Category: LDS Quotes

Living after the manner of happiness

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This year our family has chosen 2 Nephi 5:27 for our family scripture:

“And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness”

I am really excited about this scripture, and the lessons that it will inspire. We have already had a few FHE lessons focusing on this month. As I have been studying the talks from the recent General Conference  a few quotes along this theme have stood out to me.

“Heavenly Father has made each of us unique. No two of us have exactly the same experiences. No two families are alike. So it is not surprising that advice about how to choose happiness in family life is hard to give. Yet a loving Heavenly Father has set the same path to happiness for all of His children. Whatever our personal characteristics or whatever will be our experiences, there is but one plan of happiness. That plan is to follow all the commandments of God.” (President Henry B. Eyring, “To My Grandchildren”)

“The Savior’s way of life is good. His way includes chastity before marriage and total fidelity within marriage. The Lord’s way is the only way for us to experience enduring happiness. His way brings sustained comfort to our souls and perennial peace to our homes. And best of all, His way leads us home to Him and our Heavenly Father, to eternal life and exaltation.This is the very essence of God’s work and glory.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Decisions for Eternity“)

“The gospel teaches us to be happy, to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair, to leave darkness and turn toward the light of the everlasting gospel.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Key to Spiritual Protection”)

Scripture reading should be a part of a regular routine

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President Packer offered a prophetic promise–studying the scriptures will bring blessings!

“The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. They contain the doctrine and laws and ordinances that will bring each child of God to a testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer.”

“Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment.”

President Boyd K. Packer, “The Key to Spiritual Protection”. October 2013 General Conference.

More mindful of my health

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January is traditionally a month of reflections and beginnings. This year I am especially thinking about my health, and the health of my family.  Here are some of the areas that I am working on.

Regular Exercise

  • Participate in a 5K run: I have been running semi-regularly for the last eight months, but usually only 1-2 miles. Another ward in our stake is hosting a Family Fun Run in February, and I am preparing to be a part of it.
  • Strength training:I have been pinning various strength training ideas  for awhile, but haven’t done much more than pin them. Last week I saw a 30 day plank challenge and decided to take the plunge. I am on day 4!

Healthy Eating

  • More fruits and veggies! I am taking some baby steps for healthier eating for our family. Last year I added spinach and bell peppers to our regular diet–very exciting. I have two extremely picky eaters–my current goal is to get them to at least take a bite of the vegetables at dinner.
  • I decided to learn a little more about healthy eating and hopefully get some tips by signing up for this Just Cook online course from Stanford Medical School (Thanks for the notice, Amy!) I just started this week (one week late) but it is easy to catch up and you can still sign up if you are interested in this topic. The information is presented in an interesting way, and the health of our children is definitely a topic I am concerned about. Today I made “egg in a hole/toad in a hole” after watching the tutorial, and it was a winner with 2 of my children.

Bring in the Specialists

  • I have been bothered by allergies since we moved to Florida, but lately it has become quite bothersome and out of control. So I made an appointment with an allergist. It’s time to figure this issue out!

The “significant but subtle” blessings of tithing

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When I listened to Elder Bednar’s talk at the October 2013 General Conference, I was immediately struck with the thought “this talk is an answer to one of your prayers”.  Our family has spent many long years in graduate school, where I have to say our income has definitely been on the leaner side. I have spent many hours on our family budget, at often times wondering how everything is going to work out. But I am forever thankful and humbled for the “tithing blessings” that have come to our family in so many ways. I loved Elder Bednar’s phrase “significant but subtle” blessings–that is the perfect description of the blessings of tithing I have seen in my own life. The statements below especially stood out to me.

“We might want and expect a job offer, but the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to act and change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else.”

“Eyes and ears of faith are required, however, to notice in us an increased spiritual and temporal capacity (see Luke 2:52) to do more with less, a keener ability to prioritize and simplify, and an enhanced ability to take proper care of the material possessions we already have acquired. We might want and expect a larger paycheck, but the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else.”

“The honest payment of tithing is much more thanks duty; it is an important step in the process of personal sanctification.”

I think it is significant that Heavenly Father won’t always bless us with a higher paying job. Instead we may be blessed to be a really good at finding really good deals, or we will be blessed to receive wonderful hand-me-down clothes for our children, or the meals we prepare stretch to contribute to another meal of leftovers. Heavenly Father blesses us to work well with what we have been given, and I know that tithing blessings are real and are a part of my life.

Elder David A. Bednar, “The Windows of Heaven”. October 2013 General Conference.

“Oh, how we need general conference!”

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At the October 2013 General Conference, Elder Hales spoke about how essential general conference is.

“What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.”

“Oh, how we need general conference! Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened. And when we are converted, we strengthen each other to stand strong amid the fiery darts of these last days.”

“The greatest blessings of general conference come to us after the conference is over. Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture: we gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them.”

“In addition to inviting us to hold personal and family scripture study, Heavenly Father wants us to regularly study and apply what we have learned in conference. I testify that those who put their trust in the Lord and heed this counsel in faith will gain great strength to bless themselves and their families for generations to come.”

