So here are my thoughts/notes from Conference last weekend. It took me a while to compile them, but here they are.
We are meant to age for with it comes the knowledge of the truth.
There are few things more powerful than the faithful prayers of a righteous mother.
We are not free to choose the consequences of our choices. They will come as they come.
"Let every man be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgement." what scripture?
We need to be careful of the tolerance trap. Exaggeration of any virtue leads it to become a vice.
Learn to receive and act on inspiration and revelation!
In order to successfully survive tempests of life, we must build on a sure foundation...the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Daily searching the scriptures, praying, and choosing the right will help keep our spiritual foundation firm. Partaking of the Sacrament weekly will help us continuously improve and have His spirit with us always. Attending the temple often is vital as well to help us keep an eternal perspective.
None of us would knowingly construct a house on a poor foundation. So let us anchor our lives to the Savior to be sure our souls have a solid foundation.
We are daughters of an exalted Being. We have a Heavenly Father. Do not forget that!
What e'er thou art, act well thy part. As daughters of God we need to act well that part.
"I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise"
"We must never lose sight of the strength of the women." -Pres. Hinckley
How do parents help their daughters realize their divine nature? Exemplify virtuous womanhood, How you love and honor your husband and his priesthood will be an example for your daughter. Virtue is the strength and power of daughters of God.
Scriptures are written on the back of the carpet in the Conference Center, and under the pulpit is the scripture Mosiah 18:9 "Stand as a witness of God in all times, in all things, and in all places."
The Lord loves us and wants us to understand His desire to forgive us.
It is only thru virtue of His compassion that we can overcome the world.
As often as we seek His forgiveness, He will forgive us again and again!
Rationalized false faith doesn't justify sin. When our hearts are not pointed toward Him but instead take pleasure in our sin, we are not truly repentant.
During this talk I was reminded of what a friend said recently. She said "We're off course 90% of the time, but if we are constantly trying to get back on the course, we will make it to our destination safely."
"In the day of wrath, I will remember mercy" what scripture?
Repent and live, though your sins be crimson red, repent and He'll forgive. from Gently Raise the Sacred Strain
The Priesthood is the power that created the Earth and Heavens. It is that same power the Savior used during His mortal ministry to perform miracles.
Priesthood power and authority comes only when those who hold it are worthy and act in accordance with God's will.
A man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman. Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man. So to establish a priesthood based eternal family, a man and woman must do so together equally.
We have unlimited divine potential. But if we drift away and become spiritually malnourished we can wilt like the little girls tomato plant. We can be renewed however with the light and power of the gospel if we come back to our covenants and our Savior.
Regardless of your circumstances, you can center your home around the Lord Jesus Christ. When He is the center of your home there is a sense of peace and serenity.
It is the parent's role to lead, but children can help build the Spirit within the home. They must be held accountable for their actions so they can grow to become trustworthy members of the kingdom of God.
Apply sound gospel prinicples in your home. Remember little things lead to big things. So forgetting little things that we may forget to do can lead to big trials of faith.
Satan is no match for the Savior! Satan's fate is decided. He will try to exploit your weaknesses if you give in to him. Stay on the lord's side and you will come out ahead every time!
Used with discipline personal technological devices can serve as a protection for you. Use them to read uplifting material wherever you may be.
Be careful with how you use technology. If you memorized scriptures instead of sending a text, imagine how many scriptures you would know after just a short period.
Acting obediently on spiritual promptings will increase your ability to do the will of the Lord.
Selfishness is the root of great evil!
Focus our lives outward in service to others.
When we obey the commandments of the Lord and serve others unselfishly, the result is power from the Lord. One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is a christ-centered home.
We need to trust in the Lord and acknowledge His will in all things.
Living an obedient life provides the greatest assurance for peace and refuge in our homes. So even in the midst of difficutly we can enjoy abundant peace and security.
Peace will never come to the world until the world acknowledges the Savior and His ultimate power.
Peace is the gift of God. It is an abiding deep happiness and spiritual contentment.
Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and what we are going through.
God is not the author of confusion, but the authpr of peace.
Worldly ways of trying to gain peace will never work! Pray always, make covenants, be a true disciple of Jesus Christ these are ways to find true peace.
The Savior is the source of true peace. righteous living will be rewarded with true peace.
Stick to the basics. Nothing is more basic than our first Article of faith. We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost.
We are not spiritual orphans! We have Heavenly parents! We can follow their examples, we don't have to be lost, deceived, or confused. We can follow the way they taught us to live by sending their Son Jesus Christ to follow His example.
One of the evils of these days is that everyone wants to walk according to their own desires. we must walk after the way of the Lord.
