All posts tagged Faith

Handmade Gospel Book for Youth – Part 2

This is the second part of the gospel book I’m making for my daughter who will be twelve next summer. You can see part one here.

Faith

For the second major part of this book, I concentrated on Faith. Before starting this group, I studied a little bit about faith – what I wanted my daughter to understand about it. I tried to remember that she is turning 12 – I wanted to gear it toward her age. I also found a few of the standards from For the Strength of the Youth that could be grouped with Faith.

Faith I

A few thoughts about Faith.


These pages speak about faith in general terms. I thought back to when I was twelve. I couldn’t remember what I thought or knew about faith. I’m pretty sure that when I thought of faith, I thought of the object lesson where someone falls backwards – hoping that their friend will catch them.

I quoted Alma 32:21, and encouraged Tiger to memorize it. Then, I explained a little bit about the scripture. Finally, I encouraged her to do what she could to cultivate her faith.

Faith II

An Illustration of Alma’s lesson on a seed of faith.

In this layout, I wanted to help Tiger understand Alma 32, where Alma likens faith to a seed. I included eight steps: Experiment upon the word, plant a seed in your heart, a good seed will swell, the seed will sprout if it is good, the seed will grow and knowledge replaces faith, exercise more faith to nurture your testimony, if you neglect the tree it dies, and diligence brings for fruit.

The Plan of Salvation

Illustrated Plan of Salvation Part One

Illustration of the Plan of Salvation – Part Two

Illustrated plan of Salvation – Part three

Illustrated Plan of Salvation – Part Four

The Next four layouts (eight pages) are all about the plan of salvation. I had fun with this. In fact, when I was working on this, it spawned the idea I had to do a scripture study series on the Plan of Salvation. I felt compelled to teach about this divine plan because when we understand it, we can be on a path that will help us to better understand our own specific purposes on this earth.

Sabbath Day

Sabbath Day Importance and Activity Ideas


In this layout, I included my own feelings about the Sabbath day. I also wrote down some good ideas of things to do on a Sabbath day.

Sacrament Meeting

My Favorite Sacrament Hymn and Thoughts on Sacrament Meeting


Sabbath day and Sacrament Meeting are closely related, but I wanted the two to have their own complete layouts. In this layout, about Sacrament meeting, I shared with my daughter a powerful experience I had at a baptism – and how that translated into my increased understanding of sacrament meeting. I also included the lyrics to one of my all-time favorite sacrament hymns: Jesus Once of Humble Birth.

Gratitude Challenge

The Gratitude Challenge: The ten places on earth and Modern-day Inventions I’m grateful for.

The Gratitude Challenge the ten physical abilities, material possessions, things about today, foods, and things about the gospel I’m grateful for … plus a scripture.

I took the gratitude challenge and included it in this layout. Fun!

More on Gratitude

Ways to have gratitude in your heart.


I feel like gratitude is important, so I used it for two layouts (four pages total). In this layout, I included a quote from President Monson: “To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.”

On the next page, I wrote a fun list of things to do that will help us to have gratitude in our hearts.

Go Forward with Faith

Encouragement to press forward with faith.

On this layout, I drew a cute picture that was heavily inspired (read: basically copied) by Judy Kaufman. Then, on the next page, I wrote a page about pressing forward with faith. It is kind of like a letter/note. I included this inspiring quote: “To help you become all that the Lord wants you to become, kneel each morning and night in prayer to your Father in Heaven. Express to Him your gratitude and the desires of your heart. He is the source of all wisdom. He will answer your prayers. His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying. Even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He will prompt you in the quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch your mind and heart. You should find quiet times to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened. Be thankful that God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes.” – Richard G. Scott.

This quote was basically the inspiration for the entire layout.

***
So – that’s it for faith. Check in later, for the next section based on Divine Nature.

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by chococatania on October 28, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in 12 Year Old Gospel Book, Children, Family, Motherhood
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Posted by chococatania on October 28, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/handmade-gospel-book-for-youth-part-2/

FHE – Faith

Last night, homey taught FHE. He taught a simple lesson on Faith.

