Keeping the First Great Commandment and Fasting in Harmony

It saddens me to see thousands, if not millions, of people misunderstand the purpose of fasting.

The first point and crucial bit of understanding is the first great commandment: to love God with all your heart, might and mind.  To love God means to love His designs and order of the earth and cosmos.  If he sends rain on the land, we must love it.  If He sends floods to the land, we must love it too.  We must take the perspective of God and not cling to the limited understanding and fleeting desires of people.

The Taoist story of the old farmer exemplifies this mindset.  The old farmer had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"Maybe," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"Maybe," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“Maybe," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“Maybe," said the farmer.

To explain this point a bit differently - God will do what He wills and people must not have the audacity to question His will.  To quote an LDS scripture: "As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream" as to hinder or change the will of God.

Therefore, how do we keep the first great commandment in harmony with the purpose of fasting?  The real purpose of prayer and fasting is to allow yourself to more fully introspect to see and love the will of God.  The purpose is not to change the will of God.  To ask for something contrary to the will of God is to break the first great commandment.  And many times, because of our limited perspective, we think we are praying for something to happen and when it does happen, we think we've supplicated God and he altered his course, when in fact, His course was going that way anyway!

The correct view on prayer and fasting is to humble ourselves to see the cosmos and Nature as it really is and to come to love it as it actually exists!  In this way, we are fully focused on the correct purpose of fasting and obeying the first great commandment.

This is why, in my opinion, people who advocate prayer and fasting for the purpose of getting some external blessing, have a grossly incorrect understanding of it.  If they wish to advocate for this stance, they must always add to their prayers and fasts the reserve clause "if it be Thy will."  This is vital, as it helps people always to keep in mind the first great commandment.

My wish, for all my fellow sisters and brothers in the Mormon community and those who will participate with them, as they enter a special fast on April 10, that they take the time to introspect and consider the question: "what is God's will in all this?" and "what is God's will for me in all this?"  Have we all considered the possibility that this pandemic is what God really wants?  And if it is what He wants, then why would we ask for him to change His mind?  Don't we want the wisdom of God to lead our lives?  Are we saying our wisdom is better than His?

Recognize that much of this (the pandemic, God's will, the economy) are out of our control.  What is in our control is our attitude and our acceptance of events as they actually happen.  Furthermore, what is in our control is how much we will contribute to charities that will feed the hungry, the poor, the unemployed and the elderly.  What is in our control is how we will serve others and how we can brighten people's lives as many of us are in isolation.

An ancient Roman Stoic philosopher counseled his students with some wise advice: Don't ask for things to happen as you would like them to, but wish them to happen as they actually do, and you will be all right (Epictetus, Enchiridion 8).

Further reading on the correct view of prayer and fasting: Fasting is Not Twisting God's Arm

Flooding and Prayer

My faith in God continues to grow stronger the more I humbly realize how little control I have over things and events.

There was a time when I believed that this equation was the best way to navigate life:
1. keep all the commandments
2. pray; thank God for my blessings
3. pray; ask God for blessings
4. if I stay obedient, I will receive the blessings I asked for

When I received blessings, in my mind, it was because God found me worthy and granted my requests when I asked him in prayer.

And when I didn't receive blessings I had asked for, it was because I was not worthy or it was because God had some other reason - perhaps there was something He wanted me to learn by not granting me what I had asked for.

My understanding of prayer has evolved over the years.  My perspective on prayer has gone from a "Christmas wish-list" concept and ask for many, many things, to one where I only ask for one thing, every single time.

If you are of the mindset of having a list of things to ask of God; anything from asking for help in finding your lost keys to asking God to cure a loved one who has cancer; then I would contend your prayers are answered maybe about 50% of the time.  You probably feel blessed when you receive what you asked for and you probably scratch your head and ask yourself "Is it I?" when you do not receive what you ask God for.

But what if I were to tell you there is a way to have 100% of your prayers answered, would you be interested?  I'll tell you further below how this is possible.  But first, we need to observe the world and universe.

In this first story, ask yourself if what Irene Corbett prayed for was righteous?  Was she worthy?  And lastly, why was she not saved.  And what about the missionaries?  Why were they spared and not she?

In the second story, which is a personal one, we learn of full-time missionaries serving in Guatemala.  They relayed their experience to me about how they were taught, constantly in Zone Conferences and one-on-one interviews with the Mission President, that if they strictly obeyed the rules, they would find people to teach and have success in baptizing souls.  They obeyed precisely; got up at 6am on the dot, and did everything by the book.  But their success the Mission President promised, was not realized.

The last story has to deal with the Houston Temple.  In 2015 and 2016, the Houston area saw heavy rains in May and April respectively.  The 2015 flooding was know as the Memorial Day flood and the 2016 flooding was known as the Tax Day floods.  Many members recounted stories of the temple being saved from the 2015 and 2016 floods and how it was a miracle.  But then August 2017 and Hurricane Harvey happened and the temple was flooded.  What did this mean?  Did God pass judgement on the Houston members?  Some members thought so, and they went so far as to say members were negligent in using the temple, so God took it away from them.  No one talked much about the temple flooding, but there were lots of positive stories of people travelling to Dallas and San Antonio to attend the temple in those cities.

Now back to my point about having 100% of your prayers answered.  There is only one thing you should pray for: to be content with God's will, no matter what happens.  Jesus taught this when he taught his disciples how to pray.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We are to simply ask to have our will be aligned with God's.  It is God's will for us to live as long as He wants us to live and it is God's will that we live a life of virtue (forgive others, live with courage, justice, wisdom and temperance).

We are not to ask God to save our life or to protect it before we get on a boat.  We are not to ask for specific success in baptizing people.  We are not to ask that a building be saved from the elements.  All of these events are ultimately out of our control and are only known to God.  So instead of trying to change the will of God (events that happen in the world and universe), we ought to ask to be content and accepting of God's will - no matter what happens.  If you do this, and you do the work to be content with whatever happens and to be positive and happy (entirely within your power), then your prayers will be answered all the time.

To be clearer, let me cite a couple of Stoic philosophers:

Epictetus said, "Don't ask for things to happen as you would like them to, but wish them to happen as they actually do, and you will be all right." (Encheiridion 8)

Marcus Aurelius said of prayer, "A prayer of the Athenian people:
Rain, rain, dear Zeus: rain on the cornfields and the plains of Athens.
Prayer should be thus simple and open, or not at all." (Meditations 5.7).

Marcus also wrote, "Universe, your harmony is my harmony: nothing in your good time is too early or too late for me. Nature, all that your seasons bring is fruit to me: all comes from you, exists in you, returns to you." (Meditations 4.23)

If you pray simply, and if you align your desires to the will of God and His universal, cosmic, domain and all the events that happen therein, you will want exactly what God wants!  And what more could you possibly want than what God wants?  What God wants is good!

And so, this week, after spending three hours navigating the flooded roads in the sheets of rain on my commute home; and after watching the weather forecasts of more projected rain and knowing that our home flooded a year and a half ago; and knowing full well that our home could flood again - my sincerest prayer was not for God to protect my family and home from harm, but rather a prayer of "thy will be done."  Make no mistake about it - I want my family and home and possessions to be protected, but what I want more is to have my will be aligned with God's.  And so I'm not going to presume to ask or tell God how to do His job.  Rather, as a child, I ask Him to help me be content and to even love His will - no matter what.

If God wants me to be sick or to have cancer, then I want that too.

If God wants me to be wealthy and healthy, then I want that too.

If God wants my wife or children back, then I want that too.

If God wants me to flood (again), then I want that too.

I want what God wants.

Now, does that mean I sit back and don't act?  No!  I have my free will and I act within my span of control.  God granted me and everyone else, the ability to think and reason and act.  But as for events out of my control - that is the domain of God and I only want what He wants.

prayer, solitude and meditation

i was in the temple this past weekend. we were trying to make the 7am session, but arrived just a few minutes too late. i was not too disappointed and looked forward to the peace and quite of the chapel. so, for the next hour, i read from luke - in particular, i read chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7.

more than once, the sciptures talk of christ withdrawing himself from the people to pray and meditate. sometimes it talks about how he sought solitude. as an example, luke 5:16 says, "and he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."

this week, i will focus on the why and how of prayer, solitude and meditation.

brainstorm of why we should meditate
to inventory our life; to find where we lack and where we can improve
to think about the teachings of christ and how the apply to us
to renew our spirits and minds
to re-center; re-align our life to what matters most
to find a solution to a problem - any problem - family, work, personal
to express gratitude; to improve our happiness

how to seek solitude; how to enter earnest prayer and meditation
bishop burke peterson teaches how to pray in solitude

scriptures
luke 4:42
luke 5:16
luke 6:12

Recap of April 2012 Conference

Here is the re-cap of the April 2012 General Conference.  The technology of the Church is pretty incredible.  Those Church IT guys have done a tremendous job making GC available so quickly after it's over.  I remember several years ago when they first started steaming GC on-line.  Then it would take about 3 weeks for the videos or text to be available.  Now it's practically instantaneous.  The videos and mp3s are up the next day and the text is up by the Thursday after GC.

My wife and I were talking about whether we should force the kids to watch GC all day Saturday or not.  My point is that if you watch everything at once, you just don't get everything.  So we decided not to sit through all 10 hours at once.  Rather, we are going to watch one or two talks each Sunday as a family and then discuss the talk.  We did watch conference on Sunday though.

One other thought - I think I've successfully stayed awake through an entire GC once or twice in my life.  It is nearly impossible for me to sit in my living room and listen to talk after talk after talk and stay awake and alert.  I love that I can listen to or watch and read along the weeks after GC is over.  I get so much more out of the talks this way.

So BIG KUDOS to the Church IT guys!!  If tithing money is spent on this technology, then I think it is very well-spent!

President Thomas S. Monson - As We Gather Once Again
why we meet: strengthen, encouragement, comfort, build faith, to learn
if changes need to be made in your life, may you find the courage to do so
oppose evil whereever it is found
be instructed and be inspired
be filled with the Lord's spirit

President Boyd K. Packer - And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
the ultimate end of all activity in the Church is to see husband and wife with their family happy at home.
too often, someone comes to me and says, "President Packer, wouldn't it be nice if ..." I usually stop them and say, "No" because I suspect what follows will be a new activity or program that is going to add the burden of time or financial means on the family."
personal application: what can i do, as scout leader, to promote family time?
the goal of scouts, according to this talk, would be to help fathers spend meaningful time with their sons - to provide opportunities to let fathers and sons learn and grow together.
if scouting becomes a burden, then it would seems it has failed the mission of "supporting the family"
if we get all the eagles scouts in the world, but no real fathers, we've accomplished nothing.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks - Sacrifice
Mormon Pioneers example of sacrifices
Husband left wife and family to serve a mission
Symbols of our Christian faith (Mormons) is our daily sacrifice
Home teaching and visiting teaching
full-time missionaries (time spent to save money, actual time serving, family sacrifices time they are not with their child)
converts' sacrifices: loss of family temple service: time spent to save money to be sealed with family in temple

President Henry B. Eyring - Mountains to Climb
there are giant opportunies (challenges) to be met.
give me this mountain; give me these challenges and adversities he prayed for a challenge
1) god heard his prayer and answered it
2) he learned that a great blessing could come from adversity
repent have faith that the way through trials is the balm of gilead
foundation for faith = personal integrity (consistently choosing the right) curing that faith takes time and patience and experience

