Lighting the Flame

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

~Albert Schweitzer~

Wonderful Things are In Store

"Wonderful, glorious things are in store for you, if only you will believe, obey and endure."

~Thomas S. Monson~

Happy conference weekend!

FREE printable from Lolly Jane Boutique (General YW session)

{image source Lolly Jane Boutique}

Mormonism

For those of you wondering what my religious/spiritual beliefs are, the Church I belong to, The Church of  Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, just published this cute image (just click to view larger image), a Mormonism 101 of sorts, if you're curious it may answer some questions about the religion, or click HERE for more info on the Church, or HERE for how my faith has helped me personally in my life.

Light a Candle

"Better to light a candle, than curse the darkness." 

~Chinese proverb~

There is no Testimony without the Test

Ain't that the truth! But just like the dandelion, those tests send seeds to all areas of our lives, and areas we thought were barren new growth can occur.

My Favorite Quote - Truth!

Truth is not determine by what people think of it.

Fire of your Faith

"Keep the fire of your testimony of the restored gospel and your witness of our Redeemer burning so brightly that our children can warm their hands by the fire of your faith."

--President Boyd K. Packer Ensign, May 2003, 84

Participate

“We cannot see the future with precision, but we can know what the Lord intends and what it will take [for] each of us to qualify personally to participate.”

Henry B. Eyring

Intellectual Pride

“Intellectual pride is very prevalent in our day. Some people exalt themselves above God and His anointed servants because of their learning and scholarly achievements. We must never allow our intellect to take priority over our spirit. Our intellect can feed our spirit and our spirit can feed our intellect, but if we allow our intellect to take precedence over our spirit, we will stumble, find fault, and may even lose our testimonies”.


(Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Press On,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 101–4)

I Knew my Father Knew - A Tribute to Fathers

Sand by one of my friends, the fabulous James Loynes.

The Angels May Quote from It

Spencer W. Kimball:

"A journal is the literature of superiority. Each individual can become superior in his own humble life.

What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?

Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity.

Get a notebook, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events."
Spencer W. Kimball, “The Angels May Quote from It,” New Era, Feb 2003, 32

Come To Know Who They Really Are

"It is not sufficient to have a vague understanding of truth or the reality of the Father and His Son, our Savior. Each of us must come to know who They really are. You must feel how very much They love you. You must trust that as you consistently live the truth the best you can, They will help you realize the purpose of your earth life and strengthen you to qualify for the blessings promised. To be obedient to the commandments of God requires an understanding of them. It necessitates faith in them. That comprehension is best obtained through personal study of doctrine."

Richard G. Scott, "Truth Restored," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 80-81

Our Personal Conviction

Straight to the point: "The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion."

Dallin H. Oaks - Ensign, Nov. 2001, 7

Parental Certainty

"No child in this Church should be left with uncertainty about his or her parents' devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ."
- Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, May 2003, 85

Bind up the Testimony

2 Nephi 18:16
“Bind up the testimony…..”

I remember reading this scripture when I visited the island of Malta several years ago - I don’t know whether because I was in a place where there was so much ancient history, including temples which are older than the pyramids in Egypt – but when I read the words, “bind up the testimony” I thought about mummies.

In order to stop the body decaying once someone had died, the Egyptians discovered a way to defeat this process by drying it out, using basically salt and bicarbonate of soda, so that bacteria and fungi couldn’t grow, then they embalmed the body and wrapped it in bandages.

It seems to me that there are some similarities to ‘binding up our testimony’. The object being to protect it from decay, to preserve it, but unlike mummification not just to preserve and protect, but to foster growth. The way that we ‘bind’ our testimony is through performing good works, following the example of the Saviour who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), This can be likened to wrapping our testimony in bandages. But this is not enough, as without the preparatory use of chemicals decay still occurs, albeit at a slower rate. I liken this to ‘faith’; all the good work in the world will have little effect until our motive is our faith in Christ. Faith is the foundation, Christ is our Example, when coupled with Good Works our testimonies are protected from decay.

A bit of a ramble I know for just a few words of scripture, but I hope you are able to glean something from what I have shared:)

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."
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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)

Personal Progress

"We are sanctifying ourselves one step at a time as we accept personal responsibility for our actions and honor the covenants we make... We progress by living worthy to receive the blessings available to us, responding to those promptings to serve others, by loving one another, and by trying to obey the prophet's voice in all things"

—Barbara W. Winder, Ensign, Nov. 1985-

Feeding and Nurturing the Flame

"There is a flame of desire for good deep within each of us. When that flame is fed and nurtured with the eternal truths of the gospel and the testimony of the Spirit, it will respond and grow stronger and brighter until it leads us to the fulness of truth. The flame must be kindled by love and tender care, then followed by constant nourishing. It is like the gardener who raises beautiful flowers. The constant, tender care and nourishment over time brings beautiful blossoms that are enjoyed by all who see them."
(Elder Ned B. Roueché, "Feed My Sheep," Ensign, November 2004, 30)
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Alma 32:37

"And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit."

This is the Christ

One of the hymns that I love the most. The text was written by the wonderful Elder James E. Faust. The words and sheet music can be found here, enjoy:

P.S. Happy Mothers Day, one and all!

The Purifying Power of Gethsemane

These are the clips of the last talk given by Bruce R. McConkie befoe he passed away. He chose to speak on the Atonement. This, for me, is one of the most powerful testimonies of the Savior and His atonement given. I hope one day my testimony will be as strong as his. This talk is in 3 parts, if you would just rather read it, click HERE.