He referred to Alma 32 where Alma taught that having faith is like planting a seed. It requires work. It requires an experiment. It requires us taking a chance.

But, our chance will be rewarded. We will know whether or not that seed is good. It will either grow or it will not grow. Faith is worth that chance.

As we spoke about faith, our two older daughters have the “standard” answers down pat. But I had this feeling, like I really needed to probe a little bit more. I’ve had that feeling a lot lately. As they get older, I can see that they know what they are supposed to say. But I want that to begin to transition into them saying what they believe.

So we talked about that. Homey shared a time when he really started to feel his faith grow into a testimony. It was when he was fourteen and he went to EFY. I told the girls that sometimes, when my faith is being confirmed by the Spirit, I feel enlightened – like everything just makes sense. We encouraged them to do the things that would help them to cultivate their faith and testimony.

We talked about how, if you plant a seed, and it begins to grow, it is good. But, if you don’t take care of it, then it will die. If our plant dies because of our negligence, then it is foolish to blame the seed. Likewise, if our testimony dies because of negligence, it is foolish to say that the gospel isn’t true. The gospel didn’t fail us. We failed in nurturing our testimony. The girls seemed to understand this concept (it helps that we have dying basil plants on our back porch!). We talked about the things that they need to do if they want to feel more of the Spirit in their lives.

Anyways. FHE wasn’t anything crazy or spectacular. I’m still pretty down and out – getting better, but I still get tired and am not contributing as much as normal. So, Homey had to go it alone. Plus, Tiger had a volleyball game, so we got a late start. But the discussion on faith was the perfect thing…

I’m not sure what the girls took from FHE, but I had my own thoughts. Again, I realized that we are nearing a threshold. They are getting older. Tiger will be a young woman next year. I felt impressed that there is much I need to keep teaching them. And I won’t be able to do it the same way that I teach Sasquatch and Rex (the three year old and one-year-old, respectively). I will need to be more attentive and flexible. I will need to open up a discourse for my daughters. I will need to be able to be the kind of parent that they can trust, but without being too “friendly” or permissive. There is a lot to learn, but I am hopeful.

Since my kids were really little, I’ve had the thought that what I did with them as a child would lay the groundwork for what our lives would be like when they became teenagers. That time is nearing. I know that I need to improve. I want our home to be filled with love, acceptance, and kindness. I want it to be a place where they feel free to grow and learn. I want them to develop their own testimonies. I want them to learn to love the scriptures. I want them to develop their own relationships with the Savior. I feel a heavy burden as their teenage years near, but I am also really comforted. We have instituted the practice of FHE. We speak openly about the gospel and scriptures. We pray together. I know that these small and simple things will bring to pass great things for the lives of every member of our family.

Anyways…a simple FHE. We had no special activity or treat. And that’s totally okay. We did have the Spirit – that is the key ingredient. :) I’m amazed at how much FHE teaches me.

What did you do for FHE? As you prepare and execute FHE, what are some of the things that you learn? How does FHE help you?

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by chococatania on September 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Children, Family, Family Home Evening, FHE Chronicles 2012, Motherhood
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Posted by chococatania on September 11, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/fhe-faith/

Having an Eye of Faith – Scripture Chain

I’m intrigued by the concept of having an eye of faith. I think that it interests me so much because it has been hard for me to develop, yet I know that in many facets of our lives, visualizing ourselves accomplishing our goals will help us to see them through.

Can you imagine yourself reaching your goal – whether it is losing weight, getting a certain job, writing a novel, winning a golf tournament – do you see yourself obtaining that which you are working for? Chances are, if you can’t visualize it, then you won’t be able to accomplish it.

This concept holds true for obtaining eternal life. The Lord asks us to develop an eye of faith. Doing so will help us to achieve our ultimate goal of eternal life.

So – here’s the scripture chain.

Matthew 6:22 – Look to God

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” – Matthew 6:22
Notice, especially, the footnotes for the word “single”:
1. This is a Greek Idiom for healthy, sincere, without guile.
2. JST explains that the phrase “to the glory of God” should proceed included.

