Loyalty

"The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

 

Ease

 

 

I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

 

After burdens have eased...

 

...they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God..

Lesson=The Lord God can ease or take away our afflictions, but in return we must have gratitude and realize He is the only deliverance! (Good thing Alma's people knew this and had faith:)

Vow

 

I started to write this post the other day and forgot about it until now.  I heard someone talking about marriage vows last week and that got me thinking.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we do not "vow."  We make covenants with our Father in Heaven in the temple before we are married.  When we are getting married the marriage covenant that you and your spouse make is also with Heavenly Father and not with each other.  However if we break our "temple covenants" we essentially are breaking them with Heavenly Father which in turn breaks them with our spouse.  I think that is amazing and so important.  As superficial as it sounds I would think more about the covenants and promises I make with Heavenly Father

before breaking them.

 

I was privileged to participate in sealing (marriage) work for the dead the other day in the temple.  The words were very poignant to me and I asked the sealer questions about certain things (at his encouragement that we ask).  Regardless of me not being married right now I am happy to have made covenants with my Father in Heaven that I think about daily and eventually will also make with a future husband.