On the Most Difficult Journey of All

On the most difficult journey of all
Mists of darkness arose all about
With the safe and narrow way now lost
There was fear, confusion, and doubt

This family of travelers soon grouped
With either of the opposite sons
Those faithful and determined still trooped
Unlike the weaker, ungrounded ones

Then midst jeering taunts and alluring paths
Those steadfast pressed their way forward
Holding fast to an rod of iron they'd grasped
While the others fell away wayward

Thus only some reached their destination
To a splendid tree found at last
Twas God's love in manifestation
With the most delicious fruit too sweet to pass

The other group became lost or carnal
While continually loved ones called and invited
But most of their hearts had failed or hardened
Due to the choices on which they'd decided

[Verse 1] On the most difficult journey of all Mists of darkness rose around The safe and narrow way was lost Fear and doubt were all around [Verse 2] This family of travelers grouped With either of the opposite sons The faithful and determined trooped While weaker hearts came undone [Chorus] Hold fast, hold fast, when the road disappears Hold fast through the jeering and fear An iron rod through the turning night Leads the faithful toward the light [Verse 3] Amid the taunts and tempting paths The steadfast pressed ahead They grasped the rod and would not turn Though many strayed instead [Chorus] Hold fast, hold fast, when the road disappears Hold fast through the jeering and fear An iron rod through the turning night Leads the faithful toward the light [Bridge] And some arrived where branches spread With fruit more sweet than words can tell God's love made visible and near A living joy beyond the veil [Verse 4] The other group grew lost or carnal Still loved ones called their names But hearts grew hard by chosen roads And none could shift the blame [Final Chorus] Hold fast, hold fast, let compassion remain Call through the darkness, through sorrow and pain The narrow road leads beyond our sight To love made living, beautiful, bright [Outro] Hold fast Keep walking The tree is waiting Beyond the mist

Safety for the Soul
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Ensign, November 2009, 88

The Healer of Spiritual Wounds

Do not reopen a wound
Jesus, Himself, died to heal
Through repentance life can resume
Renewed unto hope to feel

This is evident inside the temple
Where your blessings are restored
To assume anew, full blessings
All because of our Lord

[Verse 1] Do not reopen a wound Jesus, Himself, died to heal Through repentance life can resume Renewed unto hope to feel This is evident inside the temple Where your blessings are restored To assume anew, full blessings All because of our Lord [Pre-Chorus] All is forgotten The old is gone We turn again And lift this song [Chorus] All is forgotten Praise God anew All is forgotten For His Only Begotten Who did only what He could do [Verse 2] May we have more pure eyes To see others as He does May we have tongues of grace To encircle prayers of love May we walk with mercy May we speak it out May we keep that holy Healing all around [Pre-Chorus] All is forgotten The old is gone We turn again And lift this song [Chorus] All is forgotten Praise God anew All is forgotten For His Only Begotten Who did only what He could do [Bridge] Renewed unto hope Restored in His light Open our hands And make us right Pure eyes, pure eyes Tongues of grace Pure eyes, pure eyes Lead us in love [Chorus] All is forgotten Praise God anew All is forgotten For His Only Begotten Who did only what He could do

Thoughts from Elder Jeffrey R Holland's book or talk.  I don't remember

 resume

verb:   assume anew Example: "Resume a title" verb:   take up or begin anew verb:   return to a previous location or condition

The Challenge of Belief

I love and miss President Holland and his tender heart.  This video pains me, but I love his loving  invitation to bring those who think we are cult together so we can talk.  

You see and hear him all the time

Judging the church like he knows best

Zeroing in like it was his to find

What do you say so he will give it rest?

In the beginning

With Adam and Eve

Was contradiction

That challenged belief



By transgressing

God's laws in their hearts

The first family

Must depart to start



Not knowing all things

We come unto truth

The spirit this brings

Conviction's proof



How do you explain

Your witness as proof?

To make sacred plain

Makes light of the truth



It is in the struggle

The challenge of faith

That we become humble

And receive God's strength



If this man had come with an honest heart,

seeking to "know for himself"

answers would have come,

the spirit would have helped.



Opposition only strengthens- a renewed faith to show

With the supposer ever searching and never coming to know...

It is not for man to "attack" churches and expose faults

but to seek what good they offer through the love that is taught.

