Day 31

“The enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps
us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could
never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity.
I testify and witness that the enabling power of
the Savior’s Atonement is real.”
~ Elder David A. Bednar

In what ways do we depend on our own strength? How can we
more fully receive the strength of the Lord?

Day 30

“No one can be born again without baptism, but the immersion
of water and the laying on of hands to confer the Holy Ghost do
not of themselves guarantee that a person has been or will be
born again. The new birth takes place only for those who
actually enjoy the Gift or companionship of the Holy Ghost, only
for those who are fully converted, who have given themselves
without restraint to the Lord.”
~ Elder Bruce R. McConkie

How can you more fully give yourself to the Lord to experience
the mighty change of heart?

Day 29

“Work at keeping your thoughts clean by thinking of something
good. The mind can think of only one thing at a time. Use that
fact to crowd out ugly thoughts. Above all, don’t feed thoughts
by reading or watching things that are wrong. If you don’t
control your thoughts, Satan will keep tempting you until you
eventually act them out.”
~ Elder Richard G. Scott

What helps you most to control your thoughts?

Day 28

“Our focus should be on righteousness, not recognition; on

service, not status. The faithful visiting teacher, who quietly

goes about her work month after month, is just as important to

the work of the Lord as those who occupy what some see as

more prominent positions in the Church. Visibility does not

equate to value…When we understand why we serve we will not

worry about where we serve.”

~ President Howard W. Hunter

How often do you serve?

Day 27

“Thou Shalt Give Heed unto All His Words”

L. Tom Perry
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

---

"President Hinckley added to his powerful, emotional witness a list of concerns for the future. One of his concerns particularly stuck in my mind. His worry was with the great growth of the Church throughout the world, it would become increasingly difficult for the Apostles to reach all the members of the Church and personally admonish them to live the gospel. Thus, the future would bring greater reliance on technology to carry the gospel message to the worldwide Church.

As we review the sacred history contained in the holy scriptures, we find similar events when a prophet of God sees significant changes in the horizons ahead. It is interesting that when such critical events occur, great and inspired attention and detail are given both to the prophetic message and the way it is delivered—that is, the technology that’s used to carry the gospel message.

I am reminded of the great sermon King Benjamin delivered to his people, which is found in the first chapters of the book of Mosiah. This righteous king had served his people long and faithfully. It was time to turn the leadership over to his son. But before doing so, he wanted to leave his witness and testimony of his Lord and Savior to his people. He wanted first to instruct his sons “that … they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord” (Mosiah 1:2).

He also taught them concerning the records that were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: “My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God” (Mosiah 1:3).

Keeping the doctrine pure was foremost in King Benjamin’s mind, so he wanted all of his people to receive his witness and his word."

How does sustaining the prophet of the church allow us to live the gospel more fully and discover the mysteries of God?

to read the full article:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/04/thou-shalt-give-heed-unto-all-his-words?lang=eng&query=mosiah

Day 26

“How many of you, with or without serious transgressions, have
ever prayed all day and into the night? Have you ever wept and
prayed for many hours? How many of you have prayed
for five hours? for one? for thirty minutes? for ten?”
~ President Spencer W. Kimball
How often do you cry unto the Lord in mighty prayer?
How can you make prayer more meaningful?

Day 25

I read a great talk today about the example Jacob has provided us...  Great food and guidance provided by Elder Ballard.

O Be Wise

M. Russell Ballard

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

---

"Today is in many ways like Jacob’s day. My counsel is like unto his: “Repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you” (Jacob 6:5). Brothers and sisters, be wise with your families. Be wise in fulfilling your Church callings. Be wise with your time. Be wise in balancing all of your responsibilities. O be wise, my beloved brothers and sisters. What can I say more?"

