Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust
in the Lord with all thine heart
D&C 21:4-5
(about the church) give heed unto all words and commandments
Alma 30:44 Thou hast
had signs enough
Alma 32: faith is
like a seed- it is never ending process and you must eat until full
Bible Dictionary:
Faith - Miracles do not produce faith, but strong faith is developed by
obedience
Ether 12:6 faith is
things which are hoped for and not seen
James 2:17-18 faith
without works is dead
James 1:5 if any of
you lack wisdom, let him ask of God
"Faith in God
includes faith in His timing" - Neil A. Maxwell
"Acting on even
a twig of faith allows God to grow it" -Henry B. Eyring
"His spirit
guides; his love assures that fear departs when faith endures" -Quentin L.
Cook
"Be in tune
with the sacred music of faith" -Quentin L. Cook
"Faith is
taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase"
-Martin Luther King Jr
"If you focus
on what you have left behind, you will never be able to see what lies
ahead" -Ratatouille
John 6:68- Where
else would I go?
1 Nephi 4:6 - I was
led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do
1 Nephi 4:3
"wherefore can ye doubt?"
1 Nephi 7:12
"how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord can do all things.. If
they have faith?"
"It is never
too late to strengthen the foundation of faith" -Henry B. Eyring
"Let faith act
and courage come in" - F. Enzio Busche
"Some blessings
come soon, some blessings come late, and some don't come until Heaven. But for
those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they come" -Jeffrey R.
Holland
"I cannot see a
Bishop in myself, but if you say it's the Lord's will, I'll try" -Newel K.
Whitney
-"Go
and ask Father" - Joseph Smith
-"Thy
strength is in me" -voice from heaven to Newel K. Whitney
"Faith is not
only a feeling, it is a decision" -Neil A. Anderson
"We must
constantly remind ourselves that He is God and we are not" -Jeffrey R.
Holland
Mosiah 24:15-
"The lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with
ease, and they did submit cheerfully with patience to al the will of the
Lord"
Alma 13:27-30-
"Cast off your sins, and do not procrastinate the day of your repentance…
But that ye would 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, and thus
be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of
love and all long-suffering. Having faith on the Lord… having the love of God
always in your hearts…"
Alma 32:21, 26-43
"faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, therefore if ye have
faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true"
"Ye
cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a
perfect knowledge"
…"And
exercise a particle of faith, even if ye can no more than desire to believe,
let this desire work in you…"
Faith
is like a seed
Faith
is a never ending process, you must eat until you are full (see 1 Nephi 8)
"All this
trying leads up to the vital moment at which you turn to God and say, "You
must do this. I can't"'. -CS Lewis
Alma 37:11 "Now
these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall
forbear"
Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified:
do not be discouraged: For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may
go"
"I believe in
Christ like I believe in the sun- not because I can see it, but by it I can see
everything else" -CS Lewis
"Although his
time is not always our time, we can be sure that the Lord keeps his
promises" -Henry B. Eyring
"When a train
goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and
jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer" -Corrie ten Boom
"Don't lose
faith in what you do know because of things you don't know" -Kent Brooks
"When we have
an eternal perspective, we do not fear. We face the future with faith and hope.
We have the faith that no blessing will be denied us in the eternities"
-Kent Brooks
Alma 53/56/57- 2000
stripling warriors
- Alma 57:20-21 "firm and undaunted… obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness"
Helaman 3:27-28
"thus we see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity
of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of
heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus
Christ, who is the Son of God"
Helaman 3:35
"Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and
stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto
the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying
and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of
their yielding their hurts unto God"
"Faith is
always pointed toward the future" -Elder Holland
"Let people
repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that
faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity,
the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried.
Don’t keep going back with your little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up,
wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, “Hey! Do you remember
this?” Splat!" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"God doesn’t
care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are
and, with His help, where you are willing to go" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"There are far,
far better things ahead than any we leave behind" -C.S. Lewis
Helaman 12:6
"Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created
them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and
his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not
that he should be their guide"
-the
Lord is in control; let him! Don't try and take the reigns
3 Nephi 1- those who
believe Christ is coming are scheduled to be put to death, but the Lord comes
to Nephi and tells him "lift up your head and be of good cheer, on the
morrow I come"
"You must learn
to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into darkness, then the
light will appear and show the way before you" -President Harold B. Lee
"The most
important anchor I can share: Anchor your life in Jesus Christ, your redeemer.