This scripture teaches us what we should be envisioning with our eye of faith: our eye needs to be single – to the glory of God, then our whole body will be full of light. This is the vision we must see with our eye of faith. Then we will be blessed.

The Lord doesn’t ask us to imagine ourselves keeping the commandments. He doesn’t ask us to imagine ourselves getting some kind of calling or even making a covenant. He tells us to envision His glory. It is the glory of God that will fill our souls with light and enable us to achieve our goal. Of course we need to keep the commandments and make covenants, but that should not be the focus of our eye of faith.

This makes sense to me. Sometimes, I forget to think of the glory of God. I forget about His power and mercy. I forget about His love and grace. Instead, I begin to focus too much on my flaws, then I get overwhelmed by the idea of perfection. I become discouraged and distracted. If we focus, instead, on the glory of the Lord, then our beings will be filled with light and hope. He will help us overcome our natural weakness and flaws. We will be able to see through to the time when our eye of faith is realized.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:68 – Be Sanctified

“Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.” – Doctrine and Covenants 88:68

Here we learn that in order to have our minds become single to God, then we need to sanctify ourselves. To be sanctified means to be made pure. This happens as we repent, are cleansed in the waters of baptism, and continually work to keep the commandments and renew our covenants. As we keep our eye on God and work to become more like Him by being sanctified, then there will be a time when we do see him.

If we think of this scripture on very practical terms – as far as having an eye of faith concerning other goals – then I think that we apply this scripture to mean that we need to do what it takes to achieve our goal. If the goal is to run a marathon, for example, we can’t simply imagine ourselves crossing the finish line. We must also “sanctify” ourselves, by waking up early, running, eating right, signing up for the marathon, and logging in the miles. As we do this, not only are we are better able to keep our eyes on the ultimate prize: of crossing the finish line, but we will actually do it, too!

Acts 7:55-56 – Look Steadfastly

“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” – Acts 7:55-56

This scripture is part of the account of Saint Stephen. Notice the phrase in the quoted verses, “[he] looked up steadfastly into heaven.” Stephen was steadfast in his vision. I have a feeling that Stephen spent his entire life looking to Heaven. He didn’t happen to finally have an eye of faith at the end of His life. Stephen had looked to heaven, steadfastly, for a long time and eventually saw – literally – what he had seen with his spiritual eyes for so long.

Not only do we have to look, and be sanctified, but we have to be steadfast. We have to maintain an eye of faith even when the vision we have seems completely impossible.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:38 – Seek the Lord

“And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.” – Doctrine and Covenants 101:38

Here we learn that sometimes we’ll have to seek the face of the Lord, and we may even need to be patient.

I forget this so much. It isn’t that the Lord’s face is hard to find, but it can be when I’m not being spiritually tuned into Him. When I really think about it, the Face of the Lord can be seen in everything around me. Have I ever mentioned how beautiful it is where I live?

This is where I live!

A few nights ago, I was busy in my house, getting ready for dinner, etc, when I happened to notice the sunset. Sunsets in Arizona are pretty much amazing. I decided to turn off the stove for a minute so I could go outside and enjoy the winds, the oncoming monsoon, and the amazing sunset.

I realized how often I go without taking much notice of the world around me – because I’m so focused on what is happening before my eyes. I don’t always seek the beauty of the world around me. I don’t always seek the face of the Lord in His creations and my blessings. So often, my little pathetic life is getting in the way of the bigger picture I need to have.

We may know that we need to have an eye of faith and look to the Glory of God, but there are times when this “vision” isn’t so apparent. We may need to seek His glory. Often, seeking Him isn’t so difficult – it is just a matter of turning down the distractions. No matter how you do it, we need to seek. If we do, we will find Him.

Alma 36:22, 28 – Reaching our Goal

“Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever,…” – Alma 36:22, 28

In this final scripture, Alma (the younger) is teaching his son shortly before His departure from mortality. He relates the experience of his conversion to his son, Helaman. He had endured the pains of his own sins, then he felt the joy of repentance. After repenting, Alma caught a glimpse – of God sitting on his throne, the beauty of the angels praising and singing. Alma longed to be there.

