My thought on Elder Nelson's talk "Sciptural Witnesses"
I love hearing Elder Nelson’s voice and I hear it coming through loud and clear!
I love the “two or three witnesses” and I use that all the time with my kids. In fact I used it just last week while on jury duty. We had the words of four witnesses against his (and his story wasn’t very plausible). As I weighed the facts, I used the “two or three witnesses” test and I had to convict.
Our missionaries go out in pair with the Spirit to be “two or three witnesses.” We have the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Book of Mormon Another Testament—two or three witnesses! The Book of Mormon completes and complements the Bible. When I was a little girl I had a Bible that had all the words of Christ in red. I thought that was so cool! The four gospels were almost all red! I thought that was neat. When I got my next set of scriptures there was no red, so I set about marking them red. But I noticed that there was no red in the Old Testament, so I started marking things that were ABOUT Christ. It got red really fast. The Bible is two books that testify of Christ.
I find it very interesting what scriptures we do have. I often ask myself “Why did Heavenly Father let this part be put in?” “Why do we have this part?” “What does it say about Christ?” and then the all important thought, “What does it mean to me?”
We are starting our world history from the beginning—I mean THE beginning. As we were talking about the account of the creation we noticed that there are THREE accounts of the creation: Genesis, Moses and Abraham. “Out of the mouth of…” How interesting. We also happen to be using a science curriculum that is heavy on the creationism bent verses the big bang and evolution ideas. We talked about how there is no “two or three witnesses” to the other ideas, but there are three witnesses for the creation as well as the fourth: the Holy Ghost testifying truth.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent
My thoughts on Elder Holland's talk "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent"
(see how far behind I am—but I have started this email four or five times….)
I marvel at the talks that are coming from the pulpit during conference talks. How many of the Apostles are spending their 20 minutes every six months to debunk Mormon myths, misconceptions and other “odd things” that are out there floating around. It truly is amazing at the misconceptions people have about our faith and our religion. It begs the question, “Why?” Why are these men doing this? Why are they not instructing us? Or is it me who has changed and they have been doing this all the time and I have just woken up?
This isn’t political, but observational. Mitt Romney has brought the Mormon Church and the Mormon Faith to the front page of our newspaper. At first I was very nervous, but now I’m thankful. He has five sons and so do I!!!! I’m not so odd—ok, I’m very odd ~smile~. But there is a bit of anxiety with all this attention.
Which brings me to something that has just been gnawing at me for a few weeks, there is a popular actress Katherine Heigl who has been on fire as of late for her movie and tv roles and awards. In interviews she has proclaimed that she was raised Mormon “did church and the whole nine yards” so she says. But now she is far from it. She is smoking, drinking, swearing and all the other “bad” things. It is breaking my heart because in the last four or five articles I’ve read about her within the first few paragraphs the church has come up or been pointed out to the reader. My heart breaks.
I guess there are always two sides to the coin and when one is showing forth a promising face, is good and wholesome, the other side might just pop up and show some ugly.
But thankfully she isn’t our spokes person. Elder Holland and the rest of the Apostles and Prophets are!
Another observation I want to make is how the leaders of the church are giving us history lessons. It truly helps to understand the “why’s” to some of the assumptions and “rules” that are floating out there about our religion and others as well. It is nice to know how the “trinity in unity” was formed. It helps me understand my own beliefs and thoughts.
About 7 years ago I was asked to give a talk on Father’s Day on the subject of “Heavenly Father.” Truthfully there is very little in the scriptures about him. The scriptures testify of Christ not God the Father. BUT in my study I found that the more you know about Jesus the more you know about The Father. I came home that afternoon having someone ruin my talk (the kids drew all over it or something like that) to a crashed computer. I cried. I had truly lost all that hard work and my next back up was only hours away. (We back up every Sunday night.) I had learned some eternal truths and wish I could have reread my talk as I don’t recall much of what I said because I was so “in the spirit.” I look back on the great knowledge and testimony I received as a result of that study, but all my notes and other things were lost and it was a great heartache when I saw the blue screen of death.
I too had learned much of what Elder Holland professes in this talk. I have learned so much. BUT the one thing I learned was it doesn’t matter how much someone tells you these things, this is something you have to find for yourself. Your testimony of Christ and The Father have to come from your own study, faith and prayer. Reminds me of the 10 virgins; I can not share my oil with anyone and you are the only one who can fill your lamp up.
(see how far behind I am—but I have started this email four or five times….)
