BLOG MOVED!!!

Seven Year Mountain has been moved!  Well, sort of.  The original bloggers have new blogs…

http://chas.willowrise.com

http://popcorn.willowrise.com

Come visit!

Filed under: Teachings

Book of Mormon Challenge

Pick one of the challenges, or make up your own.  These challenges certainly might not be easy, but the point of this is to stretch yourself and do more than what you’ve done before.

1. Figure out the highest number of times you’ve read or listened to the Book of Mormon in one year’s time, and double that amount.

2. Take one hour of each day (no skipping, and no cutting time back) and diligently study the Book of Mormon. You may veer off and study other things as well, but the Book of Mormon should be your launchpad. If you only get 1/2 hour one day, make it up the next day by doing 1 1/2 hours.

3. Give away at least 2 copies of the Book of Mormon a month for the entire year. You can be creative, and give them with a testimony, story, or challenge to members of the church as well if you like, but you must give away one a week for a year.

4. Memorize a chapter a month for a year.

Filed under: Teachings , Book of Mormon, challenge, give, new year, ponder, pray, read, resolution, scriptures, study

Oh Come, Oh Come Immanuel

Oh Come, Oh Come Immanuel

Filed under: Teachings

America and the Everlasting Decree of God Concerning this Land

Sheri Dew:
My dear friends, here is the sobering reality: our constitution was written for a moral people.  It will not survive a people who collectively lose their virtue.
Sheri Dew, No One Can Take Your Place

The Everlasting Decree of God Concerning this Land

Ether 2:7-12
And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
8 And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should him, the true and only God, or they should be off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.
9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is

Filed under: Book of Mormon, Doctrine, Teachings, scriptures , america, commandments, continent, covenant, decree, earth, flag, land, moral, promise, promised land, united states, united states of america, usa, virtue

Thanksgiving

Alma 26

8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

Psalms 136

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Mosiah 2

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

2 Nephi 9

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.

Alma 37

37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Filed under: Teachings

Ambition

In her song called Reaching, Katherine Nelson says, “Our dreams are meant to guide us to the things we’re reaching for.” Our ambitions are an essential part of our being, because they remind us that there is something greater than what we now have. Our very ability to dream and experience ambition encourages us to turn to the most important things in our lives. If we stay close to the Lord, He will lead us to those things. That is when we experience the greatest feelings of fulfillment and contentment.

satan is fully aware of the ambitious nature of our hearts, and will do all in his power to misdirect those ambitions to things of little or no worth.

Filed under: Teachings , ambition, dream, effort, important, priorities, work, worth

The Weak and Simple

I was thinking a while back about my mission and about the time I first arrived in my first area. I was so overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy that it seemed I’d never be an effective missionary. I felt like I was at the bottom of an ocean, fighting to reach the surface, while I was expected to be walking on top of it. I’d prepared myself in every way I could have thought of, and read the Book of Mormon a few times already, but my feelings of inadequacy led me to think that I knew practically nothing about the gospel. As I look back, I wonder a bit how I could have been so overwhelmed. But I most surely was overwhelmed.
The MTC was not an easy experience for me, though it was wonderfully rewarding and I learned SO much. I have thought a lot about the terrible feelings of intimidation I had felt at that time for the work, and I have since wondered why I felt that way. The more I think about it, though, the more I have come to appreciate that the Lord gave me that experience, because of the amazing lessons it taught me.
When I started my mission, I felt incredibly weak. I felt like the lowest of all the missionaries, partly because I was the newest missionary, and partly because I seemed to struggle to speak up and really talk to people. I truly was weak, and I cannot deny that.
I learned a lot while on my mission, and I like to think about it this way: Imagine before the restoration, the situation that the Lord was in. He had brought his church to the earth. Jesus Christ himself had been the restorer of it. It had previously been in a state of apostasy, because of the wickedness of the children of Israel. Now, once again, after His

Filed under: Teachings, scriptures , calling, companion, courage, faith, fear, holland, inadequacy, intimidation, lds, missionary, mormon, motherhood, mothers, mtc, prayer, testimony, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, weak, weakness, work

Why I Do Not Support Gay Marriage

This life is not the beginning of our existence, and death is not the end of it. In fact, this life is a very short part of our eternal existence.