This vision became the picture Alma saw in his eye of faith.

We can study Alma’s life after his conversion. He spent his time devoted to the Lord. He was sanctified through keeping the commandments and making and keeping covenants. He was steadfast and didn’t waver once he had covenanted with God. He sought the Lord diligently and with patience through prayer and fasting. Because of Alma’s eye of faith, he was, eventually, able to know that he would be able to go where his soul longed to be.

How do you keep an eye of faith? How has having an eye of faith helped you to get through trials and difficulties in life? What are your favorite scriptures that teach us about having an eye of faith?

***
Read this blog post for more information on marking scripture chains in your scriptures.
or
Check out my free eBook Getting More from the Scriptures: Techniques and Projects for Effective Scripture Study.

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by chococatania on August 9, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Acts, Alma, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Insights, Matthew, New Testament, Scripture Chain, Scripture Study
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Posted by chococatania on August 9, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/having-an-eye-of-faith-scripture-chain/

Easter Study – The Cleansing of the Temple and The Cursing of the Fig Tree

While the Triumphal entry was a really high point during the last week of Christ’s life, it doesn’t take long to get back to reality.

Before approaching Jerusalem, the Lord laments.

“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” – Luke 19:41-42

His people were wicked. They didn’t recognize Him. Israel refused to know their Lord and see Him – even though He was physically before their eyes. This experience provides an interesting backdrop for what happens next.

(The accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke differ a little bit as to the chronology of events. So, I’m going to look at this following Mark’s chronology…I find his especially interesting).

The Cursing of the Fig Tree
When Christ approaches the fig tree and finds it barren, he curses it.

At first glance, it can seem like the Lord was being impatient or maybe in a bad mood. But I don’t think that this is the case. The fig tree hadn’t filled the measure of its creation. I feel like this is symbolic. The House of Israel – and the Jews especially had been a chosen people. They had been carefully planted and tended, yet they refused to bring forth good fruit.

In the allegory of the vine, the Lord explains:

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:…” – John 15:2

We know that we shouldn’t bring forth bad fruit, but that isn’t enough. We can’t simply “abide in Christ” and bring forth no fruit. We can’t be like the fig tree, without fruit. It isn’t enough to be a member of the House of Israel. We need to bear good fruit. We need to do good work.

Cleansing the Temple
When the Lord gets to the temple, he sees so many people there doing wicked things. The temple, He explains, is to be a house of Prayer. But the people have made it a “den of theives.” Christ takes this treatment of the temple very personally. And for good reason: It is His Fathers house: His House.

Jesus Cleansing the Temple

I like thinking about this in relationship with the cursed fig tree. Both the temple and the fig tree have specific purposes, and neither one was being met. In the case of the Fig Tree, it was cursed because it didn’t bring forth fruit. In the case of the temple, it needed to be cleansed and made Holy again.

Cleaning the temple wasn’t the only thing that the Savior did at the temple. There were some people at the temple who weren’t mistreating it.

“And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.” – Matthew 21:14

They understood the true reason for the temple – that through the temple, they could go and be with the Lord, partake of His goodness, learn of Him, and be made whole.

We are blessed to have temples now. Temples are the house of the Lord, and when we go there, we learn more of the Savior, feel His peace, and enable the healing powers of the atonement to infuse our lives.

“I hope you use the temple constantly because you will gain the blessings that are there that you cannot gain anywhere else on the face of the whole earth. The temple stands as a monument for all to see. It stands as a statement that we as a people believe in the immortality of the human soul. Everything that occurs in the temple is of an uplifting and ennobling kind, and it speaks of life here and of life beyond the grave. It speaks of the importance of the individual as a child of God. It speaks of the importance of the family as the creation of the Almighty. It speaks of the eternity of the marriage relationship. It speaks of going on to a greater glory. It is a place of light, a place of peace, a place of love where we deal with the things of eternity.” – Gordon B. Hinkcley

I truly love the temple. I know that through repeated temple attendance and worship, I have grown closer to the Savior. It is a holy and sacred place. The Lord cannot tolerate sin or wickedness to usurp His power found in the temple. This is why Christ needed to cleanse His temple anciently, and it is why we need to go reverently to the temple now.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree, continued
In the Account given by Mark, after the temple was cleansed, the apostles notice that the fig tree had been dried up and withered – all on account of Christ’s cursing it. The apostles are somewhat amazed by the withered fig tree.

