Trials sanctify us

This quote by Elder Maxwell is thought provoking.

"Rather than simply passing through trials, we must allow trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify us."

--Elder Neil A Maxwell, "Enduring Well", April 1997 Ensign

It sounds like we need to learn from trials, not just endure them & hope we'll make it through them.

"Those who have felt the touch of the Master's hand somehow cannot explain the change which comes into their lives. There is a desire to live better, to serve faithfully, to walk humbly, and to be more like the Savior. Having received their spiritual eyesight and glimpsed the promises of eternity, they echo the words of the blind man to whom Jesus restored sight: 'One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see' (John 9:25)."

--President Thomas S. Monson, "Anxiously Engaged", Ensign, Nov. 2004, 58

Gift of gratitude

Tonight's thought intrigues me. I've never thought of it in quite the light President Monson presents it. I was going to name this entry, "Attitude of gratitude," but it seemed like I had used it before. So, I started looking for it & found it here, clear back in November.

"A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort-at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don't get around to it. Someone has said that "feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

--Thomas S. Monson, "The Divine Gift of Gratitude", Ensign, Nov 2010, 87–90

How many, many times have I done just this?

No man knows my history

This afternoon when I went over to Mother's she was listening to the book, "Praise to the Man" by Gerald N. Lund. It is book #6 of The Work & the Glory series. She wanted to pause the CD because they were  getting ready to kill Joseph Smith & she didn't want to have to listen to that point again. I was interested to see this quote tonight.

"You don't know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it. I don't blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I would not have believed it myself. I never did harm any man since I was born in the world. My voice is always for peace."

--Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Illinois, April 7, 1844, History of the Church, 6:317

This was penned just weeks before the martyrdom. I have heard the phrase, "No man knows my history." But have never seen it in context. Still don't know that this is really in context, but at least it's more than I've seen before. (Unless, of course, I wasn't paying attention in D&C in Seminary either.)

"Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final."

--Thomas S. Monson, "The Will Within," Ensign, May 1987, 67

 This is comforting. And I like "joy of trying again."

Destination

When going on a road trip, there is generally a destination in mind. When plotting life's journey, we should have a destination in mind.

"If we choose the wrong road, we choose the wrong destination."

--Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Be Not Deceived," Ensign, November 2004, 44

Not all roads end up in the same place. President Thomas S. Monson had several choices for employment. He chose to stay in Salt Lake & work for Deseret News & that has made all the difference. Not only in his life, but in the lives of millions of Church members.

The following quote is from Elder Bruce R. McConkie's last conference talk. I remember it. He was so ill & he died just a few days after giving it.

"I am one of [Jesus Christ's] witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God's Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."

--Bruce R. McConkie, "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane," Ensign, May 1985, 9

One of my favorite hymns is I Believe in Christ by Elder McConkie.

I remember meeting Elder McConkie when I worked in the Missionary Dept. He was on the Missionary Executive Committee. I had to run a letter over to the Administration Building for his signature. I expected to just give it to his secretary & she would take it in to him. She told me to go right in, he was waiting for it. OMG! This was a man I greatly admired. I couldn't imagine even being in his presence. I had on a pair of shoes with rubber soles. I remember his carpet being so soft, I tripped walking to his desk.

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.

Fill our days with those things which matter most

I took a break of a few days from making entries to this blog. But Ash Wednesday was yesterday, March 9, & I started reading The Book of Mormon for Lent. I went to Read the Scriptures dot com & set up a schedule to read the BOM in 46 days. That means I have to read approximately 140 verses a night. This is my second day & surprisingly 3 out of the 4 quotes are new.

These first 2 quotes were sent last night, but I was trying to get my spreadsheets & scripture journal set up, so I didn't take the time to make an entry.

"The Lord doesn't expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn't (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can - that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy", Ensign, Nov 2009, 55–58

Work to our full capacity. Somehow, I don't think that means sitting on our butt reading or vegging in front of the computer.

"Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days - as much as we can - with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Finding Joy in the Journey,", Liahona, Nov 2008, 84–87

So, then, the very next quote given me follows President Uchtdorf's counsel. "Fill our days with those things which matter most." Sigh.