Make your eternal Father and his Beloved Son the most important priority in
your life- more important than life itself, more important than a beloved
companion or children or anyone on earth. Make their will your central desire.
Then all that you need for happiness will come to you" -Elder Richard G.
Scott
"Never be
afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God"-Corrie Ten Boom
"Sometimes your
only available transportation is a leap of faith" -Margaret Shepard
3 Nephi 13:32
"For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things"
3 Nephi 13:34
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for they morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil
thereof"
3 Nephi 19:6 People
have travelled all night to come and listen to Christ teach them. When they get
there, it is the 12 disciples teaching them, and Jesus is not there. Christ did
this as a test of faith. If you cannot accept his prophets, you cannot accept
him.
3 Nephi 26: 9-10
"they should first try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall
believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater
things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation"
3 Nephi 26:11
"I will try the faith of my people"
"If we have
faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be
a blessing" -Henry B. Eyring
"There is no
obstacle too great, no challenge too difficult, if we have faith" -Gordon
B. Hinckley
"How do you
remain steadfast and immoveable during a trial of great faith? You immerse
yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith; you exercise
your faith in Christ, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the
commandments, and you serve others" -Neil A. Anderson
Mormon 9:27
"Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto
the Lord with al your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling before him"
Ether 2:7-14
"And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop… as they came to the
sea they pitched their tents… And for the space of three hours did the Lord
chasten him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord"
- The Lord tells us to get somewhere, but sometimes we stop early
Ether 2:19- 3:16
"There is no light, and we cannot breathe"… The Lord answers him in
verse 20, but only addresses the breathing situation. The brother of Jared asks
again in 22 about lighting. The Lord answers with simply what he cannot do- fire
or windows. The Lord will make your idea work. Figure it out and move forward,
don't wait for a confirmation. You know what not
to do, but you don't know what to do. Look for a solution then ask him. The
rocks work as a result of his faith and effort. The Lord will give you more of
a "no" than a "yes". "You are the child of a creator…
so create! You are the creative force of your life" (Hank Smith). The
brother of Jared goes to the Lord with sixteen stones and is embarrassed and
feels completely incompetent (3:2-5), but shows extreme faith, diligence, and
selflessness.
Ether 2:25 "Ye
cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the
sea"
Ether 3:19 "He
had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting"
Ether 6:5-7
"God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the
waters towards the promised land"
- Wind (trials)- the Lord takes you where he wants you- he moves you forward. You may feel buried at times, but the Lord will always bring you back up
"The issue for
us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe He
has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as he thinks
best?" -Elder Neal A. Maxwell
John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"
Ether 12:4
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better
world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith,
maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast,
always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God"
Ether 12:6
"Faith is things which are hoped for, and not seen; wherefore, dispute not
because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your
faith"
Ether 12:12 "If
there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among
them"
"Faith is
actively believing and trusting in God" -anon
"You have to
jump before Christ can catch you" -anon
Ether 12:17
"And they obtained not the promise until after their faith"
Ether 12:32
"wherefore man must hope"
Moroni 7:26
"Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in
faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you"
Moroni 7:33 "If
ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is
expedient in me"
Moroni 7:37 "It
is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear
and minister unto men"
Moroni 7:41-42
"Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of
Christ and power his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this
because of your faith in him according to the promise. If a man have faith he
must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope"
Moroni 10:20
"There must be faith and if there must be faith there must also be hope;
and if there must be hope there must also be charity. And except ye have
chairty ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be
saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neitehr can ye if ye have no
hope. And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh
because of iniquity. And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith
ye can do all things which are expedient unto me"
Moroni 10:32
"Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all
ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God
with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,
that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye
are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God"
"Remember,
faith and doubt cannot exist in the mind at the same time, for one will dispel
the other. Cast out doubt. Cultivate faith. Strive always to retain that
childlike faith which can move mountains and bring heaven closer to heart and
home" -President Monson
Daniel 3- "We
are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver
us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we
will not serve they gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set
up"
- Nebuchadnezzar wants Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to worship his golden image, but they refuse
- They were not careful to answer the king, because they had already made decisions on where they stood, what they believed in, and how they felt
- They were confident in their answer and held to their values and commitment, but also to God's will
Matthew 9:27-29: Two
blind men follow Jesus, crying for him to heal them. He doesn't heal them right
away though, and makes them work for it a bit, to prove their faith to them. As
soon as he feels they have passed the test, he heals them, because of their
extreme faith
Matthew 14:27-33 Peter is walking on water, but then he becomes afraid and begins to sink. Jesus catches him, and says, "Oh thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
- Fear causes you to sink!
