This past weekend was Stake Conference. Astoundingly, I was actually able to get a lot out of it, despite my wiggly toddler. I just want to share with you my notes, thoughts, and feelings from the Conference meetings.
The topic was based from John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." What a comforting scripture!
Question: How do we deal with the obstacles we face in our life? Let us remember, this is the whole purpose of Christ. Let's rely on Him through our trials.
Counsel with the Lord in all of your doings.
Do you have PEACE, despite your challenges?
Revelations 3, "...be zealous and repent." I love this! It's so straight forward. If we commit ourselves to the Lord and repent, we may find peace, comfort, and joy in our lives!
Tribulations provides for us patience, which then gives us hope. But, first, we must put forth the effort and be patient during those tribulations! All in the Lord's time. And when we have patience, we tend to look to the Lord for help. When we trust in Him, that's faith, which ties into Hope.
What's life with no divots? Seriously. It makes me think of Sheri Dew, "If life were easy, it wouldn't be hard." I still have to really think deeply for the meaning of that quote sometimes...but really, the only times in my life that I felt like I was doing my best Spiritually, I was facing a hard trial. Not to mention all of the trials that I have faced in my life has made me who I am today! Trials change us; hopefully for good. They have the tendency to make us stronger! Plus, it makes life more interesting. Life would be so boring if we didn't have any trials! Just my opinion, though.
Acceptance is better than anger or rage when face with a trial. When something is out of your control, don't let hate into your heart. It never helps the situation.
Come what may and love it! Basically, make the best of every situation. Strive to be positive. It goes a long way. Plus, you'll be happier.
Trust in the Lord.
After trials, we'll find the Lord was there with you ALL ALONG. I know, as I think back on all of the hard days I have faced here on earth, that I could feel Him every step of the way. He guided me to where I needed to be, comforted me when I needed Him most, and helped me stay strong through the toughest of days. HE IS THERE. Always will be.
Let us read the scriptures so we can have a constant reminder of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, how I love how this is put. "..so we can have a constant reminder of our Savior..." Well said.
May we not do anything to keep us from returning home. This hit home. I kind of want to put this up in my house somewhere...
Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden. Sin is forbidden because it is hurtful. Not only to others, but to yourself. Just think about that, all of the hurt you can cause. Now, hey, I ain't perfect (far from it...), but I think this quote is just here to make us think twice about things that we might do. Let's be kind and not sin. (*chuckles*)
Deut 26:16-19, "This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to hispeculiar people, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as He hath spoken."
Elder Holland once talked about covenants we make with the Lord and how it is like a contract that we make with Him. Covenants aren't to take lightly, but to commit ourselves to our promise; to the Lord.
The temple is the only place Spirits can freely dwell without having to deal with the evil spirits. WHOA. How incredible is that?!
Keeping our covenants protects us and allows us to receive blessings from the Lord.
Joseph Smith said in Doctrine & Covenants 121 that "...all of these things shall be for your experience..." Note my comment above about how boring life would be without trials. They'll build us into better people.
3 Ways to Gain Peace:
- Pray from the heart
- Study the Gospel of Christ
- Read your scriptures
We can make our home more like the temple by the things we choose to put in it. For example, how about a picture of Christ, or a temple that holds special meaning. Or having a Book(s) of Mormon visible to help remind you to read your scriptures together as a family. You get the gist. Make your home special, fill it with the sweet Spirit of the Lord. It truly makes a difference, you can just feel it.
Make your home like a heaven on earth. A place where the Lord can dwell.
Make sure your children or family members feel safe at home.
SIMPLIFY. Your life. The way you teach your family about the Gospel, or scriptures. I guess this hit me hard because I have a 2 year old. She doesn't need things so planned out to the "T". She just needs simple. Adjust accordingly to the needs of your family! By the way, this reminds me of a talk Elder Uchtdorf spoke on a few years back. One of my favorites! You can find it HERE.
Do your Family Home Evenings, scripture study, etc according to the needs of your family. Don't get over zealous with planning! (Like I mentioned before) Sometimes you can't teach your children, especially small ones, all in one day. Do your best. Do what you can.
As we build our lives more on the rock of Christ, our home can become more like heaven.
