"Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ" - Elder Robert D. Hales

"Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ" - Elder Robert D. Hales

Sometimes after I read these talks, I just want to write on here, "Go read it.  The end," because it's THAT good.  This is one of those talks.  It's so very powerful and a call to action.  Read it.  Please.

But then what would be the point of having this blog if I'm just going to tell you to go read something else? :)

I recently watched a movie that was set in a world where no one could lie about anything.  Eventually, one guy was able to tell something that wasn't--the first lie.  It made for a pretty funny movie with lots of crazy scenarios, but in one scene, the makers of that film really made quite a statement.  When his mother died, he told her that she would go to heaven so that she wouldn't be so scared about dying.  After that everyone came to him asking about this after-life, and he began to explain about God.

Did you catch that?  The man who was lying was explaining to the people about God.

This really got to me, and I thought about it a lot afterwards.  In Elder Hales' talk, he says, "As prophesied, we live in a time when the darkness of secularism is deepening around us.  Belief in God is widely questioned and even attacked in the name of political, social, and even religious causes.  Atheism, or the doctrine that there is no God, is fast spreading across the world."  It's spreading so fast that I can't even watch a movie without it being thrown in my face.

However, I'm in the mindset that no one is truly an Atheist as they claim to be.  I heard a quote recently that said, "They may go in the foxhole an Atheist, but they don't come out one."  My brother-in-law just recently came back from Afghanistan, and he said everybody was praying over there.  He also said that he saw many instances when he knew God was watching out for him and the others there.

How do I know there is a God?  Even if I hadn't felt the Holy Ghost bear witness to me that he is real, I don't think I could look at this beautiful Earth and believe that it just appeared here by chance.  The Earth we live on is so amazing.  Our own bodies are so amazing.  Scientists have tried to create artificial intelligence but have yet to succeed in making anything as complex as our brains.  How could something so complex just have happened?  No, our magnificent bodies have been created by a Supreme Being--Our Heavenly Father.

Another point that Elder Hales mentions that I felt was important was that we are created after his image.  That means that Heavenly Father has a body of flesh and bones.  Elder Hales says, "Some people may be surprised that we look like God.  One prominent religious scholar has even taught that imagining God in the form of man is creating a graven image and is idolatrous and blasphemous. But God himself said, 'Let us make  man in our image, after our likeness.'"

At the end of his talk, he gives us a call to action:

If you cannot remember believing in God or if you have ceased to believe or if you believe but without real conviction, I invite you to seek a testimony of God now. Do not be afraid of ridicule. The strength and peace that come from knowing God and having the comforting companionship of His Spirit will make your efforts eternally worthwhile.

Even more, with your own testimony of God, you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, your own life—all those you love. Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift you will ever give, but it will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have.

If you feel as though you've lost your testimony or if you're not even sure you have one, take his challenge!  Do not be afraid.  Ask with sincere intent, and you will know.

Please know that our Father in Heaven loves you.  He cares about you so much.  For proof, in Moses 7:28 it says, "And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept."  He wants you to be happy.  When you're sad, he is sad.  He weeps with you.

Come to him.  Speak with him.  Discover that eternal love he has for you.  You're never too far gone to speak with him.  Whatever your state in life, you can always turn to him.  He will listen, and he will answer.

Lesson Summary - Chapter 7 - The Holy Ghost

Gospel Principles - Chapter 7 - The Holy Ghost

I don't know about you, but I really like these short lessons that are in the Gospel Principles manual.  I can read them so quickly and feel like I actually accomplished something spiritual.  It's pretty nice.  I don't know if the teachers are such huge fans of it because then they have less material to teach, but as a student, it's the best.  :)  I read this lesson in the short span of time between Sunday School and Relief Society.  Yes, I probably shouldn't do that, but at least I could say I read it! ha!