Mormon Apostle Jeffery R. Holland interview on BBC  2014

Verse 1] You see and hear him all the time Judging the church like he knows best Zeroing in like it was his to find What do you say so he will give it rest? [Verse 2] In the beginning With Adam and Eve Was contradiction That challenged belief By transgressing God's laws in their hearts The first family Must depart to start [Pre-Chorus] Not knowing all things We come unto truth The spirit this brings Conviction's proof How do you explain Your witness as proof? To make sacred plain Makes light of the truth [Chorus] What do you say? What do you say? Give it rest, let truth remain (What do you say?) What do you say? What do you say? Seek the good through love, not blame (give it rest) [Verse 3] It is in the struggle The challenge of faith That we become humble And receive God's strength If this man had come with an honest heart Seeking to know for himself Answers would have come The spirit would have helped [Bridge] Opposition only strengthens A renewed faith to show With the supposer ever searching And never coming to know [Chorus] What do you say? What do you say? Give it rest, let truth remain (What do you say?) What do you say? What do you say? Seek the good through love, not blame (give it rest) [Outro] It is not for man to attack churches and expose faults But to seek what good they offer through the love that is taugh

[Verse 1] In the beginning With Adam and Eve Was contradiction That challenged belief By transgressing God's laws in their hearts The first family Must depart to start [Pre-Chorus] Not knowing all things We come unto truth The spirit this brings Conviction's proof How do you explain Your witness as proof? To make sacred plain Makes light of the truth [Chorus] Honest heart, honest heart Seek for yourself Honest heart, honest heart Answers will come (answers will come) The spirit will truly help The spirit will truly help [Verse 2] It is in the struggle The challenge of faith That we become humble And receive God's strength Let any man come With an honest heart Seeking to know for himself Answers will in time come [Bridge] When the road feels long And the knowing is slow I will hold on I will let the truth grow No pride at the door No fear in my chest Only an honest heart And the promised rest [Chorus] Honest heart, honest heart Seek for yourself Honest heart, honest heart Answers will come (answers will come) The spirit will truly help The spirit will truly help

Our Pioneer Heritage

Our heritage
Came of sacrifice
Through faith and courage
For a better life

Preserved to labor
They carved, for us, a trail
A path to the Savior
Hear the echoes "all is well"

Let us do the same
For our children's children
In our Lord's name
Let us persevere for them

Working wonderfully well together

Without concerns of status

Yes! A modern day miracle

Of charity and peace amongst us

[Verse 1] Our heritage Came of sacrifice Through faith and courage For a better life Preserved to labor They carved, for us, a trail A path to the Savior Hear the echoes all is well [Pre-Chorus] Let us do the same For our children's children In our Lord's name Let us persevere for them [Chorus] Working wonderfully well together (Working wonderfully well together) Without concerns of status Yes! A modern day miracle A modern day miracle Of charity and peace amongst us [Verse 2] Hands across the table Bread shared in the light Old wounds held together By mercy in our sight What they built with believing Still lives in what we do Every door kept open Every burden carried through [Pre-Chorus] Let us do the same For our children's children In our Lord's name Let us persevere for them [Chorus] Working wonderfully well together (Working wonderfully well together) Without concerns of status Yes! A modern day miracle A modern day miracle Of charity and peace amongst us [Bridge] Let the proud grow humble Let the lonely draw near If we walk in patience Love will make us clear [Final Chorus] Working wonderfully well together (Working wonderfully well together) Without concerns of status Yes! A modern day miracle A modern day miracle Of charity and peace amongst us

...persevered against injustice, misunderstanding, some intolerance, occasional bigotry, occasional racism, against differences of custom and traditions and faith, [and] labored against all of that to carve out for us, their descendants, the wonderful day and the marvelous miraculous time in which we live

Elder Holland said. “We owe the same pioneering, persevering legacy to our children and our children’s children.”

Elder Holland spoke at the Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days Devotional at the Dee Events Center at Weber State University on July 17, 2011, and encouraged individuals to work together while respecting and emulating their diverse pioneer heritage in their communities today.

“People working together are more successful, more prosperous and much more happy than neighborhoods or ethnic groups or religious faiths that are suspicious of one another, threatened by one another, and all too often hostile, even violent, toward one another,” he said.

As in Their Hearts They Search

When e'er in their hearts they search
The flag of faith has been flown
By the sisters of the church
In all of the ages known

So often it is the women
Who carry the torch of faith
As a banner for beautiful living
Knowing through trial there's hope to embrace


Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Lessons From Liberty Jail
CES Fireside for Young Adults •
September 7, 2008 •
Brigham Young University

[Verse 1] When e'er in their hearts they search The flag of faith has been flown By the sisters of the church In all of the ages known So often it is the women Who carry the torch of faith Through weary hands and long-night tears They keep the promise safe [Pre-Chorus] And when the road grows steep They still will stand With steadfast love In each trembling hand [Chorus] Sisters of the church You lift the banner high Sisters of the church You teach us how to rise (How to rise) [Verse 2] In kitchens, pews, and quiet rooms Their prayers have built our days They mend the torn and call us home With mercy in their ways A banner for beautiful living A lamp through fear and night Knowing through trial there's hope to embrace And hope can still ignite [Pre-Chorus] And when the road grows steep They still will stand With steadfast love In each trembling hand [Chorus] Sisters of the church You lift the banner high Sisters of the church You teach us how to rise (How to rise) [Bridge] From mother, aunt, and friend From saint and friend unseen Your faith has walked before us And made the hard road clean We hear your gentle yes We feel your steady flame Till every heart can answer And call upon that name [Final Chorus] Sisters of the church You lift the banner high Sisters of the church You teach us how to rise (How to rise) Sisters of the church Sisters of the church Your love will never die Sisters of the church Sisters of the church You lead us to the light (You lead us to the light)

Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually | Elder Holland

Every one of us was a debtor

Set for imprisonment

Were it not for our Deliverer,

His grace, and atonement!


He perfectly can refine us

To be finished and complete

To prepare us for the Highest-

Our Heavenly Parents to meet

I used to need to write like I need sleep and food. It was my passion.  I went back to school and lost it.  How wonderful to be set free from that burden, at least for a while.  It is hard to be in school and teach. I am so thankful to have the spirit back.  One more semester.

He Completes Me

Justice, love, and mercy meet Truly at the Master's feet Serving Him helps me to see He is what makes life complete A hint of things yet to come Where more of us we will become And to think we are just some Of those restored by the Son I heard someone at church say, "I would not be complete without the lord."  He truly puts the finishing touch on our lives with His justice, love, and mercy.. Imagine what that does to families.  We are all a restoration project in the makings. Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet "That Atonement would achieve complete victory over physical death, unconditionally granting resurrection to every person who has been born or ever will be born into this world. Mercifully it would also provide forgiveness for the personal sins of all, from Adam to the end of the world, conditioned upon repentance and obedience to divine commandments." —Jeffrey R. Holland, "Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet" Topics: Atonement

Like a Broken Vessel

Midst life's thorns, thistles, and obnoxious weeds You can become trapped and develop disease Defeated with stress high and energy low The frazzled mind takes a psychic blow

Like a broken vessel

You can hold no more

This is very dreadful

You have naught to pour

Coping skills shut down, you're in need of rescue As you can't think your way out or know what to do Thoughts are stuck feelings in a circular fashion To break the cycle you must pray with passion

For a broken vessel

Must come to itself

And pray oft with passion

The Savior will help
A hymn is a prayer and a soothing balm Hum them, sing them and your heart will calm Believe in the atonement and, for you, Christ did pay And then your tears will flow in a different way

Though a broken vessel

Think kin Sui Gee

God glues you back with gold

To become a thing of beauty

Then fill your vessel with good things

Life's lessons, your blessings, treasure up

Record your feelings. Let them go

And with the Savior, weekly sup

As a renewed vessel

You hold the holy spirit wihtin

Fill it with holy light

Go where the Lord whispers and the veil grows thin

Be a vessel shining bright

Just pondering this subject from what

I have experienced...

There's only so long your brain can perform in fight or flight mode and full steam ahead. The frontal lobe of reason and planning will shut down and you'll function at a lower level. You may think you are thinking but you are just feeling thoughts and you are literally in a rut as you do this again and again. You tell the brain this is how you cope. Sleep and food don't help, nor does advice. You need to write all those thought feelings down so the brain doesn't have to remember it all. Then seek the peace that comes with the spirit. Engage in scripture reading and higher reasoning, pray and sing. And give thanks.

I teach and sometimes panic sets in as pressure builds and starts to grip you.There is a schedule to keep and you've expectations of what the kids should know. I have a picture of me in the back of the room and I know I am smiling with love, joy, and the spirit. It warms me and reminds me and sometimes shocks me that I am that person.

