I cannot wait until we can go visit the temple. For now, I must get my fill through indexing, family history, praying and reading the scriptures. The amount of effort needed to incite the Spirit that is easily felt in the temple is worth it though.
“I promise you that all who faithfully attend to temple work will be blessed beyond measure. Your families will draw closer to the Lord, unseen angels will watch over your loved one when satanic forces tempt them, the veil will be thin, and great spiritual experiences will distill upon this people.” – Vaughn J. Featherstone
It’s important for us to always strive to be better and live as Jesus would live, but doing so doesn’t mean God loves us any more or any less if we fail. Our Heavenly Parents simply love us. Our striving to being better helps us to come closer to becoming like Them.
“Always strive to be more Christlike, but don’t beat yourself up over it. You might even be closer to who you want to be than you ever thought was possible.” – Heather White Claridge
We will be asked to do hard things. Becoming converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and learning to be resilient in the face of opposition will help us to overcome, but we can also ask Him for help. He is aware of you and will send angels to lift you up, just stay close to Him and talk w/ Him and stand strong!
“I have learned that not shrinking is more important than not suffering.” – Neal A. Maxwell
At the risk of burning ourselves out, we must put our whole selves into the Gospel of Christ and seek His help in maintaining your effort level without burning out. He will help you, will raise you up, and will succor you as you seek His loving guidance. But still, go forth, and go further!
“To get all out of life that we can, we should put everything into it that we can, for as many people as we can, for as long as we can.” – Jeffrey R. Holland
Whatever state your faith is in and your willingness and eagerness to be obedient, there is room to challenge yourself to be better! Now is the time to be found doing what is right and moving the kingdom forward! Strengthen your faith and strive for obedience!
“However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation.” – Henry B. Eyring
If you’re struggling to become like Him, don’t get down on yourself, we all struggle! Asking if He’s our focus is not a questioning of ones faith so much as it’s an asking each of us to re-double our efforts to focus on Him! We need that weekly, daily, and hourly nourishment that only comes from scriptures and prayer. Focus on Him and you will find yourself doing things that He would do!
“Our daily choices determine who we become. If our heartfelt desire is to become like the Saviour and our motivation is love for Him, our choices will reflect that desire and we will change.” – Nathan Read
Kindness and love can be extended to all. We are the ones who put a limit on who qualifies for that love and kindness. We are all children of God, which makes us siblings. Let’s be better than we’ve been! Let’s treat one another with the love, respect and kindness that another child of God deserves regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, political affiliation, or career path. Let’s be kind!
“Mask your face; Don’t mask your heart.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Temple work isn’t possible right now, but it’s a perfect opportunity to do family history or indexing. The temple is a wonderful place to feel close to your ancestors, but we can also feel close to them through learning more about them and their lives.
“Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received.” – Richard G. Scott
Life gets stormy and it gets messy. But this is exactly what we signed up for. But through those hard times, we learn, and become better! Don’t ever think that because life is difficult that God doesn’t care. He absolutely cares, which is why He allows you to struggle and learn. So arise and choose Him!
“God knows that in order for you to become the being of light and glory you have the potential to become you need to make choices for yourself. You must learn for yourself, fail for yourself, overcome poor judgment for yourself, arise & walk towards the light for yourself.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
If you want to effect real change into your life, make the Book of Mormon a regular part of your life! You will not regret having made the commitment to being better!
“Each individual who prayerfully studies the Book of Mormon can also receive a testimony of its divinity. In addition, this book can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon! It will bring you closer to the Lord and His loving power. He who fed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes – He would helped the blind to see and the lame to walk – can also bless you!” – Russell M. Nelson
We have absolute agency. We will not be compelled one way or another without our approval and willingness to go. To go one direction, we need simply to do nothing, to go the other, we must stand up and press forward, always striving to be better to become like Him. It’s not an easy road, but one that is definitely worth it!
“Life is ultimately the choice about whether you are going to live by covenant or convenience.” – Robert C. Gay
We are all Their children! They love and know each of us individually. Our goal is not just to return to live with Them, but to grow up and become like Them. Who wants to grow up and move back in with their parents? But if part of the process is growth and the act of becoming like them, then it makes sense. I’m grateful for the knowledge that They know, love and are invested in me becoming like Them.
“Our theology begins with Heavenly Parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them.” – Dallin H. Oaks
Take time every day to connect up with Heaven. Pray for help! Pray for His guiding hand. Pray for ministering angels. Pray to understand the scriptures and of His plan for you. Read the scriptures to understand and to hear His voice. Stay as connected with Heaven as you can. So very much depends on it!
“Just imagine what would happen if we were as intent on staying connected with heaven as we are on staying connected to Wi-Fi! Pick a time & place, & listen for God’s voice every day. And Keep this sacred appointment with exactness, for so very much depends on it” – Michelle Craig
The scriptures are such an important part of our lives, and the lives of our children. The prophets have told us so. It must be something we should take to heart and apply into our lives!
