Turn Your Life Over to God

Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. 
He will:

• deepen your joys
• expand your vision
• quicken your minds
• strengthen your muscles
• lift your spirits
• multiply your blessings 
• increase your opportunities
• comfort your souls
• raise up friends
• and pour out peace.

Whosoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.

~Ezra Taft Benson,
The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson (1988) p 361.

Are We Easily Guided?

When it comes to setting goals, this world champion isn't horsing around.

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Lesson Recap: Divine Destiny and Exaltation

We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

• Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
• Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
• Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
• Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
• Delight in service and good works.
• Love life and learning.
• Stand for truth and righteousness.
• Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
• Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation. 

Jill Fairchild taught: You and I have the God-given gift to choose the direction we go...We have been provided divine attributes to guide our destiny. We entered mortality not to float with the moving currents of life, but with the power to think, to reason, and to achieve.

President Monson encourages us:
1. Visualize your objective.
2. Make continuous effort.
3. Do not detour from our determined course.
4. To gain the prize, we must be willing to pay the price.

Remember that the ultimate price was paid by Jesus Christ and He will help us.

A young piano student
A mother, wishing to encourage [her son in his piano practice], “bought tickets for a performance of the great Polish pianist, Paderewski. The night of the concert arrived and the mother and son found their seats near the front of the concert hall. While the mother visited with friends, the boy slipped quietly away.

“Suddenly, it was time for the performance to begin and a single spotlight cut through the darkness of the concert hall to illuminate the grand piano on stage. Only then did the audience notice the little boy on the bench, innocently picking out ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’

“His mother gasped, but before she could move, Paderewski appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, ‘Don’t quit. Keep playing.’ And then, leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

“In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and time again, ‘Don’t quit. Keep playing.’ And as we do, He augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created. He is right there with all of us, telling us over and over, ‘Keep playing.’ ” 7
What It Means to Be a Daughter of God, James E. Faust, Ensign, November 1999

Jill

Lesson Recap: Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior

Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior 
Lesson 3, Gospel Principles
Marie Tiller


Why do we need a Savior?
When the plan for our salvation was presented to us in the premortal spirit world, we were so happy that we shouted for joy (see Job 38:7).

We understood that we would have to leave our heavenly home for a time. We would not live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. While we were away from Him, all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. Our Heavenly Father knew and loved each one of us. He knew we would need help, so He planned a way to help us.

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father.

Our Father said, “Whom shall I send?” (Abraham 3:27).

Jesus Christ, who was called Jehovah, said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27; see also Moses 4:1–4).

Jesus Christ was chosen and foreordained to be our Savior. 
Many scriptures tell about this (see, for example, 1 Peter 1:19–20; Moses 4:1–2). One scripture tells us that long before Jesus was born, He appeared to a Book of Mormon prophet known as the brother of Jared and said: “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. … In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name” (Ether 3:14).

In what ways does the War in Heaven continue today?
Because we are here on earth and have mortal bodies, we know that we chose to follow Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Satan and his followers are also on the earth, but as spirits. They have not forgotten who we are, and they are around us daily, tempting us and enticing us to do things that are not pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

In our premortal life, we chose to follow Jesus Christ and accept God’s plan. We must continue to follow Jesus Christ here on earth. 

Only by following Him can we return to our heavenly home.

Think about how the Savior’s teachings have influenced you
From the beginning, Jesus Christ has revealed the gospel, which tells us what we must do to return to our Heavenly Father. At the appointed time He came to earth Himself. He taught the plan of salvation and exaltation by His word and by the way He lived. He established His Church and His priesthood on the earth. He took our sins upon Himself.

More references to share with your friends and family:
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, church website
Mormon's Belief in Jesus Christ - 17 video clips of the Prophet and Apostles bearing testimony

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Lesson Recap: Rejoice in the Blessings of the Temple

 

We are women
of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:
Rejoice in the blessings of the temple.

We rejoice in...

