February 12, 2012
-Self-reliance: in Sacrament meeting, we first talked about
self-reliance and how it is more than just having temporal things- the first
speaker, my old visiting teacher, Susannah Crump, talked about how we truly
find happiness by giving it to others. The other speakers also touched on this
and it really impressed me to look beyond myself. I’ve been fasting today that
I might receive the healing that the Atonement promises, that comes from Jesus
Christ, and I truly need to work on giving more of my focus on others. I need
to be self-reliant so that I can help bring others to Christ too.
-Receiving and acting on promptings: Brother Bell (2nd
Counselor) shared a story where he acted from a prompting, he had felt that he
was being “all logical” and “rational” and yet that was how the Lord was
speaking to Him. He speaks quietly and truthfully, and will be there for you
always. When you receive a prompting, follow it quickly.
-Dealing with addictions- of any kind; In mission prep today
we talked about overcoming addictions and it struck me how and what I am
addicted to. Things like doubt, and confusion, stress, berating myself, etc.
The solution was even more profound, turn to Christ, He will heal you. I
already knew this to be true but it came through again, I felt the testimony
grow within me. I am prone to these things but I am not forced to stay in my
negativity. I can find peace and healing when I turn to Christ and bear pure
testimony about Him to myself and to others. By living my testimony, I will
find healing, I will find peace, and I will be able to bring it to others too.
-Coming to know our Savior-
reading between the lines- In Relief Society today, we discussed coming to know
our Savior, out of the Teachings of the Prophet George Albert Smith manual. We read
different scriptures and were asked to tell the class what we learned about who
the Savior is. This was really good because I had feared that I did not truly
know my Savior, but this lesson reminded me that I do. If I were to meet Him, I
would recognize Him, and He would know me. He takes the time for us
individually, He weeps with us as we struggle to understand the Lord’s timing,
He is patient with our learning process and helps us learn and become better,
how to become more like He is. We must take the time for others; we must look
past ourselves and see how we can be of service. This was the culmination of
the day for me, it tied everything together and I know healing is on its way to
me, and that I can be an instrument in Christ’s hands to bring others to
healing, I have before and I will be able to again.
Feb. 19, 2012
I went to Stephanie White’s
homecoming talk today. She was my first roommate and friend at BYU, and
recently came back from her mission in Leeds, England. It was so good to hear
her talk, and share her love for the people there. I truly felt the love of God
in my heart and it was so wonderful to feel that again. Lately I’ve been a
little down and it’s been harder to feel His love in my heart. But, today I did
and I am so grateful. She shared a quote, from a talk called “The Fourth
Missionary” and it said something about “You can either choose to change
deliberately or you can change accidentally.” This lesson is so important to
remember, we change and grow, but are we doing it on purpose?
February 26, 2012
Sacrament Meeting: Chastity, Modesty, Endurance, and
Identity
Emily Trujillo and Brad Mean discussed chastity and modesty,
how they intertwine and the depth of their meaning, how it affects us, others
around us, and our divine potential. We need to focus on being an influence for
good, we are children of the Most High God, and how we dress and act is vital
to shaping our character and to helping each other. Sacred things are often,
always, mocked. They are disregarded and people do not reverence them. They are
sacred and important, and we need to consciously choose to act in a way that
will get us where we want to go.
Celeste Knowles discussed endurance, don’t tell yourself or
let yourself be held back by the belief that something is impossible. Set to
work on what God has given you. Press forward. Remember how to deal with things
when people make choices that directly affect you and your ability to choose.
Remember that some of the greatest struggles we face are when we cannot make
the choice we want to, our agency. We must continue on the path, it may seem
impossible but He has a plan and a way prepared and we must keep walking if we
want to get there. We must lead our lives in such a way that we are who we
profess to be, that our ideals match our actions, and that we continue to
become like God.
The most important thing was
discussed in RS and I will talk about the others soon- but we talked about
Nephi’s experience when his steel bow broke and he made a new one out of wood-
It has just stood out to me how we may have this “ideal” that we are working
with, but it may break, it may stop, it may not work out how we thought, but
the Lord has given us the wood we need,
that we can work with it and find the True Ideal, the perfect situation,
the most important thing to help us become like God. Work with what direction
you have and do your best. You will find as you do your part and trust in God
that the best thing will fall into place. In Mission Prep we discussed prayer
today, and it was so wonderful to think about my prayers, how I can do better
and truly develop the relationship with God to have His constant direction in
my life. Some things I need to work on come from Preach My Gospel, page 95,
keeping my mind focused on His work, how I can improve and pray for those
things, then making sure my actions fulfill prayers, (Pray as if it all depends
on God, and then work like it all depends on you), making sure I am mindful and
sincerely praying for others, and finally, that the Spirit truly guides my
prayer, that it is not just me saying words but that the Spirit is an influence
and guides me in what I ought to pray for that I may change my will to His that
I may pray for the best things and feel His love.
March 4, 2012
Today the biggest thing that I
learned is that not only is God aware of my struggles, worries, and life in
general, that He has the power to help, and that the hope I feel from Him is
real. There is a way prepared and as long as your hope turns you to Christ, you
know you are on the right path. Prosper in the Spirit regardless of your
circumstance. Keep the hope in your heart and keep trusting in Christ.
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