I marvel at the talks that are coming from the pulpit during conference talks. How many of the Apostles are spending their 20 minutes every six months to debunk Mormon myths, misconceptions and other “odd things” that are out there floating around. It truly is amazing at the misconceptions people have about our faith and our religion. It begs the question, “Why?” Why are these men doing this? Why are they not instructing us? Or is it me who has changed and they have been doing this all the time and I have just woken up?
This isn’t political, but observational. Mitt Romney has brought the Mormon Church and the Mormon Faith to the front page of our newspaper. At first I was very nervous, but now I’m thankful. He has five sons and so do I!!!! I’m not so odd—ok, I’m very odd ~smile~. But there is a bit of anxiety with all this attention.
Which brings me to something that has just been gnawing at me for a few weeks, there is a popular actress Katherine Heigl who has been on fire as of late for her movie and tv roles and awards. In interviews she has proclaimed that she was raised Mormon “did church and the whole nine yards” so she says. But now she is far from it. She is smoking, drinking, swearing and all the other “bad” things. It is breaking my heart because in the last four or five articles I’ve read about her within the first few paragraphs the church has come up or been pointed out to the reader. My heart breaks.
I guess there are always two sides to the coin and when one is showing forth a promising face, is good and wholesome, the other side might just pop up and show some ugly.
But thankfully she isn’t our spokes person. Elder Holland and the rest of the Apostles and Prophets are!
Another observation I want to make is how the leaders of the church are giving us history lessons. It truly helps to understand the “why’s” to some of the assumptions and “rules” that are floating out there about our religion and others as well. It is nice to know how the “trinity in unity” was formed. It helps me understand my own beliefs and thoughts.
About 7 years ago I was asked to give a talk on Father’s Day on the subject of “Heavenly Father.” Truthfully there is very little in the scriptures about him. The scriptures testify of Christ not God the Father. BUT in my study I found that the more you know about Jesus the more you know about The Father. I came home that afternoon having someone ruin my talk (the kids drew all over it or something like that) to a crashed computer. I cried. I had truly lost all that hard work and my next back up was only hours away. (We back up every Sunday night.) I had learned some eternal truths and wish I could have reread my talk as I don’t recall much of what I said because I was so “in the spirit.” I look back on the great knowledge and testimony I received as a result of that study, but all my notes and other things were lost and it was a great heartache when I saw the blue screen of death.
I too had learned much of what Elder Holland professes in this talk. I have learned so much. BUT the one thing I learned was it doesn’t matter how much someone tells you these things, this is something you have to find for yourself. Your testimony of Christ and The Father have to come from your own study, faith and prayer. Reminds me of the 10 virgins; I can not share my oil with anyone and you are the only one who can fill your lamp up.
Quench No the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man
My thought on Elder Hilbig "Quench No the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man"
“The adversary labors to dull our sensitivity to the promptings of the Sprit, whether we are teenagers, young adults, or mature men and women.”
We are bombarded with messages by the thousands every day (some every hour) and this makes it so hard for us to hear, listen and obey the Spirit. I see this with my children as well as myself and I think we live a pretty un-normal life. How are the youth of today going to survive?
Elder Hilbig’s statement “The role of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is essential in every season of our mortal lives.”
“When we invite…”
How many of us uninvited the Holy Ghost by our actions, thoughts, surroundings etc? In our home we often talk about inviting the Spirit out the door with our actions. “What a way to open the door and shove Him out,” unfortunately is a well used phrase at our home. And the spirit of contention will walk right in when that door is open. Sometimes we only open it a crack and he comes in uninvited again, but we left that crack open, unguarded and all of a sudden we are standing there facing him down. BUT, the Holy Spirit must be an invited guest. Your actions, words, thoughts, feelings and prayers are what invite him in. Every morning we try to remember to INVITE him into our home. I can only hope that the end of the above paragraph will then be true.
“…to fill our minds with light and knowledge. He “quickens” us, that is to say, enlightens and enlives the inner man or woman. As a result we notice a measureable difference in our soul. We feel strengthened, filled with peace and joy. We possess spiritual energy and enthusiasm, both of which enhance our natural abilities. We can accomplish more than we otherwise could do on our own. WE yearn to become a holier person.”
He asks some tough questions and as of late, I haven’t been doing too well on the answers. My business and a few extra things have been requiring more of me than I thought and I have neglected some of the duties I have. Yes, I spend more time on sports—my callings are not time intensive (primary pianist and VT supervisor). I don’t have free days and trying to schedule the temple has been next to impossible with six kids all going in different directions!!!! I do play and surf the net, but not for pleasure—I honestly don’t know what free time is. I do read the newspaper religiously, but I also read my scriptures—it isn’t a “instead of”.