Jesus responds simply to their amazement:

“…Have faith in God.” – Mark 11:22

That’s what it is all about – the cursed fig tree, the cleansing of the temple, healing in the temple, everything. It is all about having faith in God; Having faith in our Savior. We need to have faith in the power of God and Christ. He is the Master, the Creator, the Redeemer. He is our King, the Father of our redemption. If we have faith in Him, not only could we make a fig tree wither, or a mountain move, but through faith in Him and His infinite power, we can be healed – from pain, trials, and ultimately death and Sin.

What do you do to remember the Lord, to fulfill the measure of your creation, and to exercise faith?

***

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by chococatania on April 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Easter Study Series, Insights, Mark, New Testament
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Posted by chococatania on April 1, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/easter-study-the-cleansing-of-the-temple-and-the-cursing-of-the-fig-tree/

Charity Believeth all Things


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So…now we’re really getting to the good stuff. Charity has a strong connection with faith. I’m sure you’ve either noticed it in the scriptures or heard it a lot – faith, hope, and charity. Today, we are studying about faith – and what it has to do with charity.

There are a lot of good places to find definitions of faith or examples of faith. But I love how King Benjamin taught the connection between faith and charity.

“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.” – Mosiah 4:9-13

So…here’s how it works.

1. Believe in God
Here’s faith. We believe in God. We believe that He created all things, has all power, and that he may be a little bit smarter than we are.

Believing God means that we trust in Him.

As our trust and belief in Him grows we will begin to exercise our faith by doing a few things (good works).

2. Do Good Works
I don’t mean this in the typical sense – of serving one another. But I mean we need to do the work that only we can do. We need to give Heavenly Father the only thing we can give Him – our wills. We give up the natural man. We repent. We humble ourselves. We ask for forgiveness.

3. We Receive a Remission of Sins
When we receive a remission of sins, then we will know of His goodness and taste of His love. And – remember – God’s love is charity. It is His pure love – that never fails. We can experience charity – long before we do a single act of service – just by being faithful (through belief in Christ and repentance).

What I find interesting about this is how hard it can be to repent sometimes. Have you found it difficult? I have sinned, and continue to sin. When I approach the the Lord, I often feel ashamed of my sins because I want to be better. I love Heavenly Father, and I know that He loves me. I don’t want to disappoint him. The act of repentance can be hard; we must experience Godly sorrow in order to truly repent. Sometimes it is tempting to think that we would be better off to go without repenting – so we can avoid the shame and discomfort of such growth.

However, it is when we repent that we are filled with such Joy.

I love Alma’s experience -

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.” – Alma 36:20-21

As difficult as was the pain Alma experienced, he had to wade through the sorrow of repentance in order to feel the miraculous joy of God’s pure love.

Once we experience this, we need to retain it in our hearts. (Always remember Him).

4. Our Knowledge of God Grows
Here’s why knowing God is kind of a good thing for us:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” – John 17:3

Knowing God: knowing His love, commandments, and mysteries is the way that we inherit eternal life. Of course, we can’t know Him if we aren’t living worthy of His Spirit and revelation.

5. We will have charity for others
It is when we develop a love of the Lord and experience His love for us that we are able to share His love for others.

I have experienced this. I know it is true. Because I have felt the deep and abiding love that Heavenly Father has for me, I know that He loves all of His children. When I am close to the Lord, experiencing His charity, I’m filled with this idea, “I need to share this with others.” The only way that I can show my gratitude for the atonement and blessings that God has given me is by sharing the Love He has for others. I know that the Lord loves all of His children. The best way for me to help express this love is by supporting others.

