Doctrines, Principles and Applications

For my religion class this semester I decided for my hour a week project I wanted to read the book by Elder Bednar, "Act in Doctrine." I've been wanting to read it for awhile, but with everything on my plate it always got pushed to he back burner.
I haven't gotten very far, but already I am finding little treasures. In the preface this paragraph stood out to me:
"Our tendency as members of the Church is to focus on applications. But as we learn to ask ourselves, 'What doctrines and principles, if understood, would help with this challenge?' we come to realize that the answers always are in the doctrines and principles of the gospel."
This really stood out to me and as I've thought about it, I agree that what he says here is so true. As members of the church and as people, we tend to look at things with the perspective of "What do I have to do and what am I not supposed to do." We want to know how far we can go without "crossing the line." Probably because of the natural man in us. But how would we be different if instead of things about the things to do, we thought about why we are (or are not) supposed to do. How we what we think change? How would our desires be different?
I think changing my way of thinking would change a lot of what I do, and this is something I am going to consciously try to think more about it.

God's Timing

This last week, with the re-organization of the first presidency, I've been thinking a lot about how Heavenly Father has a plan for ALL things and how his timing is perfect. In thinking about it I decided to look up some scriptures about time. This was the one that stuck out to me the most.

D&C 88:42 And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons;

While I definitely miss President Monson, I also know (and feel strongly) that now is the time that President Nelson is meant to serve as the Lord's prophet. Since I've been born, there have been five different prophets, however, I only really remember the last three. I have seen how each of the three have been called for specific reasons. Many of them are frequently mentioned in the church. President Hinckley - Temples and more good attention in the media 

President Monson - Service and being "to the Rescue."

And now with President Nelson, his good relations with China, his attention on the youth and young adults of the church, and the focus on temple attendance, I can see how the Lord is hastening his work in his timing, and his timing is perfect.

This shows me that if the Lord does this in the affairs of his church, then he will surely do that in my own life. I have seen that already. There are times and seasons for things. Sometimes things go the way I hope they will, and sometimes things are hard and don't go any where near the way I expect, but all in all, I can see that things go the way they need to. God's times and seasons are always perfect!