ARMOR OF GOD

"Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.

Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, which I have sent mine angels to commit unto you; Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be caught up that where I am ye shall be also. Amen" D&C 27:15-18

In reading this a picture of the armies of Helaman comes to my mind. The young men that were righteous and full of integrity willing to fight in battle for truth. And then my mind goes to the pioneers that were chased from their homes, and ridiculed and beaten for truth and righteousness. And then my mind turns to my children...and the "evil day" that they live in and I pray that I am and will continue to prepare them with the whole armor of God - like the Armies of Helaman, the pioneers of old, the thousands of missionaries out today proclaiming the gospel.

How grateful I am for our Sunday services, Primary, the scriptures, church publications, prayer, and of course FAITH in aiding my endeavors to keep not only myself but my children protected with the ARMOR OF GOD.

ENDURE...

"Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days." D&C 24:8

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Prophet  Joseph Smith's martyrdom.  As I read this scripture passage, a revalation that was given to Joseph just months after the church was organized, I can't hardly keep the tears from coming. Be patient in afflictions for thou shalt have many...he sure did. But he truly endured to the end.

Joseph Smith was a true prophet. The prophet that was the instrument for the Lord in restoring the Chruch of Jesus Christ again to the earth. Joseph endured...he gave his life to the Lord, literally.

Jospeh Smith has been an inspiration to me, not just as a prophet, but as a man; a natural man. He is my proof that even through the good, the bad, and the ugly, the LORD is with us to the end. He loves us, he'll protect us, and He will bring us home. But we must endure.

"Be patient in afflicitons, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days..."

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT APRIL 6th...

I just finished section 21 in the Doctrine and Covenants. It is the section that tells of the organization of the Church.

April 6, 1830

Why else is April 6th such an amazing day to remember.....

The day Christ was born
The day Christ was resurrected

April 6th is such an amazing day - so many events that impact and shape us as humans.

Why is April 6th significant to you?

LEARN OF ME

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." D&C 19:23

I have loved this scripture for years. I remember singing the song in Young Womens that was inspired because of this message, "Learn of Me". 

Oh how I seek peace so often in my life. I can honsestly say DAILY! And the Lord has given me multiple avenues to feel it. In this simple one line message He tells me that if I would just listen, I would have peace.  And I know that I can find peace through praying, following the commandments, going to church, teaching my children, service, showing kindness, even through laughing.

LEARN OF ME...and you shall have peace...

Simple and true

CONVERSING WITH THE LORD

In Section 18 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord talks to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer. Wow does He tell them some amazing things.
Imagine having a conversation with the Lord about the wickedness the world is deriving up. Imagine Him telling you exactly what needs to be done to save yourself and others around you from succuming to the wickedness.

How wonderful would it be to hear straight from the Lord that the WORTH OF EVERY SOUL IS GREAT(D&C 18:10). That YOUR sould is great.

Wouldn't it be amazing for the Lord to tell you specifically that the way to everlasting JOY and happiness is through repentance and helping others to see that repentance is a gift, a good thing, and blessing for us to be able to recieve the greatest joy.

For the Lord to converse with you and remind you that without faith, hope and charity, you can do nothing(D&C 18:19). To help remind yourself what is important and what source to drive your strength from.

How wonderful it would be to have the Lord speak directly to you and map out so specifically HIS ways as well as His plan for you....

After reading sections 14-18 I was getting a bit envious of the personal revalations the Lord was giving Joseph, Oliver, David, Martin, Peter, John...And then I remembered how many times in my life that I have recieved personal revalation from the Lord. How many prayers have been answered, how many whisperings from the spirit gave me the direction and guidance I needed.

The Lord, through all generations of time, has offered revalation through prophets and apostles, and even to individuals, like myself. I'm grateful to read the powerful revelations from the Lord to His servants. Not only does it give me a greater testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel but it also strengthens my faith, hope, and charity for which I KNOW I can do many things.

