Sis Reeves said,
"My dear sisters, the Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones—and maybe our own—figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But He does not leave us in the ashes; He stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to Him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where His Spirit can dwell eternally."
I know this to be true in my life and the lives of family members. The Lord promised Joseph Smith "all these things shall be for thy good". And Alma teaches us as he teaches his son Helaman "I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and in their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day".
In Sis Stephens talk we learn how priesthood ordinances and covenants can bring great blessings. She quoted Elder Ballard
“Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, [and] to commune with God.”
President Eyring stated: " The Latter Day Saints are a covenant people. From the day of baptism, through the spiritual milestones of our lives, we make promises with God and He makes promises with us...It is a crucial test of our lives to see if we will make and keep our covenants with Him". (Oct. 1996)
ReplyDeleteI really liked Sis. Stephens talk. Do we really know what we have? Really? President Eyring stated in Oct. 1996," Each of us has made covenants with God. Each of us face challenges unique to us. But each of us shares some common assurances. Our Heavenly Father knows us and our circumstances and even what we faces us in the future. His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, has suffered and paid for our sins and those of all the people we will ever meet. He has perfect understanding of the feelings, the suffering, the trials, and the needs of every individual. Because of that, a way will be prepared for us to keep our covenants, however difficult that may appear, if we go forward in faith."
ReplyDeletePresident Eyring referred to DC 97:8. "Covenants are closely related to the principle of sacrifice. The Lord said that the Saints should 'observe their covenants by sacrifice, yea every sacrifice which I the Lord shall command'. According to this verse, honest broken hearts and contrite spirits are also required of those who enter into covenants with Heavenly Father."
ReplyDeleteElder Nelson in Oct. 2011 Conference stated:"When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us. His law is written in our hearts. He is our God and we are His people. Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast even in the midst of adversity. When that doctrine is deeply implanted in our hearts, even the sting of death is soothed and our spiritual stamina is strengthened."
ReplyDeleteIn the Institute Manual it states: " The covenant with Abraham was also a call to leadership, therefore it has been interpreted to mean that Abraham and his descendents were chosen to conserve in purity and to advance on earth the eternal plan for human salvation. Consequently , the seed of Abraham are often spoken of as the chosen or covenant people." John A Widtsoe 1945
ReplyDeletePresident Ezra Taft Benson in 1988 stated: " faithfulness to the marriage covenant brings the fullest joy here and glorious rewards in the hereafter."
ReplyDeleteF Burton Howard stated:" however, notwithstanding the grandeur and glory of the gift, it is not free. In fact, it is conditional and having been given the gift, it may be withdrawn if we do not keep the conditions of the covenant which accompanied it. We all know that, but sometimes we don't give much thought to what we have to do to receive these blessings. If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it, and protect it. You never abuse it, you don't expose it to the elements. You don't make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special, because you have made it so. It grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by."
ReplyDeleteIn Helaman 5:12, it states: It is upon the Rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation , that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you, to drag you down to he gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is the sure foundation , a foundation whereon, if men build they cannot fail."
ReplyDelete