Today I would like to share a thought from Elder Russell M. Nelson. One of Satan's missions is to try and convince us that our efforts here are in vain, but the message from our Father is far different:
"In our quest for faith, hope, and charity, we must beware of the dangers of doubt, despair, or disdain for the divine. Moroni so taught: 'If ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.' (Moroni 10:22)
"Each of you is special, valued, and needed in building the kingdom of God. The adversary is also aware of your worth and will surely taunt you. When Satan's temptations come your way, please remember this counsel from Alma:
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear... Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts." (Alma 13:28-29)
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Friday, October 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Developing On Our Own (9/22/2009)
“There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned.” - President Spencer W. Kimball
My fifth grader has been assigned a report on a famous person to be completed next month. The teacher has outlined the steps he is to take to complete the report, from compiling data on the person to writing the rough and final drafts of the report. It represents a fairly substantial effort, and with the progress he has made based on the effort he has put into the report so far, I confess that I am a bit concerned about his ability to finish it.
Now I am certain that if I wanted to, I could write this report for him, complete with citations, good spelling, and passable grammar. It would not take nearly as much effort as it is taking him, and the results would probably be better. The only problem with a plan like that is that it would not give him the chance to learn what is involved in writing a report, so when he gets to junior high, high school, or college, he will still not know what is involved in that process. Further, the chances are good that if he is ever able to develop this skill, it will be more difficult to learn it later than if he were to learn it now.
Our Father in Heaven wants to give us the same opportunity to learn. He could give us the knowledge and resources we need to overcome every challenge, but were He to do that, we would be deprived of the chance to learn from our own experiences. It is good to ask for our Father's help while we are here on Earth, but as President Kimball says, we still need to do all that we can on our own to learn and grow.
My fifth grader has been assigned a report on a famous person to be completed next month. The teacher has outlined the steps he is to take to complete the report, from compiling data on the person to writing the rough and final drafts of the report. It represents a fairly substantial effort, and with the progress he has made based on the effort he has put into the report so far, I confess that I am a bit concerned about his ability to finish it.
Now I am certain that if I wanted to, I could write this report for him, complete with citations, good spelling, and passable grammar. It would not take nearly as much effort as it is taking him, and the results would probably be better. The only problem with a plan like that is that it would not give him the chance to learn what is involved in writing a report, so when he gets to junior high, high school, or college, he will still not know what is involved in that process. Further, the chances are good that if he is ever able to develop this skill, it will be more difficult to learn it later than if he were to learn it now.
Our Father in Heaven wants to give us the same opportunity to learn. He could give us the knowledge and resources we need to overcome every challenge, but were He to do that, we would be deprived of the chance to learn from our own experiences. It is good to ask for our Father's help while we are here on Earth, but as President Kimball says, we still need to do all that we can on our own to learn and grow.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Living our Heritage (7/22/2009)
Where we will celebrate the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake valley this Friday, I wanted to share a thought with you today about our pioneer heritage. Instead, I found a quote from Elder L. Tom Perry that was a good reminder of just how valuable our pioneer heritage is:
"I was shocked by a statistic that crossed my desk a few weeks ago. It stated that only thirteen percent of the children being reared in our country today come from traditional homes consisting of a working father, a stay-at-home mother, and one or more children. Each day we see the effects of the breakup of the traditional home. There is an alarming increase in the number of battered wives, physically and sexually abused children, vandalism in schools, teenage crime rates, pregnancies among unmarried teenagers, and elderly people growing old without the solace of an extended family.
"Our present prophet has warned us that the home is the place to save society. A proper home, of course, is not created automatically when a boy and girl fall in love and marry. It takes those same virtues that were taught in pioneer homes - faith, courage, discipline, and dedication - to make the success of a marriage. But just as those pioneers made a desert blossom as a rose, so it will happen in our lives and in our homes if we follow their traditions and follow the great heritage that they establish in these valleys of the mountains. Yes, a pioneer faith is needed as much in the world today as in any period of time. Once again, we need to know that heritage. We need to teach it; we need to be proud of it; we need to preserve it."
As a father of six children, I have seen the wide eyes that say "why would you have so many?" I have been scoffed by others when they hear that I practice my religion. But just as Elder Perry talked about here, I know that by living the values and religion that those pioneers fought to preserve, my life and the lives of my family will be better.
"I was shocked by a statistic that crossed my desk a few weeks ago. It stated that only thirteen percent of the children being reared in our country today come from traditional homes consisting of a working father, a stay-at-home mother, and one or more children. Each day we see the effects of the breakup of the traditional home. There is an alarming increase in the number of battered wives, physically and sexually abused children, vandalism in schools, teenage crime rates, pregnancies among unmarried teenagers, and elderly people growing old without the solace of an extended family.
"Our present prophet has warned us that the home is the place to save society. A proper home, of course, is not created automatically when a boy and girl fall in love and marry. It takes those same virtues that were taught in pioneer homes - faith, courage, discipline, and dedication - to make the success of a marriage. But just as those pioneers made a desert blossom as a rose, so it will happen in our lives and in our homes if we follow their traditions and follow the great heritage that they establish in these valleys of the mountains. Yes, a pioneer faith is needed as much in the world today as in any period of time. Once again, we need to know that heritage. We need to teach it; we need to be proud of it; we need to preserve it."
As a father of six children, I have seen the wide eyes that say "why would you have so many?" I have been scoffed by others when they hear that I practice my religion. But just as Elder Perry talked about here, I know that by living the values and religion that those pioneers fought to preserve, my life and the lives of my family will be better.
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