The Lord has shown us the way to love. The world tells us that all that matters is that two people love each other. While that is important, there is an authorized way and time to express that love.
He know best how to help. Ask for His assistance to know what He needs you to do.
Why is the law of chastity so important?
Our ability to be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel are amplified with our physical bodies.
The man and the woman are intended to learn from each other.
The power of creation is spritiually significant. Specific guidelines for the ability to create life are part of Heavenly Father's plan for us.
Sex is a way to strengthen the relationship between a woman and a man bonded as husband and wife.
Every appetite, passion, and desire of the natural man may be overcome in and thru the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Lucifer tempts us to use our bodies improperly. Therefore our bodies (that which he does not have) becomes his main way of attacking us.
Disciplining the natural man in each of us
Love increases thru righteous restraint and decreases thru impulsive indulgence.
Our innate longing to belong is fulfilled in righteousness as we walk in light and hope.
Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body...a warning of danger and a sign to change course.
The resluts of sincere repentance is spiritual healing.
"Catch the wave" of mission work.
This wave is not manmade. It was from divine origins and started with 7 simple words: "This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!"
"I never told you I was perfect, but there is no error in the revelations I have taught." -Joseph Smith
God's light is real. It is available to all! It has the power to soften the sting of the darkest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness of our souls and illuminate the path before us.This is the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
We can't sit in a dark room and wait for some one to flip the switch! We have to act in faith to turn the light on ourselves by opening our eyes to the light.
How do we open our eyes to the light?
*Start where you are right now. The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, the reality of His light will being to enlighten your soul.
*Turn your heart towards the Lord's. Acknowledge your short comings, plead with Him for strength and support, ask that your eyes may be open to see His light.
*Walk in the Light! He wants us to rise up and become the person we are supposed to be. For that reason, He sent His Son to show us what to do. He also gave us the gospel so we may know exactly what we must do.
Darkness cannot exist in the presence of light.
In the midst of great darkness, we can be the light that shines forth to brighten the lives of others.
Our living hope is in Jesus Christ! He is the doorway to divine enlightenment. Learn of Him and of His gospel.
Joyfully serve our God!
Faith overcomes doubt in every situation! We just need to exercise that faith!
We are few in number, but at the same time, we are eye witnesses that the "stone cut without hands" is filling the whole Earth.
Our desire to share the gospel should bring all of us to our knees in prayer!
One of the greatest effects a person can have in this world is to influence a child.
That voice from heaven was one giving firm direction while giving hope, it was not harsh, demeaning, or loud.
How we speak to our children can strengthen them or diminish them.
To speak to a child's heart we must know that child's needs. Our efforts are magnified when we seek the direction of the Holy Ghost.
We must more often technologically disconnect. Our ability to connect with our children diminishes as we use technology to distract them or pacify them.
What would we say to our families in less than 25 words if we hadn't seen them in 2 years?
Will it make a difference if we take the time to whisper to them everyday "You are a child of God." or "I love everything about you!"
We can learn so much by watching and then considering what we have seen and heard.
*Value the marriage- In the happiest marriages both the husband and wife consider their relationship to be a pearl of great worth. They know that no other relationship can bring as much happiness.
*Faith is central to their marriages. Their mutual quest is to be obedient and good. They don't consider the commandments to be a buffet from which they can choose which ones to obey. Keeping the commandments is fundamental to happy eternal marriages.
*Repentance-happy marriages rely on the gift of repentance. Humility is the essence of repentance. It doesn't speak with moral superiority, it answers softly and listens quietly looking for understanding, not vindication. We should treat our spouse with meekness seeking to bless and put the other first in every decision.
*Respect- husbands and wives treat each other as equals. They make decisions unanimously. They focus first on the home and helping with shared responsibilities. They forgo personal entertaniment to help with their household duties. There is also transparency.
*Love- cleave means to be completely devoted to another person. Their marriage is their first priority! They don't allow things to come first to their spouse. They love each other fully!
Marriage is a gift from God to us, and the quality of our marriage is a gift from us to Him.
Secularism is beginning to be the norm. Many of it's teachings are in contradiction to the laws of God.
If you would be a man and live abundantly, then obey God's law!
Obedience to law is liberty!
Next to love itself, free agency is God's greatest gift to mankind.
None of us should ever under estimate how driven Satan is to destroy us.
For man to substitute his own laws for God's is detrimental to all society.
As we give up commitments and fidelity to our marriage covenants, we remove the glue that holds our society together.
Indeed our heaven is little more than a projection of our home in eternity.