KIN-tsu-gi.(gee)

Credit for Effort

An E for effort
Is all that you need
To seek and enter
The path to succeed

Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You

"The great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed."

—Jeffrey R. Holland, "Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You"

Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You

Keep that love which thrills you
To the center of your soul!
Christ's light ever shines through
Seeds of service that you sew!

Keep Trying

Heaven is cheering each on
Offering help to be strong
Keep trying.  We won't fail. Believe
With those beyond the veil, we weave

To the Poor in Spirit

To the poor in spirit He says, "Come unto me." And those with faith will heed Him If they have eyes to see As then the way is shown Out and up from the despair Because our needs are known For He walked that path with care. Broken Things to Mend "When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way." —Jeffrey R. Holland, "Broken Things to Mend" Topics: Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ—the Master Healer "I testify of Jesus Christ as the Master Healer." —Russell M. Nelson, "Jesus Christ—the Master Healer" Topics: Jesus Christ

See the Beauty of Life

See the beauty of life
Unfold before your face.
Embrace the path of Christ
And His atoning grace




Life can be beautiful when you have #faith.http://oak.ctx.ly/r/45k4d

When We Repent We Are Blessed

As far as East is to West,
when we repent we are blessed
There are angels on all sides.
If we seek them, they'll not rest!

The Ministry of Angels - Jeffrey R. Holland

• www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/the-ministry-of-angels?lang=eng

... Would the Lord really send an angel to me, who ... on your right hand and on
your left, … my Spirit ... In the process of praying for those angels to attend ...

Psalms 103: 12

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalms 103: 2

Bless the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 

Numbers 22:26

• Old Testament

And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place,

 where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 

D&C 84:88

• Doctrine and Covenants

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. 

I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit 

shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you,

 to bear you up. 

Angels

• The Guide to the Scriptures

There are two kinds of beings in heaven who are called angels:

 those who are spirits and those who have bodies of flesh and bone. 

Angels who are spirits have not yet obtained a body of flesh and bone, 

or they are spirits who have once had a mortal body and are 

awaiting resurrection. Angels 

Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence by Jeffrey R. Holland

The enemy nears

"Give in," there are shouts.

Still, conquer your fears

and master these doubts!



Do not cast off

What you've known as truth

Though others scoff

Confidence is proof

Full Speech: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at California's Chapman University...

All things are possible
Trusting makes it so
Let us be God's people
And interfaith show

Hold Your Ground

Hold your ground

To what you know

Light once found

Is life to grow

Lord, I Believe

"ʺIn moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold to the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. . . When these moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.ʺ"

—Jeffrey R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe"

The Road to Salvation Walks Where He Walked

The road to salvation
Passes through Gethsemane
It's there for education:
Our afflictions are many

The road journeys inward
With the striking pain (of/from) sin
That we might look onward
And know His love within

The road leads to a summit
Where utterly we're alone
As for sin we suffer
Knowing for whom He did atone (point to yourself)

The road of our Savior
Shares light from what He taught.
To know whom He paid for
We must walk where He walked!

They Do Not Come Cheaply

They do not come cheaply,
Those moments that are rich.
They touch us quite deeply.
Our spirits, they enrich!

While in the eleventh hour,
Of a trying and long day,
These blessings unveil with power
As a witness of one's faith!

For Times of Trouble with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Caught in the Act

The Second Coming

The Second Coming, by Harry Anderson (62562); GAK 238; Primary manual 5-28; Primary manual 6-28; Primary manual 7-25; Matthew 16:27; 24:30–31; 25:31

I so want to be caught in the act

Of serving Him in a way that is sweet

When suddenly the Lord comes again

And we then do personally meet

"When the Savior comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something good. I want the Savior to say to me: “Jeffrey”—because He knows all of our names—“I recognize you not by your title but by your life, the way you are trying to live and the standards you are trying to defend. I see the integrity of your heart. I know you have tried to make things better first and foremost by being better yourself, and then by declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could.”“I know you weren’t always successful,” He will certainly say, “with your own sins or the circumstances of others, but I believe you honestly tried. I believe in your heart you truly loved me.”
I want to have something like that encounter someday as I want nothing else in this mortal life. And I want it for you. I want it for us all. " Jeffrey R. Holland  August 8, 2014 Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/lds.jeffrey.r.holland/posts/580223788753102