Guidance from the Prophet Alma

"Teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.

 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.

 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up"

Alma 37:32-37

Prepare for General Conference!

This information was posted on lds.org concerning preparing for General Conference. This is a time when our Prophet and Apostles address the whole Church, providing guidance and inspiration for all members. Read their suggestions for preparing! (source)

~  ~  ~  ~

Date

September 26 and October 3–4, 2015

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

The general women’s session for sisters ages eight and older will be Saturday, September 26, at 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT).
The First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and general officers of the Church will deliver messages of inspiration and guidance in six sessions:All members of the Church are invited to participate in the 185th Semiannual General Conference of the Church.

The general priesthood session for priesthood holders will be Saturday, October 3, at 6:00 p.m. MDT.

The general sessions for individuals and families will be Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. MDT.

Prepare for Conference

Conference provides an opportunity to receive personal revelation as living prophets give counsel and direction. Asking questions can help youprepare for conference, increasing personal revelation while you watch.

Review what prophets taught at April’s conference regarding members’ common questions. Learning more about General Authorities and general officers can also help you prepare to receive their messages.

Invite Others

Those of other faiths are welcome to participate in general conference. Members are encouraged to invite others in person or using social media.

Live Viewing Options

All sessions will be streamed live on the home page of LDS.org. They are also available via the Church satellite system, radio, television, satellite, and other digital channels. See Viewing Times and Options for more details. For specific times, languages, and rebroadcast information, refer to the Church broadcast schedule. 

Participate and Share via Social Media

To participate in general conference conversations on Twitter, use #LDSconf, or retweet quotes, videos, and images posted at @LDSchurch. See and use the list of speakers’ recommended hashtags to help extend their messages.

Post-Conference Availability

General conference talks in text, audio, and video formats are provided in multiple channels for studying and sharing after conference.

• Learn when conference materials will be available.
• Find ways to get more out of conference.
• Find messages from past conferences.

A Brief Testimony

"Learn to express a brief, heartfelt testimony of our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the truths of the restored gospel."

First Presidency Letter, 14 Feb 2013

I know that the priesthood is real. I've seen it's power working. I know that the full gospel was restored through Joseph Smith. I know that Heavenly Father hears our sincere prayers. I know that the Savior stands ready to help us whenever we need Him (which is always). I know that He leads this Church, and that all of our leaders are called by Him. I'm thankful for our prophet and apostles. I know that listening to their counsel will help us prosper. I know that they love us, too. I know that Heavenly Father sends people to us - families, ward members and leaders, missionaries. I know that He is in the details of our lives. I know that He cares about us. I know that He wants us home, and that He will help us on our way home. He is so good. His ways are just. His Son shows us the Way. His Atonement makes all things possible.

In His name, Jesus Christ, amen.

You've got the Savior of the world helping you out; how can you fall?

Building a Celestial Family: Part 4

Invite the Holy Ghost

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

One thing that's really great about commandments and counsel is that they are always accompanied by blessings. In this case, President Eyring testified that as we try to forgive, seek the hapiness of our family members, and be kind, we invite the Holy Ghost. That's beautiful! I'd like to break this promise into two parts and examine it a little more.

First, I'd like to talk about the actual blessing: the Holy Ghost will come into our families. That's pretty great. Don't we all want the Holy Ghost in our families and homes? The peace it brings, the understanding, the love? Our homes are to be a sacred and safe place. They can't be that unless we have the Holy Ghost in them. We need the Holy Ghost in our lives and in our homes. The Lord promises, through President Eyring, that He will send the Holy Ghost as we follow this counsel. If we knew that the Holy Ghost would come as a result our our forgiveness, our sacrifice, and our kind words, how much more eager would we be to do these things? Can we forgive more? Can we sacrifice for our family members? Can we be more kind in our speech? (Hint: Yes.) So let's make that a goal, me and you. To be more kind and forgiving. Today.

The other part: "As we try to do these things." The Lord doesn't expect perfection. And that is a beautiful thing. He's not saying, once you're perfectly forgiving, perfectly sacrificing, perfectly kind, then I'll send the Holy Ghost. No. He says, "Just try, and I'll send my Spirit to help you. Just try." When we try, when we put forth any effort into this, He send the Holy Ghost and multiplies what we can do. And isn't that great! We need the Holy Ghost to be perfectly forgiving. We try, and He helps. We try seek the happiness of our family members above our own, and He helps. We try to be kind, and He helps. He sends that Holy Ghost as we try to do these things. And, oh, it is wonderful.


So, as I finally conclude this series, I challenge you to try take President Eyring's counsel to heart. Try to be a little more forgiving, try to seek the happiness of your family members, try to speak kind words. And I, next to President Eyring, testify that the Holy Ghost will come into your heart and your home.



This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the beginning? Find them here: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. 

The Lord Will Provide

"And God will generously provide all you need."

