God’s Need

Not until we realized that the Lord needs to play a prominent role in our lives can our lives begin to change.

Marco Castro Castro, Preparing to be an Eternal family; Feb 2014 Ensign)

The Pure Love of God

I’m no expert on love, and I’m always learning something about love maybe as much as the next person. But one thing I do recognise when it concerns love is that it really comes from inside, and when we release it, it truly becomes a gift to ourselves as well as to others because God gave it to us to give.

Being In the World, But not of it

Questions that come to my mind on this subject is, who are we trying to please? The world or our Heavenly Father? What are our hearts set on, the things of the world or things of Heaven? Make up, dyes, weight loss programs, costly apparel, cars, jobs, jewelry and so on are only a few things that are apart of our world experience. I believe that if we are not careful with these, they can become our whole world too. Could we then assume that this can fall under the category of idolatry? Now, I’m not suggesting to burn the makeup and dyes, or give up on that coveted job or business, but I am suggesting we ask that question frequently in our life experiences, whether our heart is still focused on the lord or on other things. My point is about what is it we put first in our lives, and are our hearts filled with the gospel of Jesus Christ or has something else taken its place? Conclusively, I believe that to put Heavenly Father first, is putting ourselves first. When we take care of ourselves, looking our best, being healthy, and doing what the Lord gave us to do for our Heavenly Father and His work, we are than better able to be in the world, and not of it. We can also feel assured that we are on the right track, and our hearts free.

Unconditional Love

When I think of unconditional love, I can only think of three people who possess it, and they are Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost. My understanding is that unconditional love is something we don’t automatically get in life by just being ourselves, or saying I love you to someone, or even by the service only we render to others, and or even by being a good person. Instead, I believe it’s work obtained by diligently seeking it from the source our Savior Jesus Christ. With this in mind, there is something about praying and asking the Lord, “Lord give me the love I need for others, or help me understand the love you have for your children so I can be loving.” Also, when asking for God’s love, to me it’s an acknowledgment that He is the one who which all things come from and than it takes the focus off ourselves. The power of seeking God’s love is love we can obtain, and that He freely gives when we do. The way Christ taught in scriptures about unconditional love to me is like a sword, even a two edged sword. Swift and gentle, that can cut, but can also save. Bitter and sweet. I feel the Lord knows what we need and just like a parent does, boundaries are given to keep us safe, of which encompasses all that unconditional love is. God bless.

Avoiding Mistakes Made Possible

Undoubtedly, the Lord made it possible for us to avoid repeated mistakes we inevitably make each day. I’m optimistic that knowing our own reasons for our mistakes can help us overcome them. However, here are a few obvious reasons and answers spoken frequently by christian leaders around the world, and in my own church that are good to take note of.

One, not having the FEAR the Lord. Fearing the lord is remembering He wiped out all the wicked children in the days of Noah, because they did not love or seek after Him and His many blessings. Instead, they only loved the things of the world and themselves, fully trusting in their own flesh. There are many great examples like this in the scriptures that can continue to help us understand what it means to have the FEAR of the Lord.

Two, not LISTENING to the Lord. There’s a popular saying we have today, “Talk to the hand” that coincides with not listening to the lord. A proud Hananiah took it upon himself to be a prophet of God without God’s consent and spoke to the people only what they liked to hear (Jeremiah 28). Although Hananiah later died because of this, we can learn many things from his story. We could assume that the pride he developed was so strong that any stirrings of the spirit were detained in his heart and mind. We may think only someone like Hananiah would be so brazen to do this, but I’m sure we can all relate when we see that it often starts from pushing the stirrings of the spirit away first, which than is followed by our own understanding of things and so on. Again, there are many stories in the scriptures that teach us how to be better listeners of the Lord.

Three, not having REVERENCE for the Lord. Maybe to help one learn what reverence means is to define irreverence. Defining irreverence may mean taking the lord lightly in our speech, actions, and thoughts. It could also mean pre-occupying ourselves with other things rather than taking time to be with the lord or know him. The son’s of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu must’ve being goofing around the holy tabernacle and thought it funny to offer unauthorized fire to the lord as the lord returned these favors to their fiery death (Lev 10.1). We can learn that spending more time with the lord will help us know his ways, most of all know Christ. We can also come to know that our relationship with Christ is more important than ourselves, and anything that the world can offer.

Noting these few points, helps me know the forward thinking of the Lord, and that he understands his children inside out. Also, that he makes all things a possibility for us to move forward in our spiritual progression.

The Ideal

Like those who went before, many today live in circumstances that are not ideal. We continue to teach and strive for the ideal because we know that continually striving will keep us progressing along the path and prepare us for opportunities to receive all promised blessings as we “wait upon the Lord.”

Carole M Stephens – Wide Awake to Our Duties

There Is Nothing Save He Knows It

It is important to believe in a God who knows all things or it would be impossible to exercise faith in Him. ( 2 Nep 9.20)

Lesson on It Speaks

Someone said, “Every word we speak, is deposited into our own soul.” I can’t agree more with that, especially when we speak words of positivity to one another, words of encouragement, and words of love. No matter how difficult, or how tempting or even how easy the way is to speak negatively to or about others. Remember, we have the power to change or stop all of that and become better people for it. This is a life lesson that I continue to work on, and it’s Jesus Christ who is the master example whose gospel teachings show us the way.

Blessings from Adversity

When I was serving a Latter-day Saint mission in Australia, I remember using this verse to help lift my spirits, “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122.7, Job 23.10). Back then I thought it was hard enough, but I know now that those difficulties and all the ones previous to then also were only preparing for more to come lol. The Lord definitely knows how to improve His children. Grateful for wise counsel that our Latter-day saint leaders give us that when we seek His help, our Heavenly Father will strengthen us and make us equal to the trials that come to us. May we take action and grow, accept adversity as a challenge, not feel sorry for ourselves and pray for strength (Family Home Evening Resource Book).

Made In His Image

The one profound and never changing truth that continues to amaze me is that we are made in the image of a precious God who made us both male and female (Gen 1.27, D&C 20.18, Moses 2.27). This important doctrine that we are made in His image, made male and female tells me He wants us to know who we are and what He intended us to be. We look at the bodies He made us to be, and that is who we are, a male or a female. However, the enemy as always has taken this truth and has perverted it. I believe by so doing the enemy convinces even children that they are not what they were born with than while putting words and people in their paths to the ultimate convincing of their new homosexual status, or any other status for that matter. If we are trapped in the enemy’s lies of homosexuality, than God teaches in His church that He loves us and wants us to be free. I don’t find it hard to believe that if there were any reasons why Satan wants to trap certain individuals into the homosexual lifestyle, than one reason would be to stop children from being born on the earth. One obvious evil that supports this is abortion which is just another way to stop the move of God coming to the earth. I have been taught in God’s true church that He had prepared us to walk this earth, to fulfill His work, be victorious over the enemy, and use God’s power to live by if we choose. If anyone is in a homosexual lifestyle, or any other unholy practice that would ruin the chances of being in Heaven, which is holy, than I would do what any other follower of Christ would do and encourage whomever to go to the Lord themselves to reveal this truth, that we were made in God’s image, made us to be a male or female, that He loves us, and wants us free.