Sunday, January 10, 2016
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
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
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.
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