It is an eternal principle that family consists of a man and a woman with their children. It is also an eternal principle that every man has always been a man, and every woman has always been a woman. Likewise, every man will always be a man, and every woman will always be a woman.

The few occasions where there is a physical defect in which a baby is born with either no sexual organs or both male and female organs does not change the eternal identity of that child, which includes his or her gender.

Gender is part of our eternal identity, and according to eternal principles, marriage is to be between a man and a woman. No other combination is a marriage in the eternal sense, and therefore no other combination can last forever. No matter what the government decrees, that eternal principle will not change.

For those who live a life in accordance with eternal principles, a simple mortal marriage is the seed that grows into an eternal marriage in the next life. No other seed will grow into an eternal marriage. There is no way for it to happen. Just as a pebble planted and watered cannot grow, a marriage between two people of the same gender cannot grow into an eternal marriage, and will end with death.

The sad part about this is

Filed under: Teachings , attraction, Children, eternity, family, gay marriage, gender, homosexuality, identity, marriage, men, potential, religion, same gender relationships, same sex marriage, tendencies, trials, Women

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

It’s interesting to me to see how the Book of Mormon demonstrates a pattern that can be seen in today’s society of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The pride cycle, the secret combinations, the people’s trusting in money and position – all of it sounds quite familiar to our time.

Here are a few examples -

Never in Nephite history had the Lamanites and Nephites learned to really get along until now, buying, selling, and trading in a manner that would have been unheard of in previous generations. In our day, never in history has there been a more global economy. Never in history have people been as able to buy, sell, trade, and visit other countries as it is able today.

The Nephites had been dealing with secret combinations for over a generation, but now secret combinations were threatening their very lifestyles. Gangs have been an internal issue for a few decades, but now terrorists threaten both the freedoms of their own countries and the economy of the world.

Following the Nephite prophets became extremely unpopular. Our society has become so “individualistic” that following a prophet is considered blindness, and those who do so are thought of as extremists.

These are just a few examples, but the more one studies the Book of Mormon, the more they find parallels between the time just preceding Christ’s appearance to the Nephites and the time preceding His appearance to the world.
Since both the Sunday school and Relief Society/priesthood lessons mention the Second Coming this week, here is an index to the recent Second Coming series from this blog:

The Second Coming Series

Part 1:Studying the Signs of the Second Coming of Christ

Part 2:The Restoration and Spreading of the Gospel

Part 3:The Earth in Turmoil

Part 4:The Gathering of Israel

Part 5:Destruction of the Wicked

Part 6:The Day is at Hand

Part 7:Three Comings

Part 8:Zion

Part 9:Conditions During the Millennium

Part 10:The Work and Purpose of the Millennium

Filed under: Second Coming , blindness, book, Christ, coming, cycle, government, individualism, Jesus, jesus christ, lesson, millennium, money, mormon, parallel, position, power, pride, priesthood, prophet, relief society, scripture, second, Second Coming, secret combination, sign, terrorism, times

“Behold your little ones”

What would it feel like to look upon the Savior, He who gives us purpose, hope, joy, life, everything? A long time ago the Savior came to America and visited the people here. He blessed their children. He took each child one at a time and blessed them. What was that like for a child? How did it feel to be singled out by our mighty Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Oh, how He loves His little ones and how He loves each and every one of us. He worries about us, He pleads for us and He reaches out to us when we wander. Let us be like little children, meek and pure, ready to listen and ready to learn.

Filed under: LDS artwork, scriptures , 3rd Nephi, artwork, Book of Mormon, child, Children, family, gospel, humility, jesus christ, LDS art, love, meekness, portrait, Savior, teachable, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Trials

Life flows like a river, deep and rich, without beginning and without end. Sometimes it’s so cold that I feel the pain of it in my bones. It seems as though I will be overcome as my mind fills itself almost against my will with thoughts of fear, panic, escape. And then I, amidst the swirling anger of rushing chaos, close my eyes. I let the river flow on and I stand there. I breath in the earthy smells of mud and grass and listen to the splooshing and sputtering of never wearied currents that spend an eternity beating against rocks that spend and eternity allowing themselves to be sculpted into the beautiful glistening smooth objects that I feel beneath my no longer aching feet. There is no more fear. The river is the same but I have changed, I have adapted.  The coolness of the water invigorates me with a sense of freedom that pushes me ever forward seeking the knowledge that saturates with every bend surpassed. I see only beauty as I watch sunlight dance and play on the water’s rippling surface and I wonder why I didn’t see it before.

I wrote this as I was pondering the trials we often experience in life. While we are going through difficult times we can become incredibly distracted by the pain and fear that often accompany adversity. If we can just take a moment and close our eyes to that which is distorted by pain in order seek out He who is all knowing and an endless source of peace and comfort, our vision will clear and eternity will lay itself before us.

Filed under: Uncategorized , adapting, adversity, freedom, growth, jesus christ, llife, nature, overcoming, peace, prayer, river, struggles, trials, water

Read Scriptures Together

I’ve been trying to find a way for us to be able to share insights on the scriptures in a format that would allow the pages themselves to be a method of studying the scriptures.  This is a challenge, because pasting the chapters onto the website would be a big project, and starting from nothing and expecting everyone to pick up the idea and run with it is unrealistic.

So when I came across a site that’s already doing it, I realized that all the work needed for the project is already done!  It really looks like a great site, and it’s a great opportunity to study scriptures and participate in a discussion about what you read.

I highly recommend that everyone check out readscripturestogether.com, and join in the discussions.  It is set up and controlled by Tom Johnson, a faithful member of the church, and follows the Sunday School lesson schedule.  It is fairly new, and this is a great opportunity to share the gospel and discuss it’s principles with other members.

http://readscripturestogether.com/

Filed under: Uncategorized , Book of Mormon, insight, lds, mormon, scriptures, study, sunday school, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, tom johnson

Personal Accountability

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

-Joseph Smith, Article of Faith 2

Believe it or not, I have been reading the Old Testament with my beautiful better half for the better half of 3 years now. No, we do not read chapters at a time, and no, we did not read Songs of Solomon. However, we have read straight through, and have reached Ezekiel chapter 32 (where we will read tonight…) I always thought that with exception of the pentateuch, Isaiah and Jeremiah, there was little of doctrinal worth found in the Old Testament (excluding the occasional reference to tithing or obedience, etc…). Then, right in the middle of Ezekiel, we found chapter 18.

One of the classic tenets of Orthodox Christianity claims that because of Adam’s transgression in Eden, we are all born in sin (original sin) and thus in need of baptism at birth. Thus, it was assumed, all infants should be baptized (by sprinkling, immersing an infant is not a good idea…). This idea was so pervasive at Joseph Smith’s time, that the Lord even clarified through the prophet Mormon, in the book of Moroni, that baptizing children was repulsive to the Lord. Interestingly enough, the idea that we are judged by our own decisions and not the choices of our ancestors (Adam) is clearly laid out for us in Ezekiel 18. Near the end of the Old Testament. Where nobody reads.

14 ¶ Now, lo, if [a sinner] beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not like,
15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

Filed under: Doctrine , Accountability, Adam, choice, Ezekiel, Old Testament, Sin, Transgression

D&C 38:7

Filed under: Uncategorized , D&C, eye, magic, scriptures, see

His Will

The sun reaches out with arms of light,

dazzling fingers of blinding white

that peirce the black of endless night

with the frenzied power of fiery might

and bends it’s will to His.

The rolling clouds of thundering grey

claw at the earth in stormy play,

bending trees that stand in their way,

spitting winds of sputtering rain

and bend their will to His.

Filed under: Uncategorized , Christ, Jesus, LDS poetry, nature, obedience, photography, potential, pride

Mick Jagger Meets a General Authority

This is an excerpt of a talk given by Elder Gene R. Cook of the 1st quorum of the seventy at Ricks College several years ago. He tells of an experience where he sat next to Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones on a plane for 2½ hours, discussing the effect of rock music on today’s Youth. This talk is also recorded in a set of cassettes called 13 lines of Defense: Living the Law of Chastity, published by Deseret Book.

Sometimes young people have a feeling that the music they listen to doesn’t have anything to do with chastity. And yet, as I’ve had the opportunity to interview many youth in varying countries throughout the world, I’ve found that it is just not so. I believe, without any doubt, that there is music of the Lord. I also believe there is good music that men have created–some romantic music, maybe some good cowboy music, and just plain fun songs, etc.