I like the outline of things we need to do to get that Spirit to stay with us. I think I will mark my scriptures with 1-5. Right now I’ve got a major decision to decide and it affects a ton of people and I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m not getting the answer, but it isn’t a stupor of thought either. I wish I had time to take it to the temple, but they don’t do 30 minute sessions. (One of these day, when I run the world, I will have a “mom session.” It will be a fast forward version so that we can get in and get out without our nursing babies and young families.) I think I need to put more effort into this today/tonight.
Oh to grow and learn.
“The adversary labors to dull our sensitivity to the promptings of the Sprit, whether we are teenagers, young adults, or mature men and women.”
We are bombarded with messages by the thousands every day (some every hour) and this makes it so hard for us to hear, listen and obey the Spirit. I see this with my children as well as myself and I think we live a pretty un-normal life. How are the youth of today going to survive?
Elder Hilbig’s statement “The role of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is essential in every season of our mortal lives.”
“When we invite…”
How many of us uninvited the Holy Ghost by our actions, thoughts, surroundings etc? In our home we often talk about inviting the Spirit out the door with our actions. “What a way to open the door and shove Him out,” unfortunately is a well used phrase at our home. And the spirit of contention will walk right in when that door is open. Sometimes we only open it a crack and he comes in uninvited again, but we left that crack open, unguarded and all of a sudden we are standing there facing him down. BUT, the Holy Spirit must be an invited guest. Your actions, words, thoughts, feelings and prayers are what invite him in. Every morning we try to remember to INVITE him into our home. I can only hope that the end of the above paragraph will then be true.
“…to fill our minds with light and knowledge. He “quickens” us, that is to say, enlightens and enlives the inner man or woman. As a result we notice a measureable difference in our soul. We feel strengthened, filled with peace and joy. We possess spiritual energy and enthusiasm, both of which enhance our natural abilities. We can accomplish more than we otherwise could do on our own. WE yearn to become a holier person.”
He asks some tough questions and as of late, I haven’t been doing too well on the answers. My business and a few extra things have been requiring more of me than I thought and I have neglected some of the duties I have. Yes, I spend more time on sports—my callings are not time intensive (primary pianist and VT supervisor). I don’t have free days and trying to schedule the temple has been next to impossible with six kids all going in different directions!!!! I do play and surf the net, but not for pleasure—I honestly don’t know what free time is. I do read the newspaper religiously, but I also read my scriptures—it isn’t a “instead of”.
I like the outline of things we need to do to get that Spirit to stay with us. I think I will mark my scriptures with 1-5. Right now I’ve got a major decision to decide and it affects a ton of people and I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m not getting the answer, but it isn’t a stupor of thought either. I wish I had time to take it to the temple, but they don’t do 30 minute sessions. (One of these day, when I run the world, I will have a “mom session.” It will be a fast forward version so that we can get in and get out without our nursing babies and young families.) I think I need to put more effort into this today/tonight.
Oh to grow and learn.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Our of Small Things
My thoughts on Elder Teh's talk "Out of Small Things"
Excuse my tardiness; I was very busy this week with jury duty. I got a taste of what my family would be like if I worked outside the home and it wasn’t pretty!
I read this on Sunday and then on Wednesday went to downtown Seattle. Oh so much has swirled in my mind and I can only say NOTHING because we haven’t come back with a verdict. Walking from the bus to the court house in the wee hours of the morning and seeing the homeless men and women on the streets. My heart was broken and yet I can only do so little for them. I wanted so bad to make it better for all of them, but I couldn’t. I can’t. It isn’t possible for me to make everyone’s troubles disappear. But alas, I sigh and serve where I can.
“Often we find these opportunities within the confines of our own home, neighborhood, and ward.”
“Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,/ A blessing of duty and love.”
It is our “duty” and we should be happy about doing it. Guess I need to repent, especially about my service toward those I love the most.
I love the principle of “the one.” It is the “one” that can so often make the move waves. There are ripples that we never know, never will see and never can understand when we serve with our hearts and our spirits. I hope that my ripples are only good ripples and that those that I touch the most often only get touched by the good ones.
Excuse my tardiness; I was very busy this week with jury duty. I got a taste of what my family would be like if I worked outside the home and it wasn’t pretty!