• The House of the Lord, where he comes, to speak to us 
• A place to take your cares, troubles, important decisions and receive personal guidance
• Continuation of the pattern of temples (tabernacle of Moses, temple of Nephi)
• A fulfillment of scripture and prophecy
• A place of clean-ness
• Knowing we are clean and worthy
• Receiving the ordinances necessary for exaltation
• Learning, knowledge, wisdom
• 3 pillars of eternity: creation, fall, atonement
• The Endowment: instruction on how we should live
• Making covenants to greater commitment
• Being sealed in Celestial marriage
• Future generations born in the covenant as part of an eternal family
• Providing salvation for those who have passed on
• The opportunity to serve God so uniquely
• A reason to overcome difficulty, to maintain strong and vital marriages
• A common goal, being one in purpose
• Strengthened resolve to endure to the end
• Lessening of Satan's power on the earth
• Motivation for our children to live good clean lives
• The gift of perspective on life and eternity, knowing what's important
• Protection from danger
• Enabling power
• Increased meaning when death takes a loved one
• Feeling the Spirit, the joy and happiness, the peace
• Personal sanctification, “peeling away the shell of selfishness”

How to gain more benefit from temple attendance

• Understand the doctrine related to temple ordinances, especially the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
• While participating in temple ordinances, consider your relationship to Jesus Christ and His relationship to our Heavenly Father. This simple act will lead to greater understanding of the supernal nature of the temple ordinances.
• Always prayerfully express gratitude for the incomparable blessings that flow from temple ordinances. Live each day so as to give evidence to Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son of how very much those blessings mean to you.
• Schedule regular visits to the temple.
• Leave sufficient time to be unhurried within the temple walls.
• Rotate activities so that you can participate in all of the ordinances of the temple.
• Remove your watch when you enter a house of the Lord.
• Listen carefully to the presentation of each element of the ordinance with an open mind and heart.
• Be mindful of the individual for whom you are performing the vicarious ordinance. At times pray that he or she will recognize the vital importance of the ordinances and be worthy or prepare to be worthy to benefit from them.
• Recognize that much of the majesty of the sealing ordinance cannot be understood and remembered with one live experience. Substantial subsequent vicarious work permits one to understand much more of what is communicated in the live ordinances.
• Realize that a sealing ordinance is not enduring until after it is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise. Both individuals must be worthy and want the sealing to be eternal.

Sisters, please take the time to reflect on the blessings of the temple in your lives and express your gratitude to Heavenly Father for being born in a time with such wonderful buildings and knowledge are on the earth.

Further study:
Blessings of the Temple, Robert D. Hales, Oct 2009 Ensign
Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings, Russell M Nelson, July 2001 Liahona
Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need, Richard G Scott, May 2009 Ensign
Temple topic on LDS.org


Ellen

More Conference Thoughts

As I look back over the past two days I see a couple threads running through. 

Love, live what you believe, understand and use the Holy Ghost. 

What stood out to you?

The sessions can be viewed at LDS.org, if you missed any, including the Priesthood session.

***Don't miss Elder Holland's powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon on Sunday afternoon. It was so sincere and forceful that it brought tears to my eyes and a strong witness of the Spirit. Again, powerful.



Saturday pm
Elder Oakes - God's love and God's law
His love is so perfect that He gave His commandments,
so that we could become perfect like Him.
This talk deserves further study. It follows on so logically.

Elder Hales - God and His Son Jesus Christ live
Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift
you’ve been given, it will bring you the greatest joy in your life.
Believe in God. The Spirit will witness.

Elder Zeballos - Do the best you can
With faith, dedication, responsibility, and love do all we can
to achieve perfection though it appears impossible. He will help.
He wants us to serve with heart, mind, might and strength.

Elder Callister - 4 great truths from Joseph Smith
The gospel is like a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with 100 pieces in place
then Joseph came along and put the other 900 pieces in place.
An unusual format using questions to prove out Joseph's work.

Elder Watson - Temperance
Temperance is more than exercising restraint in food and drink,
it is a divine attribute of Jesus Christ, a spiritual gift from the Holy Ghost.
Counter to the mode of operation today: indulging in ourselves to excess.