"Achievements of faith are limited or conditioned by the genuineness, purity, and unmixed quality of faith" -Jesus the Christ
Matthew 17:20 "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed... nothing shall be impossible unto you"
"Hold on. Hope on. Fan the flame of your faith, for all things are possible to them that believe" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But he can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, he can't if you don't believe" -Jeffrey R. Holland
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Alma 12:22-34
Alma 42: 2-11
"We were
foreordained in the preexistence to fulfill the covenant and promise God made
to Abraham" -Bednar
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Family
"No empty
chairs" -Big Daddy
"There can be
no genuine happiness separate and apart from the home… there is no happiness
without service, and there is no service greater than that which converts the
home into a divine institution, and which promotes and preserves family life…
The home is what needs reforming" -Joseph F. Smith
"Family time is
sacred time and should be protected and respected" -Boyd K. Packer
Title of Liberty was
what Captain Moroni used when the people were forgetting things that were
important. The Proclamation is a modern day Title of Liberty given to us
because we have forgotten what is important and God has reminded us (Elder
Ballard)
"The time has
come to get our houses in order. So many of our people are living on the very
edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings. There is a
portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed"
-President Hinckley
"A home is much
more than a house built of lumber, brick, or stone. A home is made of love,
sacrifice, and respect. We are responsible for the homes we build. We must
build wisely, for eternity is not a short voyage. There will be calm and wind,
sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow. But if we really try, our home can be a
bit of heaven here on earth" -Thomas S. Monson
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Family History and
Genealogy
"Do you young
people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your
life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for
the vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to
stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of
the Holy Ghost" -Richard G. Scott, "The Joy of Redeeming the
Dead"
3 Nephi 25:5-6
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the
children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse"
- Only passage of scripture found in all four standard works (important!)
- 'turn' --> seal
- Genealogy/temple work
- Every sealing: Elijah is there
- Kirkland temple- 1836- gave sealing power to Joseph Smith (See D&C 110/Matthew 17)
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Fasting
3 Nephi 13:16
"when ye fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they
disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast"
See Matthew 6:16-18
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Fighting and Contention
Matthew 18:15-
"if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him"… don't
wait- ACT!
"Let us not
become so intense in our zeal to do good by winning arguments or by our pure
intention in disputing doctrine that we go beyond good sense and manners,
thereby promoting contention, or say and do imprudent things, invoke cynicism,
or ridicule with flippancy. In this manner, our good motives become so
misdirected that we lose friends and, even more serious, we come under the
influence of the devil. I recently heard in a special place, "Your
criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct" - James
E. Faust
Mosiah 18:21-
"look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having
hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another"
"I've always
hated being gossiped about. When I heard that people were talking about me, I
consoled myself with what my mother, Ruthie used to say: "Birds peck at
the best fruit"" -anon
"10% of
conflict is due to difference in opinion and 90% is due to the wrong tone of
voice" -anon
3 Nephi 11:28-30
"neither shall there be disputations among you concerning my doctrine… the
spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of
contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one
with another"
3 Nephi 18: 34
"blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you"
3 Nephi 27:4
"Why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this
thing?"
"Don't be
distracted by criticism. Remember- the only taste of success some people have
is when they take a bite out of you" -Zig Ziglar
4 Nephi 1:15
"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of
the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people"
Mormon 9:31
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection… but rather give thanks unto
God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to
be more wise than we have been"
"Let no man
pull you low enough to hate him" -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ether 12:6
"Faith is things which are hoped for, and not seen; wherefore, dispute not
because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your
faith"
Ether 12:26
"Fools mock, but they shall morn ; and my grace is sufficient for the meek
that they shall take no advantage of your weakness"
Ether 15- Millions
are slain in battle, until it is literally 32 versus 27 people. They just
cannot let it go and are so consumed with anger and pride that they will not
just cease to fight. Instead, they would rather everyone die. In life we do
this sometimes. We keep going and going at something and let it consume us
until we have no energy anymore and we have lost sight of all things that are
important.
