Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

I'm sad to have to have neglected this little space so long.  Although there is not a great likelihood that I will post any original content here anytime soon, I want to continue filing some of the helpful words I stumble across in my study.  Today I loved this from Elder Orson F. Whitney:

“The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.”

Quoted in Elder Holland's (brilliant) address, "The Tongue of Angels," April 2007

Family Night Field Trips: Final Part

Our final plan of salvation outing was a trip to the cemetery.

What is this thing called death

This quiet passing in the night?

Tis not the end but genesis

of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch Thou my aching heart

And calm my troubled, haunting fears.

Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,

Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change,

With recompense for vict’ry won.

The gift of Him who loved all men,

The Son of God, the Holy One.

Gordon B. Hinckley

(Always loved President Hinckley's poem!!)

We talked about what happens when people die.  We talked about the spirit world.  We discussed the reality of the Savior's resurrection and the reassuring truth that we can be together with people we love even after the separation of death.  It was a meaningful, memorable conclusion to our little series of field-trips - maybe my favorite of them all. The cemetery proved the perfect spot to testify that Christ will truly come to earth again and that resurrection will really happen.

O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"Resolve to make the Lord Jesus Christ the living center of your home. Be sure that every decision you make, whether it be of a spiritual or physical nature, be guided by the thought “What would the Lord Jesus Christ have me do?” When the Savior is the center of your home, it is filled with peace and serenity. There is a spirit of calm assurance that pervades the home that is felt by the children and adults alike."  Elder Richard G. Scott, "He Lives! All Glory to His Name!" April 2010

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"There is an imperative need for each of us to strengthen our understanding of the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ so that it will become an unshakable foundation upon which to build our lives." Elder Richard G. Scott, "He Lives! All Glory to His Name!" April 2010

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"What eternal purpose would our Father’s plan of happiness have had except it be made alive through the infinite and eternal Atonement of His gloriously obedient Son? What eternal purpose would have come from the Creation of the earth, where intelligences tabernacled with spirits would receive a body, if death were the end of existence and none would be resurrected? What a glorious moment [Easter] morning was for all who understood its significance. ...Jesus Christ lives. He is our Savior, our Redeemer. He is a glorious, resurrected being. ...He gave His life to break the bonds of death. His Atonement made fully active the plan of happiness of His Father in Heaven. ...Without the Atonement, Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness could not have been placed fully into effect. ...It is vital that we each learn what we can about [the Atonement.  It is the] essential ingredient of our Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness without which that plan could not have been activated." Elder Richard G. Scott, "He Lives! All Glory to His Name!" April 2010

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. ...He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation.  That is what He did during His mortal life; it is what He would be doing if He were living among us today; and it is what we should be doing as His disciples and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ...Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.  If we are His hands, should we not do the same?"  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "You Are My Hands," April 2010

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"From the cross on Calvary, the Savior announced, 'It is finished.' Then His spirit left His body, and His mortal remains were placed lovingly in a tomb. He taught us a lesson by what He did in three days in the spirit world, before His Resurrection, which I remember whenever I am tempted to feel that I have finished some hard task in His service and deserve a rest.

The Savior’s example gives me courage to press on. His labors in mortality were finished, but He entered the spirit world determined to continue His glorious work to save souls. He organized the work of the faithful spirits to rescue those who could still be made partakers of the mercy made possible by His atoning sacrifice"  President Henry B. Eyring, "Act in All Diligence," April 2010

Family Night Field Trips: Part III

After talking about the Savior, his life and atonement, death and resurrection, we focused our third field trip on the doctrine of Christ:

Faith

Repentance

Baptism

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

We went to our church building and talked about the important ordinances that happen there, particularly baptism and the sacrament.  We talked about the word covenant. We talked about Jesus' invitation: "Come unto me and have everlasting life."   We talked about how we do that.

"Wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine that they may know how to come unto him and be saved." (1 Nephi 15:14)

Faith
Repentance
Baptism
The Holy Ghost

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart...with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost."

We continued the conversation as we walked across the street to the temple grounds.  It was a beautiful evening.

"And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."

And amen. =)

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"Looking back, I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain. ...Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most."  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Continue in Patience," April 2010

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve. Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.
I believe that every one of us, at one time or another, can identify with the servant in Christ’s parable who owed money to the king and who pled with the king, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me.'
...It is my prayer that patience will be a defining characteristic of we who hold the priesthood of Almighty God." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Continue in Patience," April 2010