Elder Andersen - Repentance brings the Lord's love into our lives
Come unto him and spiritually be wrapped in his arms.
Humbly petition for what we should do, the changes we should make.
Relief will come in the timetable of the Lord.

Elder Packer - (from his seat, anybody know why?) The Holy Ghost, How It Works
None of us are left alone. The gift of the Holy Ghost operates
for men, women, and children. Prayer is your personal key to heaven.
Loved his suggestion to create a delete key to use to resist temptation.


Sunday am
President Eyring - We must expect to become better
We will all meet the Savior, we must prepare.
Through living the gospel we can become like the Savior.
(Didn't catch all of this, darnit. When one watches at home I guess one should expect to lose the internet connection at least once.)

Elder Perry -
The pioneers faced their uncertain future knowing the truths of the gospel.
Through missionary work we can help others face the future.
Didn't catch all of this talk either. Add your synopsis in the comments.

Elder Burton - Living with virtue
Virtuous traits must never be forgotten or set aside.
If lost, families will be weakened, faith will be softened, important
relationships will be jeopardized.
Integrity and spirituality are interconnected!

Sister Dibb - Get a grip
We live in scary times, with challenges and dangers.
Invited to get a grip: hold to the iron rod and never let go.
She is over the top with her affectation, but at least she’s got some personality.

Elder Nelson - Access to personal revelation
We can access info from heaven without hardware, software or monthly service fees.
One of the Lord's most marvelous gifts—prayer.
Revelation need not come all at once, but incrementally

Love the song Love Is Spoken Here. This was beautiful.

President Monson - Do something for someone today
Those who live only for themselves shrivel up, lose their lives.
Those who live to serve others grow and flourish, save their lives.
Ask yourselves...what good have I done in the world today?

Hymn - Have I Done Any Good in the World Today - beautiful arrangement. I love this version. Should replace the original hymn.

The choir is sounding like one voice lately. All their efforts to improve over the last few years is showing.

I think some of the most interesting parts of conference are the coming and going. Seeing people greet one another, more natural, more authentic. [That’s my touchstone this year, authenticity. I think we all crave authentic relationships, interactions, advertising, customer service etc. That’s why Facebook and Twitter are so appealing (though not totally authentic, unfortunately).]

Ah, they’re waving at President and Sister Monson.

Ah, love the commercials they show after conference. Feel good ads, cute (though not authentic, darn).


Sunday pm
Elder Holland - Testimony and witness of the Book of Mormon
Find the fullest measure of peace or comfort by embracing
the Book of Mormon and He of whom it testifies.
His powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon brought tears to my eyes. Wow, was he ever adamant.

Elder Cook - Accountability to fellowman
We have a feeling of accountability for our fellowmen because we love
and want to please our Father in Heaven.
God wants us to love and care for each other.

Elder Nielson - Go forth and preach to all nations
The Savior’s call is to you of the rising generation; heed the prophet's voice.
You are called to go this last time. There is not greater work, no greater call.
Testified of how in his life he has seen the fulfillment of the prophecies and President Kimball's call to lengthen our stride in the 70's.

Elder Renlund - Change of heart
Examine your changed heart. Can you feel so now? Becoming casual
with prayers and scripture study, a changed heart will turn to stone.
Prayer, scriptures, church. The fire of testimony can burn again.

Elder Ringwood - An easiness and willingness to believe
An easiness and willingness to believe the word of God comes from
a softness of heart, which comes from the daily living of the gospel.
Periods of intense change and trials keep my heart soft.

Elder Sitati (black man) - New pioneers keeping covenants
I have lived to see good fruit of gospel bless Africa. 300,000 saints.
A new celestial culture is growing in homes and families, scriptures and FHE.
How blessed we are to have the gospel in these last days.

Elder Christofferson - Moral discipline
Moral agency must be accompanied by moral discipline;
consistently choosing right because it is right.
The intelligent use of agency requires the knowledge of the truth.

