15 Apostles and Prophets

 What a blessing it is to know that we have 15 living apostles and prophets on the earth.  Follow the prophets.

President Russell M. Nelson Passes Away

 Our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson passed away shortly after his 101st birthday.  We will miss his cheery, positive disposition and his mantras that give us words to live by.   On our family text, Kristen asked us to share which teaching of President Nelson had most affected our lives.  Many were shared:

• Specific instructions on how to pray
• Teachings about the temple and how to find Jesus Christ there
• Teachings on how to receive revelation
• One child wrote: he taught me to pray in the name of Christ and to pray sincerely.
• So much about temples
• Be kind and serve others (our youngest grandchild's response.  And she does it!)
• Temples are a refuge.
• From one of our teenagers: Think Celestial
• Be a peacemaker
• Prepare for the 2nd coming

And there are so many more. We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet!

What Did the Prophet Ask Us To Do? October, 2023

What Did the Prophet Ask Us to Do?  

October, 2023

Think Celestial!

I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial.”

I encourage you to begin with the end in mind.

When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view- an eternal view.  Put Jesus Christ first, because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and His atonement.

When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial!

When tested by temptation, think celestial!

When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial!

When someone dies prematurely, think celestial!

When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial!

When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial!

As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial!

As you think celestial, your heart will gradually change.  You will want to pray more often and more sincerely.  Please don’t let your prayers sound like a shopping list.

Our prayers can be- and should be- living discussions with our Heavenly Father.

If you struggle with an addiction, seek the spiritual and professional help you need.  Please do not let an obsession rob you of your freedom to follow God’s plan.

When you make decisions regarding morality, please think celestial.  And if you have been unchaste, I plead with you to repent.  Come unto Christ and receive His promise of complete forgiveness as you fully repent of your sins.

When someone you love attacks truth, think celestial, and don’t question your testimony.

There is no end to the adversary’s deceptions.  Please be prepared.  Never take counsel from those who do not believe.  Seek guidance from voices you can trust- from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy ghost, who “will show unto you all things what ye should do.”  Please do the spiritual work to increase your capacity to receive personal revelation.

 

Food Storage

 Every January, we take inventory of our food storage and replace items that we have consumed or used.  We finished that the last week of January.  Our storage looks so good and full.  

Ken does a great job of keeping the storage room clean and organized.  

A Proverbial Prophet

 I taught the gospel doctrine lesson on Proverbs in our Sunday school.  As I studied for that lesson, I realized that we have a Proverbial Prophet.  He loves to instruct us in short, memorable phrases.  Some examples:  Hear Him, Increase spiritual capacity, Stay on the covenant path, Repent daily, Gather Israel, Let God prevail, Give thanks, Strengthen your spiritual foundation, Remove debris from your life, Make your home a sanctuary of faith, Eliminate contention from your life, etc.  

I am grateful for a Proverbial Prophet.

Which of our prophet's proverbs has had the biggest effect in your life?

President Nelson's Suggestions for New Years' Resolutions

Our prophet, President Russell M Nelson recently posted some suggestions for New Years' Resolutions on social media.  I wanted to share them here: 

 I’m sure many of you are setting aside time today to write down your resolutions for the coming year.

May I make a few suggestions?

First, resolve to strengthen your spiritual foundation. This may involve setting a specific time and place to study the
scriptures, praying more often, making temple worship a bigger priority, and letting God prevail in all aspects of your life.

Second, resolve to be kind to others. When the Savior Jesus Christ visited the Americas, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, one of the first things He taught was the need to eliminate contention in our lives. So, please be compassionate, be understanding, be slow to judge, and be quick to forgive.

Third, resolve to be resolute. The Lord loves effort. The Lord loves consistency. The Lord loves steadfastness. While we surely will come up short from time to time, our persistent efforts to hear Him and follow the inspiration He gives us will help us to “wax strong in the Spirit” (Mosiah 18:26).

May God bless you, my dear friends, and may this be a wonderful year of purpose and possibilities for all of us.