Sunday Will Come

This is a video from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin's talk, "Sunday will Come." Please visit the link below to see.

Sunday Will Come

The Greatest Gift

"By participating weekly and appropriately in the ordinance of the sacrament we qualify for the promise that we will 'always have his Spirit to be with [us].' That Spirit is the foundation of our testimony. It testifies of the Father and the Son, brings all things to our remembrance, and leads us into truth."

Dallin H. Oaks, "Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 17

Our Homes

“We may be well-advised to consider together, in family council, standards for our homes to keep them sacred and to allow them to be a ‘house of the Lord.’ The admonition to ‘establish . . . a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God’ (D&C 88:119) provides divine insight into the type of home the Lord would have us build. Doing such begins the construction of a ‘spiritual mansion’ in which we all may reside regardless of our worldly circumstance—a home filled with treasure that ‘neither moth nor rust doth corrupt’ (see Matthew 6:19–20; 3 Nephi 13:19–20).”

Gary E. Stevenson, "Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 102

Hope is a Gift

"Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior."
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 21

Weathering Storms with Optimism

I needed this today.

"We can't predict all the struggles and storms in life, not even the ones just around the next corner, but as persons of faith and hope, we know beyond the shadow of any doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the best is yet to come." [emphasis added]

Elder L. Tom Perry
"Let Him do it With Simplicity"

Church Response to California Supreme Court Decision on Prop. 8

The Church has issued a statement in response to California's Supreme Court Decision that the citizens of California exercised their right to amend their constitution and pass Proposition 8. You can read the response here.
I was relieved when the Supreme Court recognized that the citizens of California exercised their right to pass Prop 8. And I think the church's response is very dignified {as all their responses are} and it is good to remember that this Church is based on God's principles and laws and the doctrines will not be modified to fit popular beliefs. To me, that really affirms to me that this is God's church and that His laws reign supreme.

Prayer

This is more of my thoughts and notes from our Stake Conference back in March. These thoughts come a talk given by Brother Hicks, but I can't remember anything else about him. The basic thoughts are pretty simple. This may seem a bit scattered, and for that I apologize. This is just some simple but profound thoughts about prayer, each new idea "bulleted" with an asterisk.

*Prayer is an opportunity to talk with God. Sometimes we worry about what we should say in our prayers, but it is not something we should worry about. Follow the counsel given in Matthew 10:19-20, which reads:
"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
"For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
God will help you to know what to pray for. I can personally testify that He will help you and when you allow Him to, your prayers will become more meaningful to you and you will desire to pray more often, for longer periods, and with more intent.

*God doesn't want to hear "words" and vain repetitions (see Matthew 6:7). He wants to hear what is in our hearts. Talk to Him. Tell Him what is on your mind, what you are thinking and how you feel. Make Him your Best Friend.

*Revelation comes through our desire to learn and grow. God will answer our prayers if we are truly seeking the answer. I wonder if sometimes we do not "receive" an answer because we fear what the real answer may be and we don't really want to hear it. We must have our hearts prepared to receive the answer God sends. We must also seek out an appropriate environment to receive God's words. Jesus exemplifies this in Matthew 14:23, which says, "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." Being alone and creating an environment where we can have the spirit with us to help know what to pray for and to receive answers will also make our prayers more meaningful to us.

*I'd like to finish with a direct quote of something Brother Hicks said at the end of his talk. I agree with him completely:

"It is only through prayer that I have had my heart settled and found joy."
~Brother Hicks~

Believe in Yourself

"I believe in myself. I do not mean to say this with egotism or arrogance, but I believe in my capacity and in your capacity to do good, to make some contribution to this society of which we are a part. I believe that I am a child of God endowed with a divine birthright. I believe that there is something of divinity within me and within each of you. I believe that we have a godly inheritance and that it is our responsibility, our obligation, and our opportunity to cultivate and nurture the very best of these qualities within us. I do not have to be a scrub, though my work may be menial. Though my contribution may be small, I can perform it with dignity and offer it with unselfishness. My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others. I can be one who does his work with pride in that which comes from his hand and mind. I can be one who works with respect for my associates, for their opinions, for their beliefs, with appreciation for their problems, and with a desire to help them should they stumble. I believe in the principle that I can make a difference in this world."

Gordon B. Hinkley
("Articles of Belief," Bonneville International Corporation Management Seminar, February 10, 1991.)

Badge of Honor

"Our responsibility is not trivial. It is not by chance that we are who we are. The keeping of covenants in these days of destiny will be a badge of honor throughout all the eternities."
Elder Neil L. Andersen
Newly Called Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints