Managing information

Since the church was restored in the early 1800s, there has been an information explosion. President Faust says,

"We are bombarded on all sides by a vast number of messages we don't want or need. More information is generated in a single day than we can absorb in a lifetime. To fully enjoy life, all of us must find our own breathing space and peace of mind. How can we do this? There is only one answer. We must rise above the evil that encroaches upon us. We must follow the counsel of the Lord, who said, 'It is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places'

--James E. Faust, "Standing in Holy Places," Ensign, May 2005, 62

We must find our own breathing space & peace of mind. I like that.

More Faust quotes

This one is from March 23, 2010, from readthescriptures dot com

"Almost every day brings opportunities to perform unselfish acts for others. Such acts are unlimited and can be as simple as a kind word, a helping hand, or a gracious smile."

~ President James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 2002, 21-22

Another President Faust thought from March 24, 2010

"May we all be faithful in doing the day to day ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to and qualify us for great things."

~ James E. Faust, "Some Great Thing", Ensign, Nov. 2001, 46

Willlingness & ability

One of my favorite scriptures is where Nephi says in 1 Nephi 2:7 "I will go & do the things which the Lord hath commanded, …" President James E. Faust says,

"It is important that you have oil in your lamps so that when you say to the Lord, "Here am I; send me," you are prepared and qualified to be sent. We are all heaven sent, but what we are able to accomplish in the Lord's work depends to a large extent on our willingness and ability."

--James E. Faust, "You Are All Heaven Sent", Ensign, Nov. 2002, 110

 President Faust says in another conference address,

"We must keep our faith simple and our worship pure. Religion is more than a ritual; it is righteousness."

--President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 1999, 18

Religion is more than a ritual sounds nice, but just as the Pharisees and Sadducees, powerful & rival sects during the time between the Old & New Testament, had their rituals; so does the latter day church. White shirts & ties must be worn to officiate in the Sacrament; flip flops & denim cannot be worn in the church. Women MUST wear dresses or skirts.

The cost of discipleshlip

Everything in life has a cost, so what is the cost of discipleshlip? President James E. Faust talked about this in General Conference in 1999

"What is the cost of discipleship? It is primarily obedience. It is the forsaking of many things. But since everything in life has a price, it is a price worth paying, considering that the great promise of the Savior is for peace in this life and eternal life in the life to come. It is a price we cannot afford not to pay."

─ James E. Faust, "The Price of Discipleship", Ensign, April 1999, 2

President Ezra Taft Benson's thought goes almost hand in hand with this thought. There's not much of a stretch

"Some men are willing to die for their faith but will not fully live for it. Christ both lived and died for us. By walking in his steps and through his atonement we can gain the greatest gift of all ─ eternal life ─ which is that kind of life of the great Eternal One, our Father in heaven."

─ Ezra Taft Benson, "Jesus Christ - Gifts and Expectations," BYU Devotional 10 December 1974

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.

Be an example

I thought only two of the six quotes were repeats, but as I tried to think of a subject for this post, I decided I would use "Ideals are stars to steer by." I was surprised to see it pop up, meaning I had used it somewhere as a subject. I went looking for it once again. I had looked for Smith in the labels, but when I used it the first time, I used Barbara Smith. I'm sure I thought there are plenty of Smiths already. Anyway, it has been used once before here.

Elder Faust spoke about seeking to overcome selfishness in his talk, "A Pattern of Love" here. This time I read it as trying to practice charity. And President Lee's thoughts on trying to help others is so true.

"You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is. You must be sure, if you would rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would have him be. You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul."

--Harold B. Lee, "Stand Ye in Holy Places", Ensign, July 1973, 121

You cannot teach something unless you believe it yourself, but you can have faith:

"Faith implies a certain trust, even a reliance, upon the word of our Creator. If you should have doubting thoughts, remember the counsel given by President Stephen L. Richards, a former counselor in the First Presidency, who declared: "Just say to those skeptical, disturbing, rebellious thoughts, 'I propose to stay with my faith, with the faith of my people. I know that happiness and contentment are there and I forbid you, agnostic, doubting thoughts, to destroy the house of my faith. I acknowledge that I do not understand the processes of creation, but I accept the fact of it. I grant that I cannot explain the miracles of the Bible, and I do not attempt to do so, but I accept God's word. I wasn't with Joseph, but I believe him. My faith did not come to me through science and I will not permit science to destroy it."