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - The Laborers in the Vineyard
do not covet, do not pout or tear others down; do not demean others to improve yourself
do not throw away your good fortune in protest of the perceived injustice - accept the good fortune (mercy from God) and rejoice in the mercy He gives to "late" repenters.
don't dwell on old issues or grievences (of self, of neighbor or even the Church)
simply accept the Atonement of Christ, don't dwell on anything else, enjoy the fellowship of the labor

accept mercy and be merciful

personal thoughts: the key premise in this parable, in my mind, is that there is a shortage of work for the laborers.  Laborers are standing around, waiting for work. The need the work or else they don't feed their families.  Anything to do for work would be great - and it doesn't matter when they get the work - they will take it first thing in the morning and work all day or take the job in the late afternoon and get something rather than nothing.  so how does this apply to our life today?  perhaps it can be said there is a shortage of "good fortune" in the world - just like there was a shortage of jobs to be done in the parable.  so, if someone is blessed with abundance from the time they were born until the time they die, that person should be grateful and thank God for what they've been blessed with.  That person should also learn not to be envious when good fortune comes to those who receive it later in life.  If they are envious of another's good fortune, despite having good fortune their entire life, they choose to experience ill feelings toward another person who has received good fortune!  As Elder Holland puts it, they drink a quart of pickle juice every time someone else receives good fortune, rather than pondering their own good fortune.

another thought: similarly to what I stated above, we can envision a person who was "born in the Church", who was faithful all his life - who went to Church, Boy Scouts, service projects, received the Priesthood - was a Deacon, Teacher, Priest, became an Elder; served a difficult mission - maybe not even baptizing a single convert; returned honorably, married in the temple; started family and continued serving faithfully day after day - week after week for his whole life.

Meanwhile, his younger brother chose the opposite all his days, indulged in all his desires rather than being obedient and serving others.  He ate, drank and was merry all the days of his life.  Then, when he reached the end of his rope, he found he was not happy.  He decided to clean up his life - it was a difficult process back into the fold.

Now they both die and are both granted eternal life - the reward of living in the presence of God for eternity.  Does the faithful brother act like the other son who is not the prodigal son?  Does he refuse eternal life because his "unfaithful" brother receives it?  Or does he act like the father and rejoice in the mercy of Christ?

Elder Robert D. Hales - Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and the Sacrifice in Service
prepare to worthily take the sacrament before coming to sacrament meeting; leave the daily work and recreation behind; do not think of worldly thoughts or concerns.  then ponder the Atonement; ponder the sacrifice of Christ
sing the sacrament hymn; listen to the sacrament prayers; partake of the emblems
seek forgiveness of sins and shortcomings of previous week; make specific commitments for the coming week.
search from the scriptures
live the gospel standards
obtain a temple recommend
gain a testimony of God, Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Atonement, Joseph Smith, the Restoration
sustain leaders; be kind, stand as a witness of Christ, attend Church meetings, honor covenants, be a good parent, be virtuous
assist the youth to prepare for lifelong service
learn to work; live within your means; avoid debt, save money now so that we can give full-time service later in our lives; to be able to lift others.

Elder Quentin L. Cook - In Tune with the Music of Faith
a great divide between those who love, worship and feel accountable to God and those who do not
destroyers of faith: pride, vanity & foolishness
love the Lord; love His gospel; continually try to live and share His message - especially with your families.
be in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit
observe religion in your home
strive to be a disciple of Christ
with regard to his paragraph that starts out "We recognize how busy you are"  From that paragraph, I hear "if you are serving; don't feel guilty for not serving enough"
don't judge others
rescue those who have "fallen away"
avoid being judgemental about conduct that is foolish or unwise, but is not sinful
be an example in action, not just words (as a parent to your children)
read and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon

Elder Richard G. Scott - How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life
revelation = crisp, clear and essential communication from the Holy Ghost
inspiration = series of promptings that guide us step by step toward a worthy goal
we are supposed to ask the Lord to receive revelation
fast, pray for finding scriptures that will be helpful with the answer for the question, read those scriptures, ponder, pray, write down what the Lord would have you do, pray again
don't let daily activities distract us from the spirit

Elder David A. Bednar - The Powers of Heaven
distinguishing feature of the church is priesthood (the authority of god delegated to man on earth to act in all things for the salvation of mankind)
be active in priesthood service - promote the cause of righteousness in the earth
by not doing your duties, you break your priesthood covenant
be righteous; faithful; obedient; diligent; worthy; willing to serve
lift souls, teach, testify, bless, council, advance the work of salvation
take the lead in scripture study, family prayer, fhe - be a strong leader - preside - protect

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - The Why of Priesthood Service
the why of priesthood service is to motivate others; to awaken their spirit; to inspire action
be enthusiastic about the gospel as you teach others.
let the fire of your testimony bring light and warmth and joy to the hearts of those you teach
priesthood service is to provide a vision of what it means to establish the kingdom of god on earth
building the kingdom of god on earth means building personal testimonies and strengthening families
priesthood service helps us prioritize between good, better, best - it helps us stay focused on the most important things
the most important things are: increase our love for god and our fellowmen, invigorate marriages, strengthen families and build the kingdom of god on earth
how we specifically decide on our priorities: study the scriptures, heed the prophets, hold serious and dedicated prayer
act before being acted upon; the value of an idea is in using it

President Henry B. Eyring - Families Under Covenant
four things you can do as a priesthood father to lift and lead your family home again to heaven
1. gain & keep a sure witness that the keys of the priesthood are with us & held by the president of the church - pray for that every day.
2. love your wife
3. enlist the entire family to love each other
4. discipline when needed - d&c 121:41-44

President Thomas S. Monson - Willing and Worthy to Serve
various definitions of priesthood ...
1. joseph smith - priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with god from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days or end of years.
2. wilford woodruff -  the holy priesthood is the channel through which god communicates and deals with man upon the earth; and the heavenly messengers that have visited the earth to communicate with man are men who held and honored the priesthood while in the flesh; and everythign that god has caused to be done for the salvation of man, from the coming of man upon the earth to the redemption of the world, has been and will be by virtue of the everlasting priesthood.
3. joseph f. smith -  the priesthood is the power of god delegated to man by which man can act in the earth for the salvation of the human family, in the name of the father and the son and the holy ghost, and act legitimately; not assuming that authority, nor borrowing it from generations that are dead and gone, but authority that has been given in this day in which we live by ministering angels and spirits from above, direct from the presense of almighty god.
4. john taylor - it is the governmant of god, whether on the earth or in the heavens, for it is by that power, agency, or principle that all things are governed on the earth and in the heavens, and by that power that all things are upheald and sustained.  it governs all things - it directs all things - it sustains all things - and has to do with all things that god and truth are associated with.
stories of examples of priesthood service - soldier blessing injured soldier on beach; saving his life.  writing letters of encouragement to servicemen
there are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspirt and souls to save

