The Word of Wisdom

By way of explanation, the Word of Wisdom is a law of health as recorded in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants of the LDS Church.

"The Word of Wisdom does not promise you perfect health, but it teaches how to keep the body you were born with in the best condition and your mind alert to delicate spiritual promptings."

--President Boyd K. Packer Ensign, May 1996, Page 18

It really bugs me when someone says they can't eat or drink something because the LDS Church doesn't allow them to. We have the choice to keep the commandment or not.

Accountability

Last night both quotes had already been used at least once, tonight they are both new.

"Every day, every hour, every minute of your span of mortal years must sometime be accounted for. And it is in this life that you walk by faith and prove yourself able to choose good over evil, right over wrong, enduring happiness over mere amusement. And your eternal reward will be according to your choosing."

--D. Todd Christofferson, "Reflections on a Consecrated Life", Media Name

Today I went to Logan with a friend & her husband. They dropped me off at Wal-Mart & I shopped until Don got off work & then he came & picked me up. I, of course, ended up in the book section. Every time I got lost as a child, my mother knew to go to the books & she'd find me sitting cross-legged in front of the books.

In the book section today I found a couple of good books about near death experiences (NDE). Why do they call them near death? I like after death experiences. One was Heaven is For Real, the story about a 4-year-old boy who had an after death experience during emergency surgery. I had read an excerpt from it just last night in Guideposts. Another was 23 Minutes in Hell. This was the first NDE book I have seen about hell. Why do people ignore hell? It is real. Not that we want to go there. But,

"Those who yearn for true spiritual light and knowledge can only find it through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit enlightens and gives understanding of the eternal purpose of life. By the Spirit, Church members know the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true."

--Elder M. Russell Ballard; Ensign, May 1996, Page 80

A priceless legacy

As I was growing up we always attended church on Sunday. Priesthood Meeting was first, because men worked on week days & couldn't attend a meeting during the week. Next came Sunday School. Sacrament Meeting (the worship service) was held at 7 p.m. every Sunday evening. Women had Relief Society on Thursday morning, children had Primary on Tuesday afternoon & the teenagers had Mutual on Tuesday evening. Well, the girls had Mutual & the boys had Scouts. I don't remember ever being taught from the scriptures in my home. We did have family prayer. In high school I attended Seminary, all 4 years of high school, & we were taught from the scriptures there.

"Parents must have a knowledge of the standard works to teach them to their children. A child who has been taught from the scriptures has a priceless legacy."

--President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 1983, 41

I hear families talk about their scripture study & feel bad we didn't do that with our children, nor did my parents do that with us. But we can do our own studying. I try to spend at least half an hour each evening doing just that -- studying the scriptures

"Sadly, many individuals don't know where to find God, and exclude him from their lives. When spiritual needs arise, they may look to the left, the right, or round about. But looking to other people on the same level cannot satisfy spiritual shortages. When the immortal spirit is starved, hunger persists for something more filling. Even when material success comes, there is a hollow ache--if living well falls short of living worthily. Inner peace cannot be found in affluence accompanied by spiritual privation."

--Elder Russell M. Nelson; Ensign, May 1996, Page 14

Or don't feel a need to include God in their lives.

God has given many gifts

I found out why the internet turns into a pumpkin at midnight. Every night at midnight, we might as well turn off the computer if we are using the internet because it becomes so slow as to be almost impossible to use. Nick has set it up that way. From zero to 0700 the network storage device has free access to the internet; from 0700 to midnight, the storage device is curtailed. Hmmmm, that means I have 48 minutes to finish my scripture reading. I was almost in tears last night because it took so long to do anything. I saved the quotes in a Notepad document, but couldn't access readthescriptures dot com for my journal or read the scriptures.

The first quote from last night is from Cheiko Okazaki. It was probably given in the April 1996 Relief Society session of General Conference.

"God has given us many gifts, much diversity, and many differences, but the essential thing is what we know about each other — that we are all his children. Our challenge as members of the Church is for all of us to learn from each other, that we may all love each other and grow together."

--Cheiko M. Okazaki; Ensign, May 1996, Page 13

 There was a quote from President Hinckley that is appropriate as we go into the Easter season:

"On Calvary He was the dying Jesus. From the tomb He emerged the Living Christ. The cross had been the bitter fruit of Judas's betrayal, the summary of Peter's denial. The empty tomb now became the testimony of His divinity, the assurance of eternal life, the answer to Job's unanswered question: "If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14)."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Symbol of Our Faith", Liahona, Apr. 2005, 3

Tonight there was a repeat of one of President Hinckley's quote about cultivating an attitude of happiness.

And the fourth quote is from Elder Oaks telling us we need to give thanks in all things.

