"And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things" (1 Nephi 16:29)

My husband gave me a very generous gift for Christmas. It is called a bike trainer. With it I am able to bring my bike inside the house, hook it up to the trainer and ride it. It is a great way to keep in shape. It acts like a stationary bike, but I am on my own bike and can therefore, prepare for longer rides. As I was riding today, I realized that I get bored riding inside the house and it is hard to stay on the bike for over an hour. It is doing the same thing over and over without going anywhere. It would be easy to talk myself right out of not getting on the bike at all. Then it hit me that this attitude was just like life and living the gospel. I could easily get bored with doing the basics, over and over. But doing the basics is important. The basics are the things that keep one from dropping out of the race when the race gets tough. And life and living the gospel does get challenging, guaranteed (see 3 Nephi 26:11). What's interesting is that I actually am going places while riding a stationary bike, but the results aren't seen until later, on a long ride, when I am back outside.

The Lord wants us to be prepared for this long ride called life, and eventually eternal life. We have to exercise and keep going forward, day by day. He said of us, "That they themselves may be prepared, and that my people may be taught more perfectly and have experience, and know more perfectly concerning their duty, and the things which I require at their hands" (D&C 105:10). He gives us instruction and guidance on how to be prepared. He doesn't want us to go blindly, riding around in circles, or even stay stationary. He wants us to move forward and keep making progress (see Mosiah 1:17). Sometimes it may feel like we are staying stationary when we are only taking small steps, but we are moving forward or even just staying in shape and preparing for "come what may" (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin).

One of the greatest principles of the gospel was taught to Nephi and his family through the use of  "a round ball of curious workmanship" (1 Nephi 16:10), a "director- or [they]called it the Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it" (Alma 37:38). The Liahona had "two spindles" (1 Nephi 16:10) or "pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which [Nephi and his family] did give unto them" (1 Nephi 16:28). Through the Liahona the Lord would communicate with them: "And there was also written upon them...which was plain to be read, which did give [them] understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which [they] gave unto it"(1 Nephi 16:29). Notice, that is was "according to the faith and diligence and heed" that the Lord would give them direction. This is the same with us. When we receive instruction from our leaders or from the Holy Ghost, or even from our own personal scripture study and act in faith, and diligence, and give heed to promptings or instruction we receive, we are being directed by the Lord. Things will happen in our lives, a step at a time, or a pedal at a time. "And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things" (1 Nephi 16:29).

There are times when I think that riding my bike in the house and going no where isn't really helping. But, it brings me right back to being prepared. I have to ask myself, what am I preparing for? Just like asking, why do I go to church when it could be boring, or someone has offended me? Because it is more than just a meeting. We are preparing ourselves spiritually each week..."For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors" (Alma 34:32). If we are serious about the long ride, we must prepare for it now. We must get in shape daily by doing the basics. Some of the basics that have helped me are: "daily prayer and scripture study" (Elder L. Tom Perry), regular church attendance (D&C 59:9-10; Elder Dallin H. Oaks), paying a full tithe (Malachi 3:10; Elder Neal A. Maxwell), and temple attendance (President Thomas S. Monson; D&C 95:8-9). These are small means that have made a great difference in my life. These are some of the basics that will help keep you in shape spiritually, preparing for the long ride we are doing now, and will be doing in the future.

The Lord wants us to "draw near" unto Him, and He will "draw near" unto us (D&C 88:63). As we prepare daily for the long ride by doing the basics, we can endure the the challenges ahead, because the challenges won't be challenges, but blessings. They will be what lead us and draw us closer to Him. We won't just be stationary, but the Lord is bringing about "great things". This I testify.

"...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do". (2 Nephi 25:23)

Some days are just better than others. And some days you wake up with a kink in your neck, you lose your wedding ring, one of your sweet children refuses to do what is asked and totally freaks out on you, your garage door breaks and you can't get your car out of the garage, your dryer doesn't dry the clothes...I could go on, but you get the idea. Gratefully, "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23) because each day our best is different, but we still try to do our best.

God didn't send us here to return to Him the same or worse than we left Him. He sent us here to become something more through obedience to His commandments (see Exodus 16:4; Abraham 3:25). The awesome thing is that we are "agents unto [our]selves", (Moses 6:56) meaning, we are in charge of how we behave, think, and act. So, on our other than better days, and every day for that matter, we can decide how we are going to act or react to the situation at hand. The beauty is that we are told what we need to know and how to behave: "...add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8). If these are in us then we will have knowledge of our Savior, and as we come to know Him better, we are becoming more than we were when we left our heavenly home at birth.

Every day is different, and therefore, every day brings a different "best" or a different "all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). That is one reason why we need and have grace. Grace is "divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ" (Bible Dictionary). Just as we learn about Jesus Christ a little at a time, and learn "line upon line...here a little and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30) we also receive "grace for grace" (John 1:16; see also D&C 93:12, 20)."The phrase 'grace for grace' suggests an exchange. For example, as we seek to serve others, repent, and do other good works, the Lord gives us spiritual strength and power to improve in exchange for our efforts. 'Grace for grace' also implies a developmental process." For each grace (or divine means of help and/or strength) we receive and worthily use, we receive another grace (or divine means of help and/or strength) in our progress toward perfection" (B.O.M. Teacher Manuel). We grow stronger as we seek the Lord's help and try to become like Him, as He has asked us to "be ye holy" (see 1 Peter 1:16). We can do this because "with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37)!

What a blessing that each day is different and we get to experience (see D&C 105:10) for ourselves "to know good from evil" (Moses 6:56). We become more than what we thought we could be through the challenges of each day as we do our best, and let Him do the rest.This I testify.

P.S. I found my wedding ring!