There are moral absolutes! Sin will always be sin! Disobedience to His commandments will always deprive us of His blessings.
We must not pick and choose which commandments are important to keep! They are all important!
He that keeps God's commandments will know His will and be enlightened.
A loving Heavenly Father has charted a course for our lives. We follow that course through obedience.
Life would be simpler for us if we were obedient to the simple commandments He has given us.
The happiness, peace, progress, prosperity, salvation, and exaltation of the LDS lie in walking in obedience to the laws of God.
The Savior set the example for all of us with His unwavering obedience! "Follow Thou Me."
The strength to survive today can be ours when we willingly obey the Lords commandments.
Even if you can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you until you come to believe.
He shared the story of the father in the New Testament who had an afflicted son who asked that his son be healed. When Jesus said that "all things are possible if you believe" the father responded "Oh Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief." The rest of Elder Holland's talk refers to the example of this father.
When facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first, then acknowledges his weakness second. In troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if it is small! *When questions arise, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes!
The size of your faith is not your issue, it is the integrity you show to the faith you already have.
*When problems arise, don't lead with your unbelief. An expression of doubt is not a higher testament of experience than a simple admission of faith.
You have more faith than you think you do.
In this church, what we know will always trump what we don't know!
All in this life must walk by faith! So be kind to yourself in your struggles of faith.
*When doubt or difficulty come, don't be afraid to ask for help.
Belief is a precious word and even a more precious act. It is always the first step to conviction.
Only at our peril will allow doubt or devils to distract us.
Hope on! Journey on! Fan the flame of your Faith! Because all things are possible to them that believe!
If your testimony is struggling, lean on mine!
Jesus taught that baptism by immersion is necessary. We do likewise. He taught us to repent. that is still the call of His servants today. He told us to follow the commandments even though it might not be popular in the world. We still to try to do so.
Jesus' teachings were not meant to be theoretical. They were always meant to be acted upon.
Following Christ is not a casual commitment. It is something we do throughout our lives.
He taught us to pray, which is what we still do today.
At the heart of the Gospel is a true understanding of the nature of the Father and the Son.
They are two separate Beings with one divine purpose. That oneness in purpose is not reserved for them alone. They desire us to be one with them as well.
Nothing will startle us more when we leave this life than to realize how well we know our Father in Heaven and recognize His face.
There is a school for parenting...it is called home.
Lessons from this school
*The temple is the place. In order to obtain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, one must enter this covenant.
*In order to contend, you need 2 people, and I will never be one of them. We also have to live a Celestial life
*A child who sings, is a happy child.
*I need you to hug me. The words "I love you" and "I'm sorry" can heal wounds faster than any others. We need to express love!
*I love the Book of Mormon and my Savior Jesus Christ.
*It is not enough to know the scriptures. We must live them!
The feeling of being accepted by someone we love is a basic human need. It increases our sense of self worth and confidence.
Seeking acceptance for the wrong reasons of from the wrong sources puts us on a path to destruction.
See that ye look to God and live! They are the ultimate source of loving acceptance.
Here is a pattern for acceptance
*Know that our hearts are honest and broken. How do we know that? We must engage in honest and open self-examination. We know our own motives better than anybody else. We will be taught by the Holy Ghost.
*Know that our spirit is contrite. We acknowledge our sins and shortcomings we are teachable and willing to repent. Willing to change!
*A conscious decision to observe our covenants through sacrifice. Too often we think of sacrifice as something big and hard to do, but most often it's living righteously day to day. It includes partaking of the sacrament every week.
Having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion is the ultimate sign of being accepted of Heavenly Father.
We live in an era of turbulence and uncertainty, yet we too have cause for good cheer and rejoicing because we live in a time when God has restored His gospel to the Earth in preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior.
We can exclaim with happiness "Oh what a beautiful morning"
The greatest service we can provide for others in this life is to bring them to the Gospel.
There are great reasons for rejoicing even among our disappointments and heartaches. If we put our trust in the Lord, He will help us through our difficulties no matter what they may be.
Be humble and prayerful having the faith that our Heavenly Father can guide and bless us in our lives.
May you nurture and nourish your testimonies of God so you can stand against the buffetings of Satan.
My thoughts:
In all, it was a fantastic weekend! Lots of things that I can definitely apply in my life. This is always a good time for self-reflection and I'm grateful for the whisperings and promptings that I felt during this weekend. I know that God wants to help us in our lives and He uses opportunities like this to whisper to our hearts the things we need to repent of, be grateful for, and improve. I pray that you all were able to feel how much Heavenly Father loves you while either watching the conference or reading my little recap here! Love you all!
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