Trials & testing of life

Elder Richard G. Scott is quoted tonight. In looking for his quotes, I found one that I needed to have repeated again.

Nick is obsessing over a car. It seems like it is the only thing our lives have revolved around since he started obsessing. Not only that, the foreclosure is still hanging over our heads. But Elder Scott says:

"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. …"

Events in life.  Men are that they might have joy … okay. That must take a talent I don't have. To see them as EVENTS in life, not life itself.

"Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life. Your faith can guide you to those correct choices."

--Elder Richard G. Scott, Ensign, May 2003, 77

Now he's counseling to not only have faith, but use it to guide you to those correct choices. 

Motherhood

Tonight's thoughts are about the family. Yet, not every woman will be a mother & not every person shall marry. I remember in my 20s, as an unmarried woman & all my friends were marrying, or it seemed like all my friends were marrying, how I would ache when I heard the conference talks about marriage & motherhood. I felt like I was unworthy, yet I did not want to marry, just to marry. I knew that if I weren't happy in, & of myself, someone else couldn't make me happy.

"How sweet is the assurance, how comforting is the peace that come from the knowledge that if we marry right and live right, our relationship will continue, notwithstanding the certainty of death and the passage of time. Men may write love songs and sing them. They may yearn and hope and dream. But all of this will be only a romantic longing unless there is an exercise of authority that transcends the powers of time and death."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Marriage That Endures", Ensign, Jul 2003, 2–7

I know I married right, but living right? I guess all we can do is strive to live the commandments - line upon line, precept upon precept.

"Motherhood is not what was left over after our Father blessed His sons with priesthood ordination. It was the most ennobling endowment He could give His daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. declared, motherhood is "as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself."

--Sheri L. Dew, "Are We Not All Mothers?", Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Then after we were married & couldn't have children, I cried over that. A friend told me it was easier to have them than to raise them. I did not believe her, but I do now. And I've used that line with others, too.

Live in the present

I've decided not to worry about quotes that are repeated, unless the quote strikes me as something I needed to read & ponder again.

"Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present."

--President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2003, 22

Such succinct advise. Prepare for the future, don't cower, waiting for the worst to happen. Prepare! And one way we can prepare is through education. In Mormon Doctrine, page 14, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said,

"Education is gained primarily from the Spirit of the Lord by revelation and secondarily by study, research, and investigation."

Study, research & investigation. Works for other things besides religious education also. I was so pleased when I was taking the medical transcription course at Bridgerland. I'd study, but I'd pray & ask for the Lord's help, especially before tests. I consistently scored in the high 90s.

An ensign to the nations

Isaiah talks about lifting up an ensign to the nations. Reading about the ensign (en-sine) reminded me of Captain Moroni & the Title of Liberty. Here President Hinckley admonishes:

"If we are to hold up this Church as an ensign to the nations and a light to the world, we must take on more of the luster of the life of Christ."

--President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 2003, 84 

Elder Marvin J. Ashton tells us, "As children of God we are somebody. …"

The fire of your testimony

I like the sound of "fire of your testimony." I also like we have two new quotes, especially after last night having two repeats.

"Keep the fire of your testimony of the restored gospel and your witness of our Redeemer burning so brightly that our children can warm their hands by the fire of your faith."

--President Boyd K. Packer Ensign, May 2003, 84

And the next one about helps to give us courage.

"We have great helps to give us courage in this life. The greatest is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of what He did, sins can be washed away in the waters of baptism. We can renew that blessing when we partake of the sacrament in faith and with a repentant heart."

--Henry B. Eyring, "Moral Courage", Liahona, Mar 2010, 4–7

We can certainly use all the help we can get to give us courage.

Our task is to become our best selves

Again tonight, as I searched for the quote, I kept thinking about it. "Our task is to become our best selves …" & I'm thinking, "Oh, ya? And how am I going to do that?" I found it was a repeat. Since we haven't even had a quote by Samuelson, that was an easy one to research.

"We may have much that worries us, and we may find many reasons to be concerned. Yet, as President Spencer W. Kimball observed, peace and the Savior's doctrine of forgiveness are inseparably connected: The essence of forgiveness is that it brings peace to the previously anxious, restless, frustrated, perhaps tormented soul."

--Cecil O. Samuelson Jr., "Words of Jesus: Forgiveness", Ensign, Feb. 2003, 48

The italics are mine … anxious, restless, frustrated, perhaps tormented soul. Forgiveness? How can you forgive when you are still being tormented by a family member? Or become your best self, when you are frustrated & near tears all the time?