Acceptable service

Both of the thoughts tonight are repeats & both are from President Thomas S. Monson. When I read the first thought from President Monson beginning with "Service, to be acceptable …" reminded me of one of Amber Esplin's books, The Long Journey Home. Bridget McKenna's mother is killed in a car accident & she has to leave California for upstate New York to live with her father who is LDS & her sisters. She is thrown into a totally new life & when she hears about fasting, she is horrified. I live by the motto that fasting without prayer is starvation.

So, doesn't it follow that service given without "willing minds, ready hands, and pledged hearts" is slavery?


I thought this thought by President Monson had to be the "doubting Thomas thought." Faith implies a certain trust, even a reliance, upon the word of our Creator. It is, but it isn't. The "doubting Thomas thought" does not include this first line. So, there are two thoughts that are basically the same. This first line makes it more understandable, at least to me. Read the entire thought.

Prayers are heard & answered

Both of tonight's quotes are new. On Sunday mornings I spend my time at church in the library. It smells good, paper, books, pictures; some Sundays there isn't very much to do, like today. Today, I pulled out some issues of the Friend, the children's magazine. There was a house & the house was divided into 4 parts. I wish I could remember it, but one of the things to do was pray every night before you go to bed. Get down on your knees & pray.

"The problems of our day loom ominously before us. Surrounded by the sophistication of modern living, we look heavenward for that unfailing sense of direction, that we might chart and follow a wise and proper course. He whom we call our Heavenly Father will not leave our sincere petition unanswered."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Sailing Safely the Seas of Life", Ensign, July 1999, 2 

Another thing to do was study the scriptures. I've done that quite consistently over the past year. I started reading The Book of Mormon a year ago on Feb. 18. The Book of Mormon was nothing compared to the Old Testament. That has been quite the journey.

"Our Heavenly Father never gives up on us … But we must have the desire to open the door, even if it shakes the very foundation of our past beliefs and way of life … Our Father in Heaven will never take away our agency. We must seek after or desire to know our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."

--Elder Ronald T. Halverson, "I Stand at the Door, and Knock," Ensign, November 2004, 32

And what better way to know our Father & His Son, Jesus Christ, than to read the scriptures.

Wisdom of God

Noah had the unwavering faith to follow God's commandments. Something we need to emulate. When God speaks, we obey, from President Thomas S. Monson here.

President Howard W. Hunter wrote this:

"Because we are being constantly exposed to the world's definition of greatness, it is understandable that we might make comparisons between what we are and what others are - or seem to be - and also between what we have and what others have. Although it is true that making comparisons can be beneficial and may motivate us to accomplish much good and to improve our lives, we often allow unfair and improper comparisons to destroy our happiness when they cause us to feel unfulfilled or inadequate or unsuccessful. Sometimes, because of these feelings, we are led into error and dwell on our failures while ignoring aspects of our lives that may contain elements of true greatness.

"In 1905, President Joseph F. Smith made this most profound statement about true greatness:

" 'Those things which we call extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual may make history, but they do not make real life.

" 'After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman.' (Juvenile Instructor, 15 Dec. 1905, p. 752.)"

--Howard W. Hunter, "What Is True Greatness?" Ensign, Sept. 1987, 70

No other success can compensate for failure in the home …

A friend

There are always clever quotes about friends. I like President Monson's definition of a friend,

"A friend is more concerned about helping people than getting credit. A friend cares. A friend loves. A friend listens. And a friend reaches out."

--President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2001, 50

Elder Halverson's thought, taken from the August 2007 Ensign, was easy to research. There is only this thought, "Obeying the Whisperings of the Holy Ghost," by him. This month Brother Burns, our home teacher, taught that we need to pray for the Holy Ghost to guide us.

Not without Christ

Another late night with a work day tomorrow. I worked until 8 p.m., a 10-plus hour day, today.

The first quote is from President Thomas S. Monson, I call it his "doubting Thomas" thought. Not because he is doubting, but because of the disciple in the New Testament named Thomas that doubted & the quote begins with the phrase, "If you should have doubting thoughts …"

The next quote, from Elder Dallin H. Oaks,

"Man unquestionably has impressive powers... But after all our obedience and good works, we cannot be saved from the effects of our sins without the grace extended by the atonement of Jesus Christ... Man cannot earn his own salvation."

