The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has released a new program to help members learn the Gospel. It is called Come Follow Me - For Individuals and Families: New Testament. I'm excited to go through the New Testament again and am excited to share the Gospels with my family.
For any that might fall upon this I hope you enjoy my personal thoughts and perhaps thoughts from my children and wife.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Real intent
Today during Elder's Quorum the instructor mentioned something that really struck a chord with me. He was discussing Conference and how President Nielsen suggested that we study the conference talks with real intent. He asked about the definition of intent. I had never really thought much about the word, just thinking that it meant with real desire.
In Moroni 10:4, Moroni promises us that if we ask with real intent, having faith in Jesus Christ then He will make those things know unto us. When I had read those words I guess I always just thought that they meant real desire.
When the instructor asked us what an intention was and that might help us understand the base word of intent. An intention is something you plan to do. It reminds me of a joke that Joe Anderson always said over the headset while working with the Forgotten Carols. He said, "Crying children are like good intentions and should be carried out".
This all led me to look up the definition in the dictionary. An intent is a usually clearly formulated or planned intention. An intention according to the dictionary is a determination to act in a certain way. So an intent is a clearly formulated or planned determination to act in a certain way. WOW! That changes the passage in Moroni for me.
Here's the complete fourth verse:
I think I've been missing this in my worship. I feel like many of us just go to church, or pray or read and expect something miraculous to happen when it is our responsibility to have a determination planned out to act, TO ACT! The gospel is about action, about doing all we can and not letting things just happen to us.
In Moroni 10:4, Moroni promises us that if we ask with real intent, having faith in Jesus Christ then He will make those things know unto us. When I had read those words I guess I always just thought that they meant real desire.
When the instructor asked us what an intention was and that might help us understand the base word of intent. An intention is something you plan to do. It reminds me of a joke that Joe Anderson always said over the headset while working with the Forgotten Carols. He said, "Crying children are like good intentions and should be carried out".
This all led me to look up the definition in the dictionary. An intent is a usually clearly formulated or planned intention. An intention according to the dictionary is a determination to act in a certain way. So an intent is a clearly formulated or planned determination to act in a certain way. WOW! That changes the passage in Moroni for me.
Here's the complete fourth verse:
If we ask with a sincere heart, with real clearly formulated or planned determination to act in a certain way, the certain way that the Lord might reveal to us, then he will manifest the truth of it unto you. This changes everything! When we pray or when we listen to conference we should be praying and listening in a way that will help us act upon what we are hearing or praying for. It no longer just being acted upon. We should have the determination to live and do the things which we hear and pray for. No longer can we ask to bless so-and-so, we should ask but have a clearly defined plan on how we are going to act. No longer can we ask to help us be kind to one another, but we should already have a determination to be kind to one another.4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
I think I've been missing this in my worship. I feel like many of us just go to church, or pray or read and expect something miraculous to happen when it is our responsibility to have a determination planned out to act, TO ACT! The gospel is about action, about doing all we can and not letting things just happen to us.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Compelled to Search the Scriptures
In Jacob 7 we read of an antichrist named Sherem. I've read this story many times. A man comes to the prophet and tries to claim that the law of Moses is the truth and that there should be no Christ. Jacob asks if he has read the scriptures and Sherem says he has. The contend for a while and in the end Sherem asks for a sign to be given.
I often have wondered about a time when I was a teen and we went to the Manti Pageant. Outside of the Temple gates were a bunch of protesters. I found this very interesting and intriguing that people my age would go to someones place of worship to contend with them. Now I realize that while we do not advocate going to someones place of worship to preach the gospel we do send young men and women out to teach others. Anyway, there was a man there that was pretty in your face and the thing I remember most was he was talking about a test. He wouldn't flat out tell everyone what the test was but wanted to get you one on one and have you promise to do the test. I can't help but wonder if he, like Sherem, knew the scriptures were true but still chose to go out of his way to temp the Lord.
Continuing in the story in Jacob 7 I found it very interesting that the people that were all around Sherem when he died also fell to the earth. I didn't recall this from the other times I've read the scriptures. The first time I remember a whole multitude falling to the earth was in Alma. It wasn't until after this that the people began to search the scriptures. It's such an easy thing to do and yet I don't think many people have daily scripture study. Maybe the people were casually reading the scriptures, maybe they were only reading them at church. I know I've had many occasions that I fell into this camp.
I've felt very stagnant in my relationship with Heavenly Father for the last few years. I go to church, I do my calling but at home I wasn't reading my scriptures and I wasn't praying. Over the last year I have been longing to regain some spirituality that I had felt I had lost. I think having a new baby probably does that to you. I felt that if I would pray every day then that might help me feel closer. My brother gave me some advice after telling me some of his experiences over the last year or so. He said if someone was really studying the scriptures then the other parts of the gospel would also come. If you are studying your scriptures you are also probably praying about what you've read. If you're studying your scriptures you are probably going to church and participating in the discussions. You're probably doing your Ministering and other callings.
