best you can each day. Do the basic things and, before you realize it, your life will be full of spiritual understanding that will confirm to you that your Heavenly Father loves you. When a person knows this, then life will be full of purpose and meaning, making balance easier to maintain.”

Meant to Have Joy

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches that “sadness, disappointment, and severe challenges are events in life, not life itself. . . . They should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do.” With the reminder that the Lord told His prophet Lehi that “men are that they might have joy,” Elder Scott says, “[The Lord’s] intent is that each of us finds joy. It will not be conditional for you as you obey the commandments, have faith in the Master, and do the things that are necessary to have joy here on earth.”

To Refine Us, Not Destroy Us

“In the school of mortality, the tutor is often pain and tribulation, but the lessons are meant to refine and bless us and strengthen us, not to destroy us,” Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says. “There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost.”

Blessings Will Come

“It is not without a recognition of life’s tempests but fully and directly because of them that I testify of God’s love and the Savior’s power to calm the storm,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declares. “They sustain us in our hour of need—and always will, even if we cannot recognize that intervention. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

President Monson says, “I bear to you my witness that [Heavenly Father] is there. He does hear and answer every prayer. His Son, the Christ, burst the bands of our earthly prisons. Heaven’s blessings await you.”

found on www.lds.org

A Legacy of Love

I heard this song a few months back and i love it. it explains the purpose of Relief Society perfectly in my opinion. this is how it was on the program and so i am a little unsure of where the chorus ends and the next verse starts.

Early in the spring in Joseph's red brick store,

the prophet spoke in council to the sisters.

"Now I turn the key for women everywhere. Go forth and use your 

gifts to serve the Lord."

Chorus: A legacy of love, a society of sisters. We'll a friendly 

hand and try to understand and lift each soul to God.We will heal 

the wounded heart, offer comfort to the weary. We'll cherish one 

another; watch over one another; with hearts knit together in love.

"Charity is yours, it lies within your hearts. Compassion too, is 

there in ample measure.  Use these priceless gifts to lift and heal  the 

world. And this shall be your legacy from God."  A legacy of love. 

We'll reach out to one another.  To all those who've gone a stray 

we'll try to show the way. And lift each soul to God. We'll grow 

firmer  in our faith as we strive to serve God's children. We'll 

strengthen testimonies, and offer sweet  consoling, with hearts knit 

together in love. With the Prophet's words there came a promise sure, 

a promise that should fill our souls with comfort. Angels will draw 

near as we reach out in love and sanctify our service to the Lord.

Music by Lynn S. Lund

Lyric's by Gerald N. Lund

Your Faith: A work in progress

As your faith in God and your testimony of his church are maturing, questions and doubts will inevitably arise. And you may feel alone with your doubts.
When you were a young girl (or a boy might i add), did your legs ever ache as you lay in bed at night? During rapid growth, "growing pains" are natural. Your spirit can sometimes experience growing pains, too. And like the pains in your legs, these spiritual growing pains are not a cause for alarm. Quite the opposite--they show that your spirit is in a period of rapid growth.
But sometimes, because you no longer have the simple, childlike faith you once had, you may fear that you are losing your testimony. You may long for the time when you felt surer of God's reality. As a child you may have confidently said, "I know the church is true." Right now, you may not always feel quite so sure--at least not in the same way you once did.
...This may feel scary at first. But you can trust that One who has a complete picture and sees no darkness at all will never forsake you. And as you grow, your own understanding will become more and more complete, more "perfect" in the scriptural sense.
When you have questions and doubts, don't fear them. But do entertain them with an attitude of faith. You may want to discuss your questions with a bishop or someone else you respect. They keep feeding your faith through prayer, searching the scriptures, and participating in the Church. Some of your answers will come soon, some much later. Be patient with your own spiritual growth, and you will find that in the Lord's own words, "[She] that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24).
It may take extra effort to stay close to the Church during your young adult years. But by doing so, you will find that you have much to give--and much to gain.


Where Do I Go From Here?
Irene Ericksen & Jan Pinborough
page 133-135

its the little things that count in life

here is a story worth sharing. there is the link or the article.

http://desne.ws/qrn5NS

Saying goodbye to 'most humble' man I ever knew

Published: Sunday, July 24, 2011 4:05 p.m. MDT

what's your life story?

I mean if you died tomorrow, what would people say your life was about?

I'm thinking about this because last week I paid a visit to a man who is facing death.

Ray Brown is 86 years old and was just diagnosed with cancer. He's down to 112 pounds. That's about 100 pounds below his normal weight. He's in a nursing home, where I found him alone, dozing in a wheelchair and wearing a red-checked flannel bathrobe on a muggy 85-degree day in East Lyme, Conn.

