Sorry it has taken so long to get a new post up..things have been a little crazy lately. Hopefully this will do for now. Happy Holidays!!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
"Of Things That Matter Most"
Here is a link to the talk that President Uchtdorf gave in Conference this past October. I just read it in the Ensign today and I really liked it and thought I would share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it like I did.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Relief Society Lesson Outline from 11-21-2010
The Gift of the Holy Ghost
What is the difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost?
Quote 1:
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: “There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. Had he not taken this … ordinance upon him, the Holy Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him.” 5
Bike Analogy:
-Draw picture. The stars above us represent the light of Christ – that helps us to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and error, and one manifestation of it is our conscience. The light of Christ is given to EVERYONE. Then there are lamp-posts along our way that represent the power of the Holy Ghost and how anyone can feel that power at certain times in their lives, such as when they hear the truth being spoken or when praying to know if something is true. However, there is still much darkness around us. Where my husband served his mission, all the bikes that they rode had lights on them, and the light represents the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is something we can have with us all the time, but we have to be peddling in order for this light to stay bright.
I like this analogy because the Gift of the Holy Ghost is exactly that, a gift that we’ve been given, but once we have it, it doesn’t just stay with us, we have to receive that gift into our lives, and that requires action, by working for it every single day.
Q: So what must we do to receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost?
-Faith
-Baptism
-Repentance
-Baptism by immersion
-Worthy (keep thoughts and actions pure)
-Obey the commandments
-Receive the gift - we all have been given gifts in our lives, but if we don’t use them, we lose those gifts or talents. The same thing happens with the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Quote 2:
The gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the right to receive the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, is obtained only upon condition of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the laying on of hands by authorized servants endowed with the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is a most precious gift available only to worthy members of the Lord’s Church... As with all gifts, this gift must be received and accepted to be enjoyed. When priesthood hands were laid upon your head to confirm you a member of the Church, you heard the words, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” This did not mean that the Holy Ghost unconditionally became your constant companion. Scriptures warn us that the Spirit of the Lord will “not always strive with man.” When we are confirmed, we are given the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost, but it is a right that we must continue to earn through obedience and worthiness. We cannot take this gift for granted.
What are some things that can make it so the Spirit cannot “strive with man”?
-sin, in any form
-indifference
-busyness (not making time for the Lord)
-ignoring promptings
Question: So what if you’re in a rut? (And I know everyone has felt this -- I sure have!) What if you think you haven’t felt the Spirit in awhile, how do you get out of it? Especially this time of year, in between the general conference highs, when it’s cold outside and you know, some of us may be suffering from the winter blues, how do we get out of that?
Q: How can we recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives?
It is through the power of the Holy Ghost that visions, dreams, and prophecies usually come. But -it is in a quiet, almost unnoticeable way. That is why we often refer to him as the still small voice. (See 1 Kings 19:11–12.)
-we may have feelings of peace, right, and sureness. It is a warm, good feeling. (warm fuzzy, right)
I want each of you to imagine that someone you’re talking to has never experienced what salt tastes like. How would you describe it to them?
It’s hard! There are some things like the taste of salt, that we can really only recognize by and through our own experiences, by tasting it for ourselves. The same thing goes for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some may have visions or dreams, whereas some of us it may only come as a fleeting thought. With practice, we can feel confident recognizing his presence.
President Thomas S. Monson counseled us: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.”
If we want to learn to recognize the spirit, we have to be ready to listen to it.
Quote 3:
The following story of how the Holy Ghost helped Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Twelve Apostles:
“One of my earliest childhood recollections is of riding a horse through an apple orchard. The horse was tame and well broken, and I felt at home in the saddle.
“But one day something frightened my [horse], and he bolted through the orchard. I was swept from the saddle by the overhanging limbs, and one leg slipped down through the stirrup. I desperately hung to an almost broken leather strap that a cowboy uses to tie a lariat to his saddle. My weight should have broken the strap, but somehow it held for the moment. Another lunge or two of the stampeding horse would have broken the strap or wrenched it from my hands and left me to be dragged to injury or death with my foot entangled in the stirrup.
“Suddenly the horse stopped, and I became aware that someone was holding the bridle tightly and attempting to calm the quivering animal. Almost immediately I was snatched up into the arms of my father.
“What had happened? What had brought my father to my rescue in the split second before I slipped beneath the hoofs of my panic-driven horse?
“My father had been sitting in the house reading the newspaper when the Spirit whispered to him, ‘Run out into the orchard!’
“Without a moment’s hesitation, not waiting to learn why or for what reason, my father ran. Finding himself in the orchard without knowing why he was there, he saw the galloping horse and thought, I must stop this horse.
“He did so and found me. And that is how I was saved from serious injury or possible death” (“Hearken to the Spirit,” Friend, Sept. 1972, p. 10).
Have any of you had experiences where the gift of the Holy Ghost has helped you or someone that you know? It doesn’t have to be something extremely personal, but if anyone has something that they’d like to share with us?