Oh, and one more thing. When I experience the love of the God, my love for Him grows. I want to please Him. I want to make Him happy. And I know that when I sin against others, it hurts the Lord. Conversely, I know what King Benjamin has taught:

“…when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” – Mosiah 2:17

My love for others grow as my love for God grows. My love for God is strengthened as I show love for others. And all of this starts with the simple act of faith. It’s neat how that works.

We can develop true charity for others. We just need to take the first step: faith. What do you do to increase your faith? How have you felt faith strengthen your ability to have charity?

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by chococatania on February 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Book of Mormon, Charity Study Series, Insights, Mosiah
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Posted by chococatania on February 10, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/charity-believeth-all-things/

Eye of Faith – Matthew 6:22 (and a little Alma 36:22)

I have been intrigued by the idea of having an Eye of Faith. I remember, when I was younger, I heard a talk about having an Eye of Faith – where if you can envision yourself as something or somewhere, eventually you will become that person or be in that place.

Of course, I have a tough time having an eye of faith. I have an imagination, sure, but I have had a tough time developing that Eye of Faith.

Today, I read the following scripture, which re-emphasized having an eye of faith:

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (JST-to the glory of God), thy whole body shall be full of light.” – Matthew 6:22

This is taken from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is letting us in on a little secret – if we can develop an eye of faith -one that is single to our Father in Heaven, then we will be full of light – then we will become like him.

This reminded me of another scriptural account – found in Alma. Alma is speaking to his son, Helaman. He is relating his conversion story. After Alma had repented of his sins, but before coming out of his comatose state, Alma sees the following:

“22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.” – Alma 36:22

Even though Alma is not a part of this group, he could see God – He could see God’s throne and glory. He saw Heaven. And his soul longed to be there. He knew what he wanted. As soon as he envisioned this scenario, he woke up. Although Alma had been born of God, he had not yet entered into the presence of God. Alma understood that more than repentance would be required to get him there – he would also need to serve God.

And, we know, from the account given in the Book of Mormon, Alma spent the rest of his life faithfully serving God. I feel like this vision – seeing God, Heaven, and those who surrounded Heavenly Father praising him – filled his soul with hope. He developed an eye of faith. I also think that this vision served to be a motivation for him to continue in righteousness for the rest of his life. Alma continues teaching his son:

“28And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever,…” – Alma 36:28

Even at the end of Alma’s life – his vision was set at that scene he imagined right after his conversion. He envisioned himself – in the presence of God praising Him.

I love the concept taught in Matthew 6:22. I also love the example given to us by Alma. When we keep our eyes single to the glory of the Lord, we will be filled with His light. We will be able to accomplish the goals that we have for ourselves. We will be able to join in with Alma and so many others – to dwell with our Father in heaven in glory, and praise Him forever.

Pretty cool.

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by chococatania on January 13, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Alma, Book of Mormon, Insights, Matthew, New Testament
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Posted by chococatania on January 13, 2011

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/eye-of-faith-matthew-622-and-a-little-alma-3622/

Mountains Removed

So…like many of you out there, I’m enjoying this General Conference. I’ve loved all of the talks so far. I know – we all love all the talks, and there is so much we learn from every single one.

There was something that Elder Richard C. Edgley said near the end of his talk (at 6:50.)

Here is the exact quote:

“I have never witnessed the removal of an actual mountain, but because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountain of doubt and despair replaced with optimism and hope. Because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness. Because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountin of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude.”

These statements touched my soul as I have seen each of these “mountains” also removed in my life.
Because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountain of doubt and despair replaced with optimism and hope.

  • I’m sure that we have all experienced our own moments of trial, doubt, and maybe even despair. One of the most difficult struggles in my life was the realization that my first marriage was a lie, and that my spouse wasn’t living up to his covenants. It was difficult, as I was under the impression that we were both committed to the gospel. Everything seemed to fall apart.

    I remember that I felt true despair – I wasn’t sure what would happen. Everything seemed to be impossible. My bishop stated, “You are in the gates of your own Gethsemane.” It was true. and I cried a lot.