TO READ the whole ARTICLE:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/o-be-wise?lang=eng&query=jacob+6-8

Day 24

“Give me a young man who has kept himself morally clean and
has faithfully attended his Church meetings. Give me a young
man who has magnified his priesthood and has earned the Duty
to God Award and is an Eagle Scout. Give me a young man who
is a seminary graduate and has a burning testimony of the Book
of Mormon. Give me such a young man, and I will give you a
young man who can perform miracles for the Lord in the mission
field and throughout his life.”
~ President Ezra Taft Benson

How can you prepare now to labor diligently in the Lord’s vineyard?

Day 23

Are your decisions based on how your choices will help to build

the Lord’s kingdom? If needed, how can you change?

“If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the

end make no difference what you have chosen instead.”

~ William Law

Day 22

I love this section of Jacob chapter 1.  I find that it provides much guidance for ones life... 

1. we first need to obtain our errand - purpose
2. magnify our callings working diligently and unceasingly...

I read an article today about a young boy in Minneapolis who "according to the highest authorities of the Tibetan Buddhist order, he is the reincarnation of the speech, mind and body of a lama, or spiritual guru, who died in Switzerland six years ago. Jalue is said to be the eighth appearance of the original lama, born in 1655." 

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/LAMA+REINCARNATE/6002889/story.html#ixzz1kFPfM9nH

Even though I do not believe in reincarnation I have to admit that I admire this family for seeing the devine errand for this boy and how they are doing everything possible for him to fulfill it.  Makes me wonder.  Am I truly converted??? Have I received the confirmation of what my errand is in this life???   I beleive  Elder Robert D. Hales gave the answer in yesterdays quote for the day.

Day 21

“When we understand our baptismal covenant and the gift of the

Holy Ghost, it will change our lives and will establish our total

allegiance to the kingdom of God. When temptations come our

way, if we will listen, the Holy Ghost will remind us that we

have promised to remember our Savior and obey the

commandments of God.”

~ Elder Robert D. Hales

Sometimes we take our baptism for granted. What do you do to

remember and increase your appreciation for your baptism?

Day 20

“ There are at least three dangers that threaten the Church within,

and the authorities need to awaken to the fact that the people

should be warned unceasingly against them. As I see these, they

are flattery of prominent men in the world, false educational

ideas, and sexual impurity.”

~ President Joseph F. Smith

What are you doing to avoid being deceived?

Day 19

Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense

to those with strong faith…the choice not to take prophetic counsel

changes the very ground upon which we stand. It becomes more

dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to

take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to

help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he

asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened

sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have

seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late.

~ Elder Henry B. Eyring

How does following the prophet keep you safe?

Day 18

“Literally, the Atonement means to be ‘at one’ with Him. The

nature of the Atonement and its effects is so infinite, so

unfathomable, and so profound that it lies beyond the knowledge

and comprehension of mortal man. I am profoundly grateful for

the principle of saving grace… The overwhelming message of

the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all

of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity,

long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving.”

~President James E. Faust

How do you experience the Savior’s love?

Pres. Boyd K. Packer gives an awesome talk
http://speeches.byu.edu/download.php/Packer_Boyd_2011_11_06.mp3

The Power of Service

This was a link that was sent to me that shows how having compassion to another can change the world...  Powerful... 

Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SS-sWdAQsYg
<http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SS-sWdAQsYg&vq=medium> &vq=medium

"If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again."            William Penn

Day 17

“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop

the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may

combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of

God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated

every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded

in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the

Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

~ Joseph Smith

What part do you play in these prophecies?

Day 16

What helps you to see things for what they really are?

“Today’s popular entertainment often makes what is evil and

wrong look enjoyable and right. Let us remember the Lord’s

counsel: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.’

Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a

deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in

magazines, the Internet, and the television.”

~ Elder David E. Sorensen

Day 15

“I can visualize an army of righteous youth prepared and worthy

to attend the temple. I can see families sealed together for

eternity. I can see youth who understand what it means to be

‘saviours … on mount Zion.’ I can see youth whose hearts are

turned to their fathers. And I can envision youth growing up in

such a way that they will come forth from the temples filled with

strength to resist worldly pressures. I can see a generation of

youth who will ‘stand … in holy places, and be not moved.’

