"...But ask with a firmness unshaken, ...that ye will serve the true and living God." (Mormon 9:28)

Day #7

Today's scripture: I am so grateful for this scripture because of the direct counsel it gives to us. In this day of "accept everything", "do what you want", and "nothing is wrong", I love that a prophet, so many years ago, would give encouragement to make good choices and to serve only the One True God.

"Be wise in the days of your probation: 

strip yourselves of all uncleanness; 

ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, 

but ask with a firmness unshaken, 

that ye will yield to no temptation, 

but that ye will serve the true and living God." 

(Mormon 9:28)

I am grateful for the counsel to be clean, to strip off all the things that harm or smother the precious spirit within. To strip off the dark or anything that takes me away, in any manner, from our loving Father. I am grateful for the counsel to ask for help so that I won't be tempted above that which I am able to bear. I am grateful for the counsel to serve God.

When I follow the counsel of the prophets of God, even when I don't always understand the "why", I am filled with peace, and with greater strength to do "the harder right instead of the easier wrong" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson).

(link for the video if you need to view it in a different format- video)

"...the God of All Comfort..." (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Christ is the light of the world.
I choose to focus on the light

I realize that there is so much suffering, hurt, sorrow, misery, injustice, and pain in the world from which I am sheltered. I cannot imagine what some people must endure from their own choices, other people's choices, and just part of living in a physical world. It's too easy to get sucked into the "dark" if I focus on all the bad things that happen every day in the world. Therefore I choose to focus on the "light", even the Light of Christ. It is defined as: "Divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things" (Light). I love that light is divine energy and power. I can feel this power as I make good choices and focus on the love that God has for all of His children.
  
I also choose to focus on hope. There is always hope! Hope is defined as: "The confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness" (Hope). This hope- even a "perfect brightness of hope" (2 Nephi 31:20) which brings peace, joy, and relief, can only come from One True Source, even Jesus Christ. He is "the God of peace" (Romans 15:33).

I can imagine a "God of peace" (Romans 16:20). Even the "Prince of Peace"(Isaiah 9:6). I can imagine and feel hope because- He lives (D&C 76:22)!

God offers us peace and comfort. And not just the absence of war or contention. But true peace that calms the "troubled heart" (see John 14:1).

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

A Heavenly Father is there to comfort us. A Savior. Our Savior is there to comfort us in our darkest hours. In our painful hours. In the hours of joy and sorrow, He is there to comfort us and to rejoice with us.

I have found that where there is pain there is also joy, because we cannot have one without the other, neither light without darkness (see 2 Nephi 2:11). As I endure physical pain, I am appreciative of this statement by Orson F. Whitney:

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience, is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father" (Joy in the Journey)

The truth is, Jesus Christ is the source of hope and "the God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3). Even in our darkest hours, which indeed we may come to find that they are our finest hours, will be filled with light (see The Great Plan of the Eternal God). He is the divine light that fills our hearts with joy, even in the midst of suffering. This I testify.

I love to see the light He offers me. In it I find comfort and joy.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth you, give I unto you." (John 14:27)

The other night as we were reading scriptures as a family one of our children was very frustrated and stated bluntly that it was boring and besides he "didn't understand a darn thing" we were reading. I don't blame him. We had been reading 2 Nephi, the Isaiah chapters as we call them, in The Book of Mormon (get your free copy here), the past several nights which can be very challenging for even the most proficient adult reader. As I have pondered his frustration I realized that reading the scriptures is really like reading a different language. It is learning the language of the Spirit and how God speaks, communicates, and ultimately behaves. I feel that it continues to be a life time of learning to understand this language and I am never left unsatisfied in my efforts as I continue to learn this powerful language that is more than just words on a page.

President Monson has said there is "one language...that is common to each missionary- the language of the Spirit. It is not learned from textbooks written by men of letters, nor is it acquired through reading and memorization. The language of the Spirit comes to him [or her] who seeks with all his [or her] heart to know God and keep His divine commandments. Proficiency in this language permits one to breach barriers, overcome obstacles, and touch the human heart" (The Spirit Giveth Life). As we learn the language of the Spirit we are able to understand how God communicates, and how He behaves. There are many references in the scriptures about how we can learn and understand this language.