--President Thomas S. Monson, "Great Expectations", CES Fireside January 2009

Prayer

I requested two reading assignments yesterday & one today. Out of six quotes, only 2 were repeats, both by Elder James E. Faust. Six quotes would make a LONG entry & so I will make two entries.

Elder Faust says "No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. …

And then Elder Wirthlin asks,

"Will prayers that do not demand much of your thought merit much attention from our Heavenly Father? When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and think. Meditate for a while on the things for which you really are grateful. Look for them. They don't have to be grand or glorious. Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one's voice. Thinking of things we are grateful for is a healing balm. It helps us get outside ourselves. It changes our focus from our pains and our trials to the abundance of this beautiful world we live in."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Improving Our Prayers," Liahona, Aug. 2004, 18

What cool advice … express our gratitude for the small & simple things …

Willingly follow Christ

Today's quotes seem to center on families, parenting. It reminded me of an entry from my cousin Loraine's blog as she recounted her busy January, a new grandchild, her mother's cancer surgery, her in-laws' health problems & taking them to a grandson's mission farewell.

But the season of my life is to take care of family members. All this other will get done in its own due time.

President's Faust quote fits so perfectly:

"No matter what circumstances you sisters experience, your influence can be marvelously far-reaching. I believe some of you have a tendency to underestimate your profound capacity for blessing the lives of others. More often than not, it is not on the stage with some public pronouncement but in your example of righteousness and the countless gentle acts of love and kindness done so willingly, so often on a one-to-one basis."

--James E. Faust, "You Are All Heaven Sent," Ensign, Nov. 2002, 110

"… countless gentle acts of love and kindness …" shows she is willingly following Christ as President Kimball exhorts us.

"Follow me," the Savior said. And we realize that to follow him is not impossible. The miles which he traveled, each of us can travel, for he took them one step at a time, one journey at a time. You could walk from Jerusalem to Nazareth. You could walk to the Sea of Galilee from Nazareth. You could follow Joseph and Mary and Jesus to Egypt. You could walk to the Mount of Transfiguration and back and forth from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Bethany, the River Jordan. All these, you could do. But this is not the kind of following that he expected. He meant for us to follow his teachings and his example. Anyone with normal health can walk those miles and climb those hills and ford those streams. But it is quite another thing to be "even as I am," (3 Ne. 27:27) as he said to the Nephites."

--Spencer W. Kimball, "A Gift of Gratitude", Tambuli, Dec 1977, 1

One of last night's quotes is a repeat from Bishop H. Burke Peterson quoting President McKay & speaking of mothers here.

"As parenting declines, the need for policing increases. There will always be a shortage of police if there is a shortage of effective parents! Likewise, there will not be enough prisons if there are not enough good homes."

--Neal A. Maxwell, "Take Especial Care of Your Family," Ensign, May 1994, 88

The heartbreak of parents as their children end up in jail, wondering, "Where did I go wrong?" We have been sheltered in Cache Valley. It has been so idyllic with the rural values of the LDS community, yet the world infiltrates us even here. As Dumbledore said:

"It takes much bravery to stand up to our enemies but we need as much bravery to stand up to our friends."

— J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)  

Enduring to the end

Last night I waited until after midnight to do my scripture reading & remember, the internet turns into a pumpkin at midnight, so I just copied last night's quotes into a Notepad document & thought I'd make an entry tonight. Gotta hurry, only have 8 minutes left.

Tonight's More Reading quote is the same as last night's Complete Reading! So, I checked to make sure it hadn't been repeated before & it hasn't.

"I know that God loves us. He allows us to exercise our moral agency even when we misuse it. He permits us to make our own decisions. Christ cannot help us if we do not trust Him; He cannot teach us if we do not serve Him. He will not force us to do what's right, but He will show us the way only when we decide to serve Him. Certainly, for us to serve in His kingdom, Christ requires that we experience a change of thought and attitude."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Looking Back and Moving Forward", Ensign, May 2008, 87–90

Last night's quote from President Uchtdorf was taken from Have We Not Reason to Rejoice? An earlier quote was taken from the same talk.

"Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our life, is a fundamental requirement for salvation in the kingdom of God … Therefore, enduring to the end is not just a matter of passively tolerating life's difficult circumstances or "hanging in there." Ours is an active religion, helping God's children along the strait and narrow path to develop their full potential during this life and return to Him one day... Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise. It is accomplished through personal discipline following the commandments of God."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?", Ensign, Nov 2007, 18–21

And the final quote is by President Faust,

"Almost every day brings opportunities to perform unselfish acts for others. Such acts are unlimited and can be as simple as a kind word, a helping hand, or a gracious smile."

--President James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 2002, 21-22

And sometimes that gracious smile is hard to scrape up.

Christ was a great example

Man, this site is slow tonight. It was after midnight before I got to my reading. Now, I'm a day behind. I thought these quotes were worth saving. I really like the first one.

"Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn't just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "You Are My Hands", Ensign, May 2010, 68–70, 75

and

"I testify of the refining, spiritual, comforting, strengthening, and restraining influence the priesthood has had in my life. I have lived under its spiritual influence all my life — in my grandfather's home, in my father's home, and then in my own home. It is humbling to use the transcending power and authority of the priesthood to empower others and to heal and bless."

--James E. Faust, "A Royal Priesthood," Ensign, May 2006, 53

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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

Faith, hope & charity

One of the quotes tonight was a repeat from President James E. Faust. It can be found here. He talks about obedience. The next one talks about the three virtues, faith, hope & charity.

"Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time... Hope in our Heavenly Father's merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet; it is the foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope", Ensign, Nov 2008, 21–24

A three-legged milking stool is an example we used in the mission field to a testimony. The three legs were reading the scriptures, attending church & prayer.

Home should be a haven

Tonight's quotes are both from President James E. Faust. The first one is here. It talks about doing the ordinary day to day things. The next one talks about modern communication.

"Without question, we need to be informed of the happenings of the world. But modern communication brings into our homes a drowning cascade of the violence and misery of the worldwide human race. There comes a time when we need to find some peaceful spiritual renewal. "I acknowledge with great gratitude the peace and contentment we can find for ourselves in the spiritual cocoons of our homes, our sacrament meetings, and our holy temples. In these peaceful environments, our souls are rested. We have the feeling of having come home."

--James E. Faust, "Gratitude As a Saving Principle," Ensign, May 1990, 86

Cell phones can be a blessing & a curse. We have a landline, which we never use. Main reason, I guess, is there is no caller ID & we have become spoiled. We want to see who we will be talking to before we answer the phone. Cell phones are constantly with us, if we want them to be. I carry a cell phone mostly to keep in touch with my family. Calls come in when you are on the toilet, in the midst of dinner, a meeting, a conversation, driving down the road.

We are in the middle of a foreclosure. I need to send stuff, I need to talk to people, Don's paycheck is being garnished, yet I also need to take care of my mother, my son, myself. I feel like I'm drowning. Like I have no place to turn. So, I mindlessly play games, I read my scriptures, I read other books & spin my wheels.

Think of others

This first quote reminds me of counsel my mission president often gave me to have a gracious heart.

"At the heart of the message of the Savior of the world is a single, glorious, wonderful, still largely untried concept. In its simplest terms the message is that we should seek to overcome the selfishness we all seem to be born with, that we should overcome human nature and think of others before self."

--James E. Faust, "A Pattern of Love," Ensign, Dec. 1999, 2

And I try, I truly do try. But I find it hard when others don't.

"If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel."

--M. Russell Ballard, "The Atonement and the Value of One Soul," Ensign, May 2004, 86

 But how? I wish I knew.

To be strengthened

Tonight's quotes are both good ones to ponder. The first one, talks about prayer

"No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place."

--James E. Faust, "The Lifeline of Prayer," Ensign, May 2002, 59

I have a hard time with this sometimes. I feel like I pray too much, then other times, I feel like, "What am I bothering the Lord for?" & don't pray enough.