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - The Merciful Obtain Mercy
required to forgive all men - including ourselves
stop hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges or wanting to cause harm
love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
be kind
forgive
talk peacefully with others
do good unto all men
people will be people; learn to rise above the fray, forgive and forget.  this talk had a very similar feel as elder holland's talk

Elder Russell M. Nelson - Thanks Be to God
gives thanks to god
be mindful of the various gifts from god ...
the world, the universe, his son jesus christ, our bodies, the resurrection, spiritual gifts, gospel gifts

Elder D. Todd Christofferson - The Doctrine of Christ
believe in christ; be baptized

President Thomas S. Monson - The Race of Life
personal thoughts: how often do you ask yourself: if you know you are going to die tomorrow ... in a week ... in a month ... in a year; how does that change your current priorities?
endure to the end
we have the power to (and must) think, reason and achieve
pray; listen to the holy ghost, search the scriptures; heed the prophets

Elder L. Tom Perry - The Power of Deliverance
both the people of limhi and the people of alma were delivered
both suffered
limhi's people chose to fight; alma's people chose to pray
what do you need to be delivered from?
which way is your "door" facing? to the world or to the alter of god?

Elder M. Russell Ballard - That the Lost May be Found
our liahona/gps is the holy ghost - the promptings of the holy ghost
new york times: "the share of children born to unmarried women has crossed a threshold: more than half of births to american women under 30 occur outside of marriage"
the most important cause in our lifetime is our family
prioritize - put everything you do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home.
organize - your personal life to provide time for prayer, scripture study and family activities
teach your childen to work and give them responsibilities
marriage first, then family
read family proclamation often, understand it, follow it.

Elder Neil L. Andersen - What Thinks Christ of Me?
pay attention to who and what christ labels in the scriptures ... see 3rd paragraph in this talk
love christ, trust christ, believe christ, follow christ and you will feel his love and approval

President Thomas S. Monson - As We Close This Conference
pray always
fill your homes with love and the spirit of the lord
love your family
settle disagreements
do god's will, serve him, serve others
ponder the words you've heard from this conference

FHE on Prayer

I had to pull together a last-minute FHE lesson after dinner last night.  I usually will find a Friend article, in these situations, and read the article and discuss it.  So as I was flipping through the Friend, I found a nice short article on prayer.  It was about a couple of kids who used prayer in their lives.  The article also had some activities that you could do to help re-inforce the message.  One of these had an activity to find examples of prayer in the scriptures, but a better idea came to me and it turned out really well.

I asked my son to get the "blue box" of Church pictures.  I put the box in the middle of the floor.  Then, before I read the article, I told the kids that I was going to start a sentence and I wanted them to finish it.  I started the sentence, "Prayer is ..."  They each came up with their ideas ... beautiful, reverent, talking to God, quiet.  Then I read the article.  We talked about it a bit and then each of them wanted to share their own experiences with personal prayer and so we all listend to their personal experiences.

Then we all sat on the floor around the "blue box."  I split the pictures up between everyone in the family.  I then asked them to put the pictures that dealt with prayer in one pile and then put all the other pictures in another pile.  Then I took all their non-prayer pictures and put them back in the box.  Then I showed them how many scripture story pictures were about prayer.  I quickly went through each one; briefly recounting the story or having one of the kids recount the story.  Then I asked them, "was their prayer answered?"  Of course they were!  And just seeing all the stories in the scriptures and talking about how those prayers were answered not only helped the kids, but it really strengthened my faith too.

The Temple, Family and the Power of Prayer

Our family drove to Salt Lake City last month to attend two weddings; one for my sister-in-law and another for my niece.  I had quite a few powerful spiritual experiences there.

First off, I want to make a simple comment on the power of prayer.  Time and time again, I have seen our family "rally around" someone who needed our faith.  We prayed faithfully, as a family, for something we knew was a righteous desire.  Often, we would pray for months and even years for the desire of our hearts.  It worked.  Our prayers were answered.  Prayer works.

In the weeks leading up to my sister-in-law's wedding, we all were discussing if and how we would pull off doing a session together as a family in the SLC temple.  The challenge was finding someone to babysit the kids, get to the temple in time, then pick up the kids before making it on time to the wedding dinner.  There was discussion about whether it was even prudent to do a session with the family.  But in the end, things worked out.  It was a bit stressful ensuring the kids were ok and then getting to the temple, but in the end, we all made it there on time.

We sat together.  The image of seeing us all together in the SLC temple in the various rooms - especially the Celestial room - was powerful.  My wife's family, growing up, had a motto that was reduced to CKOB - Celestial Kingdom or Bust.  Seeing them all, with their spouses in the Celestial room was a preview of what is to come.  I felt privileged to be a part of that session.

Looking back, I understand precisely why my father-in-law and mother-in-law desired to do a session so badly.

And now a quick word about the Temple - as we walked to the different rooms in the SLC temple, I was overcome with powerful emotion as I felt the collective spirits who have walked those halls all these past years.  As I examined the intricate designs and architecture, I realized the profound dedication and sacrifice those saints made to build the SLC temple.  They too desired the blessings of the temple for their posterity and they wanted to pass that legacy on to their children and grandchildren.  That legacy lives on today as we see the explosion of growth of temples throughout the world.  And we have as many temples in the world today because of the sacrifice of those saints who built the Kirtland, the Nauvoo, the St. George, the Manti, the Logan and Salt Lake City temples.  I will never forget those feelings I felt in the SLC temple ... they will always come back to me each time I attend any temple.

Christmas and Minimalism

I really enjoyed President Uchtdorf's Christmas Devotional talk last night. He talked of those who lived in the Savior's time and didn't even know He was the Messiah. Much like "those whose hearts were closed to the Spirit" could not see Jesus in His day, many of us today do not make the time let alone take the time to seek the Christ.

