"As you seek to be like the Savior, be careful what your eyes wash over.
We need to be careful to more often let our eyes wash over the things of God."
"The Sabbath should be the middle of the week, not the beginning or end. The center of our week with the Sacrament the center of the Sabbath. That should be the center of our lives." --Elder Stevensen
"Treat what you hear from your leaders in council (in meetings) like it is a war council and act on them accordingly." --Sister Evans
How would you change both how you listen and how you act in response to what is discussed?
Our local mission president shared a story about an African child that brought his teacher a beautiful shell as a gift. The teacher asked where he got it from. He named a certain bay that would have required many hours and much difficulty to go to. The teacher expressed astonishment, "Do you mean you walked all that way to get this for me? That is too much!"
The child sheepishly replied, "Long walk part of gift."
The mission president compared this to the life of our Savior: his life of poverty, his tribulations, his challenges...all these things, His very long walk through mortality, are part of His gift to us.
****************
President Nelson's challenge: First, what would your life be like without the Book of Mormon?
Wow! I have never really thought about that! I don't know. I have been blessed with parents that had us read together as a family regularly. Maybe not daily, but they did a good job trying for consistency enough that I felt it was regular :D. So I have not felt much of a difference. Actually, I have felt it in our own home, though, when we go a few days without it. Something feels less...less strong, less sure, less safe.
Personally, I know that when I have gone to it for safety, security and comfort, I have always found it. So I guess my life wouldn't have that surety, that safety.
I wonder if I would be here. I have had pretty extreme ranges of emotions in association with depression or hard experiences and know that it is has been eternal perspective that has saved me.
Second, what would you not know?
I wouldn't know how to more peacefully resolve things as in Pahoran's and Moroni's interchange.
I wouldn't know about Nephi in the book of Helaman and how he was given the power to do anything because God knew he would not ask amiss.
I would not know the more complete view of charity that is found in Moroni 7.
I wouldn't know that God sometimes asks us to obey the deeper law of trust and faith as exemplified when Nephi slays Laban.
I would not know so surely about how sometimes bad things happen to good things, as in Alma and Amulek.
And third, what would you not have?
I would not have Nephi's psalm as a comfort.
I would not have Alma's contrast of sin and sorrow so beautifully set forth.
I wouldn't have the passages that beautifully testify of the Savior, bringing the reality of His atonment to my heart.
I would not have the heroes in my heart that I turn to regularly: King Benjamin, Nephi, Moroni (the captain) and Moroni (the military historian), Alma the Younger, Lamoni's father who would give away all his sins to know God.
A sure knowledge that sometimes what we do will receive no visible effect after studying again and again the accounts of Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite...a faith in a God's promptings that may seem crazy but can be trusted.
I would love to hear the answers of others, if they want to post them below or post a link to where they shared their thoughts :D.
And what you learned today on your Sabbath!
Happy Sunday!
We need to be careful to more often let our eyes wash over the things of God."
"The Sabbath should be the middle of the week, not the beginning or end. The center of our week with the Sacrament the center of the Sabbath. That should be the center of our lives." --Elder Stevensen
"Treat what you hear from your leaders in council (in meetings) like it is a war council and act on them accordingly." --Sister Evans
How would you change both how you listen and how you act in response to what is discussed?
Our local mission president shared a story about an African child that brought his teacher a beautiful shell as a gift. The teacher asked where he got it from. He named a certain bay that would have required many hours and much difficulty to go to. The teacher expressed astonishment, "Do you mean you walked all that way to get this for me? That is too much!"
The child sheepishly replied, "Long walk part of gift."
The mission president compared this to the life of our Savior: his life of poverty, his tribulations, his challenges...all these things, His very long walk through mortality, are part of His gift to us.
****************
President Nelson's challenge: First, what would your life be like without the Book of Mormon?
Wow! I have never really thought about that! I don't know. I have been blessed with parents that had us read together as a family regularly. Maybe not daily, but they did a good job trying for consistency enough that I felt it was regular :D. So I have not felt much of a difference. Actually, I have felt it in our own home, though, when we go a few days without it. Something feels less...less strong, less sure, less safe.
Personally, I know that when I have gone to it for safety, security and comfort, I have always found it. So I guess my life wouldn't have that surety, that safety.
I wonder if I would be here. I have had pretty extreme ranges of emotions in association with depression or hard experiences and know that it is has been eternal perspective that has saved me.
Second, what would you not know?
I wouldn't know how to more peacefully resolve things as in Pahoran's and Moroni's interchange.
I wouldn't know about Nephi in the book of Helaman and how he was given the power to do anything because God knew he would not ask amiss.
I would not know the more complete view of charity that is found in Moroni 7.
I wouldn't know that God sometimes asks us to obey the deeper law of trust and faith as exemplified when Nephi slays Laban.
I would not know so surely about how sometimes bad things happen to good things, as in Alma and Amulek.
And third, what would you not have?
I would not have Nephi's psalm as a comfort.
I would not have Alma's contrast of sin and sorrow so beautifully set forth.
I wouldn't have the passages that beautifully testify of the Savior, bringing the reality of His atonment to my heart.
I would not have the heroes in my heart that I turn to regularly: King Benjamin, Nephi, Moroni (the captain) and Moroni (the military historian), Alma the Younger, Lamoni's father who would give away all his sins to know God.
A sure knowledge that sometimes what we do will receive no visible effect after studying again and again the accounts of Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite...a faith in a God's promptings that may seem crazy but can be trusted.
I would love to hear the answers of others, if they want to post them below or post a link to where they shared their thoughts :D.
And what you learned today on your Sabbath!
Happy Sunday!
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