Even a Child Can Understand

"Sometimes we may be tempted to think, “It’s too easy." ...

Little children have a marvelous disposition to learn. They have total trust in their teacher, a pure spirit, and great humility—in other words, the same qualities which open the door to the Holy Spirit. He is the channel through whom we gain knowledge of the things of the Spirit.

our knowledge of God does not depend on the amount of information we accumulate. After all, all the knowledge of the gospel which is meaningful for our salvation can be summarized in a few points of doctrine, principles, and essential commandments, which are already there in the missionary lessons we receive before baptism. Knowing God is a matter of opening our hearts to gain a spiritual understanding and a fervent testimony of the truth of these few fundamental points of doctrine. Knowing God is having a testimony of His existence and feeling in one’s heart that He loves us. It is accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and having a fervent desire to follow His example. In serving God and our neighbor, we witness of Christ and allow those around us to get to know Him better."

You know Enough

"Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step-by-step, line upon line. We first build a foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We treasure the principles and ordinances of repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We include a continuing commitment to prayer, a willingness to be obedient, and an ongoing witness of the Book of Mormon.

Brothers and sisters, we each have moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. We must sink them deep into the chambers of our souls. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty.

Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. Challenges, difficulties, questions, doubts—these are part of our mortality. But we are not alone. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have enormous spiritual reservoirs of light and truth available to us. Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time. In our days of difficulty, we
choose the road of faith. Jesus said, “Be not afraid, only believe.”"

-Elder Neil L. Andersen
General Conference, October 2008


1 Nephi 11:17 - And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

Mark 5: 36 - .....Be not afraid, Only believe.


This was one of my favorite talks from conference. We do not need to know everything in order to be true disciples of our Heavenly Father. We know enough by knowing that he loves us and wants us to be happy and successful. I also love the idea that sometimes we have to get beyond our feelings (whether they are feelings of hurt, betrayal, grief, or anger) and chose to be faithful. The spiritual store house we build when thing are easy will give us the strength to chose faith when times are difficult and the Adversary is working against us with all his might.

Happy Day to all!
-Jeri

Joy in the Journey

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.

-Thomas S. Monson
October 2008 Genera; Conference

Service

Our service should be selfless, quiet, and be done willingly, with our hearts full of the love of God and His children.

-Gloria H. Allred,
General Relief Society Counselor
October 2008 Ensign, p.68

General Conference

I just wanted to share a few of my favorite things from General Conference. Since most of the talks have not been published yet, I am going to just give you the note I jotted down. I know this is a really long post, but I just always feel do uplifted after conference.

President Thomas S. Monson:

• This is our one and only chance at mortal life. Chances are brief and then they are gone. Find joy in the journey!
• Rather than dwell on the past, focus on the here and now.
• Don’t let stress get in the way of what is most important – the people around us. Let them know you love them. Don’t assume they know – tell them.
• Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
• If you only had 25 words, what would you say to your family?

President Henry B Eyring:

• Be humble. Pride is the enemy of unity. When in a disagreement, look for anything on which you agree.
• Ask for help from God – then ACT!
• God will help us see differences not as conflicts but as contributions.
• We see each other with imperfect sight. So, speak well of each other.
• You will have a feeling of peace and joy when you see others in a generous light.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

• Women undervalue their abilities. We foci=us on the lacking instead of the accomplished.
• Our personal is to seek and experience eternal happiness.
• Those who bring sunshine to others cannot keep themselves from it.
• Small acts of service are required to lift and bless others.
• Words only require a loving heart but can be of eternal significance to others.
• The number of prayers we answer may be more important than the number we say.

Elder Robert D. Hales:

• Some are kept from the church only because they know not where to find it.
• When challenged, seek guidance from the Spirit to find a correct response that invites the spirit.
• Meekness is not weakness; it is the badge of Christian courage.
• Do not confuse boldness with the Devil’s counterfeit – overbearance.
• A heartfelt testimony is the most powerful answer.
• Look for our own fault’s first. Ask, “Lord, is it I?”
• Sometimes it is better to keep our distance and walk away. Stay on the high ground where there is light. Where there is safety.
• Opposition will be a blessing to the Kingdom of God on Earth.
• We are not better than others, but desire to show them a better way.

M. Russell Ballard:

• God does not walk in crooked paths.
• Missionary work is God’s work and will not be frustrated.
• We are not asked to die a martyr’s death but live a disciple’s life.
• Now is not the time for the spiritual faint of heart.

Russell M. Nelson:

• In the Lord’s own way and time, no blessing will be withheld from faithful saints.
• Happiness comes through earnest effort.
• Minimize demands and maximize acts of selfless love.
• Beware of option presented by the Adversary, which always lead to misery.

Sister Julie Beck:

• Our home should be a refuge from the world. Nothing should interfere with family and church activities.
• We need to seek, receive and heed personal revelation. With personal revelation we cannot fail.

From Sister Barbara Thompson:

• We should help the needy close to home. There is no need to search for service opportunities.
• Not only those that receive, but those that preach are edified.

Keith B McMullin:

• Heavenly Father answers all sincere prayers.
• Heavenly Father will comfort you and lead you through whatever storms you face.
• If records were kept of prayers answered, the world could not contain all the pages.

William D. Oswald:

• Pondering involves not only the head, but also the heart.
• Teaching the gospel is a sacred and holy calling.

I am totally bummed that I have misplaced some of my notes from Saturday, so when I find them there will definitely be a “PART 2” to this post.

I hope you all found General Conference to be as rewarding and enlightening as I did. As I was listening I thought of all the people who were missing these divine words from a the Prophet and Apostles of the Lord. I wonder if when the Savior comes, we will be too busy/tired/uninterested to listen?

I love you all! Thanks for reading.

Protecting Our Families

"We hoped that our children, during a moment of temptation or difficulty later in the day, would remember that we had prayed, even though they might not remember the words of our family prayer. We hoped that they would remember that we had read the scriptures, even though they might not remember the words of the scriptures. We hoped that they would remember the spirit they had felt during family home evening, even though they might not remember the lesson during that sacred family time. We firmly believed that when temptation presented itself to our children, they would be protected by the gospel traditions of our home."

"Remember that gospel basics—those seemingly “small and simple things” we strive to practice in following the Lord—will ultimately confound Satan and protect our families."

Alma 37:6 - Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

From the article "Protecting Our Families in the Last Days",
by Elder Richard J. Maynes of The Seventy
October 2008 Ensign