My favorite quote of the whole devotional and perhaps the most important lesson for me was, "Some are so caught up in the details of running their lives, that they don't make time for much else."

When it comes to our testimony of the Savior, all of us need to ask ourselves what we can take out of our lives to make room of Jesus. Is there an hour or even a half-hour TV program we could "delete" from our lives to give us the time to study the scriptures? Do we really need to spend an extra 45 minutes at work reading and answering email? Could we use that time to meditate and pray? Each of us has unique lives and situations and so everyone will not have the same temptations. But regardless of who we are, we can all ask the question, "are we taking and even making the time to learn of Jesus?"

What can you not do today in order to make time for prayer and scripture study?

Oct 2008 General Conference Notes: Priesthood Session

*Personal commentary, thoughts and inspirations are underlined

One other note ... for the other sessions I was able to listen and type my notes. During the Priesthood session, I had to hand write my notes and I'm just not as fast writing as I am typing, so my notes are a little less copious.

Elder Richard G. Scott

We should feel deeply humble to hold the Priesthood, especially when we consider how few men have held the Priesthood through the ages.

Jesus Christ is the perfect role model. He humbly served others without thought to himself.

Private Priesthood Interview

Are you holy & worthy to hold the Priesthood?
How often do you use it?
Are you private thoughts whole? Do you eleveate your mind?
Do you control what enters your eyes and mind?
Are you mentally and physically faithful to your wife?
Are you kind and supportive to your wife and family?
Do you lead your family in FHE, prayer?
Do you tell your wife that you love her?

How Priesthood Should be Used to Bless Others

We should have an equal partnership with wife.

Widows in need.

Some women are short-changed. A son or Priesthood holder carries more weight than a woman. This should not be! No unrighteous dominion (D&C 121:37, 39).

The most splendid, extreme creation is the woman. Of all creations, none is more beautiful. He quoted President Hinckley "Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth. God will hold us accountable if we neglect His daughters. He has given us a great and compelling trust. May we be faithful to that trust." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Our Responsibility to Our Young Women,” Ensign, Sep 1988, 8)

Is it no wonder, then, that one of Satan's most powerful tools is that of degrading women in the media available to virtually anyone today ... especially p****ography.

Express your gratitude often to your mother, wife ... be tender and appreciative.

The Priesthood is to be used not kept. Have I ever freely offered to give a blessing to anyone? We always seem to wait until called upon to give blessings. Can we not be angels too?

He quoted President Hunter. "As special witnesses of our Savior, we have been given the awesome assignment to administer the affairs of his church and kingdom and to minister to his daughters and his sons wherever they are on the face of the earth. By reason of our call to testify, govern, and minister, it is required of us that despite age, infirmity, exhaustion, and feelings of inadequacy, we do the work he has given us to do, to the last breath of our lives." (Howard W. Hunter, “To the Women of the Church,” Ensign, Nov 1992, 95)

Elder Jay E. Jensen

Arms of safety is the Savior's love (see Alma 34:16)

A girl fell from a lookout point above the Grand Canyon. A 19-year old boy named Ian, who had been trained in emergency recues, immediately knew what to do. The girl was able to climb up a little bit, but was now stuck again. Ian climbed down to where she was and held her in his arms until the rescue teams could help them.

He reference the section heading of D&C 110 "Visions manifested to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, April 3, 1836. HC 2: 435–436. The occasion was that of a Sabbath day meeting. The Prophet prefaces his record of the manifestations with these words: “In the afternoon, I assisted the other Presidents in distributing the Lord’s Supper to the Church, receiving it from the Twelve, whose privilege it was to officiate at the sacred desk this day. After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us.”

There is too much informality and casual dress in those who administer the sacrament.

True servants of Jesus Christ are properly dressed.

Elder James J. Hamula

The war in heaven was instigated by Satan. This war continues on the earth today. Blood and horror fill the earth. We are in the final day. This time, the restoration of the Church will triumph.

Some of the most valient and noble are on the earth today. Young men are the valient and noble. Satan knows his time is short and is using all tools to prevent the noble from keeping the commandments of God.

Today and days to come are perilous.

We should not fear, but be sober. We should exercise good judgement and have measured conduct.

There is one way to overcome Satan. It is through the blood of the Lamb ... faith in Jesus Christ ... testimony of the Gosepl and consecration of self to the work (see D&C 88)

Three things to do:
1) Do as Joseph Smith and pray privately and regularly ... this will inspire revelation.
2) Learn to hear the voice of the Lord ... you must be still in your mind.
3) Obey the word of the Lord as it is given to you.

"stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (see Exodus 14:13, 2 Chronicles 20:17, D&C 123:17)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Some members had the task of moving a grand piano from the chapel to the cultural hall. They tried all sorts of methods, but could not do it. Then one brother suggested, "stand close together and lift where you stand" Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Some struggle ... two ways.
1) Some seek to lead and seek a crown of power.
2) Some seek to hide and seek a cave ... they are too busy.

Some turn down callings, while some accept and do not magnify them.

The root cause of these problems is the same for both --> selfishness

The opposite of selfishness is charity.

The Lord is pleased with the humble servant. One such servant was John Roe Moyle. He was a stone mason. He walked six hours from his house to work on the Salt Lake Temple. One day on his farm, a cow kicked him in the leg. The leg had to be amputated. He survived and healed. When he was well enough, he began carving a wooden leg. Eventually he built up his endurance to walk the 22 miles to the temple despite the pain it caused him.

Do you care more for the kingdom of God or for yourself?

In the story, the piano is the Lord's work, therefore, no one does it alone. We all do it together.

President Henry B. Eyring

Each of us is asked to stretch our limit. The more faithful service you give, the more the Lord asks of you.

You push muscles to the point of exhaustion in order to build them up.

You can't do this work by yourself. "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88)

Confidence replaces doubt.

"The promise of angels to bear you up is real."

