How Can Faith Endure the Test?

How can faith endure the test?
By prayerful pursuit we are blessed
For time spent upon the knees
Feeds spiritual hunger and ever leads...

Father in Heaven above
Let me be reminded of Thy love
All those times of tender mercy
May I know and hold to so dearly

May I see Thy hand where e'er I go
Even this hour, as darkness does grow
Send Thy light to show me the way
Unto hope of a brighter day

Bless my heart to be full and warm
Secure in the gospel and safe from harm
And above all and more than anything
Help me learn what this trial is now offering...

As I rose, I knew faith must be applied
I turned to the resources God has supplied
And on a page, holy words spoke to me
That at serving others I must better be

To lose myself in the needs of others
Would strengthen my faith and that of my brothers
I felt a weight lifted from my worn back
Armed with the Truth, I was now back on track

The Influence of Righteous Women

The influence of righteous women
Has been noted throughout the ages
Alongside men, their works have been woven
As their names too lie upon holy pages

They've a place in our Father's plan
To aid in the well-being of His children
They know they hold the future in their hands
And strive to plant love and testimony with them

As big gates move on small hinges
They serve to make a difference to the one
That the influence for good further advances
Those upon the path prepared by the Son

In body and spirit they are proven
For each keeps the word of wisdom
That children will know what best improves them-
There to be firmly rooted in our Father's kingdom

These sisters have sought for and found what's better
And have laid aside the things of the world
That to this troubled earth they lift and succor
Offering hope and light for the gospel to unfurl



President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The Influence of Righteous Women
Ensign, September 2009, 2

unfurl
verb: unroll, unfold, or spread out or be unrolled, unfolded, or spread out from a furled state
Example: "Unfurl a banner"

May Loving Words Comfort

May loving comfort be felt through me
As I hold a light for my family
My mother's passed to the grave to rest
May I express how with God we are blessed

For midst my heart so broken
With painful sorrow in swell
I have learned and awakened
Such that of God I want to tell

I was led to open a page
And read what lies therein
Though Sariah was of old age
She was not forgotten and left barren

Each of us have a place
In the heart of our God
Life here, we're to embrace
With feelings tender and broad

Looking back with gratitude
I know my mother's life was full
Through her, my faith's been renewed
With eternal thought strings that pull

I Had a Dream

I had a dream that would not fade
Such that I was sore afraid
For the vision stayed in my head
Oft to trouble me as I laid in bed

Therefore, I made a decree
"Bring all the wise men unto me!"
That I might receive an interpretation
And attempts were given at explanation

Magicians, astrologers
Chaldeans and soothsayers
With each being ineffectual
Until I came to one... Daniel

I gave him the name Belteshezzar
For I knew in Him the Spirit of God was not far
And I told him of the visions in my head
Hear my words and discover what he said...

I saw a tree in the midst of the earth
It had a trunk of enormous girth
The height thereof was the greatest given
Ever reaching broad and out to heaven

The leaves thereof were so fair
And meaty fruit was plentiful everywhere
The beasts of the field lay in the shadows below
While the fowls of the sky nest and sing "hello"

I saw a watcher- one who was holy
Descend from the heaven to then give a loud cry
"Hew down the tree and cut off the limbs
Shake off the leaves, fruits, and blossoms"

"Scatter the birds with one great sway
And cause the beasts to go along their way
Nevertheless leave the stump and roots
That I might someday resume his fruits"

"Give him a band of iron and brass
To encircle along the tender green grass
There, let stay the heavenly dew
That the beasts of the earth might still come and chew"

"Let his heart be changed from a man's to a creature
Until 7 times pass over him to then mature
That the living may know who ruleth on high
And the powers of heaven not be denied"

"For He giveth to whomsoever He will
And setteth up over the basest of men still..."
This is all that I remember to have seen
I the king Nebuchadnezzar of my dream

Then Daniel was astonished for one hour
And his thoughts troubled him to cower
My Lord, the dream be to them that hate thee
And the interpretation thereof to thine enemies

The tree that thou sawest which grew and grew
To reach out to heaven and all the earth knew
It is thou, O king, thou art grown and become strong
But, the watcher is coming and it won't be long

This is a dream of things in foretelling
Thy enemies shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling
They shall make thee to eat grass as an oxen
And they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven

All... till thou knows that the most High ruleth
And whatsoever to man He desireth He giveth
Then... thy kingdom shall again be sure to thee
As soon as thou turneth away from iniquity

From the stump will grow yet a new kingdom
Based upon righteousness and God's wisdom
So begin now and give mercy to the poor
That there might be tranquility from this point more...