President Monson
"Love and prayers for you. Remember me, and those who serve with me, in your prayers." We are all in this together. We all have a part to play. 

Thanks for letting me indulge in notetaking here in the blog. I found that I fully absorbed and processed so much more of conference knowing I would record a bit of it here. This, rather than doing some chore or handiwork, kept me engaged and participating.


Ellen

Lesson Recap: Temples and Family History Work

Taught by Ellen King

Surely we on this side of the veil
have a great work to do.
~President Hunter

Why we have temples

President Hunter in an article titled A Temple-Loving People, said:

In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place. The Church has the responsibility–and the authority–to preserve and protect the family as a the foundation of society...All the priesthood temple ordinances are essential for the salvation and exaltation of our Father in Heaven's children.

...Surely we on this side of the veil have a great work to do...we must accomplish the priesthood temple ordinance work necessary for our own exaltation; then we must do the necessary work for those who did not have the opportunity to accept the gospel in this life.

Doing work for others is accomplished in two steps: first, by family history research to find our ancestors; and second, by performing the temple ordinances to give them the same opportunities afforded to the living.

Additional joy promised

Doing one or the other is a great work but President Hunter promises that in doing the family history research, and then perfoming the temple ordinance work we will "know the additional joy of receiving both halves of the blessing."

New.FamilySearch.org

[We then watched a 12 minute segment introducing the New.FamilyHistory.org. If you want to borrow this DVD talk to Ellen King.]

Family history work is easier than ever with the New.FamilySearch.org and the internet. Register today! You will need your membership number (on your temple recommend, or contact Bro. Hope) and your confirmation date.

You can begin entering information about your family, and then hook into work that has been done by others. It's all there in one place now.

• See what information the Church already has about you and your ancestors.
• Add new information and make corrections.
• Work with other relatives on shared family lines.
• Easily print out names to take to the temple.
• Do temple ordinances for your ancestors and see the completion online that same day.
• Add notes and sources.
• See duplicates and combine them.
• Upload work you have already done in Personal Ancestral File (PAF).

If you don't have a computer, and want to do this work, let us know. We can team you up with a partner.

Further research can be done on familysearch.org or at the Family History Library in Broomall.

Sisters, I promise you that if you put in a couple of hours a week on this, your lives will be blessed in ways you can't even imagine.

Valiant in the Cause of Christ

Joseph Smith, Chapter 30
Taught by Marie Tiller

Do right and fear nothing.
~Family Motto (from Marie's family history)

In 1838 Joseph Smith and other church leaders were taken to Richmond, Missouri and confined in chains. “We were prisoners in chains and under strong guards for Christ’s sake and for no other cause...we are bound together in chains as well as the cords of everlasting love. We are in good spirits and rejoice that we are counted worthy to persecuted for Christ’s sake.”

In a letter to W.W. Phelps a few years earlier Joseph Smith said, "I am a lover of the cause of Christ and of virtue, chastity, and an upright, steady course of conduct, and a holy walk."

What does it mean to be a lover of the cause of Christ?

It means that we are His disciples. We join in His and the Father’s work, to bring about the eternal life of man.

What characteristics do the disciples of Christ have?

Two are to be strong and immovable.

Sister Beck, General Relief Society President says, “we must stand strong and immovable in faith, family and relief. We must excel in these three important areas which set us apart as the Lord’s disciples. We learn what He would have us learn, we do what He would have us do, and we become what He would have us become...there are essential things that must be done before nonessential things. These are simple, indispensable practices that almost seem mundane when we talk about them.”

What are these essential things that must be done?

Faith, covenants, prayer, obedience, scripture study, service, rejoicing.

Joseph Smith said, "You cannot be too good. Patience is heavenly, obedience is noble, forgiveness is merciful, and exaltation is godly; and he that holds out faithful to end shall in no wise lose his reward. A good [woman] will endure all things to honor Christ."

Joseph Smith's quote on Sacrifice

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: "A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life" (Lectures on Faith, comp. N. B. Lundwall [Salt Lake City: N. B. Lundwall, n.d.], p. 58).