Elder Hales words sound like a prophetic exhortation to me–study and ponder and apply the teachings from general conference, and blessings will come!

Elder Robert D. Hales, “General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony.” October 2013 General Conference.

Words from a living prophet: President Monson October 2013

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My first post of the General Conference Book Club needs to begin with President Monson. I always make it my first priority after a General Conference session to re-read the talks from our prophet, President Monson. I feel it is such a blessing to have a living prophet on the earth, and I want to be sure I know what he is saying!

In the opening session, President Monson addressed missionary work and the growth of the church.

“Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him”.

President Monson spoke to the priesthood brethren about home teaching. But I think this quote is applicable to all:

“To assist in our efforts, I share this wise counsel which surely applies to home teachers. It comes from Abraham Lincoln, who said, “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.”President Ezra Taft Benson urged: “Above all, be a genuine friend to the individuals and families you teach. … A friend makes more than a dutiful visit each month. A friend is more concerned about helping people than getting credit. A friend cares. A friend [shows love]. A friend listens, and a friend reaches out.”

During his Sunday morning address, President Monson spoke tenderly of the passing of his dear wife. He spoke of the burdens that so many face, and offered comfort. He also spoke of the purpose of burdens, and how they offer us spiritual refinement.

“This should be our purpose—to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life. The poet expressed much the same thought in these words:

Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees.
The further sky, the greater length.
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
As the conference sessions draw to a close, I always draw strength from the blessing that President Monson leaves with each of us. 

“May heaven’s blessings be with you. May your homes be filled with love and courtesy and with the Spirit of the Lord. May you constantly nourish your testimonies of the gospel that they will be a protection to you against the buffetings of the adversary…May the Spirit we have felt here be and abide with us as we go about those things which occupy us each day. May we show increased kindness toward one another, and may we ever be found doing the work of the Lord.”

President Monson’s counsel to women during the General Relief Society meeting should not be missed. He reminded us that “we are not placed on this earth to walk alone.” Our lives will be blessed as we turn to the scriptures and prayer. Heavenly Father loves, and that love is always there.

“As we read and ponder the scriptures, we will experience the sweet whisperings of the Spirit to our souls. We can find answers to our questions. We learn of the blessings which come through keeping God’s commandments. We gain a sure testimony of our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of Their love for us. When scripture study is combined with our prayers, we can of a certainty know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.”

“As we remember prayer and take time to turn to the scriptures, our lives will be infinitely more blessed and our burdens will be made lighter.”

“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.”

For further study, here are the links to the talks given by President Monson during the October 2013 General Conference.

Welcome to Conference

True Shepherds

“I Will Not Fail Thee, Nor Forsake Thee”

Till We Meet Again

We Never Walk Alone

Counsel to Young Women

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The following counsel was given to young women at the General Young Women Meeting in March, 2013.

“Young women, generations are depending on the choices you make, your purity, and your worthy lives. Be not moved. You have a great destiny before you. This is your moment! I truly believe that one virtuous young woman, led by the Spirit, can change the world!”

Sister Elaine S. Dalton, “Be Not Moved”. General Young Women Meeting, March 2013.

 

Messages from the Lord’s Map

1) “Do not fear, for I the Lord am with you.”

2) “Love one another, as I have loved you.”

3) “Be of good cheer.”

“There will always be things to complain about—things that don’t seem to go quite right. You can spend your days feeling sad, alone, misunderstood, or unwanted. But that isn’t the journey you had hoped for, and it’s not the journey Heavenly Father sent you to take. Remember, you are truly a daughter of God!”

“With this in mind, I invite you to walk confidently and joyfully. Yes, the road has bumps and detours and even some hazards. But don’t focus on them. Look for the happiness your Father in Heaven has prepared for you in every step of your journey. Happiness is the destination, but it’s also the path. “Peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” is what He promises.That is why He commands us to “be of good cheer.”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Your Wonderful Journey Home”. General Young Women Meeting, March 2013.

On faith and believing

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“Brothers and sisters, this is a divine work in process, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every direction, so please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.”

“…imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we.”

“Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe”. April 2013 General Conference.

Following Christ is a continuous commitment

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“All of the messages of this conference help us follow in the footsteps of our Savior, whose example and teachings define the path for every follower of Jesus Christ.”

“As Jesus taught, those who love Him will keep His commandments. They will be obedient, as President Thomas S. Monson taught this morning. Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Followers of Christ”. April 2013 General Conference.

Carry on

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This quote struck me in a Relief Society lesson awhile back. It reminded me to not get frustrated at the end of the day when I still feel like I have so much to do. Instead, just do my best, and keep carrying on my important role as a nurturer in my family.

“… I cannot imagine anything that is so vastly important as to work for and obtain one’s own individual exaltation and glory. That undoubtedly is one great purpose for which we came into the world. … No man or woman should be discouraged when they feel that they cannot complete what they would like to perform, but we all should do what we can toward carrying out the grand work for which we are here.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow. Chapter 14: “With God All Things Are Possible”.