“Read the scriptures aloud to your children on a daily basis. Let them take turns when they can…. It will help them to have the doctrine of Christ embedded in their minds & in their memory banks at an early age. I have great hope for your families.” – Russell M. Nelson
Like the Anti Nephi Lehis, we must bury the weapons that represent our old lives. We need to move past them by completely removing them from the equation then lean on the Lord for strength.
“God invited us to cast our old ways completely out of reach and begin a new life in Christ.” – Dale G. Renlund
We are different, but equal! We need one another to help us become better. No one is more important than the other and each are cherished by our Heavenly Parents. Let us strive in our lives to become more like Them and treat one another with the love and respect that we all deserve.
“Men’s and Women’s Innate difference are God given and equally valued.” – Jean B. Bingham
You are a child of God! Your potential is limitless. You have the ability to become like those grand Celestial beings who we love and who so dearly love us. Don’t ever forget your divine heritage and don’t let it frighten you into not becoming who you were designed to become!
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God!” – Marianne Williamson
Life is hard! We aren’t meant to be perfect, or excel at everything we do. We’re going to stumble and fall. We’re going to run into adversity, some self-inflicted and others undeserved. Keep trusting in God, and He will help you through it all!
“Accept the reality that you’re going to stumble at times. You will rise again. don’t give up on yourself. Your Father in Heaven certainly won’t. – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Our Saviour is at the door and wants to be with us, but we must open the door. Each of our doors are different struggles each of us face, and we must turn them aside in order to let Jesus Christ in!
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20
It’s a wonderful life and it’s made even more wonderful by the knowledge that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer! Knowing Him helps gives us perspective and the ability to overcome the trials and challenges of life. It also helps that you can lean on Him through times of struggle.
“The good news of the gospel is not the promise of a life free of sorrow and tribulation but a life full of purpose and meaning – a life where our sorrows and afflictions can be ‘swallowed up in the joy of Christ.'” – L. Todd Budge
A good friend shared this scripture from Come Follow Me and we discussed bridling and how that fills us with love. I’m also preparing for a canoe trip and had a thought. When you learn to paddle, you tend to just pull against the water, which moves the canoe forward, but sitting in the stern, it tends to steer the boat as you stroke, which forces you to switch sides to maintain a straight course. When you learn more effective techniques, you can continue to paddle on one side while maintaining a straight course. As we bridle our passions and make room for the Spirit, he will teach us more effective techniques, not just on how to paddle, but about life. And for Pete’s sake, don’t ever stop paddling.
“Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.” – Alma 38:12
Thru the darkness, you can be reassured that you are never truly alone and that you have loving Heavenly Parents who love you and are cheering you on! Life is for experiencing and becoming and we cannot grow without the trials and struggles that make us feel alone! Lean on God and on our Saviour, who is keenly aware of what you are going through and will help you, then look for the tender mercies.
“If you are constantly surrounded by a ‘mist of darkness.’ turn to Heavenly Father. Nothing that you have experienced can change the eternal truth that you are His child and that He loves you.” – Reyna I. Aberto
What parent doesn’t love to see their children helping one another! If you want to help another child of God, He will help you!
“The prayer Heavenly Father seems eager to answer is our plea to be lead to someone who needs our help.” – Michelle Craig
Be a lighthouse! Someone the Lord can rely on when needed! A lighthouse is not always needed, but when it’s needed, it is vital to the survival of those around it, as it’s a constant in their lives!
“Keeping promises is not a habit; it is a characteristic of being a disciple of Jesus Christ…. When we keep promises to one another, we are more likely to keep promises to the Lord.” – Ronald A. Rasband
Have faith in our Heavenly Father and His plan for us, which includes compensating for and overcoming the weaknesses and shortcomings of mankind. Trust that when the prophets say that His grace is sufficient for you, it truly is!
“With confidence we testify the Atonement of Jesus Christ has anticipated and, in the end, will compensate all deprivation and loss for those who turn to Him. No one is predestined to receive less than all that the Father has for His children.” – D. Todd Christofferson
Let your light shine. You have it in glorious abundance! Please don’t hide it, but shine it for all to see, and when they see it, direct them toward your Saviour, who made your light possible!
“Let your light shine.” – Matthew 5:16
Our role in life isn’t to control our friends and family, neither is it our Saviour’s or Father’s goal. Yes, They want us all to be obedient, but first and foremost, They love! They love and allow us to be who we are, always encouraging us to be better! Don’t ever fall into the trap of believing that They don’t love you! And while you’re at it, you might as well go on loving each other as Jesus Christ loves us, so the world can go on being a better place!
“As we labor with Christ, our most deeply focused efforts should be within out own homes. There will be times when family members an close friends will face challenges. The voice of the world, and maybe their own desires, might cause them to question truth. We should do everything we can to help them feel both the Savior’s love and our love.” – John A. McCune
Don’t procrastinate! Do the important things today. Don’t delay them. Life is too short! Make a plan and see it through! You will never regret doing the important things!
“There are seven days of the week. Someday is not one of them.” – Unknown
~ Todd Bruce
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