When I arrived at Bride Brook Health and Rehabilitation Center, I hesitated to wake Ray on account that I wasn't sure it was him. He looked lifeless. Plus, I wasn't used to seeing him all alone.

Ray is always around people. He's helped thousands of them during his lifetime. He's practically an institution in the nearby city of New London, where he started the American Bookkeeping Co. in 1956.

That sounds like a big company. It's not. It was basically Ray and his assistant. From a little second-story office on a historic street called Captain's Walk, Ray kept the books and filed the tax returns for the working-class of southeastern Connecticut.

His clients were plumbers and carpenters, painters and butchers, sailors and people who owned small businesses. He was like them, a hard-working man just trying to earn a living.

He treated clients the way he wanted to be treated. He charged low fees. When people had a rough month and couldn't make a payment, he'd overlook it and catch up later. And when clients became ill or elderly, he made house calls. In that respect, he was like an old-fashioned doctor.

Only Ray didn't carry a medical bag with a stethoscope. He came with a briefcase full of papers and a pencil tucked behind his ear. He'd remove his sport coat and take his place at the dining room table.

Then he'd take a person's tax return and start scribbling numbers on a note pad. His hands and his mind were like lightening. When it came to figuring, he was a human calculator.

Then he'd charge something like $65. You can see why his clients were so loyal. People couldn't afford to leave him.

You can also see why Ray never made a lot of money. That wasn't his aim. He loved people, not money. That's the real reason his clients never left him.

When a man dedicates 50 years to building a business, it ends up being the main narrative of his life. But the thing I cherish most about Ray is his sense of humor. He used to wear a pin that said: I AM THE MOST HUMBLE. He'd grin when he wore it. People who knew him cracked up because a humble person would never wear a pin like that.

Yet Ray is the humblest man I know. He wore old clothes; drove an old car; lived in an old simple house; and packed a lunch that he seldom stopped to eat.

That sounds like a big company. It's not. It was basically Ray and his assistant. From a little second-story office on a historic street called Captain's Walk, Ray kept the books and filed the tax returns for the working-class of southeastern Connecticut.
His clients were plumbers and carpenters, painters and butchers, sailors and people who owned small businesses. He was like them, a hard-working man just trying to earn a living.
He treated clients the way he wanted to be treated. He charged low fees. When people had a rough month and couldn't make a payment, he'd overlook it and catch up later. And when clients became ill or elderly, he made house calls. In that respect, he was like an old-fashioned doctor.
Only Ray didn't carry a medical bag with a stethoscope. He came with a briefcase full of papers and a pencil tucked behind his ear. He'd remove his sport coat and take his place at the dining room table.
Then he'd take a person's tax return and start scribbling numbers on a note pad. His hands and his mind were like lightening. When it came to figuring, he was a human calculator.
Then he'd charge something like $65. You can see why his clients were so loyal. People couldn't afford to leave him.
You can also see why Ray never made a lot of money. That wasn't his aim. He loved people, not money. That's the real reason his clients never left him.
When a man dedicates 50 years to building a business, it ends up being the main narrative of his life. But the thing I cherish most about Ray is his sense of humor. He used to wear a pin that said: I AM THE MOST HUMBLE. He'd grin when he wore it. People who knew him cracked up because a humble person would never wear a pin like that.
Yet Ray is the humblest man I know. He wore old clothes; drove an old car; lived in an old simple house; and packed a lunch that he seldom stopped to eat.

But the priceless life lesson that Ray taught me was unspoken. By example he taught me to laugh at life, even when life isn't funny.
Ray experienced his share of sadness. But he smothered it with laughter. Teach a man to do that and it's like giving him a fountain of youth.
That's why I'll cry when Ray is gone. It's why I took a break from my summer vacation and had to go find him at the nursing home when a friend emailed me at the beach and told me he was there.
So there I was with my four children staring at this man who has made me laugh so many times. "Are you sure that's him, dad?" my daughter asked.
"Ray?" I called out.
His eyes opened. They focused. Then they welled up. It had been two years since we last saw each other. "Son," he said, pulling me close.
I got a chill. He's been calling me son for years. But this was different.
I squatted beside him and turned my ear toward his mouth. Age and illness have reduced his once booming voice to a faint whisper.
"I'm not afraid of dying," he whispered. "I'm not afraid of death."
But it was clear he was afraid of something. I could see worry all over his face.
"What are you afraid of, Ray?"
There were actually two things.
First was his legacy. Three years ago Ray retired and sold American Bookkeeping Co. It still exists today. But it no longer resembles what Ray created. It's managed differently, more like a cold business than a helping hand.
Most of his lifelong clients have gone elsewhere. He worries that this will be a bad reflection on his reputation.
Then there's his dear wife, Rose. She's 88 and lives alone now that Ray is in a care facility. Rose has her own health problems. Ray has always been there to provide for her. Now he can't.
Meantime, the medical bills mount and he no longer earns a paycheck. Nor does he have a nest egg. All those years of charging such low fees prevented him from saving for retirement. It's amazing how complicated life gets near the end.
He pulled me close again. He wanted me to know when he first took a liking to me. It happened when I was a young teenager and we attended the same church congregation in New London. Ray would have been in his 50s.
One Sunday he was asked to substitute teach the teenage Sunday School class. The task petrified him. He was a bookkeeper, not a speaker.

