The Stronger the Wind, the Stronger the Tree

 

“I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee”

by the Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson

                                                                           

 

WHAT?

When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the temptation to ask the question “Why me?” At times there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no sunrise to end the night’s darkness. We feel encompassed by the disappointment of shattered dreams and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We become impatient for a solution to our problems, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.

 

The difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure. A fundamental question remains to be answered by each of us: Shall I falter, or shall I finish?

 

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees.

The further sky, the greater length.

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.¹

 

1. Douglas Malloch, “Good Timber,” in Sterling W. Sill, Making the Most of Yourself (1971), 23.

 

SO WHAT?

The winds are blowing in my life again.  I am grateful that I am not a stranger to strong winds.

 

NOW WHAT?

I continue to rely on the rock of my Redeemer to stand firm and tall, even when the wind blows.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Picture from www.digitalcatharsis.wordpress.com

He Atoned

Personal Strength Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

by Apostle Richard G. Scott

 

 

WHAT?

It is a fundamental truth that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed.. . . However, sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences. One of the vital steps to complete repentance is to bear the short- and long-term consequences of our past sins. . . . past choices [can]expose [us] to a carnal appetite that could again become a point of vulnerability that Satan would attempt to exploit.

 

Satan will try to use our memory of any previous guilt to lure us back into his influence. We must be ever vigilant to avoid his enticements. . . . Even after . . . years of faithful living, it was imperative . . . to protect [ourselves] spiritually from any attraction to the memory of past sins.

 

The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment,¹ when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy.²

 

1. See 1 Samuel 12:15; Isaiah 1:20; 1 Nephi 2:23; Mosiah 15:26; Alma 9:24; Doctrine and Covenants 76:25; Moses 4:3.

 

2. See Proverbs 28:13; 1 Corinthians 2:3; 15:43; 2 Corinthians 13:4; James 3:17; 2 Nephi 3:13; Jacob 4:7; Alma 34:17; 3 Nephi 22:8; Ether 12:26–28; Doctrine and Covenants 24:11; 35:17; 38:14; 62:1. 

 

SO WHAT?

I think we sometimes labor under the illusion that once we are "saved" we will have no consequences for our sins.  I don't believe that to be true.  Years ago, a homosexual man who lived near my parents' home became a devout Christian, abstaining from any sexual relationships which he now considered to be immoral.  Yet he died of AIDS.  He hadn't known he had been infected at the time, but the virus was still in his body even after his conversion and, ultimately, it took his life.  Does that mean God hadn't forgiven his sins?  Of course not.  As Elder Scott noted, "sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences."

 

In the story of the prodigal son, the father welcomes his rebellious and now penitent son home with joy.  The son was given a ring and a robe and the fatted calf to eat.  But there is more to the story that we sometimes miss.  The father told his other son, he who was righteous all along, "everything I have is thine." (Luke 15: 31)  The prodigal, though now forgiven, was not given another inheritance.  The righteous son was not "robbed" of his inheritance.  There were long-term consequences of poor choices for the penitent prodigal.

 

NOW WHAT?

I am comforted to know that I have been forgiven of my past, repented-of sins.  I am grateful to note the difference between open rebellion and human weakness.  I seek always to avoid the first, but bear the trials of the second.  I must remind myself that, although there are consequences to be born, that I am forgiven when I repent. 

 

I won't let Satan lie to me that because I have succumbed to weakness in the past that I cannot be forgiven nor uplifted in weakness today to avoid similar sins.  If Satan can convince me that my sins are not forgiven - and he has tried -  then I will likely sin again. That is the lie to avoid! Each time I disbelieve the lie; each time I remember my Savior; each time I stand strong against old temptations, I am strengthened by Jesus Christ and His supernal gift of grace.  Then I can withstand Satan's attempts to "exploit" my human "vulnerability."  After all that I can do, I am saved by Christ's grace minute by minute every day.

 

May it ever be so.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Picture from www.lds.org

The Rock the River Cannot Wash Away

The Strength to Endure   

by Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy 

 

 

 

WHAT?

Many of the challenges we face in life can be solved and overcome; however, others may be difficult to understand and impossible to overcome and will be with us until we pass on to the next life.