"When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life... We are meant to learn and grow through opposition, through meeting our challenges, and through teaching others to do the same … the Lord will not only consecrate our afflictions for our gain, but He will use them to bless the lives of countless others."

--Dallin H. Oaks, "Give Thanks in All Things," Ensign, May 2003, 95

Eye of faith

I like that phrase. It sounds even better in context.

"We must not allow the things of the world to blinker our vision of the eternal destination. Nor must we permit the "voices in the world" to lead us off course (1 Cor. 14:10). Rather, we must allow the hope of Christ's glory and of eternal life to rest in our minds forever. We must reaffirm the goal that matters most and press toward it looking forward with an eye of faith."

--Carlos E. Asay, "Stay on the True Course", Ensign, May 1996, 59

And this quote from President Benson

"Our Father in Heaven planned the coming forth of the Founding Fathers and their form of government as the necessary great prologue leading to the restoration of the gospel... America, the land of liberty, was to be the Lord's latter-day base of operations for His restored church."

--President Ezra Taft Benson, "Our Divine Constitution", Ensign, Nov. 1987, 4

The high road

I think it's interesting that President Hinckley talked about walking the high road. The Urban Dictionary says, "Those who take the high road, are demonstrating being honest, fair, and selfless while not being completely defenseless."

"Pray for the strength to walk the high road, which at times may be lonely but which will lead to peace and happiness and joy supernal."

--President Gordon B Hinckley, "Stay on the High Road", May 2004 Ensign Pg 112

and the next quote from President Faust could define President Hinckley's thought.

"We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving."

--Elder James E Faust, "They spoke to us", The Friend December 1996

We are somebody

Two short quotes tonight. Elder Ashton's quote gives me hope. Because sometimes I wonder.

"As children of God we are somebody. He will build us, mold us, and magnify us if we will but hold our heads up, our arms out, and walk with him. What a great blessing to be created in his image and know of our true potential in and through him! What a great blessing to know that in his strength we can do all things!"

--Marvin J. Ashton, "In His Strength", Ensign, Jul 1973, 24

And Bishop McMullin's is keenly felt. I strive very much to listen to the Holy Ghost.

"The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, sent forth by God to reveal all needful things. He teaches and testifies with divine power and clarity. His witness may go unheard or unheeded, forsaken or denied, but it is never misunderstood."

--Bishop Keith B. McMullin; Ensign, May 1996, Page 6

Thoughts mold your features

The internet is SOOOOO slow tonight, I almost forgot what I was doing. The subject line is the first line of the following quote & is very thought provoking ...

"Thoughts mold your features. Thoughts lift your soul heavenward or drag you toward hell. … As nothing reveals character like the company we like and keep, so nothing foretells futurity like the thoughts over which we brood. … To have the approval of your conscience when you are alone with your thoughts is like being in the company of true and loving friends. To merit your own self-respect gives strength to character. Conscience is the link that binds your soul to the spirit of God."

--David O. McKay,, "Developing Character", Ensign, Oct. 2001, 22

I did a double take when I was searching the blog to see if either of these quotes had been used. President David O. McKay served from 1951 to 1970, yet the quote is found in the Ensign of October 2001!!

This next quote is the second quote from this particular article, which would have been a conference talk in April's General Conference. It would be interesting to read the entire article.

"A pebble held close to the eye appears to be a gigantic obstacle. Cast on the ground, it is seen in perspective. Likewise, problems or trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective of scriptural doctrine. Otherwise they can easily overtake our vision, absorb our energy, and deprive us of the joy and beauty the Lord intends us to receive here on earth."

--Richard G. Scott, "Finding Joy in Life", Ensign May 1996

Life events

I'm trying to catch up on my Old Testament reading & so, I requested 2 reading assignments today.

"Closely related to our own obligation to repent is the generosity of letting others do the same...In this we participate in the very essence of the Atonement of Jesus Christ...We don't want God to remember our sins, so there is something fundamentally wrong in our relentlessly trying to remember others' sins...It is one of those ironies of godhood that in order to find peace, the offended as well as the offender must engage the principle of forgiveness."

--Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 82

They were LOONNG quotes today:

"Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do. The Lord inspired Lehi to declare the fundamental truth, "Men are, that they might have joy." That is a conditional statement: "they might have joy." It is not conditional for the Lord. His intent is that each of us finds joy. It will not be conditional for you as you obey the commandments, have faith in the Master, and do the things that are necessary to have joy here on earth."

--Richard G. Scott, "Finding Joy in Life", Ensign, May 1996, 24

I only saved one quote from the first request. This one:

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven"

--Orson F. Whitney, in Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 98