The last thing I want to point out is how precious this gift is!
Quote 4:
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord calls the gift of the Holy Ghost “the unspeakable gift.” 6 It is the source of testimony and spiritual gifts. It enlightens minds, fills our souls with joy, 7 teaches us all things, and brings forgotten knowledge to our remembrance. 8 The Holy Ghost also “will show unto [us] all things what [we] should do.” 9 President James E. Faust added that the gift of the Holy Ghost “is the greatest guarantor of inward peace in our unstable world.” 10
We literally have a member of the Godhead that ministers to us.
Question: How will you help your children gain a testimony of that gift?
Quote 1:
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: “There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. Had he not taken this … ordinance upon him, the Holy Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him.” 5
Bike Analogy:
-Draw picture. The stars above us represent the light of Christ – that helps us to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and error, and one manifestation of it is our conscience. The light of Christ is given to EVERYONE. Then there are lamp-posts along our way that represent the power of the Holy Ghost and how anyone can feel that power at certain times in their lives, such as when they hear the truth being spoken or when praying to know if something is true. However, there is still much darkness around us. Where my husband served his mission, all the bikes that they rode had lights on them, and the light represents the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is something we can have with us all the time, but we have to be peddling in order for this light to stay bright.
I like this analogy because the Gift of the Holy Ghost is exactly that, a gift that we’ve been given, but once we have it, it doesn’t just stay with us, we have to receive that gift into our lives, and that requires action, by working for it every single day.
Q: So what must we do to receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost?
-Faith
-Baptism
-Repentance
-Baptism by immersion
-Worthy (keep thoughts and actions pure)
-Obey the commandments
-Receive the gift - we all have been given gifts in our lives, but if we don’t use them, we lose those gifts or talents. The same thing happens with the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Quote 2:
The gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the right to receive the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, is obtained only upon condition of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the laying on of hands by authorized servants endowed with the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is a most precious gift available only to worthy members of the Lord’s Church... As with all gifts, this gift must be received and accepted to be enjoyed. When priesthood hands were laid upon your head to confirm you a member of the Church, you heard the words, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” This did not mean that the Holy Ghost unconditionally became your constant companion. Scriptures warn us that the Spirit of the Lord will “not always strive with man.” When we are confirmed, we are given the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost, but it is a right that we must continue to earn through obedience and worthiness. We cannot take this gift for granted.
What are some things that can make it so the Spirit cannot “strive with man”?
-sin, in any form
-indifference
-busyness (not making time for the Lord)
-ignoring promptings
Question: So what if you’re in a rut? (And I know everyone has felt this -- I sure have!) What if you think you haven’t felt the Spirit in awhile, how do you get out of it? Especially this time of year, in between the general conference highs, when it’s cold outside and you know, some of us may be suffering from the winter blues, how do we get out of that?
Q: How can we recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives?
It is through the power of the Holy Ghost that visions, dreams, and prophecies usually come. But -it is in a quiet, almost unnoticeable way. That is why we often refer to him as the still small voice. (See 1 Kings 19:11–12.)
-we may have feelings of peace, right, and sureness. It is a warm, good feeling. (warm fuzzy, right)
I want each of you to imagine that someone you’re talking to has never experienced what salt tastes like. How would you describe it to them?
It’s hard! There are some things like the taste of salt, that we can really only recognize by and through our own experiences, by tasting it for ourselves. The same thing goes for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some may have visions or dreams, whereas some of us it may only come as a fleeting thought. With practice, we can feel confident recognizing his presence.
President Thomas S. Monson counseled us: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.”
If we want to learn to recognize the spirit, we have to be ready to listen to it.
Quote 3:
The following story of how the Holy Ghost helped Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Twelve Apostles:
“One of my earliest childhood recollections is of riding a horse through an apple orchard. The horse was tame and well broken, and I felt at home in the saddle.
“But one day something frightened my [horse], and he bolted through the orchard. I was swept from the saddle by the overhanging limbs, and one leg slipped down through the stirrup. I desperately hung to an almost broken leather strap that a cowboy uses to tie a lariat to his saddle. My weight should have broken the strap, but somehow it held for the moment. Another lunge or two of the stampeding horse would have broken the strap or wrenched it from my hands and left me to be dragged to injury or death with my foot entangled in the stirrup.
“Suddenly the horse stopped, and I became aware that someone was holding the bridle tightly and attempting to calm the quivering animal. Almost immediately I was snatched up into the arms of my father.
“What had happened? What had brought my father to my rescue in the split second before I slipped beneath the hoofs of my panic-driven horse?
“My father had been sitting in the house reading the newspaper when the Spirit whispered to him, ‘Run out into the orchard!’
“Without a moment’s hesitation, not waiting to learn why or for what reason, my father ran. Finding himself in the orchard without knowing why he was there, he saw the galloping horse and thought, I must stop this horse.