 

The prophet Nephi teaches us that . . . we must “press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, [and then] behold, thus saith the Father: [We] shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31)

 

Our ability to endure to the end in righteousness will be in direct proportion to the strength of our testimony and the depth of our conversion.

 

When we face adversity in life and our desire is to emulate the attributes of Jesus Christ, it is essential to be spiritually prepared. Being spiritually prepared means we have developed spiritual stamina or strength—we will be in good shape spiritually.

As an anonymous author once said, “You must become the rock the river cannot wash away.”

Because we face challenges every day, it is important that we work on our spiritual stamina every day.

 

The Apostle Paul stated, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12: 1)

The race that is set before us on this earth is an endurance race filled with obstacles. . . . We need to get into spiritual shape. We need to develop spiritual stamina. We need strong testimonies that will lead to true conversion, and as a result we will find within ourselves the inner peace and strength needed to endure whatever challenges we may face.

So whatever challenges you wake up to each morning, remember—with the spiritual strength you develop, coupled with the Lord’s help, at the end of the race you will be able to enjoy the confidence that the Apostle Paul expressed when he said: 

 

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day." (2 Timothy 4: 6-8)

 

SO WHAT?

I wake up to challenges the minute I open my eyes each morning.  What they will be is usually not determined by me.  How they turn out can be, in part, determined by how I respond to them. 

 

I am grateful that my life has not been an easy one.  I have seen what happens in others when someone consistently rescues them so that they don't have to develop any stamina, emotionally or spiritually.  I would not want to live five minutes in a life like that. 

 

When I was younger, I went through years of trials where I felt as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulder, lead weights shackled to my feet, a hurricane-force wind in my face, and a rain cloud over my head.  But I was alone with 4 children to raise, so I moved forward, one labored step at a time.  That spiritual and emotional weight training has given me strong shoulders, determined feet, and spiritual and emotional stamina.  So when I wake up each morning, I am equal to the task.

 

How did I keep putting one foot ahead of the other?  I prayed constantly.  I read scripture.  I wrote in a journal.  I attended church services every week.  I consistently kept God's commandments and, when I fell short, I repented. I shared my feelings with a dear, dear friend who is a spiritually strong Christian.   I leaned upon the atonement of Jesus Christ and tried every day to walk with Him as His disciple.

 

NOW WHAT?

When I get discouraged, I need to remember what I did then.  I need to continue to do it now.  I need to set appropriate boundaries so that someone else's angst doesn't flood over into my life.

I have the tools.  I have the strength.  I have the stamina.  I will picture the rock the river cannot wash away and move forward until I can say with Paul "I have finished my course: I have kept the faith."

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Pictures:

Rock from www.flickr.com

Lion from Facebook

Conversion Means Change ~ A Mighty Change of Heart

Be Ye Converted

by Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President                            

WHAT?

True conversion is more than merely having a knowledge of gospel principles and implies even more than just having a testimony of those principles. It is possible to have a testimony of the gospel without living it. Being truly converted means we are acting upon what we believe and allowing it to create “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts.” In the booklet True to the Faith, we learn that “conversion is a process, not an event. You become converted as a result of … righteous efforts to follow the Savior.” It takes time, effort, and work. . . .

We have to go through that same process if we want to gain that same kind of commitment.

 

SO WHAT?

So many people talk about being saved as a one-time event like Paul or Alma the Younger.  But it usually takes a life time.  My heart is being softened, humbled, taught, and changed every day.

 

NOW WHAT?

I must live true to myself and the ideals of the Savior and be patient in the process.

Jesus Christ ~ The Light of the World

The Hope of God's Light

by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency

 

WHAT?
I have a cherished painting in my office that is titled Entrance to Enlightenment. It was created by a friend of mine, the Danish artist Johan Benthin . . . It is interesting to me that the light coming through the door does not illuminate the entire room - only the space immediately in front of the door. To me, the darkness and light in this painting are a metaphor for life.

 

It is part of our condition as mortal beings to sometimes feel as though we are surrounded by darkness. . . . 
 

But even though we may feel lost in the midst of our current circumstances, God promises the hope of His light—He promises to illuminate the way before us and show us the way out of darkness.

 

SO WHAT?