Well, what happened next... I was surely mad
For I doubted the fall of the Babylon I had
And sure as the dream I took to the grass
Until all he spoke of came to pass

Then one day with my hairs like eagles' feathers
I came to my senses... at the end of 7 weathers
I lifted my eyes towards the vast bright heavens
And, unto praise of God, I was given... and extolled Him

Daniel 4

A Man Took to the High Seas for Proof

A man took to the high seas for proof
Of an eternal fountain of youth
And as to each island he stopped, he grew more sure
That somewhere he would find this water so pure

Although his efforts were filled with vigor
He found naught the magical elixir
Yet... still to each century this desire lives on
In the memory of the expired... once Ponce DeLeon

But there is no need to sail uncharted seas
For in this life we have much greater needs
Our Father in Heaven who has plotted our paths
Offers fountains of truth to those who but ask

Who will wax strong in the knowledge to drink?
Those who allow obedience and commandments to link
They in deed have found the way to eternal life
As they diligently prove to be more and more like Christ

He our Master has drunk from the bitterest cup
That we can be clean and with the Father then sup
Who will hear and heed His beckoning call, "Come follow me"
And live such that His works will ever more hallowed be.

Finding Strength Through obedience
Thomas S. Monson
Ensign October 2009, 5

The Race is Set Before Us

The race is set before us
That we must run with patience
As we train and learn to trust
In our lord who comes and strengthens

Let us be stripped of that
Which might wear us down
As to eternal goals we're at
Along the narrow path we bound

And lest sins come to trip us
Let us pray continually
For with our thoughts on Jesus
We become like Him habitually

For He finnished the race
And did so perfectly
If we've Him before our face
He'll guide us directly

Heb. 12:1-3

He'd Not Be Swallowed Up

Our sins given for handling
He sunk in the deepest mire
Alone without a standing
His soul gave flood to God's desire

Stripped of His parted cloak
He bore all men would impart
Midst the shame of their reproach
He expired wounded of heart

He'd not been swallowed up
In the bitterness of gall
From the dregs, He bore the cup
Magnified, humbly, for us all

Psalms 68

Equals

With the Light of Christ we're made as equals
Endowed with the ability to think
And recognize Heavenly calls
There to spiritually explore and drink

As we meditate we're oft sensitive
To truths that teach and guide
With self-improvement as the motive
The Light will grow inside

Sometimes we think or say
A new thought and know it's true
As it too shows us the way
To expand in Light anew

"Mom" This You Will Always Be- to Me

I knew your health was not okay
Yet, I live truly far away...
A date was planned to see you soon
But, too late the news came this noon

How I miss you and I cry
That I was not there for goodbye
“Mom”- this you will always be
And your love lives on inside of me

The Holy Ghost Will Show You

The Holy Ghost will show you
"All things which ye should do"
As you read the scriptures and pray
It guides and directs always

Certain verses might seemed stressed
As you feast upon the word
But, more oft... you'll be impressed
With promptings felt and heard

Thus, when facing decisions
Work things out in your mind
Believe in providential protection
Then...pray, seek, and find


"Satan would diminish your faith and dilute your priesthood power to work mighty miracles, but a loving Heavenly Father has provided you with providential protection--the gift of the Holy Ghost. In the first chapter of the Book of Mormon we learn that as Lehi read the scriptures 'he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord' (1 Ne. 1:8-12). Nephi later promises us that as we 'feast upon the words of Christ . . . the words of Christ will tell [us] all things what [we] should do' (2 Ne. 32:3).

"You may be facing decisions regarding a mission, your future career, and, eventually, marriage. As you read the scriptures and pray for direction, you may not actually see the answer in the form of printed words on the page, but as you read you will receive distinct impressions, and promptings, and, as promised, the Holy Ghost 'will show unto you all things what ye should do' (2 Ne. 32:5)."