Those can be okay. They can cheer you up and they’re fun to be involved with. It ought not to surprise us that the devil has his own music as well. That kind of music is found throughout the world and has a great impact on young people especially. Let me try to bring this principle alive by relating a true story that happened with an individual of whom you have probably heard. How many of you have heard of Mick Jagger? I think almost everyone has as he is one of the most famous rock stars in the world. Well, you might be surprised to know that I had about 2 ½ hours with him on an airplane and it was quite an experience. I’m going to relate part of that to you to try to illustrate this important point about selecting wholesome music.

Mr. Jagger and I were on a flight that originated in Mexico and were headed, I believe, to either Houston or Dallas. As I sat down in the plane, the seat next to me was empty. Later a man came and sat down by me. I noticed immediately that he was reading a rock magazine. I offered a silent prayer as I often do when I try to talk to people about the Church. I prayed that the Lord would inspire me in what to say as I talked to this man.

After the prayer, I said something like, “My name is Gene Cook. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What’s your name?”

And he said, “My name is Mick Jagger.”

Not realizing who he was I said

Filed under: Uncategorized , 13 lines, adultery, atheist, band, Book of Mormon, cook, family, freedom, gene, general authority, Jagger, jesus christ, lds, lie, mick, morality, mormon, music, Philosophy, plane, procreation, rock, rolling stones, rules, safety, scriptures, sing, song, testimony, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, youth

Father Abraham

This is a pencil drawing that I did of Abraham from the bible. He’s holding his son Isaac. I wanted to portray the joy that I imagine Abraham must have experienced at the birth of his miraculous son. Can you imagine how it must have felt when he was told by the Lord,”In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”? -1 Nephi 15:18 What an amazing promise.

Filed under: Uncategorized , Abraham, bible, drawing, faith, fatherhood, Isaac, LDS art, parenthood

My Temples

I love the temple, and have always had a positive experience there. It is so so SO important to go as often as we can. Not only is it essential to those we do the work for, it is essential for us to go again and again and again. I believe that everything that is said and done in the temple is said and done for a very important reason. I may not know those reasons, but I trust that Heavenly Father knows what is best for me. I trust that He works with those I sustain as prophets, seers and revelators for my benefit.

I have had incredible experiences in some of the temples. Such experiences have made these individual temples mine.

Filed under: Uncategorized , lds, mormon, temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Book of Mormon Insights

Title Page -

THE
BOOK OF MORMON
AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY
THE HAND OF MORMON
UPON PLATES
TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI

Have you ever wondered why the prophets in the Book of Mormon used gold for the plates? Why not bronze or copper? Surely they would have been easier to come by. I did a little research one day, and I found a jewelry website that gave a little insight into the reasons gold is so unique. Here’s what it said:

(Information taken from Man and His Gold, published by The Gold Information Center)

“Why Gold is Unique Of all the world’s precious metals”

Filed under: Uncategorized , Book of Mormon, gold, lds, metal, mormon, plates, scripture, study, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We Do Not Doubt Our Mothers Knew It

Alma 56:47-49

Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

As a member of the church with pioneer ancestry, my testimony is occasionally downplayed by unbelievers. “You are a product of your parents upbringing. You believe because your parents made you go to church.”

When I hear that, I think to myself, “Thank heaven for such great parents.” They never made me go to church, but they taught me that if I go to church, I’ll live a better, happier life. They taught me that if I did not doubt, God would help me.

I am a product of my parents great example and teachings. Because they taught me right, when I came of age, I sought to know these things for myself – and like Enos, I received the answer I sought.

Thank heaven for such great parents.

Filed under: Uncategorized , alma 56, Example, lds, mormon, mothers, Parents, prayer, raised, stripling warriors, teaching, testimony, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Dayspring

Click here to listen to the podcast –> Dayspring

Filed under: Uncategorized , day, God, jesus christ, lds, mormon, season, space, time, universe

The Second Coming: Part 10

The Work and Purpose of the Millennium

Behold, I will liken these kingdoms unto a man having a field, and he sent forth his servants into the field to dig in the field.

And he said unto the first: Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.

And he said unto the second: Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.

