Whatever God requires

Tonight I was scrolling through the entries trying to find if tonight's quotes were repeats & discovered I have a couple of comments. I was surprised. I haven't had any comments yet & I wasn't notified of them. It seems I had neglected to plan for them. But I remedied that & now have it set up to notify me so I'm not ignoring my visitors.

It seems on March 11, I made a comment in answer to this quote by President Uchtdorf

"… 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."

(Emphasis is mine) I said, "Somehow I don't think that means sitting on our butt reading."

My friend Linda Weaver Clarke said, "I'm not sure about that. We just need to pace ourselves."

I am a voracious reader. I have a terrible time pacing myself. I am always reading 2-3 books at a time. Right now I think I have 6 going. The main book is The Book of Mormon, which I read every night before I go to bed. I can sit up until 3-4 in the morning reading, because I've lost track of time.

Thanks for the insight, Linda. I really do need to pace myself.

There was one new quote tonight,

"... Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire. If we seek first the kingdom of God, all good things will be added"

--Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 255-56

Forgiving

Our home teachers came today. The lesson they taught was The First Presidency Message from the March 2011 Ensign, "Looking For the Good" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. How people can see things different ways. You find what you are looking for. Many people in the mob that killed the Prophet Joseph & his brother Hyrum were disenfranchised members of the Church.

Elder Hanks, in the January 1974 Ensign article, "Forgiveness is the Ultimate Form of Love," said:

"What is our response when we are offended, misunderstood, unfairly or unkindly treated, or sinned against,  …"

The complete quote is here. He says that it is required of us to forgive.

The next quote is "like unto it." (Couldn't resist that little phrase.)

"Only when we fix our gaze on the heavenly things do we begin to understand the eternities. Only with the help of Christ can we fully overcome tragedy. It is necessary to develop our faith in Him as the Redeemer of the world. He taught us: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

--Carlos H. Amado, "Overcoming Adversity", Ensign, Nov. 1989, 29

And the way to overcome tragedy is by forgiving & accept Christ as the Redeemer of our world.

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.

Hope revisited

As soon as I read President Uchtdorf's quote that begins, "Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, …" I knew we'd had it before. I remembered writing about the analogy we used in the mission field of a testimony being like a three-legged stool here.

President Hinckley's advice given in this talk titled "The Women in Our Lives" is definitely good advice, but hard to follow.

"If every husband and every wife would constantly do whatever might be possible to ensure the comfort and happiness of his or her companion, there would be very little, if any, divorce. Argument would never be heard. Accusations would never be leveled. Angry explosions would not occur. Rather, love and concern would replace abuse and meanness."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, The Women in Our Lives, Ensign, Nov. 2004, 82

Teaching in the home

President Uchtdorf tells us enduring to the end is a never ending process here.

The other quote is from April 2010

"The vital importance of teaching truth in the home is fundamental. The Church is important, but it is in the home where parents provide the required understanding and direction for children. It is truly said that the most important callings in time and eternity are those of father and mother. In time we will be released from all other assignments we receive but not from that of father and mother."

--Elder Richard G. Scott, "He Lives! All Glory to His Name!", April 2010 General Conference

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.

We have to forego some things

The internet was so slow last night, I finally just gave up. So, tonight I have FOUR quotes!!!

The first one from last night was about choice, forgoing some things for others.

"We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

--Dallin H. Oaks, "Good, Better, Best", Ensign, Nov 2007, 104–8

The second one last night was by President David O. McKay, "Thoughts mold your features" found here.

A quote by Elder Maxwell found here, is about people who live without God in their world are unable to find lasting happiness.

And the last one is by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf,

"Commandments and covenants of God are like navigational instructions from celestial heights and will lead us safely to our eternal destination. It is one of beauty and glory beyond understanding. It is worth the effort. It is worth making decisive corrections now and then staying on course."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees", Ensign, May 2008, 57–60

Prayer brings a calming peace

How many times have we heard about enduring to the end? I remember Bishop (Dr.) Beckstead asked Mother to give a talk on enduring to the end. He told her he thought she was an excellent example of enduring to the end.

"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."

--Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?", October 2007 General Conference

Yet some people have such a hard time just enduring day to day.

"Gratitude expressed to our Heavenly Father in prayer for what we have brings a calming peace — a peace which allows us to not canker our souls for what we don't have. Gratitude brings a peace that helps us overcome the pain of adversity and failure. Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future. A recognition of and appreciation for our gifts and talents which have been given also allows us to acknowledge the need for help and assistance from the gifts and talents possessed by others."

--Robert D. Hales, "Gratitude for the Goodness of God", Ensign, May 1992, 63

We need to have an attitude of gratitude & enumerating our blessings every day in prayer & thanking the Lord is one way to bring peace to our souls.

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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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.

Multitasking

Multitasking seems to be the "in" thing. But I have a hard time chewing gum & walking at the same time, LOL. So, this thought from Volume 4 of Thoughts for 100 Days gives me hope.

"Any task in life is easier if we approach it with the one at a time attitude. ... To cite a whimsical saying; 'If you chase two rabbits, both of them will escape.' No one is adequate to do everything all at once. We have to select what is important, what is possible, and begin where we are, with what we have. And if we begin and if we keep going the weight, the worry, the doubt, the depression will begin to lift .... We can't do everything always, but we can do something now, and doing something will help to lift the weight and lessen the worry, 'The beginning,' said Plato, 'is the most important part.'"

--Richard L. Evans, Thoughts for One Hundred Days, vol. 4, pp. 89-90

And even though President Uchtdorf's thought may take a little different direction,but being "perfect" members of the Church also requires "multitasking."

"There may be times when we feel overwhelmed, hurt, or on the edge of discouragement as we are trying so hard to be perfect members of the Church. Be assured, there is balm in Gilead. Let us listen to the prophets of our day as they help us to focus on the things that are central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The Lord knows us, He loves us, He wants us to succeed, and He encourages us by saying: "And see that all … things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that men or women should run faster than they have strength."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf,, "Heeding the Voice of the Prophets", Liahona, Jul 2008, 2–5

Gratitude for God's gift

I thought I had added this one by President Uchtdorf, but I've checked all 3 blogs & can't find it. Maybe it's on the scripture journal. I put some there one night when I was too lazy to figure out how to open a blog. I usually have 6 tabs open when I'm reading the scriptures & if I leave a blog open, it makes for another open tab.

"Our willingness to repent shows our gratitude for God's gift and for the Savior's love and sacrifice on our behalf. Commandments and priesthood covenants provide a test of faith, obedience, and love for God and Jesus Christ, but even more importantly, they offer an opportunity to experience love from God and to receive a full measure of joy both in this life and in the life to come."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees", Ensign, May 2008, 57–60

This sounds like the plot of "Final Farewell" by Patricia Wiles. It is out of print, but I'd sure like to read it.

"When the time comes for you to sacrifice for that which you believe, will you have the faith to make that sacrifice? Will you commit to do anything the Lord asks, even if it means putting aside a lifelong goal?"

--The New Era, November 1989, pages 4-6.