I read this on Sunday and then on Wednesday went to downtown Seattle. Oh so much has swirled in my mind and I can only say NOTHING because we haven’t come back with a verdict. Walking from the bus to the court house in the wee hours of the morning and seeing the homeless men and women on the streets. My heart was broken and yet I can only do so little for them. I wanted so bad to make it better for all of them, but I couldn’t. I can’t. It isn’t possible for me to make everyone’s troubles disappear. But alas, I sigh and serve where I can.
“Often we find these opportunities within the confines of our own home, neighborhood, and ward.”
“Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,/ A blessing of duty and love.”
It is our “duty” and we should be happy about doing it. Guess I need to repent, especially about my service toward those I love the most.
I love the principle of “the one.” It is the “one” that can so often make the move waves. There are ripples that we never know, never will see and never can understand when we serve with our hearts and our spirits. I hope that my ripples are only good ripples and that those that I touch the most often only get touched by the good ones.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Preach My Gospel
My thought from Elder Kopischke's talk "Preach My Gospel--the Unifying Tool between Members and Missionaries"
I love this talk!
When this book first came out I thought I would use it for family scripture study. I started but let it fall to the side since my family wasn’t ready. My oldest is a sophomore and next year he is going to use this as one of his studies. I’m so excited because Elder Kopischke basically wrote out my curriculum for me! He has given me great ideas for using the book!
Have any of you used this book in your homeschool? Was it successful and how did you use it?
I might actually pull it out early and start my own study in preparation for next year.
I love this talk!
When this book first came out I thought I would use it for family scripture study. I started but let it fall to the side since my family wasn’t ready. My oldest is a sophomore and next year he is going to use this as one of his studies. I’m so excited because Elder Kopischke basically wrote out my curriculum for me! He has given me great ideas for using the book!
Have any of you used this book in your homeschool? Was it successful and how did you use it?
I might actually pull it out early and start my own study in preparation for next year.
A Broken Heart and A Contrite Spirit
My thoughts on Elder Porter's talk "A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit"
Long, long ago I sat in a class and the teacher (oh, she is a marvelous teacher) made a statement that rocked my world. She told us that the only thing we can give the Lord that he can’t just outright take from us is our will. (If memory serves me correct we were talking about Job, but I could be wrong.)
I have often thought about that when I’m frustrated with the Lord. I’m the one who has moved. I’m the one who has stopped communicating. I’m the one and all because I’m stubborn and I want it my way.
Sacrifice. What is that? How does it work? Are we truly sacrificing our will to the Lord?
I love this statement:
“The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.”
I’m sure we have all had times in our lives when we are totally lost, totally confused and ready to hang it all up. We hit our knees in humility and subjection and plead for peace, comfort, blessings, etc. OR we stubbornly sit in misery and contemplate how awful the Lord is in giving us our burdens to carry without help. I envision him up there hitting his head in frustration when I do the later. “Come on Doreen! We’ve been through this. Hit your knees and I have blessings to give you, *IF* you come to me with a broken heart and contrite spirit.”
I hopefully choose the former attitude and have a heart that is “completely open to the Spirit of God” and give my pride and will to Him.
Now the trick is teaching this to your children. I honestly don’t know how to teach it to them this concept. I know I had to learn it the hard way; by going through it.
Long, long ago I sat in a class and the teacher (oh, she is a marvelous teacher) made a statement that rocked my world. She told us that the only thing we can give the Lord that he can’t just outright take from us is our will. (If memory serves me correct we were talking about Job, but I could be wrong.)
I have often thought about that when I’m frustrated with the Lord. I’m the one who has moved. I’m the one who has stopped communicating. I’m the one and all because I’m stubborn and I want it my way.
Sacrifice. What is that? How does it work? Are we truly sacrificing our will to the Lord?
I love this statement:
“The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.”
I’m sure we have all had times in our lives when we are totally lost, totally confused and ready to hang it all up. We hit our knees in humility and subjection and plead for peace, comfort, blessings, etc. OR we stubbornly sit in misery and contemplate how awful the Lord is in giving us our burdens to carry without help. I envision him up there hitting his head in frustration when I do the later. “Come on Doreen! We’ve been through this. Hit your knees and I have blessings to give you, *IF* you come to me with a broken heart and contrite spirit.”
I hopefully choose the former attitude and have a heart that is “completely open to the Spirit of God” and give my pride and will to Him.
Now the trick is teaching this to your children. I honestly don’t know how to teach it to them this concept. I know I had to learn it the hard way; by going through it.
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