~ Sister Elaine S. Dalton

Why do you think Isaiah compares the temple to a mountain?

Day 14

To Establish a Secure Foundation for Life

Richard G. Scott

18 March 2008

http://speeches.byu.edu/download.php/Scott_Richard_032008.mp3

Elder Scott gives a wonderful talk about the atonement. 

"I strongly believe that there is an imperative need for you to strengthen your understanding of the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ so that it will become the secure foundation upon which to build the balance of your life.

As the world in which you will live becomes more devoid of foundational standards and principles, and as honor, virtue, and purity are increasingly cast aside for the pursuit of appetite with an attitude of "me first" and "I want the biggest," your understanding of and faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ will provide much-needed strength and capacity in your life. It will also bring confidence in times of trial and peace in moments of turmoil.

I energetically encourage you to establish a personal plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of the perfect fulfillment by Jesus Christ of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer. Profound personal pondering of the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer will fortify your understanding of and appreciation for the Atonement."

Commit to establish a personal plan to better understand and appreciate the sacrafice that Jesus Christ provided through the Atonement.

Day 13

Happy friday the 13th....

“Keeping everything in balance can be a real problem …Often

the lack of clear direction and goals can waste away our time and

energy and contribute to imbalance in our lives. …Our main goal

should be to seek “immortality and eternal life.” With this as our

goal, why not eliminate from our lives the things that clamor for

and consume our thoughts, feelings, and energies without

contributing to our reaching that goal?”

~ Elder M. Russell Ballard

How do you spend your time, money and energy?

Day 12

“No father, no son, no mother, no daughter should get so busy
that he or she does not have time to study the scriptures and the
words of modern prophets. None of us should get so busy that
we crowd out contemplation and praying.”
~President Spencer W. Kimball

What is it that brings a person to love the scriptures?

Day 11

“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be

the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this

path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all

the commandments of God.”

~ Joseph Smith

What brings you true happiness?

Day 10

“If Satan could but capture our minds, he would have won the

battle and the war. He can only do this if we let him. If we refuse

to walk with him, he will have no power over us, for God gave

us our free agency and Satan cannot take it away. So what I am

suggesting is that we refuse to even walk on the same street with

Satan. In other words, not only should we avoid evil, we should

avoid the very appearance of evil.”

~ Bishop Victor L. Brown

How can Satan be bound in his efforts to influence you?

Day 9

Insights from 1 Nephi 19–22

• One of the first things the Lord commanded Nephi to do after the families arrived in the promised land was to keep a record of the people (1 Nephi 19:1–4). Nephi said that he wrote “sacred things” for his people “that perhaps [he] might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer” (1 Nephi 19:5, 18). What blessings will come to our posterity if we record sacred events in our lives?

• According to Nephi, how would the world receive the Savior during His mortal ministry? (See 1 Nephi 19:7–10.) Why did the world reject Jesus as “a thing of naught”? (See 1 Nephi 19:9.) Why was Jesus willing to endure such persecution? (See 1 Nephi 19:9.)

• According to Nephi, why would the Jews be “scourged by all people”? (See 1 Nephi 19:13–14.) What will happen when the Jews “no more turn aside their hearts” against Jesus? (See 1 Nephi 19:15–16.)

• Nephi taught his brethren concerning “the prophets of old” and “the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old” (1 Nephi 19:21–22). How have you been blessed as you have studied the scriptures and learned of the prophets of old?

• Why is it important to “liken all scriptures unto us”? (1 Nephi 19:23). How have you benefited from doing this?

