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!

All things from the Beginning

This last semester was probably one of the hardest semesters I've ever had. Between really hard classes, two jobs, being on a dance team and health struggles, I was really feeling like there was no way that this semester could ever turn out well. I tried to have faith, but inside I just felt like this was part of mortal life, sometimes things crash and I just had to accept it. While I still feel like sometimes things are hard and that's just life, now that I am at the end of the semester I recognize that Heavenly Father always has a plan for us. This sounds so basic, everyone should know this right? In my head I did know it, but now I really know it. Though maybe what happens in our lives wasn't what we originally wanted, in the end it is actually what is best. At the beginning of the semester He knew what was going to happen and he knew what my reactions and capabilities would be. In pondering all these thoughts, the following scripture came to mind:
1 Nephi 9: 6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.
This semester I have learned (and am still learning) that trusting in Heavenly Father means recognizing and REMEMBERING that Heavenly Father has all power and that if you try your best to follow him (and even sometimes when you have your moments of forgetting to trust him), things will work out the way Heavenly Father knows they need to, because he DOES know all things from the beginning. I realized today looking back at this semester that I have a lot of peace with how things are turning out. No I don't have perfect grades, I'm not perfectly healed from all my different health issues, and I didn't get all my hours in for work, but the most important things are working out. There are also things that have happened this semester that needed to happen that wouldn't have happened if everything had gone the way I had hoped and planned. So overall I guess I just hope my future self will remember to trust Heavenly Father more and remember that he really does prepare "a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men," and that "he hath all power."

Treasure

I was having a really hard time in thinking about what to share this week. But then my home teachers came over and their thought inspired me so much that I wanted to share it with y'all. It comes from Jacob 2:18-19 
18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

My home teachers shared the perspective that riches can mean many different things. As students this can especially apply to knowledge and education. I can be so easy to let the stress of school (and finals) get in the way of our spiritual education and putting Heavenly Father first. Along with that, the purpose of why we gain knowledge and education really does matter. Yes we need to get a degree so that we can provide for ourselves and our families, but even more important than that is to gain knowledge so that we can accomplish the personal missions Heavenly Father has planned for each of us. When we make that our primary focus, I really believe that Heavenly Father will bless us to have enough for ourselves but also be blessed we the resources to help others who might not have as much as we do! And not only monetarily but spiritually and educationally. When we have knowledge in certain things, we are expected to help others who need help in those areas, whether it's math, health or even Family History. It's like D&C 82:3 says, "For of him unto whom much is given much is required..." So, as we go into finals, I hope that we can all remember why we're doing what we're doing, and also remember that Heavenly Father will always help us when we put him first!

All Things have been done in the Wisdom of Him

This week my roommate showed me this scripture:

2 Nephi 2:24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

I'm sorry to say that though I have looked at verse 25 a million times, verse 24 hasn't stood out to me as much before, especially in how in connects to verse 25.

This scripture shows that all Heavenly Father does, in his perfect wisdom, is in the end for our benefit and happiness. In the midst of a busy and hard semester this is something that I have to remember. In my short-sited-ness sometimes I get so caught up in my "right now." I get upset that things don't go the way I want when I want them to. Throughout the scriptures (as well as church history) there are multiple examples of people going through hard times, not being able to understand why, but then seeing later how the hands of the Lord were involved even in the tiniest details of their lives. This scripture was a good reminder for me that the Lord is aware of me, and that if I just trust him even when I don't understand why (for example when he prompts me to take a really really hard class), eventually I will get through it. Maybe someday I'll even see the reason why. But even if I don't, I can know that Heavenly Father knows all things and that he loves me more then I can comprehend and therefore things will work out for my good if I only humble myself enough to trust him.

Sundrops through the Rain

There are some days that I am just so thankful for the Book of Mormon. Because Heavenly Father uses it to speak to each of us individually. Today was one of those days when he used one verse to speak specifically to me.

Alma 31:31
"O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me..."

The word affliction stood out to me because I am having the hardest semester I've ever had before, boy when it rains it pours. But when I reflected on this scripture and how it applies to me the spirit brought other scriptures to my mind (I love it when that happens ;) ).
First I was reminded of this scripture:
D&C 121: 7
"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;"

Then that scripture made me think of this one:
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Using these three scriptures created a conversation between me and Heavenly Father in my head. Alma 31 was what I said, and D&C and Isaiah are what Heavenly Father said in reply. We all have these times in our lives where we cry out to Heavenly Father for help, comfort and strength, and the wonderful thing is, and that I testify of, is that he ALWAYS answers. Whether it is through the scriptures, thoughts to our minds or through the people around us he always answers. Life is still hard, and everyone once in awhile I'll probably be angry about it, but I'm grateful for the little sundrops that Heavenly Father sends down to us through the rain. That's why I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon today!

The Precious Things

Wow I haven't posted in a long time and I am very out of practice. My Book of Mormon class this semester is fantastic. It has been so long since I have done a good study of the Book of Mormon and I am learning a lot. There are so many little tidbits in the scriptures that are easy to miss but can mean so much! One such tidbit for me this week was Jacob 1:2 :

"And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious;"

I wonder how Jacob felt to receive that charge. Overwhelmed I am sure. This made me wonder, what things would I write? What things would I consider to be most precious? This led me to think about two things; recording me life/spiritual impressions and experiences, and what is most important to me (as well as prioritizing those things). Being a family history major and all you'd think I'd be real good at keeping a personal history and journal right? Ha! My journal entries are very few and far between and rarely full of important information. I get overwhelmed at all the things I could write (and plus what crazy busy college student ever has time for that?) and when I do write is often ends up being about what I did that day. Jacob has taught me that focusing on writing the precious things (which for me is spiritual experiences or lessons I'm learning through my lifelong challenges). Because what we write should be real, and it should be things that we need to remember in the future. The second part, what is important to me and prioritizing was a good self check and a reminder that I need to be more active in making sure I put the Lord first in my life! Thanks for the lesson and reminder Jacob!