Here is a commentary by another blogger - Josh Walles, The Mindful Life Coach - on President Uchtdorf's conference address:

When we are faced with darkness in our lives, both of the external kind, and the darkness that comes from confusion, we can follow . . . process . . .  We educate ourselves on the situation, we make a choice, and then we DO.  There is great power in doing.  Doing has the power to lift our spirits.  It has the power to motivate.  It has the power to empower.  Doing is an incredible principle.  . . . Robert H. Schuller said, “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly.”  Isn’t that truth?  The simple act of moving helps us to feel empowered.  If we are doing the wrong things, that power stays with us through the discovery of our error and can help motivate us to correction.
 
There is nothing wrong with planning for the future.  There is nothing wrong with preparing for adverse consequences.  But ultimately, nothing happens unless we DO.  I challenge you to look at your life, and find that thing on the surface that you have been holding back on.  You’ve worried about it.  You’ve anticipated possible negative consequences to it and planned how to avoid them.  There is, however, a lingering fear that something will go wrong…that you’ll fail.
 
Find that thing. Then go and DO something. Fail. Don’t fail.  It doesn’t matter. Simply DO.  If you fail, there is something to be learned that can help you in the future.  Learn it, then try again by making a different move.  If you succeed, you are that much farther along your path.  Either way, you have become better, smarter, wiser.  No one can ask for more than that.  No one.
Don’t stay in the darkness simply because the light only stretches a few inches in front of you.  Trust that the light will be there when you need it and walk. You’ll be glad you did.

 

NOW WHAT?
This is one of my favorite Yoda quotes.  Sitting around crying in the dark, waiting for someone else to flip the light switch, is a guarantee that nothing will change.  I have to turn to the light myself.

I do that first by turning to Jesus Christ.  I seek each day to know His will for me that day.  Then, once I know it, I have to do it.  This means putting aside my will, my pride, my fears.  It means recognizing the Light of Christ and seeking to walk within it as His disciple.  It means being willing to walk through darkness, by keeping my eye on His light, however dim it might seem at the moment.

Finally, it means praising Him and giving thanks for His light, for He truly is

The Light of the World.

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Quote from

 www.themindfullifecoach.wordpress.com

 

Pictures from

Entrance to Enlightenment, www.lds.org/magazines/Ensign.

Yoda, www.businesszone.co.uk 

Light of the World, www.flickr.com

Inasmuch as Ye Have Done It . . .

To My Grandchildren

by President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency

 

WHAT? 

There is one overarching commandment that will help us to meet the challenges and lead to the heart of a happy family life. It applies to all relationships regardless of circumstances. It is repeated throughout the scriptures and in the teachings of the prophets in our day. Here is the Bible wording of the Lord’s advice to all who want to live together forever in loving happiness:

“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

 

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 

“This is the first and great commandment.

 

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:35–40)

 

 

That great blessing [feeling love for the Savior] has come by encouraging people I care for to go to the Savior for relief from pain, a relief only He can give.

 

While serving others, we are most likely to plead for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Success in the Lord’s service always produces miracles beyond our own powers.

 

SO WHAT? 

I have tried to live the two great commandments my whole life.  I believe that we demonstrate our love for Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors, for it was He who said: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25: 40)

 

 

When Carmon was alive, we frequently provided a place of respite, even a home, for many people who were in need.  We were a home where unmarried young women could stay during their pregnancy.  We had a foster child and, later, an exchange student live with us.  We frequently had family members stay for extended periods of time when they needed a place of refuge.  Our house was always the one with the neighborhood "fort".  One neighbor boy loved coming so much, that we used to say he'd come spend the night on Memorial Day weekend and go home the day after Labor Day!

 

On one occasion, Carmon met a couple who were having car trouble on their way to California.  He gave the man a job helping clean out the warehouse of his employer, then paid the man out of his own pocket by buying the part the car needed and helping the man put it on.  He brought them home, fed them, and let them stay the night in the basement of the home we were building, with warm sleeping bags and a roaring fire.  The next day, he filled their gas tank and sent them off with a box of food for the road so they wouldn't have to stop again until they reached California.

 

This was not unusual.

 

NOW WHAT? 

I, like my late husband, have carried on that legacy.  I have been criticized for it by members of my own family.  That has hurt.  But I will continue to do this as long as I am healthy and independent enough to do so.

