Just Distracting Enough

I particularly liked this by Ardeth Kapp when I read it:

"It is wonderful, but not surprising, that after the admonition to "be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God," he tells us how this is to be in these few simple and compelling words, "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" (D&C 6:20, 36). Doubt and fear are enemies that can enslave us in prison walls of our own making.

Thoughts don't have to be sinful, only distracting enough to weaken the communication so we don't hear the whisperings of the Spirit. Looking unto him in every thought will eradicate thoughts that fuel the fires of jealousy, envy, pride, and related diseases that distract and destroy.

We are instructed, "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45). President David O. McKay said, "No principle of life was more constantly emphasized by the Great Teacher than the necessity of right thinking".
(Ardeth Kapp, BYU Womens Conference 1999).

David O McKay also said, "I will tell you who you are, when you tell me what you think about, when you don't have time to think".

Remember our "thoughts don't have to be sinful, only distracting enough to weaken the communication so we don't hear the whisperings of the Spirit."

Hope you have a good day.

Our Whole Hearts

By Elder Theodore M. Burton:

"A person’s attitude is perhaps the hardest of all personal attributes to change. If your attitude is right, then your life is made right. If your heart is touched, your mind and way of thinking will change and your life will change for the better accordingly.

I believe we must become so immersed in the gospel of Jesus Christ that we become physically as well as mentally more and more like the Lord himself. We must yield our whole hearts to him. What we then do is done not because we are asked to, nor because we are forced to, but because we want to. Neither pressure nor force can be exerted upon us from outside, when what we do is done because it is our own choice and desire. It then makes no difference to us what other men may think, or say, or do. Our hearts being committed wholly to God, what we do is done out of our love for and our trust in him".
(“Conference Excerpts,” New Era, Jan. 1974, 6)

Giving All

"The Lord has seldom required individuals to give all, but it is important for Him to know that we would and could do it, if asked."

—Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, May 1975 -

A Touching Commercial - You Can Shine

This is a Thai Pantene commercial, I was moved by it, hope you like it too:)

Gaining Knowledge

Alma 12:9
"And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him."
----------------
Spencer W. Kimball
"The knowledge of the spiritual will not come to an individual without effort any more than will the secular knowledge or college degrees."
(Conference Report)

Oil, Lamps, Willingness & Ability

"It is important that you have oil in your lamps so that when you say to the Lord, "Here am I; send me," you are prepared and qualified to be sent. We are all heaven sent, but what we are able to accomplish in the Lord's work depends to a large extent on our willingness and ability."

—President James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 2002-

Which One is Me?

There should not be, as someone has said, “one self for church, another self for business, another for recreation, home, travel, and so on.” This point is well expressed in the following verse by Edward Sanford Martin:

Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd;
There’s one of us that’s humble, one that’s proud,
There’s one that’s broken-hearted for his sins,
There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins;
There’s one that loves his neighbor as himself,
And one that cares for naught but fame and pelf.
From much corroding care I should be free
If I could once determine which is me!

(“My Name Is Legion,” in Obert C. Tanner, Christ’s Ideals for Living, Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union Board, 1955, p. 118.)

A Wise Selection

"The Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants tells us to be 'anxiously engaged in good causes'. This suggests we can't respond to all causes. We must be selective in the things we seek to do in terms of community and civic chores. But it also suggests we ought to devote a measure of our time and talent to do these things, for they do count on the scales of action as God sees it.

"The world is full of fads. The world is full of the marches of lemmings to the sea. The world is full of causes that lead into conceptual cul-de-sacs. Our task, therefore, is to be wise in the selection of good causes, using the scriptures and the modern prophets as our guide.

"Anne Morrow Lindbergh, in her book Gift from the Sea, says: 'My life cannot implement in action all the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds.' You will care for more things than you will be able to do things about. Wise selection of causes is one of the highest forms of the uses of free agency that there is, and, really, one of the ways God tests our basic wisdom and our capacity to love."

(Neal A Maxwell, speech delivered at Catalina Young Adult Conference, 23 Oct 1972)

Exposure = Influence

A week ago I was reading in Alma 1 and came to a verse which caused me to ponder a lot. It's at the time when Nehor, the Antichrist, had been preaching. Many believed his words and fell away from the church. In v.5 it gives the reason why people believed him:
"....he did teach these things SO MUCH that many people did believe on his words".

In this case exposure = influence.

A couple of days later I was in Alma 3. Alma is teaching about the reason why the Lord God put 'a mark' upon the Lamanites for the sake of the Nephites:
"that they might not MIX and believe in incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction" (v8)
"....whosoever did MINGLE his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same curse upon his seed".(v9)

I thought back to the scripture I had read in Alma 1,about how exposure = influence, and began to see these verses in the same light.

There are many different areas which Satan would like us to 'mix' and 'mingle' with more. We may try to justify watching a film which has, we say, a poignant message at the expense of profanity. We may listen to music whose melody is beautiful, but lyrics vulgar. We may also listen to gossip, whilst saying that it is alright as long as we don't spread it, the list could easily go on and on.

Whilst the marks that are put on us are no longer physical, as with the Lamanites, when we sin we do become spiritually marked. Our countenance is darkened, our sensitivity to the enticings of the Spirit decreases until we become spiritually numb. We are only kidding ourselves if we think that we can do something, or be around something, 'so much' that it does not influence us.

Thankfully the Lord knows this and has given us plain criteria about what we should 'expose' ourselves to:
"Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things". (Phil 4:8).

I hope that we will continue to expose ourselves to things which will help us to love the Saviour more, and to serve Him, that through His mercy we can become clean.

Pain & Progress

"Yes, there is pain in change, but there is also great satisfaction in recognizing that progress is being achieved. We need not feel that we must forever be what we presently are. When change is thought through carefully, it can produce the most rewarding and profound experiences in life."

—Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, Nov. 1979

Barefoot to the Celestial Kingdom

"I would rather walk barefoot all the way to the Celestial Kingdom than to let the things of this world keep me out of that kingdom."

—N. Eldon Tanner-