Spencer J. Condie
Becoming a Great Benefit to Our Fellow Beings
Ensign, May 2002, 45

Topics: Holy Ghost, Scripture

Let Us Live in the Spirit

Let us live in the Spirit
Being quickened for truth
That by it's workings so quiet
We spiritually improve



If we [increase our spiritual] effort and quench not the Spirit, our inner being is quickened. As we persevere, eternal life awaits us. Thus, we dare not quench the Spirit through disobedience or neglect. Rather, let us 'live in the Spirit' (Galatians 5:25), enhancing the sacred and essential role of the Holy Ghost in our individual lives. I testify that as we truly seek the Spirit, we shall benefit more fully from the quiet, but essential, workings of the Holy Ghost."
Keith K. Hilbig, "Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man, "Ensign, Nov. 2007, 38

I Gave the Dreaded Message

I gave the dreaded message
I did not want to give
For I knew it would injure
Those pained by sin's motives

The sweet and precious children
Along with the wives of purity
Had to listen while the brethren
Were condemned for polygamy

While my words were meant to prick the hearts
Of the fathers and husbands who had come
The women sobbed -felt my words like darts
And the tears in streams did run

Yet, ultimately it was for their welfare
And that of all the souls attending
That I blatantly laid the vile sins bare
While the love of God extending

Jacob 2:9
Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.

The Holy Scriptures Teach of God

The holy scriptures teach of God
And of our relationship to Him
Where standing with the Bible reaching out to all
Is the Book of Mormon, a treasure, to the seeker given

Both testify of Christ
The Savior of the world
To prepare us in this life
For His advent to unfurl

Where in the types and shadows
We learn of salvation
Let us open, read, and know
An heavenly education

The Book of Mormon is the key
Which unlocks the truths of old
Where we can search and see
His mysteries unfold

My Mind is Filling Up

My mind is filling up
With the blessed things of God
I am learning how to trust
The gospel path where I now trod

That Filthy and Dark Thought

That filthy and dark thought
Christ took upon Himself
As for us He fought
All that is of hell

The fullest price was paid
In pain and sorrow to atone
As a path to God was laid
Perfectly by Him alone

What Matters Most

Never for an instant
Let a problem to be solved
Be more important
Than a person to be loved

Never assume
Someone knows you care
In your day make room
For those words so rare

Never let a day pass
Without showing affection
Do the things which last
Make a life connection

Write that needed note
And bring back fond memories
Let a loved one know
They're your favorite stories

Wrap your arms around
A child, an aged parent
Give your time to your spouse
Before that needed errand

The greatest lesson
We can come to know
Is the confession-
Love's a verb to show

Oftimes We Wonder

Ofttimes we wonder
Why tears come and we cry
Perhaps feelings held under
Brim up, o'er, and out through our eyes

Know this dampness I feel
Comes because of you
My love for you ...so real
Now drips as though mists of dew

A Young Man's Mother Died

A young man's mother died
From alcohol addiction
But his love for her survived
Understanding her affliction

He offered to help those like her
To show them they mean something
With his lovely path they can turn
And find the strength they're wanting

I cried some tears of gratitude
When I saw his selfless act
My faith in man then renewed
He warmed my heart, in fact

For his mother it might be too late
To see her cleansed from drink
But, his love still bears great weight
To help others stop and think

Now he helps those searching
For a better path to walk
Into arms outreaching...
A place to heal and talk

click on title to read the article
Eagle project is close to Scout's heart
By Lynn Arave
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009 5:30 p.m. MDT

Our Conscience

Our conscience works as a guide
Directing how to act sensibly
Inside, it serves as a light
That shines infallibly

Although hard we try to rebel
And ignore this intuition
A then unsettled thought tells
It's not a path for righteous fruition

We can choose good or evil
But the good is always right
For then mental health prevails
And our countenance is ever bright

Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity

Man's extremity
Is God's opportunity
If we are humble
Searching and faithful...

For He can turn what is cruelly unfair
Into a temple experience where
The imprisoned soul is taught and freed
Unto divine companionship and peace

As such, truths were revealed in Liberty Jail
Despite the debauchery and malice of hell
Midst blasphemy, drunkenness, and hypocrisy
And the smokey fires that warmed off their misery

And as all will be called on to face trying times
To a depth of discouragement that confines
It is imperative to remember, He is there!
Ever He sees us. Loves us. Hears our prayers!

