We’re all just walking each other home! But that doesn’t mean the journey is the same for everyone! Some will stumble. Others will be placed into unfair and difficult situations. No two lives will be the same, but we are each built with the strength and ability to succeed in this life, with His help. If we are truly seeking Him, we will do everything in our power to help those who are facing a difficult time. We can’t look the other way. Thee lift me, and I’ll lift thee, and we shall ascend together!
“No matter what citizenship or race, whether male or female, no matter what occupation, no matter your education, regardless of the generation in which one lives, life is a homeward journey for all of us, back to the presence of God in His Celestial Kingdom. Ordinances and covenants become our credentials for admission into His presence.” – Boyd K. Packer
Be kind! Of all the things required of us, the one that costs us nothing but makes the greatest impact on humanity is to be kind. We are all children of God, humbled in this earthly life, but with immense potential and full of possibility. Our Heavenly Parents know and love each of us and weep when one of Their children is mistreated. So be kind!
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” – Ephesians 4:32
We need to be better; As brothers and sisters, as disciples of Christ and as a covenant keeping people. We are seeing a much needed shift in perspective and understanding. Now that we know better, we’ve got to do better! Love one another! Say it! Mean it! Show it!
“We should remember that saying ‘I love you’ is only the beginning. We need to say it, we need to mean it, and most importantly we need to consistently show it.” – David A. Bednar
There’s one way to understand exactly what the Church offers, and that is to meet with the missionaries, study the doctrine of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible and Book of Mormon and Pray about it! The time and effort you put in will make a difference in your ability to be open to the Holy Spirit, which will communicate truth to your soul.
“Studying the church through the eyes of it’s detractors is like interviewing Judas to understand Jesus.” – Neal A. Maxwell
I am grateful for the pioneers in my family line, and not just the ones who emigrated. In every lifetime along the timeline, there have been difficult decisions and strong foundations were built as a result. I have benefited from their lives and owe much of who I am to their strength. I hope I can live up to the high bar that was set and help my children continue the trend of strength, hard work and integrity.
“In many ways, each of us is the sum total of what our ancestors were.” – James E. Faust
Sometimes our actions are so loud that our children cannot hear the words we speak. We need to be found walking the walk as we talk the talk. Our children are too important. Will we be perfect? Probably not, no one has been a perfect parent yet, but by doing the right things and showing our children through our actions will go a long way in teaching them correct principles.
“Children are more influenced by sermons you act than by sermons you [reach.” – David O. McKay
He is the gardener here. We may face trials, adversity and difficulty, but it’s for our betterment and growth. When we err, we are given a chance to repent and be better. It’s a loving and hope-filled plan which allows us opportunity after opportunity to try and be better. I don’t see the rational behind a God who would provide such a plan being one who is out to punish us. He is the gardener and is helping us grow into something beautiful.
“I do not believe in a God who would set up rules and commandments only to wait for us to fail so He could punish us. I believe in a Heavenly Father who is loving and caring and who rejoices in our every effort to stand tall and walk toward him.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Just do what you can, No one else can do what you can do! Never diminish what you can do, because what you can do is awesome!
“Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know, and the Lord will accept of your effort.” – Gordon B. Hinckley
We are not expected to always handle every situation perfectly, but we can look for the good and do what we can to improve the situation. Sometimes, all we can do is avoid being cynical and negative and look for the positive. Every situation has something positive, whether it’s growing pains, lessons learned, personal improvement or re-setting priorities, we can always be thankful and look for the good.
“I am not suggesting you simply put on rose-colored glasses to make the world about you look rosy. I ask, rather, that you look above and beyond the negative, the critical, the cynical, the doubtful, to the positive and the affirmative.” – Gordon B. Hinckley
God loves us and it’s His goal for us to return to Him! If His objective should be ours, then we should be striving towards getting there ourselves and more than that, we should be encouraging and helping others to get there too!
“God’s objective should be our objective.” – Russell M. Nelson
The same is said for growing in the Gospel! It is in the daily minutiae. Ensuring we pray, read scriptures, serve others, and strive to be better that we add little bits that add up to greatness! Don’t worry about where you are or compare yourself to others, just know that you are building yourself into something great!
“Greatness is a product of many causes. It is like a mighty flowing river, fed and made possible by thousands of mountain rivulets.” – John A. Widtsoe
We were so excited for the opportunity, under these exact circumstances, to come to earth and be tested and tried. We planned to live valiantly and be the best the Earth has ever seen. But we didn’t know how hard it would be. Our challenge is to remember the promises we have made and keep the covenants on earth which allow us to keep those promises. Strive, and be prepared the defend His plan!