One important thing to remember is that the Spirit is a "still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things" (D&C 85:6; see also Helaman 5:30-31; 1 Kings 19:12). In order to understand a language we must first be able to hear it, which takes practice. The language of the Spirit is still- meaning quite, peaceful or calm. Think in contrast to the constant noise which is around us today with music or news playing in our ears wherever we go, with little chance of peace and quiet. We must make time to know how it feels to be "still", so that when the language is spoken or we hear it, we will recognize it in our minds and in our hearts (see D&C 8:2). President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said of the Spirit: "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a "still small voice". And while we speak of "listening" to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, "I had a feeling..." (Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, and The Promise).

Nephi taught:

 "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold , the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these works, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all thing what ye should do" 

(2 Nephi 32:3-5).

There is much to learn about the language of the Spirit in these three verses. I testify that scripture study is a conduit to heaven. It opens the windows of communication and allows the Spirit to "tell" and "show" you "all things what ye should do". Things that seemed to make no sense have become clear as I have studied the scriptures and asked, just as Nephi taught. I know that as you take the time to learn this language, your communication skills will improve and the Lord's promise, "prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10) will be strengthened and given to you in all areas of your life.

The language of the Spirit is also the same as the fruit of the Spirit and will be manifest in your life as you come to understand and apply this heavenly and divine way of communicating. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). This language is a way of living, not just nice words or phrases in a book. I have noticed these "fruits" are listed in several places in the scriptures (see D&C 4:6;  D&C 121:41-42; 2 Peter 1:4-8; Moroni 7:45). It is because they are the way Christ acts, it is His Divine nature. Christ promised that "...the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26). Even when we struggle with this beautiful and powerful language, which we will, He will send the Comforter, which is the Spirit to teach us how to learn it. It is our guide (see D&C 45:57) to bring us back to Him. He wants us to learn this language so that not only will our language of words be changed, but that our very natures are changed.

My son was right. Learning to read the scriptures and understand them is hard. Learning a new language is difficult and takes time and effort. But the most powerful and life changing language is the language of the Spirit and the Savior has promised us, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth you, give I unto you." (John 14:27). When we talk about the voice of the Spirit being a "still small voice" it truly is a voice of peace, we just need to learn how to understand, "hear and know the voice by which [we] shall be called" (Mosiah 5:12), and that is the voice of our Savior.



A few extra links for learning more about the language of the Spirit: (I would love to hear what links you have found that have helped you in your personal study. Please feel free to share them with me.)
How Do I Know What I Am Feeling Is the Spirit and Not Just My Own Emotions?
Hymn # 143 Let the Holy Spirit Guide
Prayer and Promptings
Reverence Invites Revelation

I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering..." (Alma 38:3)

I have been blessed to have one daughter. She is an amazing young woman. It is such a blessing as a parent when we finally meet parents of her friends and they tell us that they know if their child is with our daughter they trust, implicitly, that they have nothing to worry about when our children are together. I want to say..."unto you, my [daughter], that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering..." (Alma 38:3).

I believe all parents want to have "great joy" in their children. Each child is different and blesses us as parents to help us learn and develop, "that by these [we] might be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). The "divine nature" is the Savior's character. "That is our charge" to become like our Savior (Pres. Ezra Taft Benson), and our children help us to become as He is as we parent these "precious little ones" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson), this includes teenagers. It is wonderful being a parent of teenagers!

As we parent our children, and if we don't have children, we can practice these virtues and develop the character of Christ every day as we associate with others. The first virtue, and the one I want to focus on, is "faith" (2 Peter 1:5) "[Faith] is a prerequisite for all other virtues" (Pres. Ezra Taft Benson). Faith is a virtue that leads us in times of darkness, when we have no idea how to help our children or our family, but we know that God knows, and therefore, we go forth with faith. When we have faith in Christ, our efforts and our lives show it because faith produces good works (see James 2:14, 17-26). The good works of attending church even when the Sunday School teacher is boring but we go anyway. Or the good works of paying our tithing when we know we need to pay bills but we choose to put God first in our lives and have the faith the the Lord will "open you the windows of heaven" (Malachi 3:10). Christ had the faith to finish His work, the atonement for us. We, too, must develop the godly characteristic of faith, even as we parent our children.

