Importance of the Scriptures

I have a friend who had her scriptures stolen and has not had money to buy a new set.  I have multiple sets of scriptures which include The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, New Testament, Old Testament, and the Pearl of Great Price.  They are pretty expensive when they include all of those books of scripture so I told her that I would give her one.  

It wasn't until I was handing her the scriptures that I realized what the Savior and many prophets have felt.  I had just finished reading our Sunday school lesson about the scriptures, recording keeping, and teaching the gospel to our families, specifically Alma 36-39.  What a gift they are!  I knew that these records are of great importance and because they are such an important record I felt the sacredness of the words therein.  I cannot fully express my love for the words of the prophets, the Savior, and Heavenly Father contained therein.  I love the scriptures with all of my heart.  I truly believe that if they are read and studied everyday we will not go astray.

Mormon Channel

If you have a smart phone you can download the "Mormon Channel" app, which I am obsessed with lately.  IF you don't have a smart phone you can listen on your computer.  There are so many things to read, watch, and listen to.  I have always used it to listen to the scriptures, conference, watch Mormon Messages, etc...but recently I have discovered their programs.  Here is the link http://mormonchannel.org/programs  Two favorite programs are Music with a Message and Enduring it well.  There are some pretty inspiring stories to listen to.  Happy hunting:)

Never delay a prompting

Some of the recent talks from conference have given me a new appreciation for life.  One thought in particular that I really liked was that I needed to recognize personal encounters with the divine and preserve them for posterity.  Also does my life reflect my love and devotion I feel for the Savior?  I am so blessed with the tender mercies that the Lord gives me each day!!!

My most favorite quote is that ...."to be fulfilled, you have to continue to naturally and normally share the gospel."  I have really been enjoying this lately, actually on a daily basis with someone not of the LDS faith.  I am not eloquent in words, but I try to "never delay a prompting" as President Monson has said and I truly feel blessed and more "fulfilled" for sharing the gospel, after all the gospel means good news:)  I just hope that this gentleman feels the happiness that I do because of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

I am in need of some humbling/santification

Helaman 3:35
Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

The most important cause

I was studying some conference talks last night, which is a good idea for everyone because I did not even remember this talk that has left such an impression on me.  Elder Ballard's talk called "That the Lost May Be Found" was AMAZING! 

The best sentence in the entire talk is "Brothers and sisters, the most important cause of our lifetime is our families."

I love love love my family and love good news that I hear about families since family seems to be decaying around the world.  Elder Ballard also said, "The Church stands as an example of heart turning and as a catalyst for good in the world. Among Church members who are married in the temple and who regularly attend Sunday meetings, the divorce rate is significantly less than that of the world, and families remain closer and are in more frequent communication. The health in our families is better, and we live several years longer than the population average. We contribute more financial resources and more service per capita to those in need, and we are more likely to seek higher education. I point out these things not to boast but to testify that life is better (and much happier) as hearts turn toward family and as families live in the light of the gospel of Christ."

He also shares 4 points that will help our families from getting lost.  They are:
1-Prioritize
2-Do things in the right order
3-...husbands and wives, you should be equal partners in your marriage.
4-Use the family resources of the church

So grateful to have such a great immediate and extended family.  I used to dream that all sides of my family would live in a mansion when we got to heaven, with each immediate family having a wing.  If only the whole world knew how important family is!  They are what bring us true happiness!!!

Mom and siblings when we were all younger:)



Kid Lessons

I have been meaning to write for the last week or so, but it just has not come together.  Finally this entry feels right.  I have learned two great lessons in the last week, both from kids.

Last week I was inside reading and the doorbell rang. There was also a hurried knock on the door.  I wasn't ready for the day so I threw on my bathrobe and answered the door to discover my next door neighbor who was a little girl.  She was panicked and asked if she could go in the backyard and look for her bunny that had escaped through the fence.  I told her sure, go back there.  Less then 5 minutes later she came to the door and was crying and asked if I could help her look.  Since I wasn't dressed I told her I would look out the window and tell her if I saw it.  I instantly saw it in the neighbors backyard and told her out the window to run over there.

This was a great lesson for me.  Sometimes in life we think that we are searching in the right area and are very sure of our plans, but the Lord sees from a higher and all knowing vantage point.  They may be the same plans but we may just have to trust for awhile.  I was once this little girl, literally, our rabbits growing up escaped several times and I went looking where I thought they for sure were at.  If there is anything to be learned in this lesson it is we need to be in constant communication with the Lord so that we are guided by the Spirit.

Lesson number 2 came as I was at the Timpanogos Temple last night.  I was outside taking a picture of the temple while a family was next to me.  One of the little girls went up and touched the temple.  She said "Look, I'm touching the temple."  What a profound statement that was to me!  When we are not able to be in the temple are we letting it touch us in our lives?  Obviously we cannot be there all the time, but do I strive to be in holy places always?  I feel like I really try to have this as my goal and I loved knowing that these parents were teaching their kids about going to the temple someday!

Top three

I am more into the scriptures than I have ever been in my life.  I cannot get enough of them and am reading them like a novel you cannot put down.  They are so much more rewarding then a novel though.  So I thought I would share my top 3 favorite scriptures in the last week.

Alma 26-
16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.


Alma 36-
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.


Alma 37-
45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

I wish everyone felt the joy that I do in reading the scriptures.  Everytime I read them the Holy Ghost testifies of the truthfulness to me!  I can tell you one thing for sure...I would not make it through each day without the scriptures, prayer, and the Holy Ghost.