"And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

"And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (2 Kings 6:16-17)

More references to angels ... this conference is talking a lot about angels. Are more and more coming in these Latter Days?

President Thomas S. Monson

He received a call from the MTC president regaring an elder who was determined to go home because he could not learn Spanish. President Monson suggested to the MTC president that he send the elder to a Japanese class and then have him report back at noon. After the elder attended the Japanese class, he reported that he could learn Spanish!

We must feed those who go through rough times. We must be prudent in our spending.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

"And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

3 Imperatives for our Considertion

1) Learn what we should learn.

Paul taught, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." (Philippians 3:13-15)

Paul taught the Hebrews, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The Priesthood is the power of God delegated to man. It is the perfect plan of service.

He who neglects it shall not be counted worthy to stand. Use it or lose it.

2) Do what we should do

D&C 107:99-100... let every man learn his duty. Put forth your best effort. There are eternal consequences to our actions. John Taylor quote ... you will be held responsible for those you could have saved.

3) Be what we should be

"be thou an example of the believes, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (2 Timothy 4:12)

Man must seek that power which is higher than him.

"What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27)

The hireling fleeth. The shepard does not, but lays down his life for the sheep.

Bro. Borrup (sp?) was part of a bomber crew over the Pacific in WWII. He knew he would be called to be a part of a sorty and he knew they would be shot down. Sure enough, they were shot down. He tried to inflate his raft, but it wouldn't inflate. He was drowning. He passed out. He woke up, pled to God and the raft inflated. They floated for 3 days with no food or water. They saw a submarine go by one day. The next day they saw it again. They knew it was going to leave the area. Then a thought came to his head ... use the Priesthood to command the submarine to stop. He spoke the words and it stopped. The captain was in awe. They weren't even looking for the downed crew.

So my notes weren't necessarily less copius. I guess I was able to write a lot. I filled in the gaps too as I remember things.

Oct 2008 General Conference Notes: Sat PM Session

*Personal commentary, thoughts and inspirations are underlined.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Everyone has experience joy and happiness as well as trials and sorrow. "Come what may and love it." How we react to adversity in large part contributes to our happiness or sadness.

Laugh - "Learn to laugh." He shared experiences with family travels about how they got lost. They did not get angry, but laughed. The blind date and babysitter mix-up story ... very funny!

Seek for the eternal - You may feel singled out and ask "why me?" Everyone must experience sorrow. Examples: Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Joseph, Emma. These times help us have increased compassion and understanding for others. "Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment." (D&C 121:7)

Understand the principal of compensation - That which is taken away will eventually be returned a hundred fold. His autistic grandson has been a challenge, but he also has been a great joy. In playing baseball, he'd watch the baseball roll by, but then pull another out of his pocket and throw it to the pitcher!

Put our trust in our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ - He wants us to be happy and successful. He will comfort and uphold us. "The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best and he will do the rest."

Adversity can be a blessing in our lives. "Come what may and love it."

Elder Jeffery R. Holland

Perhaps the most difficult thing for Adam and Eve was not having to face the physical trials, but not being able to live in the presence of God. In times of special needs, God sent angels.

From the beginning, God has sent angels to us.

Just like Lehi, we will all spend time in darkness and gloom. Macro concerns turn into micro concerns for our family. "I testify that angels are still sent to help us." Even the son of God had need of comfort from angels.

Pray always and be believing and walk uprightly. The latter-days are not a time to fear and tremble ... they are a time to remember and keep our covenants.

Story of his friend Quinn D. Berris (sp?). During the spring flood season, the kids were never to cross the flood plain to seek the cattle. Young seven-year-old Quinn knowing his rare night at the movies was at risk when he saw the cows weren't there, decided to go after the cows himself ... across the river. He urged his horse into the river. The horse's head barely cleared the water. The current completely covered Bro. Barris. When the horse cleared the other bank, he knew he was in deep trouble. It was dark. He was wet, cold, lost and afraid. He began to pray. He begged for forgiveness over and over again. When he looked up, he saw a figure dressed in white walking toward him. He felt it must be an angel. He didn't move or make a sound. Would the Lord really send an angel to me who had been disobedient. "'Son, I've been looking for you.' In the darkness, I recognized the voice of my father. 'I was worried. I'm glad I found you.'" He later learned that his father removed his clothes and tied his shoes around his neck and braved the river to rescue his son.

"God never leaves us alone." We may feel distanced from God ... sometimes of our own making. Even then, the Father of us all is watching and assisting and sending angels.

"I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." (D&C 84:88)

May we be more believing in angels and be more angel-like.

Elder Evans?

Story of his 8-year-old daughter was asked what the difference is between her religion and others? We have to study so much!

Except you become as a child, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The Savior's teachings are adapted to everyone ... anyone can understand the Gospel.

The Little Prince ... people can grow 5000 roses in a garden and know not what they seek. But what they seek can be found in a single rose and a little water.

Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge

There is only one way to happiness. He offers a well of living water. He is the bread of life. He is the light of the world. He is the only way back to our Father in Heaven.

Everything depends on getting and keeping the Holy Ghost in our life. We do this by always remembering Him and keeping His commandments. "What manner of men ought ye to be? Even as I."

While the standard of the Lord is the highest, don't ever think that it can only be achieved by a select few who are most able. The higher the standard, the fewer capable ... this is NOT the case. The Lord's standard is achievable by everyone ... not that we are able, but that He is able and He can make us able.

The Lord's way is not hard. Life is hard, but it is also simple. We can either follow the Lord and be endowed with His power or we can go some other way and go it alone without support from the Lord. Which way is easier? Get on the path and never, ever give up.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Zion is both a place and a people. Are we faithful in establishing Zion on the earth today? Are we establishing Zion in our homes, wards and stakes?

We must be unified in heart and mind - Are we free from strife and contention? Do we forgive all? We must reach out to those who have fallen from our ranks. We invite all to come back. Story of Moldovans who attended a regional conference. They determined to split up and attend all the classes so that they could take notes and then share them with each other and with the members back in Moldova. This is the spirit of one heart and mind.