2 Corinthians 9:8, NLT

photo source lds.org

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"And God said unto Noah . . . Make thee an ark of gopher wood . . . And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of . . . Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." 

(Genesis 6:13-15, 22)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"[God] said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. . . . And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father . . . Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering . . . Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham . . . And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." 

(Genesis 22:2-13)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"And the children of Israel said unto them . . . ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you." (Exodus 16:35)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:37)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages . . . But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. [Jesus] said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."

 (Matthew 14:14-20, see also Luke 9:12-17, Mark 8:1-9)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"Give us this day our daily bread." (Mathew 6:11)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"He doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness." (1 Nephi 17:3)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"And I said: Lord, whither shall I go . . . And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go." (1 Nephi 17:9-10)

The Lord will provide a way. 

Thick darkness gathered around me . . . exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction . . . I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun . . ." (Joseph Smith History 1:15-16)

The Lord will provide a way. 

~ ~ ~

"Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness?" (D&C 19:39)

The Lord will provide a way!

"Thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains, and upon every high place, and among every people that thou shalt be permitted to see" (D&C 19:29) -- The Lord will provide a way!

Building a Celestial Family: Part 3

Be kind in our speech. 

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

I often tell my brother and sister "Use soft words." Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Love is patient, love is kind" (1 Cor 13:4-9). The Lord taught us this again through another prophet in the Book of Mormon, Moroni. Words can be hurtful. Yelling, shouting, and insulting our family members does not build loving relationships and invite the spirit.

We should make a devoted effort to be kind when speaking to each other, especially when children are in our homes. Children learn what "love" means by the actions of those who tell them "I love you." Do we want to teach our children or brothers and sisters that "I love you" means yelling and shouting, insulting each other, and never acknowledging strengths?

This is something that I still am working to overcome. Almost every day, my patience runs short and I have to say, "I'm sorry for using hard words. Can you forgive me? Can you give me another chance?" We are not perfect. I am not perfect. We should strive to be kind in our speech. We should ask forgiveness, and keep trying. As President Eyring said, we invite the Holy Ghost into our families as we strive to be kind to our parents and siblings.



This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the beginning? Find it here: Intro, Part 1, and Part 2. Read the final post here: Part 4. 

Building a Celestial Family: Part 2

Seek the happiness of others above our own. 

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

"Testifying of God's 'eternal purposes,' the prophet Lehi taught, 'Men are, that they might have joy' (2 Nephi 2:15, 25). Many people try to find happiness and fulfillment in activities that are contrary to the Lord's commandments. Ignoring God's plan for them, they reject the only source of real happiness. They give in to the devil, who 'seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself' (2 Nephi 2:27). Eventually they learn the truth of Alma's warning to his son Corianton: 'Wickedness never was happiness' (Alma 41:10). . . . We will find peaceful, eternal happiness as we strive to keep the commandments, pray for strength, repent of our sins, participate in wholesome activities, and give meaningful service."

President Eyring counsels us to seek the happiness of others. The way to find lasting happiness is through the gospel. In mixed-member families, some parents or siblings don't know the gospel. Even in most whole-member families, there's probably one or two parents or siblings who aren't living gospel standards. We are called to be a "city on a hill," a lighthouse (Matthew 5:14, 3 Nephi 12:14). Lighthouses direct sailors when the waters are rough. We, too, can lead our families through rough waters, knowing that we have the true path to happiness. The Lord desires that every member of the human family return to Him, sealed in smaller family units. He wants our family sealed and living a celestial level of life. People can't live celestial if they don't know celestial. We need to teach our families, in their head and in the heart, what the gospel is and what it means. We can do this by being an example, and also talking about the gospel. We can be the one to bring our families home to Heavenly Father. 

The second part of the above quote describes how we can find "peaceful, eternal happiness." Two in the list are wholesome activities and service. We can have wholesome fun with our families and serve others together. Watching movies, playing board games, going for mini golf or to the park are all ways families can bind and have fun together. Families can serve by visiting those in need, baking cookies to deliver to others, or teaching a child's friend about Jesus Christ. All of these can be done in whole- or part-member families. As families grow close together, trust is built, and we move toward a celestial level of family life. 

Familiy life requires sacrifice, and the gospel requires sacrifice. Families will not be happy if everyone demands on getting what they want right away. The psalmist wrote: "I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good" (Psalm 54:6). We must be willing to sacrifice and compromise. If my brother wants to play Mouse Trap but I want to play Clue, I must be willing to sacrifice sometimes. If I want meatloaf for dinner, but the rest of my family really wants spaghetti, I might have to sacrifice. By the same token, there will be days when a brother or sister has to sacrifice - they don't get to play their game or have their preferred dinner. When that happens we should be kind and loving towards them, and appreciative of their sacrifice.

Achieving happiness in family life is a family effort, but it starts with just one person.


This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the first posts? Find them here: Intro, Part 1. Then read the rest: Part 3, Part 4.