“He did so and found me. And that is how I was saved from serious injury or possible death” (“Hearken to the Spirit,” Friend, Sept. 1972, p. 10).
Have any of you had experiences where the gift of the Holy Ghost has helped you or someone that you know? It doesn’t have to be something extremely personal, but if anyone has something that they’d like to share with us?
The last thing I want to point out is how precious this gift is!
Quote 4:
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord calls the gift of the Holy Ghost “the unspeakable gift.” 6 It is the source of testimony and spiritual gifts. It enlightens minds, fills our souls with joy, 7 teaches us all things, and brings forgotten knowledge to our remembrance. 8 The Holy Ghost also “will show unto [us] all things what [we] should do.” 9 President James E. Faust added that the gift of the Holy Ghost “is the greatest guarantor of inward peace in our unstable world.” 10
We literally have a member of the Godhead that ministers to us.
Question: How will you help your children gain a testimony of that gift?
Testimony
The next time you renew your baptismal covenant by taking the
sacrament, listen to the promise: when you always remember your Savior and keep His
commandments, you will always have His Spirit to be with you (see D&C 20:77, 79).
The next time you renew your baptismal covenant by taking the
sacrament, listen to the promise: when you always remember your Savior and keep His
commandments, you will always have His Spirit to be with you (see D&C 20:77, 79).
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Relief Society Lesson 11-14-2010
Baptism
Lesson 20
The Commandment to be baptized
· Why must we be baptized?
(1) Baptism is one of the first ordinances of the gospel. We must be baptized for the remission of our sins. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and are baptized, our sins are forgiven through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We must be baptized to become Members of the Church of Jesus Christ.
1. For the Remission of our sins
2. To become Members of the Church of Jesus Christ
3. We can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
4. To show Obedience
5. To enter into the Celestial Kingdom
The Correct Mode of Baptism
· How should we be baptized?
(2) The proper priesthood authority has to be obtained. The Prophet Joseph Smith said that a person having the proper priesthood authority to baptize “shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself for baptism…Then shall he immerse him in the water and com forth again our of the water” (D&C20-73-74)
(3) Immersion is necessary. The Apostle Paul taught that being immersed in water and coming out again is symbolic of death, burial, and resurrection. After baptism we start a new life. Baptism by immersion by a person having the proper authority is the only acceptable way of being baptized.
· Why is authority to perform a baptism important?
· In what ways is baptism by immersion like the burial and Resurrection of the Savior?
Baptism at the Age of Accountability
· Who should be baptized?
(4) Every person who has reached eight years of age and is accountable (responsible) for his or her actions should be baptized. Some churches teach that little children should be baptized. This is not in keeping with the teachings of the Savior. The prophet Mormon said that it is mockery before God to baptize little children, because they are not capable of sinning. Likewise, it is not required of people who are mentally incapable of knowing right and wrong. All other people are to be baptized. We must receive the ordinance of baptism and remain true to the covenants we make at that time.
· What might you say to a friend who believes that infants need to be baptized?
We make covenants when we are baptized
(5) Alma explained that we must want to be called the people of God. We must be willing to help and comfort each other. We must stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places. As we do these things and are baptized, God will forgive our sins. Alma told the people who believed his teachings about the gospel.
(6) “Behold, here are the waters of Mormon…And now, as ye are desirous to become into the fold of God, and to be called his people…what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” The people clapped their hands for joy and said it was their desire to be baptized. Alma baptized them in the Waters of Mormon. (See Mosiah 18:7-17)
(7) “At baptism we make a covenant with our Heavenly Father that we are willing to come into His kingdom and keep His commandments from that time forward, even though we still live in the world. When we understand our baptismal covenant and the gift of the Holy Ghost, it will change our lives and will establish our total allegiance to the kingdom of God. When temptations come our way, if we will listen, the Holy Ghost will remind us that we have promised to remember our Savior and obey the commandments of God.” (Elder Hales, 2001)
Alma taught that when we are baptized we make covenants with the Lord to:
1. Come into the fold of God
2. Bear one another’s burdens
3. Stand as witnesses of God
4. Serve God and keep His commandments
When we are baptized and keep the covenants of baptism, the Lord promises to:
1. Forgive our sins
2. Pour out His spirit more abundantly upon us
3. Give us daily guidance and the help of the Holy Ghost
4. Let us come forth in the First Resurrection
5. Give us eternal life
· What do you think it means to bear one another’s burdens? To stand as a witness of God?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Devotional February 10, 2009
- John 14:26 "But 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."
- He provided the sacrifice, for He will stand at the gates; "keeper of the gate"
- He is untouched of sins
- We tend to compare our weak points with others strengths-don't do this, it's Satan's way of bringing us down.
- We must be honest with ourselves
- D&C 8:10 "Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith, Trifle not with these things; do not ask for that which you ought not"
- "Where Can I Turn for Peace" (Hymn #129)
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