Individually and collectively, we must be a holy people - Lord warned early saints of their lustful desires ... this was during a much holier time compared to our Ipod, TV, sexually filled society. We cannot keep a summer cottage in Babylon!

We must care for poor and needy - If we do not impart to the poor and needy, we will look up and plead with the wicked in the last day. Today we impart to the poor and needy through tithes and offerings. We each need evaluate our capacity to maximize helping the poor and minimizing our covetousness. Story of Brother Johnson who cut his table in half to make two tables ... one to keep and the other to help a refugee Vietnamese family living in a trailer.

Elder David A. Bednar

Building on his last conference talk, he will offer three additional principals and that will help us have more meaningful prayers.

1) Prayer becomes more meaningful when we counsel with the lord in all our doings.

All things were created spiritually before they were created naturally. Meaningful morning prayer is a spiritual creation of the actual creation of the actions of the day. We can counsel with the Lord to overcome our weaknesses and seek the Lord's help in overcoming them. As we go about our day, we should continually keep a prayer in our heart and our prayers will be answered. When we recognize that we have been reminded and helped, we offer a prayer of gratitude. At the end of the day, we thank the Lord for His help and seek forgiveness and seek His guidance for what we can do better the next day. We arise the next morning and repeat the process.

As we remember our relationship with deity and remember this admonition .. "Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. ." (Alma 37:36-37)

2) Prayer becomes more meaningful when we express gratitude.

Sister Bednar was asked by a General Authority to give a prayer of gratitude, asking nothing, despite having been just informed of a friend who had passed away. She heeded this counsel and their hearts were swollen with gratitude.

Periodically when we pray, we should only give thanks and ask for nothing.

3) Prayer becomes more meaningful as we pray for others with real intent and with a sincere heart.

Example of Lehi ... he learned of the future destruction of Jerusalem. He prayed for his people. As a result, he received a vision. His heart was full. His vision came in response to a prayer for others. Jesus also prayed for the apostles and saints.

Do our families and those we serve feel and hear our prayers for them?

Heavenly Father hears and answers every earnest prayer. Revelation is real.

It's Worth It

The radio turned on at 5:23am. Opening my eyes felt like pulling apart two freshly glued pieces of paper. The breeze from the fan seemed to instantly dry my already dried out eyes. I had a choice before me ... get up to play some basketball or smack the clock radio, roll over and fall back asleep.

I know from past experience that I should never think about this decision while in bed. I know that I should quickly get up and get into the bathroom where I can turn on the light and wake up.

I force myself to do it. I throw the covers off and put my feet on the ground. I know I've won.

After I arrive at the gym and have played the first game of basketball, I sit on the floor, wiping my face with a towel and realize how much fun it is playing early morning basketball. It is good to think about this because I am reinforcing my resolve to get up in those first few critical minutes after the alarm radio turns on.

Like scripture study, like prayer, like attending the temple ... I've found that when I've taken that first step, the rest becomes easy and I enjoy it and am glad to have done it. But it all needs reinforcing ... we need to remember why we are doing what we should be doing - because we find joy in it. This will help us make the initial step when it is time to get up to exercise or to pray or to study or to attend the temple or to do whatever we should be doing but don't exactly "feel like doing it."

I remember reading a quote by Brigham Young on the topic of prayer. He said,

Some of the brethren come to me and say, “Brother Brigham, is it my duty to pray when I have not one particle of the spirit of prayer in me?” True, at times, men are perplexed and full of care and trouble, their ploughs and other implements are out of order, their animals have strayed and a thousand things perplex them; yet our judgment teaches us that it is our duty to pray, whether we are particularly in the spirit of praying or not. My doctrine is, it is your duty to pray; and when the time for prayer comes, John should say, “This is the place and this is the time to pray; knees bend down upon the floor, and do so at once.” But John said, “I do not want to pray; I do not feel like it.” Knees get down, I say; and down bend the knees, and he begins to think and reflect. Can you say anything? Can you not say, God have mercy on me a sinner? Yes, he can do this, if he can rise up and curse his neighbor for some ill deeds. Now, John, open your mouth and say, Lord, have mercy upon me. “But I do not feel the spirit of prayer.” That does not excuse you, for you know what your duty is (DBY, 45). “Chapter 6: The Communication between God and Man,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 41

So the next time you're faced with something you don't feel like doing, but you know you should, just do it ... take the first step; take the plunge and the rest will follow.

Willing Heart

After reading my cousin's wife's post about Helman 6:36, I wrote some additional commentary on my Book of Mormon Inspection blog ... you can read the whole entry here.

This is what I added:

Hardened vs. Willing Heart

This morning, I read a blog post by my cousin's wife about her thoughts on Helaman 6:36. She had some really good insight into this verse. So I read Helaman 6:36 as well as the preceding two verses.

Mormon contrasts the hardened Nephites with the willing Lamanites. Helaman 6:34-36 says, "And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.

"And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.

"And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words."

She cross-referenced the word "willingness" to Exodus 25:2 and 2 Corinthians 8:12. Then she noted that "willingly" in Exodus 25:2 is cross-referenced to the Topical Guide entry of Initiative. She comments, "Do I take the initiative to ask and find out what the Lord wants, rather then wait till the last minute and decide to follow him when things get difficult, or complain and make excuses? I have experienced both scenarios and I can say that I have felt the blessings of taking the initiative and being willing. Not only do I experience great blessings but my faith is strengthened."

Regarding taking the initiative in keeping the commandment and following the will of God, there are two people who are great examples of keeping this counsel … President Henry B. Eyring and our current stake president Gary Riding.

When President Eyring was called to the Apostleship, there was an article in the September 1995 Ensign that talked about his life. There are two sentences I remember from this article. In talking about his father Matthew Eyring said, "My father has told us that there are two things that he prays for every night. The first is, ‘What blessings do I have that I am not aware of?’ and the second is, ‘Whom can I help?’ And,” Matthew adds, “Dad says there has never been a day that his prayers haven’t been answered.” (Gerald N. Lund, “Elder Henry B. Eyring: Molded by ‘Defining Influences’,” Ensign, Sep 1995, 10)

I am such a laid back person that I’m afraid I feel pretty content with what I have been blessed with. But after rereading part of that quote and also what my cousin's wife said, I wonder how many blessings the Lord has for my family and me that I have not asked for. In her post she says, "I think sometimes it is easy to say, "I don't want any more or I have all that I need." I have met many people who have said this. When we have a willing mind, then I believe our minds are enlightened and the power of the Spirit is able to expand our learning and knowledge."