 

When I die, I want my obituary to read:

 

She loved and served the Lord by loving and serving His children. 

 

And I pray that the Lord will then say:

 

Well done, thou good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25: 21)

 

Even so, I don't know of any other way to live.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Pictures:

Good Samaritan from www.biblevector.com

Reagan quote from www.jokes,quotes,images.com

RIP from www.photobucket.com

. . . What You Have Chosen Instead

No Other Gods

by Apostle Dallin H. Oakes

WHAT?
The principle is not whether we have other priorities. The question posed by the [1st two of the ten] commandment[s] is “What is our ultimate priority?” Are we serving priorities or gods ahead of the God we profess to worship?

Our twelfth article of faith states our belief in being subject to civil authority and “in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” But man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral. Commitment to our highest priority—to love and serve God—requires that we look to His law for our standard of behavior.

In this determination we may be misunderstood, and we may incur accusations of bigotry, suffer discrimination, or have to withstand invasions of our free exercise of religion. If so, I think we should remember our first priority—to serve God—and, like our pioneer predecessors, push our personal handcarts forward with the same fortitude they exhibited.

 

A teaching of President Thomas S. Monson applies to this circumstance. At this conference 27 years ago, he boldly declared: “Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.”

 

SO WHAT?
Elder Oakes was an attorney, judge, university president before being called as an apostle in the mid-1980s.  His conference addresses are prepared in a systematic way.  In this one, he began by reminding his listeners of the first two of the ten commandments: Thou shall have no other gods before me and Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image.  In this, he set the foundation for keeping our priorities straight.  This means that if we love the Lord, God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, that we must stand by that priority, even when it is politically incorrect to do so.

I also love his sound bite: But man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral. In this he references the "political correctness" of same-sex marriage, abortion, and any kind of sexual immorality.  As a Christian and a Latter-day Saint, I do not discriminate against nor judge any who choose these life paths.  But tolerance does not mean embrace.  I am hurt that those who preach tolerance as a justification for their own choices show so little tolerance for those of us who make different choice.


NOW WHAT?
There are many things that can serve as idols.  I think we all have them.  My goal is to monitor my own thoughts, words, and deeds and to keep my life and my home centered in the Lord, Jesus Christ. 

The ancient prophet, Nephi, wrote: We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (1 Nephi 25:26).  I do that in my blog, in my books I write for my children and grandchildren, in my Facebook posts, in my phone and personal conversations.  I want my family to know that I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and of His gospel and His Church.  I don't want them to look back on my life and wonder if I was a Christian.

A favorite apostle of mine was Elder Neal A. Maxwell.  He once wrote: If, in the end, you have not chosen, Jesus Christ, it won't matter what you have chosen instead.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Charlton Heston as Moses from multiple sources on the web

The Message of the Good Shepherd

Put Your Trust in the Lord

Apostle M. Russell Ballard

 

WHAT?
Trust the Lord. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and His sheep know His voice; and today the voice of the Good Shepherd is your voice and my voice. And if we are not engaged, many who would hear the message of the Restoration will be passed by.

SO WHAT?
Jesus said: For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9: 26)

Do we show our love for Him with our words? Are we ashamed of being Christian or do we boldly testify of Jesus Christ and the Good News which is His Gospel?

Do we show our love for Him through our deeds?  Do we love our neighbors as ourselves?  Can someone watching our behavior and demeanor know that we are Christian without being told? 

One of my favorite memories is of a university professor at a state university.  He told me at the end of the semester, "You're my favorite Mormon."  I hadn't told him I was LDS.  He knew it from watching me in his class.  My discipleship of Jesus Christ was apparent in all I said and did.

NOW WHAT? 
I have a new next-door neighbor.  He is a quiet man and it has taken awhile to get to know him.  He is restoring an old house that needs a lot of work.  I have talked to another neighbor about ways we could help him.  I am grateful that I live in a neighborhood full of wonderful people who are committed Christians in thought, word, and deed.