Faith isn't developed by fear or controlling our children. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). The power from God and the power of love and the power of faith enable us to lead our children and inspire our children to know for themselves how to "choose good or evil" (Alma 13:3). We don't need to manipulate them into choosing good. It is vital that they learn to judge for themselves "to discern good from evil" (The Guide to the Scriptures). It takes faith to teach our children and then even more faith to let them make choices on their own, that they will make good choices that will lead them back to our Father in Heaven when we aren't around.This is when we have "great joy" (Alma 38:3).

Some children may not choose to follow what we have taught them as parents. It takes faith to trust that our Father in Heaven will help us know how to love them and continue to teach them and guide them. President Hinckley said, "You parents, love your children. Cherish them. They are so precious. They are so very, very important. They are the future. You need more than your own wisdom in rearing them. You need the help of the Lord. Pray for that help and follow the inspiration which you receive" (The Fabric of Faith and Testimony). As parents, we will receive divine guidance and help to know what to do and how to help our children, not in fear, but in love. The blessings come when we act in faith on those promptings and inspiration that does come.

We show and strengthen our faith in Christ as we gather our children around us this Christmas and all year long as "we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ...that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins" (2 Nephi 25:26). We do this in love and faith. We are developing the "divine nature" that is a part of who we are and want to and should teach our children. We will say, "I have had great joy in thee already because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence" (Alma 38:3) when our children think of Christmas as the celebration of the birth of Christ and they "look to God and live" (Alma 37:47) every day of their lives because of the "unfeigned faith that is in [them]" (2 Timothy 1:5) no matter what their age. This I testify.

"Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved." D&C 87:8

Being tall has its advantages. In a crowd I can see over the heads of people and I can spot my family members easily. I can see people I am looking for or avoid people as well. I can also stand firmly in one spot and people will generally walk around me or if they bump in to me, they apologize. I also stand out in a crowd. Through out my life I have often heard the remark, "Wow, she is tall." A lot of people have just simply stared at me. I have often wondered what those people are thinking, the ones that just stare and make no comment. I always hope that I portray what I believe, that I stand tall and proud to be who I am, a daughter of God.

Standing is something that has stood out (no pun intended) to me lately. The Young Women's motto is "Stand for Truth and Righteousness." Stand, not sit, for truth and righteousness. I have wondered why "stand" is chosen in the scriptures. To "stand...having your loins girt about with truth" (Ephesians 6:4, D&C 27:16); "Stand in awe, and sin not" (Psalms 4:4); "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved" (D&C 45:32); "Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come" (D&C 87:8). The reason we must stand is because it is a position of courage, and strength. It is to remain firm in the face of war, and we are at war. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). We can't afford to sit around and waste our time watching TV, shopping for frivolous items that are of no value, surfing the Internet for things that mean nothing, texting and not talking with people, and many other time-wasters because we need to STAND. Now, not that those things are bad, but if we don't have a balance, we will stumble or even worse, fall. Make a stand in your life and make time for God. Pray. Read and ponder the scriptures. Remember Christ daily. Just as our bodies need food to stand for all that it requires, our spirits need to be fed to endure the battle we are in against the "rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12).

President Monson, in General Conference said: "We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God" (Oct. 2011 address). President Monson used the word standards. Standards "akin to old English- standan to stand and probably to Old High German hart hard" (Merriam-Webster). Standing is hard at times. Especially when we are left standing alone. It can be really lonely. But I testify, we are never alone and we need not fear to stand. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I: am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).

I find it interesting that President Monson, the Lord's prophet for our day, in two of his addresses this past General Conference, his topic was "standing", Dare to Stand Alone addressed to the Priesthood, and Stand in Holy Places. Our prophet is calling us to recommit ourselves to the Lord's army. "Communication with our Father in Heaven-including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us- is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life." (Stand in Holy Places) The Apostle Paul wrote: "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ...Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:3, 22)

Ask yourself, "what do I need to stand for today?" "Do I stand for Christ in all I do and say?" If we are looking at, reading, watching material that is not something we would want to share with Christ, then we have chosen to sit down, we have lowered our standards. "Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exodus 32:26) Let's do the hard thing and stand, raise the bar and "stand for truth and righteousness." Stand for and with Christ. Standing will changes your perspective and your view. "To stand" is the way "the enemy shall not overcome" (D&C 38:9). This I testify.