Know as we weep, He and the angels weep too
So persist in your pleading and your searching renew
For just at the moment Joseph cried, "Where art Thou?"
The wonderful ministrant of the Spirit did endow

To flood his broken heart painfully opened
And teach that trials are for but a moment
A fact, He learned- God had never been nearer
As He heard these sweet words which could be hardly dearer-

"I will go before your face, ...be on your right and your left
As the angels surround...( a promise to us that is ever kept)
To bear us up" as we follow in the trails of Jesus
There to know of Him as we pass our Gethsemane that teaches us

Lessons from Liberty Jail
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Ensign, September 2009, 26

I get too excited and don't let a poem "rest"
so in a day or two this good will be its best

D&C 84:88
D&C 121

Let Us Take a Journey

Let us take a journey
Along the paths of dust
In a land made holy
By the presence of Jesus

Let us reconstruct the past
To understand each aspect
And come to the arrival at long last
Of one mightier than any prophet

Let us join in scholarly discussion
And reexamine each source
To take turns at contribution
In our Family Home Evening course

The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ
From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount
editors:
Richard Neitzel Holzapfel
Thomas A. Wayement

With the Light of Christ in All Things

With the Light of Christ in all things
Is it any wonder
That all we see points to Him
From above the Earth to under

With the Light of Christ in all things
We are not left wondering
For we've examples in Christ's teachings
Of what this principle is offering...

Jesus spoke of the lost sheep
And the hen with ample wings
He taught where to cast our seeds
And of the law of harvesting

Let us look around us
And see from all that's near
Then with our thoughts on Jesus
Let us think with Light so clear

Oh, Father won't Thou Light My Mind

Oh Father, won't Thou light my mind
As a teacher of Thy children today
That of good things they will find
As they listen to words that I say

What is the Law?

What is the law by which all things are governed
Both on earth and throughout all the heavens
It is that which proceeds forth from God through our Lord
Even the Light of Christ which unto life is given

As a divine energy, it influences for good
For it can manifest as our conscience
And if we're more sensitive to doing as we should
We shine as an example of obedience

With this light upon our minds, we comprehend truths
There to find the gospel path leading to salvation
For as our ability to hearken and do best improves
We are prepared for an ever brighter education

Then as the Holy Ghost is discovered, warmth burns
As the light within brightens with righteous desire
That this personage ministrates through the spirit to confirm
Who God is, while lending comfort and gifts that inspire

Oh the Wisdom of God, His Mercy and Grace

Oh the wisdom of God, His mercy and grace
To save us from misery with a plan for escape
For though Satan beguiles and stirs the children of men
The infinite atonement can save us from endless torment

Those who are clothed in the robes of righteousness
Have chosen the waters of baptism unto holiness
Those are they who have entered the membership gate
Unto the narrow path where our eternal blessings await

Oh the vainness, the frailties, and the foolishness of men
When they think they are wise and of God seek not, nor hearken
For He has given us laws that can light up our minds
If we seek to choose the right for God's wisdom to find

Oh the greatness and justice that comes from our God
For He executeth all His words near and abroad
Those who have endured the world's crosses in this life
Have a place in God's kingdom prepared by Jesus Christ

2 Nephi 9

Dear Father in Heaven I Witness to Thee

Dear Father in heaven
I witness to Thee
I do remember
What's been done for me

Thy Beloved Son
Thou hast giv'n to earth
Has shown divine love
And eternal worth
----------------------
He commanded
The multitude to sit
And took of the bread
To break and bless it

He taught this was in
The similitude
Of His body torn
To then be renewed
----------------------
I drinketh His flesh
And blood ministered
And witness anew
His life in me stirs

I hold up my light
To shine for the world
That Thy divine plan
Might further unfurl
---------------------
I've built up my life
Upon the Lord's rock
To keep Thy commands
Where e'er I may walk

But, oft I fall short
And find I'm thankful
That Jesus did not
And suffered in full
---------------------
He as my Savior
Has redeemed my soul
And oft heals my heart
That I become whole

Let the strong winds blow
And the rains descend
For His rock I know
As I would a friend

3Nephi 18:1-16

Oh Lord

Oh Lord, We pray to remember
Thy life and all Thou hast done
We've gratitude to be members
A day without Thee we can't fathome

From the prophets thoughout the ages
We have visions of Thy selfless gift
And we find on tender pages
Thy mercy does ever lift

When the world seems dark with terror
Thou indeed provides a Light
That our countenance becomes fairer
As to Thee we place our sight

What have I done today in deed?

