July Message

I finally had a chance to sit down and read the First Presidency Message. (Full Article)

WOW! I was amazed at how close to home it hit. Again, how grateful I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What a wonderful thing modern revelation is. Our prophets and apostles are so in tune with the workings of the world, they truly offer inspired guidance in our day. They are a lighthouse in the storm, because of their worthiness to receive direct revelation from our Heavenly Father and elder brother Jesus Christ.

Here are a couple of excerpts that really stood out for me.

"Whatever our challenges in life may be, our burdens may become light if we not only believe in Christ but also in His ability and His power to cleanse and console our lives. Our lives are healed as we accept His peace...

Another source of strength was a letter written by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison, addressed to Timothy, his most trusted assistant and friend. He wrote:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:7–8).

These words from one of the ancient Apostles of our Savior rang with great importance for me in postwar times, even as they do today. Yet how many of us permit our fears to take control of our lives in this time of international tension, economic and political uncertainties, and personal challenges?"

Hello $4 gas! Times are tough! I find myself in almost a panic attack when I think about our economy, my income, and job stability. It seems as prices for gas and food continue to rise, but my salary stays the same, things get tighter. How does one make ends meet, when it was hard before all the economic problems? It is probably one of the worst feelings in the world, when you look into your bank account and then calculate all the upcoming bills, only to realize you don't have enough to cover them.

I guess this is where that scripture comes in. These are not feelings from our Heavenly Father. These are feelings from Satan himself. Satan wants us to become discouraged, and possibly do something that would temporally and spiritually damage ourselves and/or our families. But Paul testifies that God gives us the spirit of power, love and a sound mind. President Uchtdorf also tells us that believing in Christ is not enough! We must also believe in His ability and His power to cleanse and console our lives. This will require us to tune out the noise of the world, and focus on the gospel and trust in the Lord and His capabilities (which are endless and incomprehensible).

Which brings me to my next excerpt.

"There may be times when we feel overwhelmed, hurt, or on the edge of discouragement as we are trying so hard to be perfect members of the Church. Be assured, there is balm in Gilead. Let us listen to the prophets of our day as they help us to focus on the things that are central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The Lord knows us, He loves us, He wants us to succeed, and He encourages us by saying: “And see that all … things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [men or women] should run faster than [they have] strength. … [But] it is expedient that [they] should be diligent” (Mosiah 4:27).

Are we diligent in living the commandments of God, without running beyond our strength? Or are we just leisurely strolling along? Are we using our time, talents, and means wisely? Are we focused on the things which matter most? Are we following the inspired counsel of the prophets?"

President Uchtdorf then explains how vital it is for us to strengthen our families. He states that Family Home Evening is a great way to do this, and that it should not be overlooked. After reading the excerpt above, my mouth seemed to drop open and I said to myself "He is talking to me!" Unfortunately I am guilty of leisurely strolling along in life, especially right now. It seems that when life gets tough and wears me out to the point I need a break, I tend to mentally and spiritually go on a temporary vacation. As most of us know, its harder to go back to work after you have taken a long vacation. That is where I am right now in my life, trying to get back to work (spiritually speaking). But how do we endure to the end, without exerting all of our strength? One answer to this problem I believe, President Uchtdorf answered. He said "In His kindness, He has given us prophets to teach us His eternal truths and guide us in living His gospel." This answer strengthens my testimony in prophets, and makes me want to study their words harder.

I have always looked up to and respected President Thomas S. Monson. But after President Gordon B. Hinckley died, I have felt a void there.

Last week was Fast & Testimony meeting in our church, and a member of the Bishopric, who was conducting, said something that I found sort of odd. He said that after President Monson was called as the new prophet, he knelt down and prayed for a confirmation if that was true. I was surprised. Somewhere over the course of my life, I guess I have decided to just go along with things. I just assumed that President Monson was called of God, to be the prophet of His church. It didn't even occur to me that I should be praying for confirmation.

You see, this is when I started to realize that I am "leisurely strolling along" in life. It is time for a drastic change, and that was my main reason for starting this blog. I feel it has forced me to start thinking more on a spiritual note, and become more diligent in living the commandments of God. Did it happen overnight? Ha, I wish! No, it has been a struggle the last few days, but I have seen a change within myself. I guess that is the first step.