Charity (Good Works VE1)

Charity is the pure love of Christ. I don't think it is a coincidence that it is also used as a synonym for service. The Savior taught us to love one another and to serve one another.

King Benjamin teaches that when we are in the service of our fellow man, we are in the service of our God. (Mosiah 2:17)

President Monson last night during the Christmas Devotional spoke of unselfish service as he recalled the story "The Mansion" by Henry Van Dyke.

1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most well known scriptures, and thought it would be an interesting exercise to read it by thinking about service and serving others.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Standards for Better Living (C&A VE6)

There are standards that the LDS Church encourages its youth to have. These standards include dressing modestly, remaining sexually pure, choosing uplifting media and avoiding offensive material (including pornography and profanity). Other standards include being responsible for the consequences of our actions, having gratitude, continually learning, building strong family relationships, and having friends with similar values, and being an example to others through service and faith.

These standards are found in the "For the Strength of Youth" Pamphlet. The first presidency says this about the standards in this pamphlet:

"We promise that as you keep these standards and live by the truths in the scriptures, you will be able to do your life’s work with greater wisdom and skill and bear trials with greater courage. You will have the help of the Holy Ghost. You will feel good about yourself and will be a positive influence in the lives of others. You will be worthy to go to the temple to receive holy ordinances. These blessings and many more can be yours."

These standards reflect the standards that are required to remain worthy to become a member of the church as well as to enter the temple and receive the blessings therein. On of these standards is following the Word of Wisdom, found in D&C 89. The Word of Wisdom tells us to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea and all substances that may be addictive, to eat meats sparingly, and to eat plenty of healthy fruits, grains and herbs in their season with a spirit of gratitude.

D&C 18-21 promises us that "all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen."

Even though I am a convert, I never really drank alcohol and coffee, and I believe I am healthier because of it and it has made my transplants much easier. Before my last transplant, I was able to also get in better shape and lost 10 pounds. I have since gained that back, but it helped me to recover faster from the surgery. I also know I can do it again and I am working right now on eating better and getting stronger.

After fighting CMV and Guilliame-Barre Syndrome, it has been difficult to do, but I have slowly been getting my strength back. I am just taking my vitamins, trying to watch what I eat, and exercising a little at a time. I hope in 6 months, I will be a little bit lighter and have less blood pressure meds to have to take.

Habits for Wise Choices (C&A VE5)

We are told to not only read the scriptures, but to really study them and take them in. "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3).

And through "feasting" on the scriptures, we can gain wisdom. Heavenly Father will not just give us all the answers, though. We must ponder it in our hearts and pray about it. He expects us to be able to make a concerted effort make an educated decision and then bring it to him.

"...behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong;..." (D&C 9:8-9)

My patriarchal blessing tells me to read my scriptures and to include the recent words of the latter-day prophets. It also reminds me to say my prayers, and to do the things I should be doing. I haven't been the best at scripture reading or saying my personal prayers, but Bryan and I always pray together and we are trying to get better everyday.

Being in the hospital, I thought would make it easier to read my scriptures, but it didn't. Now that I'm out and doing better, I'm definitely trying to start making better habits. Ultimately, I know that having good habits and being in the right places can lead to having the Spirit with us. And having the Spirit with us can help us when we do have the big decisions to make in our lives.

The Influence of the Holy Ghost (C&A VE4)

We all are able to be touched by the power of the Holy Ghost. After we are baptized, though, we are able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. This gift allows us to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost if we live worthy.

It is through the power of the Holy Ghost that we can gain a testimony of the gospel, and as Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon teaches us, "...when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:4-5)

I have prayed and received a testimony of not only the Book of Mormon, but of the truths that I have learned from reading it as well as the other works of scriptures. I know that the gospel has been restored in its fullness and that the heavens are open. Personal revelation is very real through the Spirit. He not only can warn us and give us inspiration but is a witness of truth. It is through this truth that we can find peace.

John 16:13 says, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

The one place I feel the Spirit the strongest is at the temple. There is a peace there that can't be found anywhere else. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit speaks to us all differently, and if we are able to put our own thought aside for a few brief moments and listen, sometimes we can hear that still small voice of the Comforter.