--Dallin H. Oaks, "What Think Ye of Christ?", Ensign, November 1988

follows President Monson's thought.

Now we see

decisions determine destiny. Oh, so true, but how do we know? We don't, we need to trust in the Lord in all our doings. President Monson gave the following advice at a fireside in 2005 to young adults.

"Now we see coming into focus the responsibility to choose, that inevitable crisis at the crossroads of life. He who would lead you down waits patiently for a dark night, a wavering will, a confused conscience, a mixed-up mind. Are you prepared to make the decisions at the crossroads? I can't stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can't make eternal decisions without eternal consequences."

--President Thomas S. Monson, "CES Fireside for Young Adults", November 6, 2005

And

"We turn with hope...to Him who walked the dusty paths of villages we now reverently call the Holy Land, to Him who caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the dead to live. To Him who tenderly and lovingly assured us, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life'(John 14:6)."

--The New Era, April 1991

 Yet, we need to live the commandments, say our prayers & live so that we can have the Lord's guidance at our crossroads.

Lehi's Dream

Both of the quotes tonight are repeats, yet tonight they reminded me of Lehi's dream of the tree of life. President Monson says the road signs of life entice every traveler & he counsels to pause at the crossroads. Tonight I thought of holding to the iron rod when I read this. Pause at the crossroads long enough to know the way you are taking is not letting go of the iron rod.

The first time I read Elder Wirthlin's thought about teaching our children only if we know where they are, made me think of my children when they were younger, wanting to know where they were. Tonight the last sentence in the quote about not leaving the teaching of their children to chance reminded me we need to make sure our children recognize the Holy Ghost, the hand of the Lord 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

An outpouring of blessings

Looks like tonight's post will be short & sweet as we have a repeat by President Monson here, & a very short quote from Sister Beck:

"All faithful members of the Lord's Church are equally blessed by priesthood ordinances."

--Julie B. Beck, "An Outpouring of Blessings," Ensign, May 2006, 11

President Monson's quote is about filling our days with what matters most.

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.

The time is now

Tonight's quote from Elder Marvin J. Ashton is a repeat. I prayed incoherently during Nick & Don's argument. It escalated, as it frequently does. Then I read Elder Ashton's words & it was like an answer to that incoherent prayer, "We need to constantly remind ourselves eternity is in process now." This next quote is also a repeat,

"Remember, tomorrow is connected with today, and what we do with today determines the tomorrow."

--Marvin J. Ashton, "The Time Is Now", Ensign, May 1975, 85

Both quotes are from the same talk, "The Time is Now." I prayed that I know we can't have HIS spirit if we have contention in our home. Our home is very contentious. As President David O. McKay said, "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." I feel like we have failed.

The next quote is from President Monson.

"Noah had the unwavering faith to follow God's commandments. May we ever do likewise. May we remember that the wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men; but the greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right."

--Thomas S. Monson, "They Marked the Path to Follow", Ensign, Oct 2007, 4–9

No temptation, no pressure

Both of the quotes tonight are repeats. President Tanner's quote wasn't hard to find, it's the only one on the whole blog by him. "One of God's greatest gifts to man is freedom of choice," found here.

President Monson's name is the largest in the cloud, must be because there are more quotes by him than any one else. It also addresses choice & can be found here. "If we make the wrong choice, we have no one to blame but ourselves."

Doubting thoughts

It's been as few days since I've read scriptures or updated any of my blogs. The computer's been down, I've not been feeling well …

"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 for Young Adults January 11, 2009

I like the idea of talking to my thoughts, I do that quite well, thank you. The next one is pretty thought provoking too.

"Do not ever disturb prelude music for others, for reverence is essential to revelation"

--President Boyd K. Packer; Ensign, November 1994, page 61.

Rewarding

Rewarding is defined as "Offering or likely to offer satisfaction or gratification."

"One who practices pure religion soon discovers it is more rewarding to lift a man up than to hold him down."

--Marvin J. Ashton, "Pure Religion", Ensign, Nov. 1982, 63

 And the next one

"Needed are...[souls] filled with compassion, that we might communicate not only eye to eye, or voice to ear, but in the majestic style of the Savior, even heart to heart."

--President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, November 1994, page 70.