What have I done today in deed?
To help another who is in need
If I serve someone from my heart
The love of the Savior I will impart

God Blesses All Who Endeavor

God blesses all who endeavor
To be their brother's keeper
For when we serve like the Savior
The world becomes that much sweeter

Those who ameliorate suffering
Spiritually show a brighter smile
As to the uncertain they are offering
The Savior's footsteps from their extra mile

Those who've dedication know satisfaction
As in their service there's no resentment
For they're richly blessed for their charitable actions
Such that they've the spirit and an aura of contentment


"God bless all who endeavor to be their brother's keeper, who give to ameliorate suffering, who strive with all that is good within them to make a better world. Have you noticed that such individuals have a brighter smile? Their footsteps are more certain. They have an aura about them of contentment and satisfaction — even dedication — for one cannot participate in helping others without experiencing a rich blessing himself."

President Thomas S. Monson
Our Brother's Keeper
BYU Management Society and BYU Alumni Association, Bay Area Chapter, Feb. 12, 1999

Fear is a Deadly Enemy

Dismiss fear as a deadly enemy
As you progress along life's journey.
Have faith, Stretch outward heavenly,
And face each fork and turning.

Heavenly Father wants you to succeed
And to pray to Him, daily, for He is near.
He knows where you are going, all that you will need,
And where the sudden bumps in the road appear

"Fear is a deadly enemy of progress. Our journey into the future will not be a smooth highway which stretches from here to eternity. Rather, there will be forks and turnings in the road, to say nothing of the unanticipated bumps. Pray daily to a loving Heavenly Father who wants you to succeed in life."

President Thomas S. Monson
In Pursuit of Perfection
CES Fireside for young adults, Feb. 7, 1999

When We Have

When we have eyes that see, ears that hear
And hearts that know and feel
We can reach out and rescue
And offer the Savior who does heal

"Brethren, is every ordained teacher given the assignment to home teach? What an opportunity to prepare for a mission. What a privilege to learn the discipline of duty. A boy will automatically turn from concern for self when he is assigned to 'watch over' others.

"And what of the priests? These young men have the opportunity to bless the sacrament, to continue their home teaching duties and to participate in the sacred ordinance of baptism.

"We can strengthen one another; we have the capacity to notice the unnoticed. When we have eyes that see, ears that hear and hearts that know and feel, we can reach out and rescue those for whom we have responsibility."



on responsibility
President Thomas S. Monson
The Call to Serve
October 2001 general conference, priesthood session

What is the Destiny of the Billions

What is the destiny of the billions
Who have lived and died without Christ?
They in the temple can be redeemed
As we proxy for the dead and are baptized


Our God is merciful and just
And has laid out a perfect plan
If we're obedient and trust
We can aid in the salvation of man

Jesus prophesied He would teach
Those in the spirit world when He died
There to organize the righteous to preach
Those in darkness and in need of His light

Like unto the living, the dead can increase in faith
Repent, be cleansed, and burn with the Holy Ghost within
It is their's to await vicarious work of the Saints
For the highest blessings of heaven to begin

With each husband and wife restored together
They are then sealed forever to their children
Till more and more family names do gather
Into an eternally welded link for heaven

Supplying labor for every time to embrace
Who will serve as an officiator?
And vicariously act in the Savior's place
Thus, to provide a way back to our creator

As an expression of our witness
Of the truthfulness of the gospel
We desire all to be humble in meekness
And accept the Atonement and be God's people

We are baptized for the dead
Because we know they will arise
Restored even to each hair on the head
As in Christ shall all be made alive

Our work is theirs to decide
As we've all free agency
In death or in life
Truth is for our accepting

Completing His mission of divine commitment
We benefit from the infinite reach of our Savior
Due to His perfect life and absolute Atonement
He is the sole source of our salvation and favor

And except a man be born
Of water and of the Spirit
His soul can not be reborn
And of judgment he will fear it

For straight is the way
And narrow is the gate
And those who'll know His grace
Will have been baptized in His name

Repent everyone
In the name of Jesus Christ
And follow Him, the very Son
With the Gift of the Holiness for light

Let the dead be freed from prison
To be judged according to the flesh
That the gospel may be preached for one reason
For the great Day when of God's hand we'll all confess

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Why Do We Baptize for the Dead?
New Era, Mar 2009, 2–5



From an October 2000 general conference address.