"I come to you
tonight with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully
the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we try to 'accentuate
the positive'. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still
our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and
effort" -Gordon B. Hinckley
Matthew 5:22
"Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of
the judgment"
Matthew 5:38-39
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for
a tooth. But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite
thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also"
Matthew 5:44
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"
"It is better to avoid conflict than to try and figure out how to resolve it... However, there is a balance. If you avoid conflict too much, a positive trait has now turned into a negative one" -Kent Brooks
Conflict is due to 4 things: jumping to conclusions/making judgments, pride/selfishness, temper, seeing differences of any kind as a problem, and the tendency to see life as half empty.
Your children should never see you fight or argue, but they should see you resolve problems, so they can see a good example of how to do it in a peaceful, kind way.
8 principles of conflict resolution (as taught by Kent Brooks)
- Avoid contention! The world tells us that fighting and differences are inevitable, but that is handicapping yourself if you believe this- you don't understand the doctrine. The first thing the Savior teaches the Nephites after establishing the church is to have no disputations among them. Humility is so important! We make mistakes, but be quick to apologize, and quick to forgive! Catch things early, before they have time to grow and fester and turn into something bigger. "Never speak a cross word. Not one" -President Kimball
- Distinguish between preference and principle. Principles are rooted in revealed truth. Preferences expand us and allow us to see light differently. "In essentials, let there be unity. In non essentials, let there be liberty. In all things, let there be charity" -Elder B. H. Roberts
- Think win-win. This doesn't always mean compromise. Compromising often results in lose-lose. Pause and really communicate and look for an underlying need and desire. Don't criticize your spouse! When you strengthen one part, you strengthen all parts- don't become opponents!
- Remember the law of the harvest. "Fear not to do good, that which you sow, you reap..." If you reap compassion, you get compassion. But! You CAN plant good seeds and get no fruit- the Lord is the rewarder, so maybe not from that person will you receive your reward, but you will, have patience. Don't be afraid to do good or think it's not working. Sowing and reaping are different seasons- some are short seasons, some are long. Don't expect to plant a seed and get fruit tomorrow, but we do this in relationships. Stop! It takes time. We tend to look at short term only, but look at the eternal perspective. Some harvests are bountiful, some are not. It has nothing to do with the seed- that is just life, for reasons we don't understand. You can do something tiny and make a huge different on someone's life, but you could do something huge and get nothing back. Our relationship to God is like this- he does so much for us, but we give back so small.
- Proper motive: Sometimes we just want to win the argument, or point fingers. It requires humility to avoid this and seek help from the Lord. One of the best motives is recognizing you need to restore good feelings to have the spirit, or you will not be successful. This was seen as Joseph Smith could not translate the plates after getting into an argument with his wife. Only after he prayed for forgiveness and then asked Emma's forgiveness did the Spirit return. Another motive is love, and resolving conflict in private, otherwise it is immature and will escalate (see Matthew 18- if thy brother trespasses against thee, resolve it alone to regain thy brother and reestablish unity).
- Act, don't react. Recognize you have responsibility in the conflict and in resolution. When Nephi went back for the plates, he was gone for an estimated month or two, and his mom (Sariah), began to panic and mourn, thinking her sons were dead. She had bottled up all her fears, and they all broke loose (1 Nephi 5). She begins to criticize her husband, and he does not criticize her back, like most of us would have reacted. Instead, he A.C.T's. He agrees, comforts, and teaches/testifies. He agrees by saying that yes, he is a visionary man, an apologizes. Have humility to say "you're right, and I'm sorry..." This doesn't mean you necessarily agree with everything, for find it fully true. If you aren't willing to accept some responsibility, you lose credibility, and it becomes difficult for that person to trust us. He then comforts, looking to her underlying needs and responding not just to her words, but her feelings and emotions. She is hurting, and he acknowledges that. He then teaches and testifies. Sariah then says that she now knows that he truly is called of God and they were sent out of Jerusalem. Before, she hadn't had her own testimony of leaving Jerusalem, but was just trusting her husband and relying on him. She finally had her own witness and could testify for her own now.
- Bury your weapons. When we are angry or frustrated, we tend to draw out certain weapons (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, withdraw, silent treatment, lying, anger, jumping to conclusions, etc). We learn from the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's that they took ALL their weapons and buried them. They didn't hang on to just a few, just in case. Not only did they bury them, they buried them deep. They were honest with themselves enough to know that temptation could come and they would want them back. If they put them close to the surface, they could easily go back and get them. They covenanted with God, realizing they could not do this difficult task on their own.
