And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions. Mosiah 21:14
If prayer is only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our emergencies.
What can we do to better protect and empower the children in our lives?
When I opened my eyes again, I had a moment of clarity. I watched my friends acting foolishly and no longer saw myself belonging to that group. I left and decided to stop drinking and going to parties. That meant I would need to change my group of friends, which was not easy. But I did it.
This experience turned out to be one of those moments when I knew that God had a plan for me and part of that plan was for me to learn of the true doctrine of Jesus Christ's Church. I didn't know it at that moment, but the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead Himself, testified to me that what I was learning from the missionaries was indeed true. I thirsted for more!
In retrospect, I could clearly see that God had a specific plan for me years before I even knew about the Church. I have always believed that God was real and that Jesus Christ was His Son, but I never truly understood the impact that joining this perfectly organized Church would have on me.
Just as the Savior adapted his prayer on the different occasions and circumstances in which he gave it, so we should always be tailoring what we pray for to our specific needs and circumstances, avoiding “vain repetitions”.
Similar to your earthly parents, God wants to hear from you, and He wants to talk to you. When you pray, He does listen.
I am eternally grateful that the Spirit of the Lord gave me my own personal witness that the message the missionaries delivered to me was of divine nature, and that if I were to be obedient to the things I learned for myself to be true, I would be blessed beyond measure.
When the inevitable fury of temptations and tribulations approach Category 5 spiritual storm conditions, will you still trust God and cling to truth?
When someone struggles with an addiction, it’s important to know that there is hope. There are people every single day all around the world who are able to find freedom from the substance or behavior holding them hostage.
The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly (see John 10:10).
Here is an animation that gives a short but poignant portrait of Jesus Christ and His relevance to each of us. If you would like to learn more, click on the link below the video.
I believe that sometimes we have the assumption that being a faithful and active member of the Church is too complicated and challenging. As a matter of fact, being faithful to God is one of the simplest of all lifestyles if we allow it to be.
New Christmas song by Shawna Edwards |"The Greatest Gift" by Liz Lemon Swindle inspired by the film "The Nativity Story"
Because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to Them, we have the ultimate road map for our journey through mortality.
We live in tumultuous times. But the question is not how the Church will fare; rather, how will you and I fare?
"The world around you is not equipped to provide the help you need to make it through this often-treacherous journey. So many in our society today seem to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace.
President Nelson once expressed, "How much better it would be if all could be more aware of God’s providence and love and express that gratitude to Him."
I usually look forward to speaking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially to those who are genuinely asking out of curiosity or interest. Defending my faith is something I feel is important to do and in the years of practice, I have learned that sometimes our actions speak louder than words.
It took me several years to realize I had the most important and effective "instruction book" at my disposal.
You’ve probably heard people say that the Book of Mormon was written for our day. It’s a true statement. Prophets have declared it.1 The book itself says it.2 But what makes this book so well suited for this particular time in history?
A true story showing the love of an adoptive father to his children. What a remarkable way he explained the "amazing adoption club" to his children. I truly admire both the adoptive parents and parents who have had to give their children up for adoption. It takes much strength, courage, and love and I think they are wonderful.
With the many unique challenges we face today, it is comforting to know that our Father in Heaven never intended for us to go through them alone.
Often we get so focused on the commercial part of Christmas and Easter that we forget the true purpose of the sacred event. Once the day has passed, some may feel relief that it's all over and move on to the next thing, whatever that may be. I love this article because it clearly demonstrates how we can enjoy this holy time even when it's over, and the teachings of Jesus Christ don't have to be limited to just the one day. The hustle and bustle of the commercialism that overwhelms us are out of the way and our focus is adjusted to what we should be truly celebrating--Jesus Christ. THIS IS GREAT NEWS!
ToGather Saints 