“In our premortal life, we shouted for joy at the opportunity to experience mortality. We excitedly made the decision to be valiant defenders of our Heavenly Father’s plan. It is time to stand up and defend His plan again.” – Gary B. Sabin
We can’t do everything, but we can do what we can do! Focus on the most important work. Learning to delegate and to lean on others will help us to grow more on the most important areas.
“When expectations overwhelm us, we can step back and ask Heavenly Father what to let go of. Part of our life experience is knowing what not to do.” – Sharon L. Eubank
There is nothing that can help us grow more than doing the Lord’s work. It prepares us for the work ahead. It keeps us focused on Him and replaces distractions from our lives. Look for opportunities to serve! If you don’t have the time, re-evaluate what you are spending you’re time on. Press forward in the work of the Lord and you will grow!
“The Lord gets His work done through the people, and He gets His people ‘done’ through the work.” – John Bytheway
If we are truly keeping our baptismal and temple covenants, we should be readily available to love and serve others and to live as Christ would live. Go and do. Be better and love one another!
“In times of distress, pray that a covenant keeper is within reach.” – Mary Ellen Edmunds
Remember your training! We’ve been prepared for this life. We were put into positions to learn and grow, and if we could only remember the training we received prior to this life and in previous lessons during life, we’d be so much better off. I believe our spirits recognize that training but we must be in tune to recognize it ourselves.
“You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days. That teaching endures within you!” – Russell M. Nelson
I love this so much. God is there, always! He speaks to us most often through the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit. When you need Him, speak to Him, then listen!
“There is something about knowing that a member of the Godhead is within whispering distance.” – Elaine S. Dalton
We must do better and be better at loving one another. We haven’t been great at it. We often put conditions on our kindness and love but that’s not the Saviour’s way. He loved all and had time for everyone, even suffering the Atonement and crucifixion for us. He knows each of us despite our worst characters flaws yet, we often judge others too harshly despite hardly knowing the full story. Let’s be better and love one another.
“Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.” – Marvin J. Ashton
Commandments aren’t designed to limit us. That is man’s shortsighted view of it. The commandments are there to protect us from pain, suffering, addiction and worse.
“God sees things in their true perspective, and HE shares that perspective with us through His commandments, effectively guiding us around the pitfalls and potholes or mortality toward eternal joy.” -D. Todd Christofferson
Parenthood gives us opportunities to learn, grow, teach and love. It is the greatest thing we will do in this life and it teaches us a fraction of the love that our Heavenly Parents have for us.
“Noble fatherhood gives us a glimpse of the divine attributes of our Father in Heaven.” James E. Faust
We each need to come to Jesus Christ and tell Him, ‘Jesus, have mercy on me!’ We need Him and we need to recognize that we need Him.
“Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:38
You’re not expected to handle everything in your life perfectly, the Atonement makes up the difference, but you are expected to try! Jesus Christ, our advocate, the one who suffered for us, will know whether you are trying!
“Heavenly Father doesn’t need us to be perfect right now — He just needs us to do the best we can.” – Amber Weston
We’ve got options in life, but that doesn’t include doing everything. We must make a decision on what we want to spend our time doing and what we don’t! I can promise that choosing things that align with Gods plan for you, will never lead you astray and will be a worthwhile use of your time! Ask God today what you are here to do!
“With so much going on, you and I don’t really have time for things that don’t really matter. We only have time to understand truth and to do exactly what we came to earth to do. In order to do so, we need to do things the Lord’s way.” – Wendy Watson Nelson
We are of infinite worth and infinite possibility. We often forget that. We are a fallen people but we have so much potential. Never forget how far you’ve come, never forget how much our Heavenly Parents love you and always remember that you didn’t come this far, to only come this far.
“We need to recognize and acknowledge the progress we have made and that we are worth so much more than we sometimes think.” – Heather White Claridge
If we would like to do better and be better, we must forgive ourselves our past mistakes and allow ourselves room to grow. Control what you can, there is no need to dig up old problems. Leave them buried and move forward with faith in God!
“Remember that perhaps the most repeated line in all of scripture is ‘it came to pass.’ Painful days do pass. I t might seem that they won’t, but they do. No regret is forever. No disappointment is fatal or final. No mistake is beyond remedy.” – Jeffrey R. Holland
“Our daily choices determine who we become. If our heartfelt desire is to become like the Savior and our motivation is love for Him, our choices will reflect that desire and we will change.” – Nathan Read
Recent Comments