    But, as I held fast to the Lord and my covenants, my despair – even in the midst of the trial, was turned to a glimmer of hope. I felt assured that the Lord knew my situation and petition. Even though there seemed to be no solutions in sight, the road seemed dark, steep, and rocky, the assurance of the Lord lit my path with optimism. I didn’t know when the Lord would lift the heavy burden that I carried, but I knew that he would. I felt securely confident in him.

    And, over time, well before I was married again, well before I felt any real “benefits,” of such a trial, I found that the mountain of despair was removed. The Lord blessed me. Even amidst trial, I could find hope.

Because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness.

  • Of course, I’ve also witnessed this in my life. I’ve sinned many times. Whenever I’ve been humble enough to truly repent, I’ve felt the weight of such sin, which often feels like a mountain, moved. There is so much peace in such a feeling.

    What’s even more amazing, when we repent, not only is the mountain of sin removed, but it is replaced with amazing blessings. It’s not like the mountain is removed, and then, there is just some desolate gap in our lives.

    Sure, there are scars. We can remember the shame of such sin. But when we repent, we also notice the blessings the Lord pours on us for such repentance.

    I had an experience where I struggled, committed a few sins, and repented. I felt happy that the sin was removed. Life was normal again. Later on, I received the greatest blessing of my life. I knew that it was because I had repented that I was able to receive this blessing. I felt like the woman who washed Christ’s feet with her tears, wiped his feet with her hair, and anointed his feet with ointment. (See Luke 7:36-50.) I knew that nothing that I had done, in and of myself, was worthy of such forgiveness and blessings. I had only been blessed because of the love and mercy of the savior.

    What an overwhelming feeling. In the place of the mountain of sin, when we apply faith, can be a beautiful garden.

Because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountin of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude

  • A mountain of pain…sounds kind of horrible.

    Again, I think we all experience these “mountains.”

    Pain…Sometimes, the mountain of pain is physical. (Have you ever had a kidney stone!? Talk about a mountain of pain – even though it can be as tiny of a grain of sand…) Sometimes the mountain of pain is emotional or spiritual. Sometimes, the mountain of pain comes from completely uncontrolable circumstances. Sometimes, the pain comes from the sins of others. Sometimes, the pain comes from our own unrighteous decisions. No matter how we face this mountain, we experience it in our lives. Such pain – no matter it’s type or its cause can be crushing – nearly to the point of devastation.

    I’ve felt both the pain, and the removal of pain. Bishop Edgley described its replacement perfectly. In the place of such pain, I’m consumed with gratitude because of the peace and hope I enjoy.

    One of the best blessings in my life came as the mountains of sin and despair were also being removed in my life. This blessing – my husband. He continues to be a source of gratitude in my life. Being married to a righteous man is such an overwhelming blessing. It is through such blessings that I know that there is a Savior who is merciful and loves me.

    • I hope that we all can experience the removal of such mountains. I know that we will have to remove many mountains – time and time again. If we’re using the mountain analogy, we don’t just have 1 or 2 or 3 mountains that must be removed. Usually, there’s a whole mountain range! But, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it can be done.

    I’m grateful for conference, and how the messages of these righteous men and women always touch my heart in a way that brings peace, confidence in the Lord, and a desire to do better.

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by chococatania on October 3, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Blessings, Family, General Conference, Insights, Reflections, Single Motherhood
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Posted by chococatania on October 3, 2010

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/mountains-removed/

Faith 1 – Hebrews and Alma

I’m serving in the Young Women’s these days. One of the things that our YW president asked us (leaders) to do is participate in the Personal Progress program. I was fortunate to be able to do personal progress when I was in young women’s, and I think that it will be good to get reacquainted with it by fulfilling the goal.

Yesterday, I decided to start with the first Value Experience for Faith:

“1. Learn about faith from the scriptures and living prophets. Read Hebrews 11, Alma 32:17–42, Ether 12:6–22, and Joseph Smith—History 1:11–20. Read two general conference talks on faith. Exercise your own faith by establishing a habit of prayer in your life. Begin by saying your morning and evening prayers regularly. After three weeks of following this pattern, discuss with a parent or leader what you have learned about faith and daily personal prayer. In your journal express your feelings about faith and prayer.

