This week I especially appreciated Pres Monson's General Conference talk about his experience of losing his dear wife.
Pres Monson's talk in the RS Session was wonderful!!!"My brothers and sisters, may we have a commitment to our Heavenly Father that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. We should not need to experience difficulties for us to remember Him, and we should not be driven to humility before giving Him our faith and trust.May we ever strive to be close to our Heavenly Father. To do so, we must pray to Him and listen to Him every day. We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain. May His promise ever be our watchword: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
I loved the story of the bread. Although I've never experienced a prompting like this, I hope if I did I would respond as Sherrie did.
"My dear sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.As we seek our Heavenly Father through fervent, sincere prayer and earnest, dedicated scripture study, our testimonies will become strong and deeply rooted. We will know of God’s love for us. We will understand that we do not ever walk alone. I promise you that you will one day stand aside and look at your difficult times, and you will realize that He was always there beside you."
President Thomas S Monson in Oct. Conference of 1993 stated: " Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life's fight, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured and then have overcome.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song.
But the man worth while is one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble
And it always comes with the years
And the smile that is worth the praise of the earth,
Is the smile that shines through tears."
President Faust in Oct. 1982 tells the story: "You remember the story of the 2 buckets that went down in the well. As the first one came up, it said: 'This is surely a cold and dreary world. No matter how many times I come up full, I have to go down empty. Then the other bucket laughed and said:With me it is different. No matter how many times I go down empty, I always come up full.'". (Conference report 1951)
ReplyDeleteLast night we took an investigator to the Gilbert Temple Cultural Celebration. What an inspiring spectacular event. It was pouring rain. Not a gentle rain, but a rain like our monsoon rains. And yet, through out the entire event the youth danced and sang their hearts out to the Lord with smiles that never wavered. They smiled through the entire program. What testimonies they have to believe the words of President Eyring as he blessed them before the event started that they would do their best and the rain would not hinder them.. Watching them you almost could see the fierceness in their eyes that this rain meant nothing to them. The songs were so inspiring. Many of the songs reminded me of my children. The testimonies of these youth were so inspiring as they offered thier performances to the Lord. We were just awestruck the entire celebration. Me a member and she an investigator were truly feed by their spirits and the Spirit of the Lord. Wow doesn't even come close.
ReplyDeleteEdmund Burke said " Difficulty is a severe instructor set over us by the supreme ordinance of a parental Guardian and Legislator, who knows us better than we know ourselves and He loves us better too...He that wrestles with us, strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skills. Our antagonist is our helper.". (Reflections on the Reveloution of France 1909)
ReplyDeleteIn 2008, Oct. Conference, Elder Jeffrey R Holland stated:" When Adam and Eve willingly stepped into mortality, they knew this telestial world contain thorns and thistles and troubles of every kind. Perhaps, their most challenging realization, however was not the hardship and danger they would endure, but the fact that they would now be distanced from God, separated from Him with whom they had walked and talked, who had given them face to face counsel. Amidst all else, that must have troubled them, surely this must have troubled them the most. But God knew the challenges they would face and He certainly knew how lonely and troubled they would sometimes feel. So He watched over His mortal family constantly, heard their prayers always and sent prophets (and later apostles) to teach, counsel and guide them. But in times of special need, He sent angels, divine messengers to bless His children , reassure them that heaven was always very close and that His help was always very near, indeed shortly after Adam and Eve found themselves in the lone and dreary world, an angel appeared unto them, who taught them the meaning of thier sacrifice and the atoning role of the Promised Redeemer wo was to come."
ReplyDeleteElder Holland continued: " From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children. Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen, they are always near. Sometime their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn, but most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times. "
ReplyDeleteElder Holland also stated: " In the course of life, all of us spend time in dark and dreary places, wildernesses, circumstances of sorrow and fear or discouragement. Our present day is filled with global distress over financial crisis, energy problems, terrorist attacks and natural calamities. These translate into family or individual concerns, not only about homes in which we live and food available to eat, but also about the ultimate safety and well being of our children and latter day prophecies about our planet. More serious, than these and sometimes related to them are matters of ethical and moral and spiritual decay seen in populations large and small, at home and abroad. But, I testify that angels are still sent to help us, even as they were sent to help Adam and Eve; to help the prophets, and indeed to help the Savior of the world Himself. Even the Son of God, a God Himself had need for heavenly comfort during His sojourn in mortality. And such ministrations will be to the righteous until the end of time.". Oct. 2008 Conference
ReplyDeleteAs Mormon said to his son, Moroni (who would be an angel one day) 'Have miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear to man? Or has He withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he so long as time shall last or the earth shall stand or there shall be one man upon the face of there of to be saved. Behold I say unto you, Nay for...it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men..."
ReplyDeleteElder Jeffrwy R Holland in his 2008 Conference pleaded:" I ask everyone within the sound of my voice to take heart, to be filled with faith and remember the Lord has said:'I will be on right side and your left side. I will fight your battles Nd your children's battles and your children's children's battles.' DC 98: 37. And what do we do to merit such a defense? We are to search diligently, pray always and be believing. ' Then all things shall work together for your good' , if we walk up rightly and remember the covenant wherewithal we have covenanted, the latter days are not a time of fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and remember our covenants."
ReplyDelete