Peace through Repentance (C&A VE3)

In the union at the university, we will get religious "fanatics" who come in preaching that everyone is going to burn in hell. This is a turn off for many, though for others it seems to be entertainment. The true gospel is a gospel of love, and preaching fire and damnation are not love at all. Secondly, no one wants to be told that they are being wicked, but especially not from a self-proclaimed "evangelical" who probably isn't very perfect himself. It does make me think of Samuel who was on the wall preaching near the end of the Book of Mormon. I wonder what they thought of him.

According to the Bible Dictionary, repentance is derived from the Greek word denoting a change of mind. In the scriptures, this comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God. After faith in the Lord, repentance is the next principal of the gospel and is necessary for our salvation. Once we have gained a testimony of the gospel, we are asked to repent.

Alma 34:30–32 says, "And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance...if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

So what does it mean to repent? It means that we acknowledge our sin, ask for forgiveness from the Lord and those we may have affected, try to right the wrong, and forsake the sin by not doing it again. We also must forgive ourselves. If we do not take the opportunity in this life to take these steps, it will only be more difficult in the spirit world. We will be the same in spirit as we are now. In addition, repentance is only made possible through the infinite sacrifice of the atonement. "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent." (D&C 19:16)

Some people believe that you are "saved" once you are baptized. It is true that baptism by the proper authority is necessary for salvation, and Moroni calls this the first fruits of repentance (Moroni 8:25). However, even once we are baptized, we must continue to repent. Every Sunday, we take the Sacrament to renew the covenants we made at baptism. This is important for our salvation, for if we could only take the steps of baptism once in our lives, we would not have a way to progress. There is more than one kingdom of glory and we should not be satisfied with the minimum requirements.

Alma 26:22 lists powerful blessings of repentance: "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance."

Repentance not only brings us wisdom and knowledge that can only be revealed through the Holy Ghost, but also leads us to peace and happiness, which also come through the Spirit.

"...the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God." (Moroni 8:26)

A Day to Be Thankful

Today is a day to be thankful for the blessings in our lives, and I thought I would take the time to share some of the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this country and the freedoms that I have, this time I was born in, and the technologies that make our lives better and more fulfilling.

I am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend and eternal companion and someone whom I could not have made it through the last five years without.

I am thankful for my health (part of which has been a great trial but made me stronger), the families of the transplant donors that have given me and countless others an opportunity for a normal life, and the blessings I have had to heal and overcome the complications.

I am thankful for my job, the opportunity I have had to get an education, and the ability to serve others and make the world a better place.

I am thankful for friends who are always there for you even when time and distance have become great dividers in our lives, for my ancestors who came before me, and eternal families.

Finally, I am thankful for the restoration of the gospel and the priesthood on the Earth, a Heavenly Father that knows and loves me, and the opportunity to one day become like him.

The Light of Christ (C&A VE2)

Whether we have made covenants or even have received the commandments, we all have the light of Christ with us. It is this light that helps us to know good from evil.

Moroni 7:16-19 says this about the light of Christ:

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. 17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. 18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged. 19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.

We are meant to progress in this life. By choosing the good, we can increase our knowledge and understanding, and this "Light" can be with us stronger. Light itself is a very unique thing. We know on the gospel side that light is synonymous with truth and with the spirit. In the scientific world, light can be related to energy, heat, reaction, and frequency. It is interesting to ponder this grouping of words and think of how the molecules we are made up of are affected by light.

Some of us choose unwisely, however, against the light and start a sad and lonely cycle of regression. I have met people like this. It is a sad experience because you have to accept their agency. All you can do is pray for them, be an example, and know that the atonement will be there for them when they are ready. On the same token, sometimes we are the ones that have found ourselves slipping in that direction. We can try and justify our actions, even though we know what we are doing is wrong. But we must not forget that it is never too late to reverse the cycle through repentance, remembering the miracle of forgiveness and the power of the atonement.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all...if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:5,7)