The next one is a good one also,

"If you sometimes get discouraged, consider this fellow. He dropped out of grade school. Ran a country store. Went broke. Took 15 years to pay off his bills. Took a wife. Unhappy marriage. Ran for House. Lost twice. Ran for Senate. Lost twice. Delivered speech that became a classic. Audience indifferent. Attacked daily by the press and despised by half the country. Despite all this, imagine how many people all over the world have been inspired by this awkward, rumpled, brooding man who signed his name simply, A. Lincoln." (Wall Street Journal.) 'It is important to know, when you feel down, that many others do also and that their circumstances are generally much worse than yours. And it's important to know that when one of us is down, it becomes the obligation of his friends to give him a lift. I hope that each of us will cultivate a sensitivity toward the feelings of others, and when encouragement is needed, make an effort to extend it. Be a friend, and you will have a friend. God be thanked for wonderful friends.'

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "Strengthening Each Other," Ensign, Feb. 1985, 3

Guard against the adversary

Today's quotes:

"The way for each person and each family to guard against the slings and arrows of the Adversary and to prepare for the great day of the Lord is to hold fast to the iron rod, to exercise greater faith, to repent of our sins and shortcomings, and to be anxiously engaged in the work of His kingdom on earth, which is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

--Spencer W. Kimball, "The Lord Expects Righteousness", Ensign, Nov 1982, 4

And another one:

"There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless."

--James E. Faust, "The Refiner's Fire," Ensign, May 1979, 53

Daily fervent prayers

Here's a new Staheli quote:

"Daily fervent prayers seeking forgiveness and special help and direction are essential to our lives and the nourishment of our testimonies. When we become hurried, repetitive, casual, or forgetful in our prayers, we tend to lose the closeness of the Spirit, which is so essential in the continual direction we need to successfully manage the challenges of our everyday lives. Family prayer every morning and night adds additional blessings and power to our individual prayers and to our testimonies."

--Donald L. Staheli, "Securing Our Testimonies," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 39

And a Faust quote:

"In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that lifts and blesses. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues from grace to grace."

--James E. Faust, "A Personal Relationship with the Savior", Ensign, November 1976, p. 59.

Choose the right way

More quotes,

"We are not born into this world with fixed habits. Neither do we inherit a noble character. Instead, as children of God, we are given the privilege and opportunity of choosing which way of life we will follow—which habits we will form. Confucius said that the nature of men is always the same. It is their habits that separate them. Good habits are not acquired simply by making good resolves, though the thought must precede the action. Good habits are developed in the workshop of our daily lives. It is not in the great moments of test and trial that character is built. That is only when it is displayed. The habits that direct our lives and form our character are fashioned in the often uneventful, commonplace routine of life. They are acquired by practice."

--Delbert L. Stapley, "Good Habits Develop Good Character", Ensign, Nov. 1974, 20

And another one:

"Just as order gave life and beauty to the earth when it was dark and void, so it does to us. Obedience helps us develop the full potential Heavenly Father desires for us in becoming celestial beings worthy some day to live in His presence."

--James E. Faust, "Obedience: The Path to Freedom", May 1999 Ensign

Forgiveness

This is a good quote:

"Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves."

--James E Faust, "The Healing Power of Forgiveness", May 2007 Ensign

and another

"The truth is that our only safety, our only security, our only hope is to hold fast to that which is good. As the mists of darkness gather around us, we are only lost if we choose to let go of the iron rod, which is the word of God."

--David S. Baxter, "Faith, Service, Constancy", Liahona, November 2006, 13–15

By our actions

Tonight's quotes are:

"Ours is the responsibility to show our gratitude by the actions of our lives."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Gifts", Ensign, May 1993, 59

and another:

"We should not allow our personal values to erode, even if others think we are peculiar. "

--President James E. Faust Ensign, May 1998, 19

When my cousin, Floyd Monson, died, his nephew Paul spoke in his funeral. He said people considered his uncle Floyd as odd. He said he preferred to think of Floyd as peculiar & quoted a scripture about the Lord's people being peculiar.