1 Nephi 21–22 contains significant prophecies concerning the last days. You may want to review the following passages:

1. a.   1 Nephi 21:22–23; 22:6–8. The Restoration of the gospel will bring scattered Israel together again.
2. b. 1 Nephi 21:26; 22:10–12. The Lord will bring Israel “out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer.” (Note that the Book of Mormon plays a key role in “bringing about [the Lord’s] covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.” Compare 1 Nephi 22:11–12 with the itle page of the Book of Mormon.)
3. c. 1 Nephi 22:13–15. Nations that reject God will war against one another and be destroyed.
4. d. 1 Nephi 22:16–19. The Lord will preserve the righteous.
5. e. 1 Nephi 22:26. Satan will be bound during Christ’s millennial reign.

Day 8

Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times

Henry B. Eyring

10 September 2006

http://speeches.byu.edu/download.php/Eyring_Henry_092006.mp3


I can only imagine the fortitude that Nephi must have had to be able to endure the hardships that were forced upon him from his brothers.   Pres. Erying gives a wonderful talk about the gifts of the spirits and how important it is to have the gift  of the spirit with you to be able to endure and accomplish the tasks at hand so that we can prepare the world for the second coming of the Lord and our Savior.

Day 7

"One of America’s truly distinguished Philosophers, Josiah Royce, wrote:

  Loyalty is for the loyal man not only a good, but for him the chief aongst all the moral goods of his life, because it furnishes... him a personal solution [to] the hardest of [all] human...problems, the problem: "For what do I live? [The Philosophy of Loyalty (New York: Macmillan Co., 1908, p. 57}

It is loyalty—loyalty to true principles and true people and honorable institutions and worthy ideals—that unifies our purpose in life and defines our morality. Where we have no such loyalties or convictions, no standards against which to measure our acts and their consequences, we are anchored and adrift, “driven with the wind and tossed,” says the scripture (James 1:6) until some other storm or problem or appetite takes us another direction for an equally short and unstable period of time. The older I get—which isn’t old enough yet—the more I believe Professor Royce must have been right. “For what do I live?” is, in a sense, the inquiry every LDS missionary invites his or her investigator to make. If there is honest consideration of that question, then eternal truth has a fighting chance to bless the children of God.

What I wish to ask of you today is to be the kind of person who stands loyally by the principles and people and institutions to which you have declared allegiance, and that probably have given you most of the blessings you enjoy…

How much pressure is too much pressure to remain true? How much disappointment is too much disappointment to stand firm? How far is too far to walk with a discouraged friend, or a struggling spouse, or a troubled child? When the opposition heats up and the going gets tough, how much of what we thought was important to us will we defend and how much, in that inevitable tug and pull of life, will we find it convenient to give away?

As with so many abstractions that need to be made concrete, our homes and families are very good settings for an initial application. Would we, for example, stand by a younger brother or an older sister in times of despair or pain? Would we defend to the death our parents if they really needed our help? Even if our prayers are embarrassingly skimpy, don’t we at least pray for the members of our family? I assume that those questions are easy to answer, because we say something like:

"Well, I love them," or "I owe it to them," or "They would do the same thing for me."  Yet what we so often fail to remember is that we should feel taht way about everyone that "family" is the true Christian appellation for the entire human race.  Have we made the Sunday greeting of "Brother Jones and Sister Brown" too common to remember why we say it?  Has our hasty reference to "Father in Heaven" grown stal and insignificant?  Will we ever widen our circle of influence beyond that already claimed by the Pharisees, who ever in their benighted state did not boo other Pharisees? "What reward has ye?... And if ye salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so?"  (Matthew 5:46-47).  in matters of loyalty we all have a long way yet to go." Oh, Lord, Keep My Rudder True JEFFREY R. HOLLAND 21 January 1986

I invite you to examine your very soul, to look deeply within your habits and inclinations and measure your loyalties against the divine standard of our Savior, Jesus Christ. How prepared are you for the difficult things you may yet face in acquiring an education or serving a mission or raising a family or defending your beliefs? For what do you live?  Are you true to your beliefs and convictions?