After All You have Tried to DO

After all you have tried to do
In humility it is time to fast
For then the spirit might whisper to you
An impression that will ever last

Your Contact Asked a Hard Question

Your contact asked a hard question
Now what should you do?
In humility make your confession
And say "tomorrow, I'll have an answer for you"

The next day, wake up early and exercise
Shower and get dressed
Then you are ready to apply your eyes
For the Lord's work and to be impressed

Pray for those whom you're to teach
While keeping thoughts of them in your mind
Then while in the scriptures you reach
Words meant for them you will find

Read and study carefully
And let the spirit testify
Then to your family go prayerfully
And witness and apply

He Had a Gift

he had a gift and could entertain
but flushed it all straight down the drain

he had a gift I wish I had the same
yet it destroyed him - this life of fame

forgive me dear michael for pointing the finger
please know in my heart the memory will linger

a life without balance to the extreme
leaves but little room to expand and dream

in the end we saw what was painfully not right
as the price that one pays living in the spot light

for as the media watched your every move
you took to fantasy and lost your grove

and in the end, there was not a good bye
only unsettling news and a world sigh

a pause to reflect upon responsibility and guilt
and the limelight pedestal so fragily built

may you be in a place that you'll find spiritual healing
for we saw the little child in you had the tenderest feelings

and Gladys Knight you are an inspiration
thank you for your words and level dedication

how grateful I am for your example in gospel praise
a woman of God, humble and grateful throughout your days

as in the end it is God and family that matters
not money, fame, or that one news spot that flatters

Michael Jackson's death was "God's plan"
says Gladys Knight
Friday, September 04, 2009, 08:00
click on the title to read the article
www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

Days After the Solemn Assembly

Days after the solemn assembly unto the most high
Oliver Cowdery and I passed God's threshold and entered within
We felt His power and knew His temple was sanctified
That we might be taught out of the best books written

We retired to the pulpit with the veil enshrined
And we bowed in a prayer that was unspoken
When we finished the veil was taken from our minds
And the eyes of our understanding were opened

We saw the Lord majestically standing above us
On pavement of gold at the breastwork of the pulpit
And His countenance shown with such glorious brightness
It was much brighter than the noon sun could ever emit

His eyes were as though a flame of fire
And the hair on His head was white like pure snow
From Him sounded the rushing of great water
As His words flowed down to where we stood below

"I am the first and the last," He said
"I am He who liveth
I am He who was slain
I am the advocate which the Father giveth

And you are now clean before me
Therefore lift up your heads and rejoice
Yea, to my servants, I appear in great mercy
Speaking that they may hear my own voice

Too, let the hearts of the brethren rejoice
As they have built this house to my name
They will come to know blessings so choice
Being endowed in this house that will grow in great fame"

Jesus Christ the Master and Publisher of Peace

Jesus Christ the Master and publisher of peace
Can soothe the soul caught in the rising sea
He can command and cause pride's waves to cease
Such that humbly in faith I knew I must plea

The turmoil around like a storm had swirled
And nearly drowned me in sin and doubt
Ever engulfed in the ways of the world
I truly questioned what life was about

Then amidst distracting clamor
That troubled my heart and mind
I heard something that opened a door
Unto a better world there to find

“Hold to the rod, and never let go”
A voice gently inside me did say
“For there lays the true path to follow
As you continually search and pray”

Now I've found where hearts cannot fail nor harden
Where our living God’s word is life's missing detail
For He has placed me inside a brightened garden
Where I can move forward, learn, and prevail

And, although calamity still descends
The Holy Ghost is a warning device found in place
That guides, instructs, and ever strengthens
Me and faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Too Oft We Group Some Scriptures

Too oft we group some scriptures
As a child would collect rocks
For they appear to be similar
Till the spirit whispers and unlocks

As we experiment on the word
It helps to know of what surrounds
That the intent might be learned
From what the teaching expounds

May we open our minds to awake
And search desiring to know
For there's precious fruit we'll partake
As our faithfulness does show

Let the word swell in the soul
As new faith sprouts from a seed
Unto redefining our goals
Which proves it's Christ whom we need

For those who taste of this light
Hunger for righteousness more and more
And seek for strength to choose the right
As their sins they come to abhor

Let the word be planted deep in our hearts
To grow line upon line into a tree
Surely filled with fruit to impart
That's purely delicious indeed


William Clayton Kimball
Partaking of the Fruit
Ensign, Jul 1980, 16

Alma 32:
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.