I just found the alt key code for an ellipsis ( … ) : alt + 0133

School Thy Feelings

This should be dated December 23, but it's after midnight, so it won't be.

The first quote tonight is a repeat from Elder Boyd K. Packer's thought from The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected.

The one by President Monson reminds me of Hymn 336, School Thy Feelings. Of course, the title of his talk is the first line of the hymn.

"We've all felt anger. It can come when things don't turn out the way we want. It might be a reaction to something which is said of us or to us. We may experience it when people don't behave the way we want them to behave. Perhaps it comes when we have to wait for something longer than we expected. We might feel angry when others can't see things from our perspective. There seem to be countless possible reasons for anger….If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry."

--Thomas S. Monson, "School Thy Feelings, O My Brother", Ensign, Nov 2009, 62, 67–69

Anger is a secondary emotion. It is always caused by something first.

Hold to the rod

the iron rod;
Tis strong, and bright, and true.
The iron rod is the word of God;
'Twill safely guide us through.

Hymn 274

The first quote tonight reminded me of this hymn. This is the chorus, which will now be running through my head. It will have to compete with Jeanette Isabella though. Today, Nick thought I was trying to sing, LOL.

"Because of Christ there is hope smiling brightly before you, and you need not worry too much about sickness, death, poverty, or other afflictions. The Lord will take care of you. Your responsibility is to keep the commandments, feast upon the words of Christ, and stay in the path to your heavenly home."

--Julie B. Beck, "There Is Hope Smiling Brightly before Us", Ensign, May 2003, 103

the next one is one is good advice. He is a cardiothoracic surgeon & I love the line, "proper diagnosis ..."

"We should not be discouraged or depressed by our shortcomings. No one is without weakness. As part of the divine plan, we are tested to see whether we master weakness or let weakness master us. Proper diagnosis is essential to proper treatment. The Lord gave us this remarkable assurance: “Because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong” (Ether 12:37). But wishing for strength won’t make us strong. It takes faith and work to shore up a weakened cord of integrity."

--Russell M. Nelson, "Integrity of Heart", Ensign, Aug. 1995, 19

Someday ...

I could easily have named this entry "Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome," but I didn't

"There is a danger in the word someday when what it means is “not this day.”...The scriptures make the danger of delay clear. It is that we may discover that we have run out of time. The God who gives us each day as a treasure will require an accounting. We will weep, and He will weep, if we have intended to repent and to serve Him in tomorrows which never came or have dreamt of yesterdays where the opportunity to act was past. This day is a precious gift of God. The thought “Someday I will” can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity."

--Henry B. Eyring, "This Day", Ensign, May 2007, 89–91

If we delay or procrastinate, we get what we get, not what we necessarily wanted.

"The axiom 'You get what you pay for' is true for spiritual rewards as well. You get what you pay for in obedience, in faith in Jesus Christ, in diligent application of the truths that you learn."

--Richard G. Scott, "The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing", Ensign, May 2003, 75

Do it now.

The standard of truth

I enjoyed this quote by President Packer:

"You always hold the key of repentance to unlock the prison door. If they throw the word diversity at you, grab hold of it and say, "I am already diverse, and I intend to stay diverse." If the word is tolerance, grab that one, too, saying, "I expect you to be tolerant of my lifestyle—obedience, integrity, abstinence, repentance." If the word is choice, tell them you choose good, old-fashioned morality."

--Boyd K. Packer, "The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected", Liahona Nov 2003, 24–27

And this one by Elder Holland:

"God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face."

--Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels", Ensign, Nov 2008, 29–31

Both of these quotes leave me wanting to read the talks they came out of, especially Elder Holland's.

Today is the day ...

not tomorrow. It can be very easy to get caught in the daily procrastination of the Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome or I'll think about it tomorrow.

While there is nothing you can do now about yesterday, and tomorrow is always one day into the future, you have full control over today. From CollegeGrad.com

I like Elder Wirthlin's choices.

"Tomorrow's joy or tomorrow's despair has its roots in decisions we make today. Perhaps some people think to themselves: 'I know I need to change some things in my life. Maybe later, but not now.' Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land. Today is the day of decision."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Three Choices," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 78

And another telling us to make daily efforts to strive to be more like God.

"We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the road to perfection, we must not give up hope."

--Ezra Taft Benson, "A Mighty Change of Heart," Ensign, Oct. 1989, 2