The Holy Ghost has been such a blessing in my own life.  I remember realizing for the first time that what I was feeling was actually the Holy Ghost.  It was at a youth conference when I was about 14.  I had never felt my heart feel so full, and that was when I first realized that I cry like a baby whenever I feel the Spirit.  :)

I received the Gift of the Holy Ghost when I was eight years old.  I know that is the age of accountability, but I don't think I realized what a blessing it was to have that gift until I was much older.  I do remember a few instances as a child when I would pray to find my beloved stuffed elephant, Lottie, and find it shortly after and knew it was the Spirit, but that was the extent of my relationship with the Holy Ghost.  Receiving the Holy Ghost at such a young age kind of makes you take it for granted.  I don't know what it's like to live without it.

I did have an experience when I was a teenager where I went into a casino in Las Vegas and felt the Spirit immediately leave.  It was bizarre.  I didn't like the feeling at all and have never forgotten it.  It's driven me to strive always to stand in holy places and live so that I can have that guidance with me always.

There were several experiences with the Holy Ghost shared in Relief Society by my fellow sisters'.  I don't think it's my place to share their personal experiences with the world, but I always think it's neat to hear other people's testimonies and perspectives.  Thanks to those who were brave enough to share!

Here's some quotes from the lesson that I really liked:

"As [the spirit children] came to earth, the memory of their heavenly home was taken from them.  But our Father did not shut them away from His influence.  He sent the Holy Ghost to comfort and help and guide all of His spirit children" (31).

I love this quote because it shows what a loving Heavenly Father we have.  He didn't send us here empty handed.  We can have the Holy Ghost--a member of the Godhead--with us always to guide us and bear witness to us of our Father's love and His truth.

"Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient" (Moses 5:11).

This quotes is from Eve.  I really admire Eve, and I think about her perspective a lot.  This is optimism at its finest.  I tell myself all the time that bad things happen so that we can know and recognize the good things.  I try really hard to follow her example of looking on the bright side of life.  I also love this quote because Adam and Eve didn't understand at first why they were cast out, but after they received the Holy Ghost, he explained to them why so that they could understand.  Sometimes things happen in our lives that we don't understand, but through the Holy Ghost, we can gain a better understanding of why.

"When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves and indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased.  It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase" (Joseph Fielding Smith, 33).

"Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten" (Joseph Fielding Smith, 33).  

I can testify that this is truth.  There have been times when the Spirit has been felt so strong in my heart, and I have never forgotten them. When I think of those times, the Spirit comes back and bears witness yet again that what I felt then was right and good.  Sometimes because of the influence of the world, we may forget what we felt at one time.  I've seen it happen to many people, and they fall away.  It really makes me sad because I know, and they know, what they felt at one time.  If they could just somehow get a reminder--a small inkling--of what they once felt, the Spirit would bear witness to them, as it has to me time and time again, that what they felt before was right and true.

That is why Visiting Teaching is so important.  Those sisters who may have forgotten need that reminder, and we have the capacity to help them remember.

I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost's influence in my life.  It's true that sometimes I do take it for granted because I received that gift so long ago, but I have had so many exhilarating experiences to remind me of the blessing it truly is.

Stake Conference - Adult Session

Stake Conference was this weekend, and I wanted to do a special post especially for the Adult Session Saturday night because I know that a lot of sisters are unable to go because of distance, children, and whatnot. We are blessed to have family that live in town so we have a place to stay and someone to watch our kids for us. So I thought that I should give those ladies who were unable to attend the opportunity to read a little bit of what happened. :)

I think this is the first time I have EVER taken notes at a stake conference. This blog is definitely good for me! I think to keep this concise, I will do a bulleted list of some things I heard or thought about.

• It is such a blessing to know that the prophet is not the only one who can pray and receive answers. WE are able to get down on our knees, talk to Heavenly Father, and receive revelations for our own lives. In fact, we're required to. How else are we going to know the things we are taught are true?
• How can we exercise charity in our lives? First, we need to start with our thoughts and feelings. Avoid being judgmental. Be forgiving and patient. Then, we need to watch our words. There is NO NEED to verbalize every thought we have. This is often most difficult in our own homes where we're off our social guard. Finally, we need to watch our actions. To find happiness in our own lives, we must lose ourselves in the service of others.
• When promptings come, ACT!! It doesn't matter if it's the Spirit or your own thoughts. This really hit home for me because sometimes I don't do things because I think it's ME and not the Spirit. Just do it!
• I really liked this quote: "Somehow forgiveness with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way." - Gordon B. Hinckley "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice: Be More Forgiving"
• Our visiting authority asked us to reread the New Testament and focus on the simple things Jesus Christ said.
• There was a lot of emphasis on being united. We cannot do the Lord's work if we are going against one another. We must be a united people! I don't know how many times I heard the phrase "Be United." It must be pretty important.
• One of the visiting authorities talked about the story of the Prodigal son. It is one of my favorites. I love how when the son was a long way off, his father ran to him. Our Heavenly Father is the same way. It doesn't matter how far off the path we are, if we turn to him, he welcomes us back with open arms. He loves his children so much.