And also unto the third, saying: I will visit you;

Filed under: Uncategorized , family history, genealogy, God, jesus christ, Joseph Smith, lds, millennium, missionary, mormon, ordinances, Second Coming, temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, work

The Second Coming: part 9

Conditions During the Millennium

What will life be like during the thousand years that Christ reins on earth?

Both modern and ancient prophets have told us much about life during the millennium. We know “that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory,” meaning earth will become a paradise. What will that mean for those living on the earth? Here are a few of the things we know for sure:

1. Resurrection/no death or disease

2. Satan Bound

3. All things revealed and all prayers answered

4. No Sickness

5. Animals not brutal

6. No War

7. Life in the Millennium

The Resurrection

When Christ comes, the righteous, both living and dead, will be caught up to meet Him.

Gospel Principles:

“The Millennium is the thousand-year period when Jesus will reign on the earth. At the beginning of this period of time, the righteous will be caught up to meet Jesus at his coming. His coming will

Filed under: Uncategorized , animals, brigham young, celestial, Christ, devil, Doctrine, God, gospel fundamentals, gospel principles, hope, Jesus, jesus christ, Joseph Smith, journal of discourses, lds, life, lucifer, millennium, mormon, paradise, peace, prayer, resurrection, safety, satan, Second Coming, Teachings, temple, terrestrial, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Battle for the souls of men

I’m in a single adult branch and every so often my branch president sends out little uplifting emails to everyone in the branch. I thought I’d share the one he sent today.

“In a premortal council at which we were all present, [the Savior] led the forces of good against those of satan and his followers in a battle for the souls of men that began before this world was formed. That conflict continues today. We were all on the side of Jesus then. We are on the side of Jesus today.”

Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Christians in Belief and Action,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 71

I think that’s really cool. Especially the part that says the conflict continues today. No wonder life feels like a war sometimes!

Filed under: Uncategorized

The Second Coming: part 8

Zion

And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

Moses 7:18

The establishment of Zion is a major part of the last days. Before the Lord comes, Zion will be established. Though there are many spiritual aspects of the establishment of Zion in which we must become pure in heart, this discussion focuses primarily on some of the physical aspects of Zion. These include:

1. The city of Zion

2. The Church to stand independent

3. Zion as a place of refuge

4. Return of the city of Enoch

5. Two world capitals

The City of Zion

And righteousness will I

Filed under: Uncategorized , adam-ondi-ahman, capital, church, city of enoch, enoch, jerusalem, Jesus, jesus christ, Joseph Smith, lds, millennium, mormon, new jerusalem, pure in heart, refuge, safety, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, zion

The Second Coming: part 7

Three Comings

Jesus Christ’s second coming will be a world event, but there are at least two other appearances that He will make prior to making Himself known to the entire world. Though we do not know if there will be other appearances that He will make as part of His second coming, the prophets have declared clearly at least three:

1. Christ’s appearance to the Saints in Zion

2. His appearance to the Jews

3. His appearance to the whole world

Christ’s Appearance to the Saints in Zion

I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to

Filed under: Doctrine, Second Coming, Teachings , adam-ondi-ahman, Christ, jerusalem, Jesus, jesus christ, jews, lds, millenium, mormon, mount of olives, priesthood meeting, saints, Second Coming, temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, zion

Why Must There Be Opposition in All Things?

Excerpt from my Young Women’s lesson on Sunday.

Why must there be opposition in all things?

D&C 24:8

D&C 29:39

D&C 58: 2-4

D&C 136:31

D&C 78: 17-18

12 Ways You Can Overcome Sorrow and Disappointment

President Ezra Taft Benson (Ensign, Nov. 1974, pp. 65-67)

• Repentance “Sin creates disharmony with God and is depressing to the spirit. … Every law kept brings a particular blessing. Every law broken brings a particular blight. Those who are heavy laden with despair should come unto the Lord, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light.”
• Prayer “Prayer in the hour of need is a great boon. From simple trials to our Gethsemanes, prayer can put us in touch with God, our greatest source of comfort and counsel.”
• Service “To lose yourself in righteous service to others can lift your sights and get your mind off personal problems, or at least put them in proper focus. ‘When you find yourselves a little gloomy,’ said President Lorenzo Snow, ‘look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, and then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.’ (Conference Report, 6 Apr. 1899, pp. 2–3.)”
• Work “Work is our blessing, not our doom. … We should work at taking care of the spiritual, mental, social, and physical needs of ourselves and those whom we are charged to help. In the church of Jesus Christ there is plenty of work to do to move forward the kingdom of God. Every member a missionary, family genealogy and temple work, home evenings, receiving a Church assignment and magnifying it are but a few of our required labors.”
• Health “The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit. That’s why the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom. He also said that we should retire to our beds early and arise early.” We should eat nutritious meals, get proper rest and exercise, and use wholesome recreation to provide a change of pace and lift the spirit.
• Reading “Many a man in his hour of trial has turned to the Book of Mormon and been enlightened, enlivened, and comforted.