- Hold regular couple counsels. Don't fly by the seed of your pants and think "When an issue comes up, then we'll talk about it". Have a regular time to focus on issues. This frees up other time used to build each other up, strengthening your relationship, confidence, trust, and love. Don't make counsel sessions gripe sessions, or neither of you will ever want to do it again. Make them at least 90% positive, showing appreciation, love, and gratitude for one another. Ask what you can do better to be a better husband or wife. Keep it simple! Couples that do this have shown that 70% of all concerns are resolved right then and there, by simply voicing them and being heard. Be sure to discuss openly and consider the other's point of view. Define the problem and get to the basis of it to have a resolution. Be sure to follow up and make sure you are closer to your goal. If not, maybe you need to modify it.
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Forgiveness
Enos 1:2 (…wrestle I
had before God before I received a remission of sins)
D&C 64:9 forgive
one another- he that forgiveth not his brother has committed the greater sin
D&C 58:42-43 -
Lord will remember your sins no more if you confess and forsake them
3 Nephi 9:14 -
"mine arm of mercy is extended towards you"
"Life becomes
easier when you accept an apology you never got" Robert Brault
(on the challenge of
sin)- "But there is an answer to this challenge for you every bit as there
is for that investigator to whom you will go. Whoever you are and whatever you
have done, you can be forgiven. Every one of you can leave behind any transgression
with which you may struggle. It is the miracle of forgiveness; it is the
miracle of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. But you cannot do it without
an active commitment to the gospel, and you cannot do it without repentance
where it is needed. I am asking you to be active and be clean. If required, I
am asking you to get active and get clean" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"A person who
sins is like a tree that bends easily in the wind. On a windy and rainy day,
the tree bends so deeply against the ground that the leaves become soiled with
mud, like sin. If we focus only on cleaning the leaves, the weakness in the tree
that allowed it to bend and soil its leaves may remain. Similarly, a person who
is merely sorry to be soiled by sin will sin again in the next high wind. The
susceptibility to repetition continues until the tree has been strengthened”
(Dallin H. Oaks)
Mosiah 27:13-37
(Alma the younger's conversion)
Alma 36:12-14
"I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the
greatest degree and racked with all my sins. I did remember all my sins and
iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell…the very thought
of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible
horror"
Alma 36:19 "I
could remember my pains no more"
20:
"My soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!"
21:
"There could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. On
the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy"
"Forgiveness is
not always easy. At times it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to
forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without
forgiveness" -Marianne Williamson
Alma 60/61- Moroni
writes an angry letter to Pahoran, threating him, but has no idea what Pahoran
is dealing with on his side of things. Pahoran responds kindly and patiently,
rather than also jumping the gun and making harsh judgments and conclusions
"We don’t want
God to remember our sins, so there is something fundamentally wrong in our
relentlessly trying to remember those of others" -Jeffrey R. Holland
“Forgiveness is
freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding
grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is
rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity
to understand and accept other people and ourselves" -Dr. Sidney Simon
See James E.
Faulst's "The Healing Power of Forgiveness" (story of Amish people
and milkman)
"Forgiveness is
a source of power. But it does not relieve us of consequences" -Bishop
Williams
"When something
is over and done with, when it has been repented of as fully as it can be
repented of, when life has moved on as it should and a lot of other wonderfully
good things have happened since then, it is not right to go back and open up some
ancient wound that the Son of God Himself died trying to heal" -Jeffrey R.
Holland
"Let people
repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that
faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity,
the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried.