This wasn't everything, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances (ie: wiggly baby). :)

Lesson 44 - Summary

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Lesson 44 - The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times

I was actually slightly nervous today in Relief Society because I knew I'd be coming home to write a summary of today's lesson. I felt like I was in school taking notes for an important test. I mean, all of zero people are going to read this, so I shouldn't be that nervous, right? :)

I've wondered how I'm going to do this, and I think since this is my "personal" journal, I'm going to share insights that I had about the lesson today. You can read the actual lesson if you click on the link above. It would be kind of redundant of me to just repeat what it says when it explains things a gazillion times better than me, so I'm just going to stick with what I know, and that's my OWN thoughts and feelings.

I really liked the first section when we talked about the Nauvoo Temple. Apparently, Joseph Smith and I have something in common--we were both very anxious for the temple to be built. The Nauvoo Temple holds a special place in my heart. For two weeks when I was 16, my parents and I stayed in a little tiny camper and volunteered in Nauvoo. The temple was under construction at the time, and my Dad worked on it. My step-mom worked in the sewing room making costumes for their shows, and I worked in Pioneer Past-Times playing with little kids. It was a wonderful two weeks, and I just fell in love with the place. I couldn't wait for it to be finished so I could go inside. Later, my family and I went there to perform work for our ancestors. It was amazing to know that these were my ancestors that we were helping. The feeling of peace there was so overwhelming. I feel so blessed that I was able to go in that beautiful temple because, unfortunately, Joseph Smith never got the chance. However, it is because of him that we are even able to use the many temples we have today. Like our lesson manual says, "Each of these temples is a symbol that the fulness of God's blessings to his children, living and dead, has been restored in this last dispensation" (509). If he had not restored the gospel, the Priesthood, the Book of Mormon, and the temple ordinances, we would not be able to do the important work that can only be done in the Temple.

One sister in Relief Society pointed out that it is such a beautiful thing that our church is ever changing. Because of modern revelation, we are able to receive guidance and doctrine from our living prophet to help us when we need it. She pointed out that sometimes it's hard when things change, but we also have the blessing (and free agency) to pray about these changes to find out for ourselves if they are true. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that the same things that have been revealed to our Prophet can be confirmed in our hearts if we only ask! The Lord is never going to leave us in the dark if we but seek for answers and ask sincerely.

I really liked this quote:

"This final dispensation is of such vast importance that it requires the complete, unselfish dedication of the Saints"(512).

Our teacher asked us why it is so important that we be "unselfish." I find that in my own home, when I stop thinking of myself and start thinking about my husband and children, we're all happier and things run more smoothly. I can only imagine that if everyone did that all the time in the church, the results would be like that times ten! But like some sisters pointed out, we are inherently selfish. It takes a lot of work to think of others, but, ultimately, it's going to be worth it.

One last thing I'd like to point out from today's lesson (I know... another thing? I promise I'm almost done!) is a question our teacher asked us.

What abilities and talents do we have that we can use to contribute to the building up of the Kingdom of God?

We are all blessed with different talents and abilities and for very good reason. If we all did the same thing, nothing would get done! Think about what talents YOU have that can help build the Kingdom. It can be singing, public speaking, cooking, sewing, organizational skills, leadership skills, your friendly personality, or even your beautiful smile. :) You have a gift, and we want to see it!

Well, that's all, I suppose. Be sure to check back often for updates! Oh, and click that little comment button below and tell me what you think! :D