MOST WORTH

"For many times you have desired of me to know that which would be of the most worth unto you." D&C 15:4

This section is a revalation in response to John Whitmer's sincere prayers to the Lord asking Him where and what he could do to be of most worth to Him.  The Lord answers John Whitmer so personally that it was and is still only known to Brother Whitmer and the Prophet Joseph Smith. It hit me hard...really hard. Because I then began to wonder when it was the last time I sincerely prayed to the Lord and asked what I could truly do to be of most worth:

• Do I sincerely ask Him how I can be the best instrument for him?
• Do I humbly ask Him how I can be a better wife, a better mother, even a better daughter?
• How about a good example to those I'm around?
• Am I seeking missionary experiences?
• What about opportunities to bare witness?

And so I ponder and ask myself again: When was the last time I prayed so hard, so humble, with so much desire, to know how I could be the most worth to my Heavenly Father?

Good Things to Come

If you need a spiritual tear jerker to start off your day.  And now I will always remember there are...
Good Things to Come

STRONG TOES...A STRONG ROCK

"Build upon my rock, which is my Gospel;" D&C 11:24

So I hear...if we had no big toes then it would pretty hard to keep balance.  I have all my big toes so I don't necessarily want to test the theory.

We need a strong foundation. We need a strong foundation for balance. We need the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our rock...as our "toes" so to speak. 

I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ is my life. It is my rock, it is my balance. And I can safely and assuredly say that I won't be testing any theories of going without it. :)

FEELING the Wisdom in the Lord

"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." D&C 9:8

This scripture is a staple in our household. We have made many a move for work and each time it has taken a great deal of prayer and study to know if the move would be good for our family.

The Lord says, "be patient, my son[or daughter], for it is wisdom in me..." D&C 9:3

I truly believe that the Lord does possess the wisdom of our lives and that if we do as it tells us in verse eight we will FEEL that wisdom and be able to make correct choices and good decision.

RICHES and GIFTS

Marcus has mentioned multiple times lately that he is excited to turn 8 so he can be baptized. He says he is excited for his "GIFT". At first I wanted to roll my eyes...everything comes with a price, right. But then he went on to say, "I get the GIFT of the Holy Ghost when I get baptized".
    How wonderful the innocence and content of a child.

Meanwhile, I am going crazy because every month we spend almost what we make. And I think to myself, "how can this be possible?" And then I find myself sometimes in that pit of a state thinking, "I wish we could just be RICH and have everything we need and WANT without issues." And then I read this....

"Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich." D&C 6:7
   Now, I revert back to my innocence and content, like a child, and remember that the greatest GIFT or the RICHEST blessing is, in fact, Eternal Life.

Even on the craziest of days when my mind is not exactly focusing on the most spiritual of things, my kids AND the scriptures combined sure have a way of putting me back in my spot; of bringing me back to reality. And reality is that our Savior Jesus Christ is always with us...what a GIFT; what a RICHNESS.

"...be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love." D&C 6:20

And that, my friends, is truly a GIFT!

STOP! And Stand Still...

I've often needed something "right now!". I've often thought "I know all the answers". I've even caught myself believing that "if I can't do it now, then it's not going to happen".

How contradictory to the promises of the Lord. In studying D&C section 5 I came across verse 34: "yea, for this cause I have said: Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee."

Stop...

Though the Lord was talking to Joseph about Martin Harris, I felt like he was talking right to me. I need to STOP...I need to learn, to ponder, to PRAY even. I need to study and gain experience.  I need to have faith.

When I struggle with the kids, I need to STOP...
When I don't understand a principle or lack faith, I need to STOP...
When circumstances that seem so overwhelming or impossible come to be, I need to STOP...

The Lord will always provide means whereby I might accomplish the things he wants me to do.

The Three Missions of the Church

How wonderful the Book of Doctrine and Covenants is. We start out with a wonderful revelation from our Heavenly Father and then work directly into the THREE MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH

1)Redeeming the Dead
2)Perfecting the Saints
3)Proclaim the Gospel

How am I at those three things...am I attending the temple regularly enough? Am I perfecting my path or is it crooked? Do I do my part to not only be an example of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but to verbally share the gospel; reach out?