Day 6

“If there is any one thing most needed in this time of tumult and frustration, when men and women and youth and young adults are desperately seeking for answers to the problems which afflict mankind, it is an ‘iron rod’ as a safe guide along the straight path on the way to eternal life.”
~ President Harold B. Lee

How can you ‘hold fast’ to the iron rod?

Just a side article...

Here is a great article about Sariah... Provides and interesting look at what life might have been like for Sariah and how her never failing faith sustained her.

http://ldsmag.com/church/article/9162?ac=1

Day 5

“This great American nation the Almighty raised up by the power of his omnipotent hand, that it might be possible in the latter days for the kingdom of God to be established in the earth.”

~ President Joseph F. Smith

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is fully Christ-centered. The Church is also Christ-powered, and it is also designed to help its members become more Christlike. Since the gospel of Jesus Christ focuses on the truths that deal with everlasting things and not on obsolescent realities, it is very important for us, brothers and sisters, to recognize that the truths in which we traffic as members of the kingdom pertain to eternity as well as to this life.

 
I am surprised (I would be amused if the cost were not so great) that people think they can remove the foundations of our social structure--things like work, chastity, and family and then wonder why other things crumble. You can't remove the foundation of a building while standing inside and not be hit with falling plaster. We are now in the interesting position in the kingdom of trying to warn about what is happening in the world and, at the same time, of keeping ourselves personally secure. We must be Christ-centered individually. We must have his and God's power to do our work, and we must take seriously the challenge of becoming more Christlike. You're soon going to go out into a world full of marshmallow men. Like the act of putting a finger into a marshmallow, there is no core in these men, there is no center, and when one removes his finger, the marshmallow resumes its former shape. We are in a world of people who want to yield to everything--to every fad and to every fashion. It is incredibly important that we be committed to the core--committed to those things that matter, about which our Father in heaven has leveled with us through his Son, Jesus Christ, and his prophets.
 
Of course the world is going through an identity crisis. Of course it's adrift: it's got no anchor. It does not have core principles upon which to decide all other things. I am grateful that our beliefs are related to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful that God has told us that we must be ready for the trials that life will bring our way."  Neal A. Maxwell was an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this fireside address, "But for a Small Moment", was given at Brigham Young University on 1 September 1974.

How do you strengthen your personal relationship with Jesus Christ to fortify your beliefs and values?

Day 4

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Meditation is a powerful tool...  Its main purpose is to “train the mind” to focus outside of oneself, to be mindful in all actions, and to accept what is.  Emotions can be mastered, good habits can be formed, changes can be made when the mind is prepared and properly disciplined.

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“You need time to meditate and ponder, to think, to wonder at the great plan of happiness that the Lord has outlined for His children. You need to read the scriptures….  I heard President David O. McKay say to the members of the Twelve on one occasion, ‘Brethren, we do not spend enough time meditating.’"

~ President Gordon B. Hinckley

How often do you take time to ponder, to meditate on things that are important?

Day 3

“The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion.”
~ Elder Dallin H. Oaks

What was Nephi’s response when the people in the strange building mocked him and the others who were partaking of the fruit? Why?

DAY 2

Why did Laman, Lemuel  and Sariah murmur and give into fear? What was the difference between Laman, Lemuel and Sariah's doubting?  Why did Nephi support his father? What determines whether we are filled with fear and become murmurers or filled with faith and become supporters of the Lord’s work and His prophets?

“I have learned not to put question marks but to use exclamation points when calls are issued through inspired channels of priesthood government.” ~ Elder Russell M. Nelson

DAY 1

NOTE:  include in your reading for today:
Preface (Title Page), Introduction, Testimony of Three Witnesses, Testimony of Eight Witnesses, Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

“I would like to urge [everyone] to again read the Book of Mormon… There is nothing we could do of greater importance than to have fortified in our individual lives an unshakable conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Living Son of the Living God. And, my brothers and sisters, that is the purpose of the coming forth of this remarkable and wonderful book.” ~ President Gordon B. Hinckley