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Rick's Life

Monday, January 11, 2016

President Nelson: True Millennials Do Impossible Things



“The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counsel together and share all the Lord 
has directed us to understand and to feel, individually and collectively,” President Nelson shared in the first Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults this year. “And then, we watch the Lord move upon the President of the Church to proclaim the Lord’s will.” Speaking specifically of recent changes to the Church's handbook regarding same-sex couples and their families, President Nelson said:

“Filled with compassion for all, and especially for the children, we wrestled at length to understand the Lord’s will in this matter . . . We met repeatedly in the temple in fasting and prayer and sought further direction and inspiration.  Continue reading President-Nelson-True-Millennials-Do-Impossible-Things-Insights-on-Revelation-LGBT-Policy

Sunday, January 10, 2016

LOL......



Defending the Faith: A massive new resource for students of the Book of Mormon

Entering into 2016, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have commenced a new curriculum year for adults focused on the Book of Mormon. Not coincidentally, a massive new online project has just been launched, called Book of Mormon Central at http://bookofmormoncentral.org/.
I’m excited about it, and I hope that all readers of the Book of Mormon will be
continue reading www.deseretnews.com

5 Ways to Make More Time For Scriptures

This comes from the blog of Al Fox Carraway.

 http://alfoxshead.blogspot.com/

If you’ve read my book you’ll know how hard things became and all the people I lost after I joined the church. There were some times that my co workers and my boss would lock me in their office and make me watch all of these terrible videos about the gospel and they would yell at me telling me I am a terrible person and what I am apart of is wrong. How hard that was just being baptized and felt like I was being punished for it. I didn't know what to do or how to defend myself because I only knew of the church for only a few weeks, how small my knowledge was. Every time things got hard, literally every spare second I had of every day, I would read the Book of Mormon. Not once did my situation change because of it—not really— but every single time I would receive the strength and the knowledge to be able to handle what I was going through. I don't know what I'd do without that book.That is where strength and happiness comes from.

I'm hoping a lot of our goals for the new year is to read more from scriptures. And I definitely know it's not about how fast we get through them, but knowing the strength and revelation that comes from reading, it should be about how often we read so we can receive even more to help us best. The reality is you have a spirit living inside of you and it’s crucial to feed it.

Easy things to do:

1. Read every day. Set a specific time to read that will work for you daily and make it a habit. Lunchtime, kids naptime, before school/work-even if it means setting your alarm a little bit earlier. I prefer to read as soon as I wake up, when the world is quiet but the spirit is not—breakfast for me and breakfast for my soul.

2. Don't limit yourself how much to read. Instead of saying I'll read X amount of versus a day and stop, just read until you can't anymore for whatever reason.

3. It's ok to read more than once a day. What?! I know. And it will be huge contrast in yourself and your life when you do this. And do you know how much you can gain if you watch just one less episode on Netflix? 😏 Or how much you can get from a few versus while you’re waiting for your water to boil? Or waiting in the car for your friend/kid to come out.

4. Keep a Book of Mormon everywhere. I know a lot of you are big on the gospel library app, which is great, but I'm talkin' hard copies so you can see it and be reminded of it in times when you wouldn't otherwise. (You can get them for free from the missionaries, or if you live in high populated member areas, D.I. and thrift stores have some awesome, vintage ones from the 70's for a quarter). Keep one in your bathroom, your kitchen counter, bedside, pocket-sized ones are perfect for your car and your purse.

5. Start over. When you finish, celebrate and be excited! Soak it in. Gloat a little even to yourself for accomplishing it. But then turn it right back to page 1 and start from the beginning. A week or a month or the start of next year are not appropriate lengths for parties.

I cannot count how many times I’ve finished the Book of Mormon or Doctrine & Covenants. And I don’t write that to brag, I write that because I seriously rely on it so much every day. I am not me without them. I am short tempered and lost without them. I am weak and hurting without them. Scriptures heal a hurting heart and a wounded soul. I know the power behind them. It’s real. And just like in Alma 26:16, "I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.” Make the gospel your top priority, because it is. Read it, dudes, your life will change. Read it every free second of your every days and you’ll see.

Quote from my book, (page 147), “Refuse to be idle and have these quickly passing days without substance or meaning or progress. Refuse to pass through life without God. Don’t deny yourself the best things by putting off talking to Him or reading scriptures. Today, with God, you have the power to do anything. What will you choose to do with your time?”

Friday, January 8, 2016

5 Words That Changed Elder Holland's Graduate School Experience

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is a beloved speaker and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is a master teacher, with a gift for sharing experiences from his life in a powerful way that imparts memorable lessons. Many of us can recall, for example, his story of pulling a small U-Haul trailer behind his family's old car, only to have the car break down--twice--after driving just 34 miles of his family's 2,600 mile journey to graduate school.

One of my favorite experiences of Elder Holland's occurred early in his married life--before that fateful drive from St. George to New Haven--when he was serving as a bishop in Seattle, Washington.  Continue reading 5-words-that-changed-elder-hollands

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Liken The Scriptures Unto Us



Go Forward



Heed the council of the Prophets


Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon gives us numerous accounts of how people were blessed and protected when they heeded the council of the Prophets and how they suffered and even perished because they chose to ignore them. They are Gods servants in which he reveals his will to and what he is going to do. In the end it is your choice to heed them or not.
2 Chronicles 20:20
...Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

16 New Year's Resolutions from the Prophets for 2016

The prospect of perfectly living all the principles taught at general conference can be daunting. But taken one at a time, the inspired counsel of Church leaders can enrich and improve all aspects of our lives. As you write down your goals for 2016, consider taking a couple from this list of 16 into consideration.

1. Stop Worrying

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in his address “A Summer with Great-Aunt Rose,” taught women in the Church about the power of letting go of fear and anxiety. The talk, which was a parable of sorts, included this counsel:
“Aunt Rose reached over to the end table and pulled her well-worn scriptures onto her lap. ‘I don’t think I was clinically depressed — I’m not sure you can talk yourself out of that. But I sure had talked myself into being miserable! Yes, I had some dark days, but all my brooding and worrying wasn’t going to change that — it was only making things worse. Faith in the Savior taught me that no matter what happened in the past, my story could have a happy ending.'”

Read more at: ldsliving.com