Change of Focus

I read a talk from President Monson in the last conference issue of the Ensign.

"Said one well-known author: 'Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscience choice which secret garden we will tend... when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present---love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]---the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.' (Sarah Ban Breathnach)"

I really liked this message sometimes I focus too much on what I lack in life, I don't think that I have been ungrateful for what I do have, I just haven't given it the proper focus. I think the time has come for me to change my focus, I'll probably be a lot happier if I do.

I want to be Like Nephi!

1 Nephi 17:7-9
"And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.
And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.
And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?"


This is a scripture from my scripture study today. The Lord asks Nephi to go into the mountain, which is a metaphor for the temple, and commands him to build a ship. Nephi responds by asking where he should go to find ore to make tools.

I want to be like Nephi. When the Lord commands me to do something, I don't want to be bogged down by the impossibility of it, I want to go to the temple with a prayer in my heart and say "Okay, tell me where to go to find the tools I need to do it."

Liahona

Today I was reading in 1 Nephi 16:28-29:
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.
And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things."

I feel like the scriptures are a liahona to me, the words do not change but the way that they make me feel does. Sometime I get these great a-ha moments over verses that I have read before. I know that the Lord directs our path and when we have faith and are diligent in our scripture study we will feel His guidance and see His hand in our very lives.

The Ministry of Angels

Today I read a talk by Elder Holland from November 2008 General Conference.

"I ask everyone within the sound of my voice to take heart, be filled with faith, and remember the Lord has said He 'would fight [our] battles, [our] children's battles, and [the battles of our] children's children' (D&C 98:37; emphasis added). And what do we do to merit such a defense? We are to 'search diligently, pray always, and be believing[. Then] all things shall work together for [our] good, if [we] walk uprightly and remeber the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted' (D&C 90:24). The latter days are not a time to fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and remember our covenants."
"My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challeges that we face. '[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved' (Moroni 7:36). On accasions, global or personal, we may feel distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal."

I really believe this, I feel the Spirit testifying of the truth of it. I pray that I may be a mortal angel and aid and assist those around me. I am thankful for all of my mortal angels and the heavenly angels too.

The Best is Yet to Come!

Today I was reading in Mathew 13:33
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

I really like this verse, its funny how different things stand out to us a various times in our life. The leaven is the gospel, I am the woman, the meal is the world or those in my sphere of influence. Leaven makes things rise, the gospel will raise us all to new levels of peace, happiness and joy. I feel like making bread now :).

I also read in D&C 39, the blessing recorded here is for James but I believe in likening all scriptures to myself. I believe that parts of this blessing can be mine if I am true and faithful to the covenants that I have made.

Verses 7-8
"And now, behold, I say unto you, my servant James, I have looked upon thy works and I know thee.
And verily I say unto thee, thine heart is now right before me at this time; and, behold, I have bestowed great blessings upon thy head;"

I feel like I have had great blessings bestowed upon my head. I know that Heavenly Father can look upon my heart and I pray that I may live in such a way that my heart is ever before Him.




Verse 12
"And it shall come to pass that power shall rest upon thee; thou shalt have great faith, and I will be with thee and go before thy face."

If I have the Holy Ghost and I am living worthy of that blessing then power will rest upon me and I will have great faith. There have been times in my life where I have felt that the Lord was with me, sometimes I feel rather far away from Him but I know that it is me keeping myself from Him and that He ever reaches for me. I think that I should reflect upon the things that I can eliminate from my life that will allow us to be closer for I believe the time speedily cometh where I will need to have Him go before my face.

Verse 23
"And again, it shall come to pass that on as many as ye shall baptize with water, ye shall lay your hands, and they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and shall be looking forth for the signs of my coming, and shall know me."

This is a scripture that really gives me hope, I have been baptized and I am looking for signs of His coming. When He comes I will know Him!

One more quote from November 2008 General Conference
"One of the challenges of this mortal experience is not to allow the stresses and strains of life to get the better of us---to endure the varied seasons of life while remaining positive, even optimistic...We can't predict all the struggles and storms of 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."
Elder L. Tom Perry