I've been reading my scriptures almost every day ever since. While I can't say that I've felt a huge difference, I can say that do look forward to the time I have in the scriptures. I also feel like I've read things and have gotten insights for things that I need. The other interesting part of it is I really have felt that Elder's Quorum has gotten immensely better. Almost every week I've left feeling that the lesson was particularly directed to me and how I need to improve my life.
Sorry for a longer post. I've been feeling the need to testify of the need to read the scriptures on a more consistent basis. I'm not perfect, far from it, but I do feel that daily reading from the Book of Mormon and I also try to read a conference talk every morning too has helped my life be better. I feel like I am closer now then I was three months ago.
I often have wondered about a time when I was a teen and we went to the Manti Pageant. Outside of the Temple gates were a bunch of protesters. I found this very interesting and intriguing that people my age would go to someones place of worship to contend with them. Now I realize that while we do not advocate going to someones place of worship to preach the gospel we do send young men and women out to teach others. Anyway, there was a man there that was pretty in your face and the thing I remember most was he was talking about a test. He wouldn't flat out tell everyone what the test was but wanted to get you one on one and have you promise to do the test. I can't help but wonder if he, like Sherem, knew the scriptures were true but still chose to go out of his way to temp the Lord.
Continuing in the story in Jacob 7 I found it very interesting that the people that were all around Sherem when he died also fell to the earth. I didn't recall this from the other times I've read the scriptures. The first time I remember a whole multitude falling to the earth was in Alma. It wasn't until after this that the people began to search the scriptures. It's such an easy thing to do and yet I don't think many people have daily scripture study. Maybe the people were casually reading the scriptures, maybe they were only reading them at church. I know I've had many occasions that I fell into this camp.
I've felt very stagnant in my relationship with Heavenly Father for the last few years. I go to church, I do my calling but at home I wasn't reading my scriptures and I wasn't praying. Over the last year I have been longing to regain some spirituality that I had felt I had lost. I think having a new baby probably does that to you. I felt that if I would pray every day then that might help me feel closer. My brother gave me some advice after telling me some of his experiences over the last year or so. He said if someone was really studying the scriptures then the other parts of the gospel would also come. If you are studying your scriptures you are also probably praying about what you've read. If you're studying your scriptures you are probably going to church and participating in the discussions. You're probably doing your Ministering and other callings.
I've been reading my scriptures almost every day ever since. While I can't say that I've felt a huge difference, I can say that do look forward to the time I have in the scriptures. I also feel like I've read things and have gotten insights for things that I need. The other interesting part of it is I really have felt that Elder's Quorum has gotten immensely better. Almost every week I've left feeling that the lesson was particularly directed to me and how I need to improve my life.
Sorry for a longer post. I've been feeling the need to testify of the need to read the scriptures on a more consistent basis. I'm not perfect, far from it, but I do feel that daily reading from the Book of Mormon and I also try to read a conference talk every morning too has helped my life be better. I feel like I am closer now then I was three months ago.
Monday, September 24, 2018
2 Ne. 29
As I was reading this morning in the Book of Mormon I read 2 Nephi 29. In this chapter it talks about how many people will reject the Book of Mormon in our day. I've seen this with some friends and acquaintances recently with how they have become offended in one way or another and have subsequently fallen away from the church.
One lesson that I learned comes from verses 10 and 11.
Speaking of the last conference. I also read President Nelson's talk in Priesthood session Ministering with the Power and Authority of God. I feel like I've done what he mentions in the past. He talks of a father giving his daughter a name and a blessing but instead gives her a name and a nice prayer. We need to be worthy to actually bless our children and our wife. This makes me want to be more worthy to be able to receive the revelation to give powerful blessings to my children.
One lesson that I learned comes from verses 10 and 11.
11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.While I'm not supposing that I am so great that many people will read my words I also didn't miss that point that says the Lord commands all men that they shall write the words which I speak unto them. I believe in the most recent General Conference the Prophet suggested that we write down the things that we hear from the Lord.
12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.
Book of MormonScriptures
Speaking of the last conference. I also read President Nelson's talk in Priesthood session Ministering with the Power and Authority of God. I feel like I've done what he mentions in the past. He talks of a father giving his daughter a name and a blessing but instead gives her a name and a nice prayer. We need to be worthy to actually bless our children and our wife. This makes me want to be more worthy to be able to receive the revelation to give powerful blessings to my children.
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