  “The psalms of the Old Testament have a special food for the soul of one in distress. … The words of the prophets, particularly the living president of the Church, are crucial reading and can give direction and comfort in an hour when one is down.”

• Blessing “In a particularly stressful time, or in the anticipation of a critical event, one can seek for a blessing under the hands of the priesthood. … The sacrament will ‘bless … the souls’ (D&C 20:77, 79) of all those who worthily partake of it.”
• Fasting “Periodic fasting can help clear up the mind and strengthen the body and the spirit. … To make a fast most fruitful, it should be coupled with prayer and meditation; … and it’s a blessing if one can ponder on the scriptures and the reason for the fast.”
• Friends “The fellowship of true friends who can hear you out, share your joys, help carry your burdens, and correctly counsel you is priceless. …

  • “Ideally, your family ought to be your closest friends. Most important, we should seek to become the friend of our Father in heaven and our brother Jesus the Christ.”

• Music “Inspiring music may fill the soul with heavenly thoughts, move one to righteous action, or speak peace to the soul. … Elder Boyd K. Packer has wisely suggested memorizing some of the inspiring songs of Zion … [to help] crowd out debilitating, depressive thoughts.”
• Endurance “There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you.

  “… While you are going through your trial, you can recall your past victories and count the blessings that you do have with a sure hope of greater ones to follow if you are faithful.”

• Goals “Every accountable child of God needs to set goals, short- and long-range goals. A man who is pressing forward to accomplish worthy goals can soon put despondency under his feet, and once a goal is accomplished, others can be set up.”

Many problems may require only one or two of these solutions. These ideas can help you overcome sorrow, disappointment, despair or discouragement. D&C 121: 7-8

Noble characters do not alone bear trouble; they use it. Elder Hugh B. Brown

Filed under: Uncategorized

The Second Coming: part 6

The Day is at Hand

1. Prophets declare that the time is close
2. The Gospel to reach every nation
3. Prophecy of the Rainbow
4. Silence for Half an Hour
5. Two witnesses
6. Our responsibility to prepare for His coming

The Prophets Declare that the Time is Close

Though we do not know the time, the prophets have declared that the time is close. For those who

Filed under: Second Coming , church of jesus christ of latter day saints, jesus christ, lds, mormon, prepare, rainbow, Second Coming, ten virgins, two witnesses

The Second Coming: part 5

Destruction of the Wicked

What do we know about the destruction of the wicked that is to occur at the second Coming of Jesus Christ? The Lord and His prophets have told us a great deal about this part of the second coming. Unfortunately, over the centuries, ever since Christ taught that He would be coming again to the earth to cleanse the earth from sin, there have been many false doctrines taught that have confused the minds of Christ’s followers.

Here is a list of a few of the things that the scriptures and modern day prophets have assured us will occur:

1.Prior to Christ’s coming, the world will greatly increase in evil
2.There will be a separation of the wheat and the tares
3.The righteous will be brought to the safety of Zion
4.The Lord will be wearing red at His coming
5.The wicked will be destroyed
6.There will be a second and final destruction of the wicked after the millennium
7.The righteous need not fear

Prior to Christ’s Coming, Evil will Increase

“And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be

Filed under: Second Coming , destruction, fulness of iniquity, jesus christ, lds, millennium, Second Coming, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wheat and tares, wicked, wickedness

Women of God

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has
 enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough
 women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women
 who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame
 and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need
 more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough
 popularity; we need more purity."

 (Margaret D. Nadauld, "The Joy of Womanhood," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 14)

Filed under: Uncategorized , faith, purity, virtue, Women