So, I am doing a few parts of the scripture reading at a time.

Hebrews 11
I love this chapter of scripture. I have always loved the following verse:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” – Hebrews 11:13

This scripture is such a source of inspiration. Of course, right now, I feel incredibly blessed. I have had the opportunity to marry a man I truly love. I have the three most beautiful girls. T and B were already super awesome daughters. I’m so happy to have added C to the equation of my life. I feel like I haven’t had to wait, but I’ve been blessed to have received so many blessings now.

I also want to share another verse that really struck me:

“God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect.” – Hebrews 11:40 (see the Joseph Smith Translation in the footnote)

Our suffering is a trial of our Faith. Our faith must be tried in order for it to be strong enough to exercise in the atonement – then we receive perfection through Christ’s infinite grace.

This can be scary – suffering! However:

  1. It is necessary
    • We will suffer regardless of our strength or lack of faith – (so we might as well have faith)
  2. It will help strengthen us as we endure our struggles
    • It is our shield
    • It anchors our hope in Christ – who will help us overcome every struggle

    Alma 32:17-42
    This is the classic object lesson/analogy – faith and the seed. Often, I think of the first part of the analogy – the initial planting. Faith is exercised, and then the seed sprouts into a plant. I’ve done this in my life many times – I’ve exercised faith, and then I’ve seen the “seed” sprout. It is always exciting to start something good, hope it works, then see it is working! The plant is sprouting! SUCCESS!

    I realize that I often get so overcome with the happiness (and novelty) of the initial sprouting that I tend to get a little proud. The sprout grows, but it isn’t as dramatic; I grow bored. I forget to work as hard as I did in the beginning -when I could see no sprout. I lose discipline and diligence and the plant suffers – it may even die.

    Alma, in his lesson, teaches how to overcome this tendency. He teaches:

    “And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

    But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

    And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.” – Alma 32:40-42

    Alma teaches that we need to constantly nourish the plant – rather than let our grounds go barren.

    Here’s what I can take from the lesson:

    1. Have an eye of faith. Visualize the end result. Don’t get bogged down on the current status. Even if the status quo is good, continue to see what it will become.
    2. Nourish it. Continue to provide the environment for this faith to develop.
    3. Be Diligent. To see the seed reach its full potential as a fruitful plant, then it will require my continued sacrifice and (often monotonous) work.
    4. Be Patient. I was surprised by this advice from Alma. I often don’t recognize the patience that faith requires – even though I have experienced it! In fact, I usually get irritated by the need to be patient. Instead, I need to be patient by looking forward and by being grateful. This will inspire continued nourishment and diligence rather than discouragement, boredom, and frustration.

    I was so happy to read these scriptures, it is so exciting as they go along with the fact that I’m focusing on diligence this year. Yay for scriptures and personal revelation!

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by chococatania on January 10, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Callings, Value Experiences, Young Women's
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Posted by chococatania on January 10, 2010

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/faith-1-hebrews-and-alma/

Missionary Challenge: 1 Nephi 3:7

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” – 1 Nephi 3:7.

Many Mormons are very familiar with this scripture. When the Lehi told his son, Nephi, that he had been commanded of the Lord that his sons should return to Jerusalem to fetch the brass plates, this scripture was Nephi’s courageous response.

And I think it is more courageous than we even give it credit. How did Nephi know the Lord would provide a way for them to keep the commandment to obtain the brass plates? He didn’t know for sure, but he had faith, and that’s what I can learn from this.

The Lord has commanded that we who have the gospel share it. I need to have the faith the He will make the way available for me to do so.

Additionally, even though this information is not included in the scripture, it is important to remember what Nephi and his brothers went through: They failed twice in retrieving the brass plates before they succeeded. Of course, it was Nephi’s diligence and faith that enabled to be successful at all.

I cannot let fear stop me from doing the will of the Lord. He will guide my way, and help me to share the gospel.

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by chococatania on November 5, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in 1 Nephi, Book of Mormon, Insights, Missionary Challenge
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Posted by chococatania on November 5, 2009

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/missionary-challenge-1-nephi-37/

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