Friday, March 26, 2010

Someone Sent Me - Share 8

Compliment people wherever you go. Praise every single thing you see. Be a ray of sunshine to everyone you meet, and make their day better for having seen you.

Say "Thank you" at every turn. Walk, talk, think, and breathe appreciation and gratitude. When you do this, your outer life will change to reflect your inner state of being.

Source: Shared Messenge Sent by Ratna Kulkarni

Monday, March 22, 2010

Wind At Your Back #14

Mosiah 3:19

Historical Setting

King Benjamin taught his people what an angel had taught him the night before.

Doctrinal Teaching

The natural, or fallen, man is an enemy to God. By yielding to the Spirit and becoming like a child, we can overcome the natural man.

Self-Obliged Application

Show your nonmember friends that without the Holy Spirit we are in a fallen, or natural, state and are not close to God.

Personal Application

Listen to the Spirit and be more submissive, patient, and full of love, even when you may be tempted to argue with or rebel against family members.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Wind At Your Back #13

Jacob 2:18-19

Historical Setting

After the death of Nephi, the Lord instructed the prophet Jacob to go to the temple and warn the people of the consequences of their wickedness.

Doctrinal Teaching

Seek first for the things of God, and then use the riches of the world for doing good.

Self-Obliged Application

Help a nonmember appreciate the importance of the gospel in comparison to worldly riches.

Personal Application

Put your greatest effort into gaining a testimony of Christ; when you put Christ first, you will use whatever riches you may obtain to do good.

18 But before you seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good---to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

Monday, March 15, 2010

All Things Bright and Beautiful #12

2 Nephi 32:3

Historical Setting

Nephi concluded his prophecy by expressing concern that people did not fully understand the doctrine of Christ.

Doctrinal Teaching

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, and if we will "feast upon the words of Christ", the words of Christ will tell us what we should do.

Self-obliged Application

Help a nonmember undersdtand that sincerely studying the Book of Mormon can lead to a testimonyu of its truthfulness.

Personal Application

Approach your study of the Book of Mormon as a spiritual feast. Read, study, visualize, and ponder this great scripture, and you will find solutions to many problems you are experiencing.

3 - Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

All Things Bright and Beautiful #11

2 Nephi 9:28-29

Historical Setting

After having been called of God and ordained by Nephi, Jacob taught the Nephite people.

Doctrinal Teaching

To obtain knowledge is good if you follow the counsel of God.

Self-Obliged Application

Bear testimony that God's counsel is greater than man's wisdom.

Personal Application

Measure the things you learn in school by what you learn from the scriptures.

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

All Things Bright and Beautiful #10

2 Nephi 2:27

Before he died, Lehi gave farewell counsel to his son Jacob and taught him about agency.

Doctrinal Teaching

Men are free to choose freedom and eternal life or captivity and death.

Self-Obliged Application

Explain to someone outside the Church that there are consequences to using agency.

Personal Application

Analyze the consequences of the choices you made today and the ways your choices affect your freedom.

Scripture Reading

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

All Things Bright and Beautiful #9

2 Nephi 2:25

Lehi gave farewell counsel to his son Jacob and taught him about Adam's Fall.

Doctrinal Teaching

Mortality was made possible by Adam's Fall; we exist so that we might experience joy.

Our Attitude Application

We explain ourselves to influence a new convert that birth on this earth was a result of Adam's Fall.

Personal Application

In your thoughts, your Church discussions, in teaching, and on occasion in your prayers, express appreciation for Adam and Eve.

Scripture Reading

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

All Things Bright and Beautiful #8

1 Nephi 3:7

The Lord told Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from Laban.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Gospel Introduction's Historical Setting #7

3 Nephi 27:27

In His final instructions to the Nephite Twelve, Jesus commanded them to pattern their lives after His life.

Doctrinal Teaching

The Nephite Twelve were called to judge the Nephites. In order to make just judgments, they had to seek to live as Jesus lived.

Our Attitude Application

Help ourselves realize that Jesus is our model and that with His help we can pattern our lives after Him.

Personal Application

Study the life of Christ and pick out one of His characteristics to develop DAILY!

Scripture Reading

27 - And know ye that "ye shall be the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."

Friday, March 5, 2010

Gospel Introduction's Historical Setting #6

Paul wrote his first letter to the Saints at Corinth from Philippi.

GOOD FOR SOMETHING

For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. --MORONI 7:5

You are good.

But it is not enough just to be good.

You must be good for something.

You must contribute good to the world.

The world must be a better place for your presence.

And the good that is in you must be spread to others.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Selflessness Of Temple Work

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. -- EPHESIANS 2:19-21

Vicarious temple work for the dead more nearly approaches the vicarious sacrifice of the Savior Himself than any other work of which I know. No one comes with any expectation of thanks for the work which he or she does. It is given with love, without hope of compensation, or repayment. What a glorious principle!

Gospel Introduction's Historical Setting #5

Approximately four hundred years before the birth of Christ, Malachi spoke for the Lord.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Gospel Introduction's Historical Setting #4

Malachi 3:8-10

The disobedient kingdom of Judah had neglected to pay tithes and offerings to the Lord.

The Past, Present, And Future

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness." - DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 58:27

How glorious is the past of this great cause. It is filled with heroism, courage, boldness, and faith.

How wondrous is the present as we move forward to bless the lives of people wherever they will hearken to the message of the servants of the Lord.

How magnificent will be the future as the Almighty rolls on His glorious work, touching for good all who will accept and live His gospel, and even reaching to the eternal blessing of His sons and daughters of all generations through the selfless work of those whose hearts are filled with love for the Redeemer of the world.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Your Best Self

Do all things . . . that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

PHILIPPIANS 2:14-15

Keep faith with the best that is in you. Your own constant self-improvement will become as a polar star to those with whom you associate. They will remember longer what they saw in you than what they heard from you. Your attitude, your point of view can make such a tremendous difference.

Gospel Introduction's Historical Setting #3

In the eighth century b.c. Amos taught this truth while prophesying against the sins of Israel.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Gospel Introduction's Historical Setting #2

Daniel 2:44-45

After the wise men of the kingdom failed to interpret the meaning of the king's dream, Daniel was asked to interpret it.