I need to pray specifically for ways in which I more fully can be an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

Picture from multiple sources on the web

To Broken Vessels

Like a Broken Vessel

by Apostle Jeffery R. Holland  

 

 

                          
WHAT?
The Apostle Peter wrote that disciples of Jesus Christ are to have “compassion one of another.” In that spirit I wish to speak to those who suffer from some form of mental illness or emotional disorder, whether those afflictions be slight or severe, of brief duration or persistent over a lifetime. We sense the complexity of such matters when we hear professionals speak of neuroses and psychoses, of genetic predispositions and chromosome defects, of bipolarity, paranoia, and schizophrenia. However bewildering this all may be, these afflictions are some of the realities of mortal life, and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor.

. . .

If you are the one afflicted or a caregiver to such, try not to be overwhelmed with the size of your task. Don’t assume you can fix everything, but fix what you can. If those are only small victories, be grateful for them and be patient. Dozens of times in the scriptures, the Lord commands someone to “stand still” or “be still”—and wait. Patiently enduring some things is part of our mortal education.

 

For caregivers, in your devoted effort to assist with another’s health, do not destroy your own. In all these things be wise. Do not run faster than you have strength. Whatever else you may or may not be able to provide, you can offer your prayers and you can give “love unfeigned.” “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; … [it] beareth all things, … hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.”

 

Also let us remember that through any illness or difficult challenge, there is still much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for. We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!

 

SO WHAT?

This was by far the Conference address that touched me the most.  In my professional life as a counselor, I worked with many who struggled with mental and emotional challenges.  But that is nothing compared to the struggles of those I love within my own family.  I feel so helpless at times.  I do try to do everything for everyone.  Some days I feel that my physical and emotional health are on the brink.  Yesterday I went to my bed at 5:00 PM because I hurt in both body and soul.  I drank a protein shake and some ginger ale and read a book about Elijah the prophet.  I read from the scriptures, then listened to an uplifting tape.  I called my son.

 

I feel somewhat better today, but it is an every day battle against discouragement and fatigue.  I pray for more love; more patience; more compassion.  I also recognize that if my well gets empty, I will have none of the above to draw upon.  And so I pray.  And pray again.

 

NOW WHAT?

I called for an appointment with my own counselor whom I haven't seen in awhile.  I will talk to her next Monday.  Meanwhile, I will strive to remember that I am not the Potter; I am also His clay.

 

I covet your prayers until then and always.  Thank you.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Picture from www.sherrysheartbeat.homestead.com

Responding to Trials

Wilt Thou Be Made Whole? 

by Elder Timothy J. Dyches of the Seventy               

 

           

WHAT?

As we draw near to Him, we realize that mortality is meant to be difficult and that “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11) is not a flaw in the plan of salvation. Opposition, rather, is the indispensable element of mortality and strengthens our will and refines our choices. The vicissitudes of life help us fashion an eternal relationship with God—and engrave His image upon our countenance as we yield our hearts to Him (see Alma 5:19).

SO WHAT?
My life recently has been marked by tremendous challenges.  It has taken it's toll physically and emotionally and mentally.  Some days, I struggle to get even the most basic things done.  It is only through the Grace of God that I have been kept afloat in those areas.  I am blessed to have gone through opposition in all things at other times in my life, because I know that such times are not a punishment from God or a flaw is His eternal plan of happiness for His children.  The growth through those experiences has sustained me through this most recent challenge.

The Savior's life was full of examples of His asking those who suffered, "Wilt thou be made whole?"  One such example was at the Pool of Bethsaida.  I love Carl Bloch's painting.  The man to whom Jesus is speaking (under the tent) looks to Jesus for salvation and is made whole and healed.  The man in the red cap is looking away from Jesus.  I think that is Bloch's way of saying that many don't look to the very one who can heal them.  In times of trial they become angry at God or turn away from Him completely.

NOW WHAT?
As I pray for relief, I must remember to submit my will to His.  I know what I want and I plead for it.  However, on one occasion recently, I've had a glimpse of why He is not sending what I want right now.  It was a sobering moment.

I will be like the people of Alma who prayed to be delivered from their particular bondage.  God did deliver them eventually in His own time; in the meantime, He gave them strong shoulders to bear the burdens place upon them.  I will begin to pray for strong shoulders.

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Picture from www.ldsartco.com 

If the Prophet Had Bid Thee Do Some Great Thing . . . ?