Worse, he forgot his lesson plan. Desperate, he asked an open-ended question in hopes of generating a discussion. No one said a word. Finally, I started talking and guided a discussion that lasted the entire class period. No one ever discovered that Ray was nervous.
"God bless you for that," Ray whispered. "I never forgot that about you."
That's the thing about Ray. He doesn't forget people. I suspect that if people knew he was in a nursing home, that facility's lobby would resemble the closing scene in "It's a Wonderful Life."
Ray Brown is a real-life George Bailey. He's rich where it counts, he's rich in friends. That's his life story.

Jeff Benedict is the author of "Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat."

One By One: A Tribute to the Pioneers

Something to think about today on Pioneer Day

Prayer

"No matter what, never let the adversary convince you not to pray. He knows the strength that you can receive in your most desperate,  most discouraging moments. The Lord loves you for who you are right now. Ask him. He is eager for you to feel his love and acceptance. It is then that he can encourage you along the path to what he knows you can become."

Where Do I Go From Here?
Irene Ericksen & Jan Pinborough
page 128

Help

i couldn't just pick one. so here is a few quotes about help.

"May I share with you a formula that in my judgment will help you and help me to journey well through mortality... First, fill your mind with truth; second, fill your life with service; and third, fill your heart with love."
--Thomas S. Monson, "Formula for Success," Ensign, Mar. 1996, 2

"Any task in life is easier if we approach it with the one at a time attitude. ... To cite a whimsical saying; 'If you chase two rabbits, both of them will escape.' No one is adequate to do everything all at once. We have to select what is important, what is possible, and begin where we are, with what we have. And if we begin and if we keep going the weight, the worry, the doubt, the depression will begin to lift .... We can't do everything always, but we can do something now, and doing something will help to lift the weight and lessen the worry, 'The beginning,' said Plato, 'is the most important part.'"
--Richard L. Evans, Thoughts for One Hundred Days, vol. 4, pp. 89-90


"I fear that many of us rush about from day to day taking for granted the holy scriptures. We scramble to honor appointments with physicians, lawyers, and businessmen. Yet we think nothing of postponing interviews with Deitypostponing scripture study. Little wonder we develop anemic souls and lose our direction in living. How much better it would be if we planned and held sacred fifteen or twenty minutes a day for reading the scriptures. Such interviews with Deity would help us recognize his voice and enable us to receive guidance in all of our affairs."
--Carlos E. Asay, "Look to God and Live," Ensign, Nov. 1978, 52


"Daily fervent prayers seeking forgiveness and special help and direction are essential to our lives and the nourishment of our testimonies. When we become hurried, repetitive, casual, or forgetful in our prayers, we tend to lose the closeness of the Spirit, which is so essential in the continual direction we need to successfully manage the challenges of our everyday lives. Family prayer every morning and night adds additional blessings and power to our individual prayers and to our testimonies."
--Donald L. Staheli, "Securing Our Testimonies," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 39


"Will prayers that do not demand much of your thought merit much attention from our Heavenly Father? When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and think. Meditate for a while on the things for which you really are grateful. Look for them. They don't have to be grand or glorious. Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one's voice. Thinking of things we are grateful for is a healing balm. It helps us get outside ourselves. It changes our focus from our pains and our trials to the abundance of this beautiful world we live in."
--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Improving Our Prayers," Liahona, Aug. 2004, 18

Live Your Life

If you want it, go for it. 

If you miss it, bring it back.

 If you have it, cherish it.

 if you love it, show it. 

now take it and apply it.

The Standard of Truth

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
— Joseph Smith Jr.

the beginning...

Lately I have had a feeling that I need to be better at sharing the gospel with anyone. So in my attempt to do this, I am starting a blog and am going to try and post a small spiritual thought every day to hopefully help someone out there in the world today. I will follow the spirit in deciding what i should post each day. I want to be able to share this wonderful message of hope, peace, and comfort to everyone who will listen. I hope that as I do this, that there will be little opposition in this, but there is still hope in opposition. The gospel of Jesus Christ will go forth regardless what Satan may try. I know this to be true.