Alma 17:11-12

"And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.
And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God." - Alma 17:11-12

I imagine the Lord might have said something similar to each of us before we came to earth. There are many trials and obstacles for each of us to overcome, but the blessings we receive will make it all worth it.

I feel like there were two ways that the sons of Mosiah could have responded to this message. They could have focused on the afflictions that they would face and become discouraged, or even given up. Instead, they took courage in the fact that they would be able to serve others and save souls.

Every day, this is a decision that I have to make. As a parent, I have plenty of opportunities to practice patience and long-suffering. I hope that I can be a good example to my children so that they will be able to learn the gospel and we can be a forever family.

Converted to His Gospel through His Church

Converted to His Gospel through His Church - Donald L. Hallstrom

"Some have come to think of activity in the Church as the ultimate goal. Therein lies a danger. It is possible to be active in the Church and less active in the gospel. Let me stress: activity in the Church is a highly desirable goal; however, it is insufficient. Activity in the Church is an outward indication of our spiritual desire. If we attend our meetings, hold and fulfill Church responsibilities, and serve others, it is publicly observed.
By contrast, the things of the gospel are usually less visible and more difficult to measure, but they are of greater eternal importance. For example, how much faith do we really have? How repentant are we? How meaningful are the ordinances in our lives? How focused are we on our covenants?
I repeat: we need the gospel and the Church. In fact, the purpose of the Church is to help us live the gospel."

This is something I have been struggling with a bit lately. I have a new calling that takes up a good amount of time and energy, but I haven't been making a lot of time for my personal scripture study.

The three suggestions to combat this problem are:

1. Deepen our understanding of Deity. 
2. Focus on the ordinances and covenants.
3. Unite the gospel with the Church.


I hope that I can strengthen my personal testimony so that I can share it with those around me.

To Hold Sacred

To Hold Sacred - Elder Paul B. Pieper

I was reading this talk recently and was struck by this section:

"The battle for priority between the sacred and the secular in each human heart can be illustrated by Moses’s experience at the burning bush. There Moses received his sacred calling from Jehovah to deliver the children of Israel from bondage. However, initially his worldly knowledge of the power of Egypt and the pharaoh caused him to doubt. Ultimately, Moses exercised faith in the Lord’s word, subjugating his secular knowledge and trusting in the sacred. That trust provided him power to overcome temporal trials and lead Israel out of Egypt."

We have two children and are pondering having another one. From my knowledge of what having two children is like, it seems like it would be crazy to have another one. I have had many doubts as to whether we would be able to handle it. But if the Lord's perspective is different, then it is a situation where we must exercise our faith and trust in the Lord.