Small and Simple Things

by Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela of the Seventy     

                        

                       

WHAT?
I reflected upon the words of Alma when he commanded his son Helaman to keep a history of his people as part of the records which had been entrusted with him and to keep all these things sacred so that they would one day go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

Alma then told him:

 

“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.“ And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37: 6-7)

 .  .  .

 

 Naaman was a captain of the host of the king of Syria, an honorable man, a mighty man in valor, but he was also a leper (see 2 Kings 5:1). After being unsuccessful in receiving a cure from the king of Israel for his leprosy, Naaman went to the house of Elisha, the prophet. Elisha sent a messenger out to him, saying:  “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

 

“But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. …

 

“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

 

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:10–11, 13–14).

 

SO WHAT?

I've been saddened for many years that my grandson has become inactive in the Church.  Recently, his wife and little girls, ages 2 and 3, stayed with me for a few weeks while he finished some employment obligations in another state.  During that time we had prayer before we ate and at night before the little girls went to bed.  It wasn't long before the eldest began to say, "Let's have a prayer."  She would fold her little hands under her chin, close her eyes, and pray to Heavenly Father.  Sometimes I could understand what she asked; most of the time I could not.  We were all touched by this precocious little child.

 

Then on day, her little sister got sick in the car and began to throw up.  This little sweetie folded her little hands, closed her eyes, and prayed - as clear as a bell: "Heavenly Father, Bless Wee Bug that she will feel better and not be sick.  Amen."  Her sister did not vomit again and we arrived safely at our destination.  I found it hard to drive as my eyes were filled with tears.

 

NOW WHAT?

I often get discouraged and feel as if my life makes no difference.  At my age, all I can do are the simple things.  Even though I may never know if I have done any good in the world today or not, I will remember the simple faith of a little child following the simple example of a great-grandmother.  Perhaps then I can gird up my loins and move forward into the small and simple lot that is appointed to me.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

Pictures from:

Alma and Helaman from www.lds.org

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Great Are the Words of Isaiah

Yesterday, when I went in to read my scriptures, I began to read the words of Isaiah, reading several chapters that deal with the end of days, the gathering of Israel,  and the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

Who was this Isaiah?  He lived in Judah in the 8th Century BC.  His father's name was Amoz.  He was called to be a prophet the year King Uzziah of Judah died.  He was called to be a prophet in a grand temple theophany.  Some have wondered if he were actually in the temple, in which case, he would have had to be the high priest and I don't think there is any indication elsewhere that he was.  My personal guess is that it was like John the Revelator's temple theophany.

Some Biblical scholars believe that Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as 64 years.  He is regarded as one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, recognized as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Baha'i.  Nephi loved Isaiah and quoted his writings to the Nephites.  The Savior Himself loved Isaiah and commanded the Nephites to study his writings with diligence for "great at the words of Isaiah." (3 Nephi 23:1)  During His lifetime, Jesus quoted Isaiah more than any other prophet.  Isaiah is also the most-quoted prophet in the writings of Peter, John, and Paul.

My favorite Isaiah passages are his messianic prophecies such as "For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given;"  (Isaiah 9: 6) and his millennial prophecies such as "The wolf shall dwell down with the lamb . . . and a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11: 6)  He is not easy to understand if you try to come at his writings with your head, but he can be understood if you prayerfully allow the symbols and the poetry speak to your heart and your spirits.

Yes, great at the words of Isaiah.

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

 

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The Protection of the Scriptures

The Key to Spiritual Protection

by Apostle Boyd K. Packer    

 

 

 

WHAT?

The Apostle Paul prophesied and warned that “in the last days perilous times shall come.

 

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”   (2 Timothy 3:1–5)

 

Paul also prophesied, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:13)

 

Perilous times—present. We live in very precarious times.

 

Covetous, boasters, proud—all are present and among us.

 

Blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection—all of these are well accounted for.

 

Trucebreakers, false accusers, and so on—all can be checked off against the prevailing evidence that exists all around us.

.  .  .

 

In Paul’s revelation, in addition to the list of challenges and problems, he also tells us what we can do to protect ourselves:  “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14–15)

 

The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection.

 

SO WHAT?

I live under the constant stress of other people's problems.  I work to detach emotionally, but am often not successful. 

 

NOW WHAT?

I am going into my living room right now and read from the scriptures!

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

Picture downloaded from Facebook