Three missions of the church...three

Section ONE

Wow! Just getting through section one I feel I have been set in my place. Section one of the Doctrine and Covenants is the Lord talking to us all about this wonderful book. And he says a LOT of things I needed to hear...

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;" vs. 12
Marcus has been talking A LOT, and I mean A LOT lately about wanting to "see" and "meet" Great Grandpa Rigby and Great Grandpa Hill. He always asks how they passed away, what happened, etc etc. But then it's always the same question:

Marcus: "When will I see Great Grandpa again?"
Me: "we've talked about this. When will you see him?"
Marcus: "When Jesus comes again"

I don't know...maybe it's time I prepare for that which is to come....

"They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall." vs. 16
Now this scares me. It scares me because I have three small kids. This revelation was given in 1831...1831. In 2010 I am scared and disgusted by the way we as "man" walk our own ways.  What is to come of  "man" in 2020 when I have teenagers. My prayer is that I can create a fortress for my children. That they will know and understand right from wrong, good from evil. That they will walk in God's ways, worshiping Him and only Him. And that they will constantly stand for truth and righteousness.

In versus 20-23 God asks us to make a covenant with him. He asks us to (1) Speak in the name of God, (2) increase our faith, (3) establish His Everlasting Covenant, (4) proclaim the fullness of His Gospel.
It's not much to ask...be an example, lean on Him, live a worthy life and get married in the Temple, and share the Gospel with friends and family. Honestly, when you break it down in simple terms its a wonder why so many of us(me included) have such a hard time. He has promised us a FULLNESS OF JOY  if we can just do these four simple things.

Wow, a fullness of Joy sounds wonderful.

Starting the Doctrine and Covenants...

"In the revelations the doctrines of the gospel are set forth with explanations about such fundamental matters as the nature of the Godhead, the origin of man, the reality of Satan, the purpose of mortality, the necessity for obedience, the need for repentance, the workings of the Holy Spirit, the ordinances and performances that pertain to salvation, the destiny of the earth, the future conditions of man after the resurrection and the judgment, the eternity of the marriage relationship, and the eternal nature of the family. Likewise the gradual unfolding of the administrative structure of the Church is shown with the calling of bishops, the First Presidency, the Council of Twelve, and the Seventy, and the establishment of other presiding offices and quorums. Finally, the testimony that is given of Jesus Christ—his divinity, his majesty, his perfection, his love, and his redeeming power—makes this book of great value to the human family and of more worth than the riches of the whole earth. " Explanation of the Doctrine and Covenants

Grateful for Obedience

I just finished the Pear of Great Price, ending with Jospeh Smith History. I am just grateful for the perserverance and obedience that the Prophet Joseph Smith had. I am grateful for a loving wife that stood by his side and endured all the mocking, torture and tormenting that he endured. I am grateful for the writings that he was able to transcribe through the power of the Urim and Thummin. I am grateful....

AM I TOO TOLERANT

When Joseph Smith had his first vision he was worried about telling people. But as he did he found that no one believed him. The preachers of other churches degraded him and told him he was a liar. They chastised him and made him feel belittled. But Joseph knew what had happened to him, "...why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it....".

Nowadays, I feel I am becoming too tolerant of the "world" around me. I am not strong like Joseph was to stand strong in what he knew without a shadow of a doubt was true.

My kids hear people ALL AROUND them taking the Lord's name in vain. It is constant in this part of the country that we live in. And we have told them over and over that it offends Heavenly Father, that we don't want to say His name in vain. Madelyn came home from school the other day and told me that she had asked one of her friends not to say "that word" because it makes Heavenly Father sad. Her friend immediatly told her that that wasn't true and then proceeded to repeatedly yell His name just to make Madelyn uncomfortable.

Madelyn said she tried to stay strong and tell her that it was hurting her feelings but she said she got nervous and eventually walked away.

Just like Joseph, Madelyn experienced the "worlds" reaction when they are asked to do something that they don't want to or that is too hard...persecution, denial, etc.

Just a small example but one that makes me think... am I being too tolerant of the things around me that aren't in accordance with the Lord's will. Would he trust that I would be strong enough, like Joseph, to carry out His plan despite the "worlds" resistance.