Don’t keep going back with your little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up,
wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, “Hey! Do you remember
this?” Splat!" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"Like the
Anti-Nephi-Lehies of the Book of Mormon, bury your weapons of war, and leave
them buried. Forgive, and do that which is harder than to forgive: Forget. And
when it comes to mind again, forget it again" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"We are guilty
of the greater sin if we keep remembering and recalling and rebashing someone
with their earlier mistakes—and that “someone” might be ourselves"
-Jeffrey R. Holland
3 Nephi 12:24, 39,
44 "Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you. Ye
shall not resist evil, but whosever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn
to him the other also"
"The act of
forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the
other person" -Louise Hay
Mormon 9:31
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection… but rather give thanks unto
God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to
be more wise than we have been"
Moroni 6:8 "But
as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were
forgiven"
Moroni 10:32
"Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all
ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God
with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,
that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye
are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God"
"We pledge
every Sunday of our lives to take upon ourselves His name and promise to
"always remember him". So let us work a little harder at remembering
him-- especially that He has "borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…
[that] he was bruised for our iniquities… and with his stripes we are
healed". Surely it will guide our actions in a dramatic way if we
remembered that every time we transgress, we hurt not only those we love, but
we also hurt Him, who so dearly loves us. But if we do sin, however serious
that sin may be, we can be rescued by that same majestic figure, He who bears
the only name given under Heaven whereby any man or woman can be saved"
-Elder Holland
Matthew 18:21 "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?.... Until seventy times seven" (Christ does not put a limit on how many times he forgives us, we should not put a limit on how many times we forgive others)
Matthew 18:23-35 "One was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents... He had not to pay, and as to be sold... The servant fell down, saying Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. The Lord was moved with compassion, and forgave him the debt... But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him a hundred pence, and he took him by the throat... the fellowservant fell down and said Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but cast him into prison"
"Imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to him, but he deals with it... so should we!" -Jeffrey R. Holland
Matthew 18:21 "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?.... Until seventy times seven" (Christ does not put a limit on how many times he forgives us, we should not put a limit on how many times we forgive others)
Matthew 18:23-35 "One was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents... He had not to pay, and as to be sold... The servant fell down, saying Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. The Lord was moved with compassion, and forgave him the debt... But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him a hundred pence, and he took him by the throat... the fellowservant fell down and said Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but cast him into prison"
"Imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to him, but he deals with it... so should we!" -Jeffrey R. Holland
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Friendships &
Relationships
"Keep away from
people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the
really great make you feel that you, too, can become great" -Mark Twain
"A person that
is nice to you but not nice to the waiter is NOT a nice person" -anon
"Leave people
better than you found them" -Big Daddy
"Be kind and be
grateful God is kind; it is a happy way to live" -Jeffrey R. Holland
"Kindness is a
language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see" -Mark Twain
"Character is
how you treat those who can do nothing for you" -anon
Mosiah 17:11-12 -
King Noah was about to release Abinadi, but then his priests stirred his anger
- Importance of surrounding yourself with good people
"Associate
yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad
company" -Booker T. Washington
"Be one who
nurtures and builds. Be one who has an understanding and forgiving heart, who
looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them"
-Marvin J. Ashton
"I've always
hated being gossiped about. When I heard that people were talking about me, I
consoled myself with what my mother, Ruthie used to say: "Birds peck at
the best fruit"" -anon
Alma 60/61- Moroni
writes an angry letter to Pahoran, threatening him, but has no idea what Pahoran
is dealing with on his side of things. Pahoran responds kindly and patiently,
rather than also jumping the gun and making harsh judgments and conclusions
Alma 61:9 "it
mattereth not" (do not get caught up on small things, let it roll off your
back!)
Helaman 6:3
"And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with
another, and did have great joy"
-humility;
it didn't matter that they were 'Lamanites', all were happy for each other
"When something
is over and done with, when it has been repented of as fully as it can be
repented of, when life has moved on as it should and a lot of other wonderfully
good things have happened since then, it is not right to go back and open up some
ancient wound that the Son of God Himself died trying to heal" -Jeffrey R.
Holland
Helaman 15:4
"the Lamanites he hath hated because their deeds have been evil
continually, but behold salvation hath come unto them through the preaching of
the Nephites"
- The Lord has a plan. Sometimes we have to save someone so one day they can turn around and save us
Eccl. 4:9-10
"it is not good for man to be alone. Two are better than one, for if they
fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he
falleth; for he hath not another to help him up"
Mormon 3:11
"And it came to pass that I, Mormon did utterly refuse from this time
forth to be a commander and leader of this people, because of their wickedness
and abomination"
- You can still be a kind, good person and choose to not associate yourself with bad people
Mormon 5:1- Returns
to be their leader, but he limits contact with them. He is living in the world,
but not of it
Mormon 9:31
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection… but rather give thanks unto
God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to
be more wise than we have been"
"People
generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for" -To Kill
a Mockingbird
"I come to you
tonight with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully
the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we try to 'accentuate
the positive'. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still
our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and
effort" -Gordon B. Hinckley
"Seek to be
worth knowing rather than to be well known" -Sandra Turley
Matthew 5:44
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"
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