The other person who I think takes the initiative is our stake president Gary Riding. I have heard him speak on more than one occasion of how he prays for guidance from the Lord. Like President Eyring, he specifically asks the Lord what he needs to do that day … who he can serve. Then he would proceed to give examples of how his prayers have been answered.

One example of his that I remember is when he was jogging through the park and came across a man who seemed to be in mental anguish. President Riding felt inspired to stop and talk to the man. I don't remember all the details, but I think the man was having some marital and other problems in his life. A missionary moment ensued and the man was later baptized. After President Riding finished his talk, the man stood up and testified how his life was changed because of President Riding's prayers and his willingness to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

So I guess the personal application here is that I need to be more earnest in my prayers, have a willing heart … be willing to accept the Lord's will and then do it, and then be diligent in seeking the Lord's will through daily and constant prayer. Then I need to recognize and heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost through the course of the day. And in order to recognize those promptings, I need to listen. In the July 2008 Ensign in another article about President Eyring, he teaches, "The key to hearing those answers and knowing that God has an interest in our lives, he says, is to develop a listening ear. “We’ve got to be quiet and listen. In my life, when I have failed to receive a clear feeling or have missed the voice of the Spirit, it is because I was too busy, too noisy inside, and too full of my own world.” (Robert D. Hales, “President Henry B. Eyring: Called of God,” Ensign, Jul 2008, 8–15)

Prayer: ASK

Today was High Counselor Sunday. As kids, we used to call it Dry Counselor Sunday because the High Counselor usually gave a boring talk. But today's speaker was anything but dry. In fact, it was one of the best talks I've heard in a Sacrament meeting in recent memory.

His subject, given from the Stake President, was prayer. He structured his talk around an acronym ... A.S.K.

When we pray, we should:

A - be ALONE. He mentioned that when Joseph Smith went to inquire of the Lord, he went to the woods to be entirely alone. As the Savior taught in 3 Nephi 13:6, we should enter into our closets and shut the door to be alone. I think we are asked to pray in private so that we are honest in our prayers ... so that we feel we can say and express anything to our Heavenly Father.

S - SPEAK. When we pray, we should not keep the words in our minds. Although we can say a prayer in our hearts anytime, when we pray privately in our closets, we should pray out loud. He again referenced the First Vision and mentioned that Joseph Smith, when he entered the woods to pray, had never prayed out loud before. I've prayed out loud before as well as prayed in my mind and there is a distinct difference between the two. When I pray out loud, hearing myself speak to Heavenly Father is more sincere and humbling.

K - KNEEL. When we pray privately, we should kneel as an act of reverence to the Lord. I remember as a missionary we would put our flip flops on the floor and kneel on them because the cement was so hard. But now that I live in a carpeted home, I find myself not kneeling in personal prayer so often.

Amen - Another point he discussed in his talk was that when we say "amen" we are saying we agree with what was said. He discussed that fact that we need to say "amen" with faith. He suggested that when we say "amen" we should add a few words in our mind ... "go to work." So when we say amen, in our heart and mind, we should be saying "I agree to go to work." By doing this, we will exercise our faith more. I think it was President Hinckley (although I may be wrong on that) who said "pray as if everything depends on God and then work as if everything depends on you."

It was a great talk on prayer. I really needed to hear those words of counsel today.

Spiritual Improvement

Sunday School and Elder's Quorum meetings were really good yesterday. I taught Gospel Doctrine again. We finally have a teacher called and he'll begin next week. But while I had the chance, I taught Gospel Doctrine. Class participation was pretty good. I felt pretty good about how the lesson was going, but it seemed to be hobbling along. Then one sister gave this great comment to a question I posed. We were discussing the mission of John the Baptist and how we can apply what he did to our own lives. The comment she made was that we need to find our own calling in life. Of course she elaborated more than that, but the essence was really good. From there I bore my testimony about how not only should we "do" all the Sunday School answers (pray, read the scriptures, temple attendance, go to church, serve, etc.) but that we should specifically ask Heavenly Father what it is we need to say or do with regard to our families and those over whom we have a responsibility.

For example, we can pray about what we should say in our lesson to our families that we visit and teach. We can pray to know whose life we can touch that day. I told the class of an article I read by Elder Eyring when I was a missionary about how he would pray every morning to know whose life he could touch that day. I just went and found the article. Elder Eyring's son said, “Something that we all feel about Dad is that he has the ability to make us feel that we are valuable people. He always makes me want to try harder. My father has told us that there are two things that he prays for every night. The first is, ‘What blessings do I have that I am not aware of?’ and the second is, ‘Whom can I help?’ And,” Matthew adds, “Dad says there has never been a day that his prayers haven’t been answered.” (Ensign, September 1995, 10) So Sunday School went well and I felt the Spirit.

Elder's Quorum was really good too. The teacher was really animated (he's a great person!). Anyway, we got into a discussion about what we need to overcome in this life. He gave this pretty good analogy. He said that life is like walking up an escalator that is going down. If we stand still, then we'll go down. If we walk or run the other direction, then we'll overcome the downward pull of the "natural man." What I really liked is when he said that know what our temptations are and if we know what they are, then we know how to overcome them and then it is simply a matter of doing it. President Kimball was a big promoter of doing rather than knowing. Knowing is important, but doing is more important. It was a good lesson.

Our home is sold. We have a contract on a new home. It's all a matter of time and signatures now. January 31 is the big day. We're hoping to rent our place back from the new owners so that we have a bit of time to move out and clean it up. A lot of people in our ward (along with the missionaries) are going to have a great opportunity to serve at the end of the month!