Today while watching the women's session of General Conference, Sister McConkie told a story that stayed with me. She talked about a girl who was called to be a Beehive President, and would magnify her calling by going out to the less active girl's houses to see if she could help them get coming back to church again. She discovered that Sunday's were for doing chores, and a lot of the girls did not finish in time to be allowed to go to church. She helped these girls by going to their homes and helping them with their chores so that they would be able to come to church. This story of such a young girl doing so much to magnify her calling and help others was something that really made me take stock of my life and callings, and how I could better be serving those around me.
In the Joseph Smith Translation of the scripture 1 Corinthians 7:32, it says; "But I would, brethren, that ye magnify your calling. For he careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; therefore he prevaileth." Magnifying our callings is an important way to show the Lord that we care about and respect the responsibilities He has given us. A calling comes from Him, after all, and we should understand that so that we can more fully serve to the best of our ability. Not only should we do this for the Lord, and for those whom we are serving, but for our own salvation.
The Lord only calls those who he knows can do what He requires of them, and He won't ever leave us when we need help. In my calling, I sometimes find it hard to make time for it, but when I do I can feel the Lord helping me and the people I serve to know the best things to do. Anyone and everyone has the ability to magnify their callings, and by doing so we can bring so much light into our lives and the lives of those around us.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
Week 9
This week I was studying about what it means to press forward, and how we can do that in our lives. I started in 2 Nephi 31:20 where it says, "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God an of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure the the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." This made me think about the unique phrasing of that term, it is more than just persevering, or not giving up. The term of pressing forward to me means that there is something that we are pressing against, the world itself and it's wicked temptation is what we are moving and pressing against.
To press is to move into a position of contact with something by exerting a continuous force, and to move forward is to make progress towards a successful conclusion. We are on earth trying to move into constant contact with the Holy Ghost, as well as with our Savior, so that we can reach the successful conclusion we seek, which is eternal life and happiness. It stands out to me that the word continuous was used, we must always be exerting force on the temptations of the world around us in order to move forward. Once we let up on the force applied, things can all too quickly spin out of our grasp, sending us backwards in our journey.
College is a difficult time in life, when it is easy to be distracted. By following God's commandments and continually pressing forward we can make it through and be blessed. Reading scriptures about how the writers of the Book of Mormon continually pressed forward is something that helps to remind me that it is possible for me to do it as well, and that it will be beyond worth it in the end.
To press is to move into a position of contact with something by exerting a continuous force, and to move forward is to make progress towards a successful conclusion. We are on earth trying to move into constant contact with the Holy Ghost, as well as with our Savior, so that we can reach the successful conclusion we seek, which is eternal life and happiness. It stands out to me that the word continuous was used, we must always be exerting force on the temptations of the world around us in order to move forward. Once we let up on the force applied, things can all too quickly spin out of our grasp, sending us backwards in our journey.
College is a difficult time in life, when it is easy to be distracted. By following God's commandments and continually pressing forward we can make it through and be blessed. Reading scriptures about how the writers of the Book of Mormon continually pressed forward is something that helps to remind me that it is possible for me to do it as well, and that it will be beyond worth it in the end.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Week 8
This week I received my mission call to the Adriatic North Mission, it is comprised of 5 countries, and there is just so much work to do there! While I was studying my scriptures, specifically about missionary work, there were a few scriptures that stuck out to me. One was in Alma 26, verse 22, "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing- unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal such things which have never been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance,"
This scripture really hit a chord with me, reminding me how important it is to actively prepare to serve my mission. I cannot expect to "bring thousands of souls to repentance" or even one soul, without preparing myself to have the Lord work through me. I need to be continually praying, exercising faith, doing good works and repenting so that I am worthy and ready to receive all the guidance the Lord is willing to give me as I embark on what will likely be the hardest 18 months of my life thus far. This is especially important for me, because the Croatian/Serbian/Monetenegrian/ Bosnian/Slovanian people deserve dedicated missionaries who desire to love them and invite them to accept Christ in their lives, and it is up to me to help give them that.
In connection, another scripture I read in Alma 30 verse 5 says, "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just- yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them- therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God."
The people of the Adriatic North Mission have seen a lot of hardship, and they should know the power of the word of God that transcends any of the hard things they have managed to bear up to this point. The word of God is the most powerful tool we have to show people that they truly can live their lives in a fulfilling and beautiful way, no matter their other circumstances. I am so humbled to be able to go and serve these people for 18 months, and I hope that I can find it in myself to be so faithful and obedient to truly make a difference in their lives, and complete my mission of spreading the word of Christ to the best of my ability.
This scripture really hit a chord with me, reminding me how important it is to actively prepare to serve my mission. I cannot expect to "bring thousands of souls to repentance" or even one soul, without preparing myself to have the Lord work through me. I need to be continually praying, exercising faith, doing good works and repenting so that I am worthy and ready to receive all the guidance the Lord is willing to give me as I embark on what will likely be the hardest 18 months of my life thus far. This is especially important for me, because the Croatian/Serbian/Monetenegrian/ Bosnian/Slovanian people deserve dedicated missionaries who desire to love them and invite them to accept Christ in their lives, and it is up to me to help give them that.
In connection, another scripture I read in Alma 30 verse 5 says, "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just- yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them- therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God."
The people of the Adriatic North Mission have seen a lot of hardship, and they should know the power of the word of God that transcends any of the hard things they have managed to bear up to this point. The word of God is the most powerful tool we have to show people that they truly can live their lives in a fulfilling and beautiful way, no matter their other circumstances. I am so humbled to be able to go and serve these people for 18 months, and I hope that I can find it in myself to be so faithful and obedient to truly make a difference in their lives, and complete my mission of spreading the word of Christ to the best of my ability.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Week 7
This week I was reading in Mosiah and noticed some verses I had highlighted in the past; chapter 2 verses 21-23, "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another- I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him." I was reminded of why I highlighted these verses, and the importance of realizing that we are here and indebted to the Lord for our bodies and lives.
The importance of keeping the commandments is stressed here, and that blessings will come to us when we do so. I remember my seminary teacher saying that we were on a type of "rent to own" program with our bodies, they aren't ours now, so we need to take care of them and pay our "rent" of keeping the commandments and serving those around us so that one day we can own our bodies and all the incredible blessings that come with that. This reminds me that I have a responsibility on this earth, it's not just a free ride!
These commandments are given to us for our own good and salvation, and not something to be taken lightly. To go to the tried and true phrase, our body is a temple so treat it like one. We should be living our lives so that we can one day be with God again, become resurrected, and continue on in the plan for us. This starts with the commandments and service, for right now we are God's servants on this earth, and that is a privileged opportunity.
The importance of keeping the commandments is stressed here, and that blessings will come to us when we do so. I remember my seminary teacher saying that we were on a type of "rent to own" program with our bodies, they aren't ours now, so we need to take care of them and pay our "rent" of keeping the commandments and serving those around us so that one day we can own our bodies and all the incredible blessings that come with that. This reminds me that I have a responsibility on this earth, it's not just a free ride!
These commandments are given to us for our own good and salvation, and not something to be taken lightly. To go to the tried and true phrase, our body is a temple so treat it like one. We should be living our lives so that we can one day be with God again, become resurrected, and continue on in the plan for us. This starts with the commandments and service, for right now we are God's servants on this earth, and that is a privileged opportunity.
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