Make the choice. Feel the connection
Between gratitude and happiness.
Endure this life of imperfection
Know through it all- God is blessing us
The Choice to Be Grateful
President Henry B. Eyring
"Our Father in Heaven commands us to be thankful in all things, and He requires that we give thanks for the blessings we receive. We know that all of His commandments are intended to make us happy, and we also know that to break commandments leads to misery.
Fear, ridicule, and opposition Will come before each face Have courage and re-position, Stand for the principles you embrace.
Thomas S. Monson The Call for Courage Ensign, May 2004, 54
Of course, we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but also as a determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.
God does live. Jesus is His Son; Whom to us He gave The ransom to be won
He as our Redeemer Does Mediate for us! We might live forever If we endure and trust.
He died upon the cross And came again to life! He suffered for each of us, Our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Thomas S. Monson I Know That My Redeemer Lives! Ensign, May 2007, 22–25
With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again. “Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives!’ ” May the whole world know it and live by that knowledge.
In our ears he whispers What will cloud and dim vision Then discouraged... he answers- You can be miserable with him
But, with trust in the Lord There is a path to peace Service opens up a door
Where darkness then will cease
With our feet firmly planted
In paths of good service
All the peace we have wanted
Freely, He offers us
Finding Peace President Thomas S. Monson Ensign, Mar. 2004
"Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears there may sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, “You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven’t time to be concerned for others.” Trusting in the Lord, let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord. In moments when the light of resolution dims and when the heart grows faint, we can take comfort from His promise: 'Be not weary in well-doing. … Out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.'”
Terryl Givens of the University of Richmond along with his answers. For example:
Why do Mormons practice proxy baptism for the dead? ("Historically, Christians have been exclusive," Givens says. "Catholics have taught that only Catholics are saved, and evangelicals say only if you confess according to their tradition. Mormons say, "No, salvation is open to all people.' In that sense, Mormonism is the most nonexclusive religion in the Christian world.")
So are all those who are baptized after death considered Mormon? ("No," Gilgoff wrote. "Mormons believe that baptism provides the deceased with the opportunity to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but not the obligation. 'This is about putting names on the guest list,' says Givens. 'They might not go to the party, but they are given the chance.’ ”
By their fruits ye shall know them...
Mormons are Christians, it's true
We pray to our Father in Heaven
In the name of the Savior, we do!
listen to our music, look at our art,
Watch as we strive to be like Him.
The fruits of our labors impart
As to the Lord's Word we liken
Sometimes I just wish I had a picture book containing the thousands of paintings and photos done by LDS artists. We do believe in Christ!We love and serve Him! We worship Him. He is our hero, our Savior, our King! We want to be like Him.
The first of many events to fulfill...
All witnessed the heavens are not still
For God's voice of pleasure was heard
And the Holy Ghost descended as a bird
Jesus reached up and beamed
Love was His to touch!
Light went in Him it seemed
For Heaven is made of such.
Anyone know about this painting? I would like to know more about it.
photobucket.com
click on above title to go directly to link for image by bbardo
CXX Shakespeare That you were once unkind befriends me now, And for that sorrow which I then did feel Needs must I under my transgression bow, Unless my nerves were brass or hammer'd steel. For if you were by my unkindness shaken As I by yours, you've pass'd a hell of time, And I, a tyrant, have no leisure taken To weigh how once I suffered in your crime. O, that our night of woe might have remember'd My deepest sense, how hard true sorrow hits, And soon to you, as you to me, then tender'd The humble slave which wounded bosoms fits! But that your trespass now becomes a fee; Mine ransoms yours, and yours must ransom me.
The Captain of the Soul- Invictus/ The Soul's Captain by Elder Orson F. Whitney
Invictus by William E. Henley Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
The Soul's Captain [The Answer] by Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Quorum of the Twelve Art thou in truth? Then what of him Who bought thee with his blood? Who plunged into devouring seas And snatched thee from the flood? Who bore for all our fallen race What none but him could bear. The God who died that man might live, And endless glory share? Of what avail thy vaunted strength, Apart from his vast might? Pray that his Light may pierce the gloom, That thou mayest see aright. Men are as bubbles on the wave, As leaves upon the tree. Thou, captain of thy soul, forsooth Who gave that place to thee? Free will is thine — free agency To wield for right or wrong; But thou must answer unto him To whom all souls belong. Bend to the dust that head "unbowed," Small part of Life's great whole! And see in him, and him alone, The Captain of thy soul
He's Been There Before
He's Been There Before by Elder Troy Whittle The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise? It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes
The morning activities follow- study, prayer and such When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much "We have a super day planned," My comp. says with a grin I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone lets us in."
With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to Face another day of humidity and heat It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through My champion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do
We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air Box" We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet
It's past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep, Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say
"Oh, Father" I begin, "What happened to us today? I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat; If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street"
"Why on missions are the days so much alike? The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it's very hard to see"
"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough? People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back"
"And what about my family: They don't have much to say I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time? Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind"
"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me? "The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you"
My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead Sleep start to overtake me, I seem to drift away Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day
I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice A man walks to wards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ" Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet "Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak"
My attention's towards my Savior, total and complete He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you"
"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds"
"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great! I see you don't like your companion- you'd rather have someone else- I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth"
"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back"
"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me" He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above
I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!" I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"
No matter what we go through, when we feel we can't take more Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before By Elder Troy Whittle Texas Houston Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
These poems are my own thoughts and impressions as I study the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints
I encourage you to read from the Book of Mormon and the standard works, and listen to modern day prophets, also, that your mind and heart might be touched.
Church Videos for Blogs and Web Sites by Larry Richman, Posted February 7th, 2009 The Church has established three official Church channels on YouTube to help share gospel messages. The most recent, Mormon Messages, was announced on LDS.org today. We encourage you to find videos you like from these sources and embed them in your blogs and Web sites and share these links with everyone you know. Mormon Messages. The Mormon Messages YouTube channel provides a simple way to watch and share brief, gospel-centered videos. The channel will be updated each week with new videos that teach basic beliefs of the LDS (”Mormon”) Church, including stories of hope and inspiration. For example, watch the excerpt from Elder Wirthlin’s general conference address, “Come What May and Love It.” LDS Public Affairs. The YouTube channel LDS Public Affairs features video clips posted by the Public Affairs office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon New Era Messages. The YouTube channel Mormon New Era Messages features videos from the New Era, a magazine for Mormon teens. See the video messages based on New Era MormonAds, like the new one “Wish You Were Here.” Listed below are other video sites with gospel videos: LDS Church Newsroom. You can find many videos on the Church’s Newsroom Web site. Bonneville Communications. The Bonneville Communications YouTube channel provides Homefront® videos, the most awarded public service campaign series in history. FAIR. The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) has many videos on YouTube that defend and explain Mormon beliefs. Lds9999. The lds9999 channel on YouTube contains a great selection of LDS videos. LDS & Mormon Videos is a blog that posts many of the best videos about Mormons, Mormonism, and the Mormon Church from YouTube. You can subscribe to the blog to be notified when new videos are posted. Mormon videos has a great selection of positive videos about the LDS Church. My Mormon Space has a videos section of Mormon videos. LDS.net also has a collection of positive videos about the Mormon Church. Mormon Web TV is a channel of Mormon videos. Read the story “Mormons Make Their Voices Heard — Digitally.” Please share this list with others. Feel free to embed these videos in your blogs and Web sites. When you watch these videos, be sure to rate them and leave a comment. That will help positive videos about the Church to show up higher than negative ones! What other great Mormon videos have you found? Bookmark: Tags: videos This post is filed under Online Video & Audio. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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