"Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything"

     I cam across an article called, "Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything." It is an awesome article that shares with us how to get though hard times, like it says in the title.
     One of the greatest questions in all of life is, Why do bad things happen, even to good people? Thanks to the scriptures we can answer that question. The first scripture, 1 Nephi 11:17, tells us we don’t have all the answers to explain all the tragedies in the world. "However, we know, we are sure, that God loves His children." So, instead of thinking, "Why did this happen to me?" think, “Well, I know God loves me; I know that. So what can I learn from this experience?”
     The next scripture, Moses 7:26–33, tells us that sometimes our trials are a direct result of someone using their agency to do evil. "Everyone on earth has agency, and sometimes those who misuse it have an impact on many innocent people." He asks a great question that really changes my perspective of tragedies. "Sometimes we see things on the news and ask, 'How could God allow this to happen?' Could it be that one day we’ll discover that God prevented much more than He allowed?"
     Scripture three, Alma 14:10–13, tells us not to let a tragedy define how we live. "You still have your own mission. Like Alma and Amulek, perhaps you were spared because your work is not finished!...Needless to say, Alma and Amulek witnessed an awful scene. I wonder if they were ever able to forget what they saw. How did they survive?"
     Scripture four, Alma 7:11–12, answers that question. "The words “sin” or “sins” do not appear anywhere in those two verses." However, it does say that, "Jesus took upon him: pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities." So, let the atonement help you through your personal tragedies.
     The last scripture, D&C 101:32–36, tells us that we might never get our questions answered in this life, but one day the Lord will return and answer all of our questions.
     The Ultimate answer is not that the scriptures can get us through hard times, it is that Jesus Christ can get us through them. He is the only one who will help us get through everything. And with Jesus we can get rid of the "almost" in the title.

     "We know that God loves His children. We know that part of His plan is to allow evil to exist in the world. We know that if we’re still alive, we have a work to accomplish. We know that the Savior suffered not only for our sins, but also for our pains and afflictions, and we know that one day He will conquer the evil one, answer all our questions, and bless us with a fullness of joy."

"Israel, Israel, God Is Calling"

     So the next talk I have decided to share is another talk by Jeffrey R. Holland called, "Israel, Israel, God Is Calling."
     It begins by talking about how "Israel’s history down through the ages [was that] when things got too sinful...the children of the covenant would be sent fleeing into the wilderness to reestablish Zion and start all over again. He then goes on to say "one thing that has changed is that the Church of God will never again flee." As Brigham Young said, "We have been kicked out of the frying-pan into the fire, out of the fire into the middle of the floor, and here we are and here we will stay." "We no longer think of Zion as where we are going to live; we think of it as how we are going to live." He gives us three lessons for the establishment of Zion.
     I will share with you the first example he gives of some very poor sportsmanship, to say so lightly, at a basketball game, and you can read the talk to find the other two. After this game "what was said and done and showered upon [a young basketball player] that night, and on his wife and their families, should not have been experienced by any human being anywhere anytime..." In a later event one young man said "Listen. We are talking about basketball here, not Sunday School. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We pay good money to see these games. We can act the way we want. We check our religion at the door." He then replies to that story with, "'We check our religion at the door'? Lesson number one for the establishment of Zion in the 21st century: You never 'check your religion at the door.' Not ever." This is not the what we should be catching ourselves doing ever. We are to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places. If there is anything we need to make sure we are doing, it is standing as a witnesses of God, even if we are the only one. Before you make any rash decisions, stop and think, "Would I be comfortable if God caught me doing this?"

"Safety for the Soul"

     I have been thinking about the Book of Mormon and the role it has played in my life and decided to share this talk, "Safety for the Soul," by Jeffrey R. Holland, because of the powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon that is found in it.
     It starts of by talking about the vision Lehi has about the Tree of Life found in 1 Nephi 8. He says, "The principal point of the story is that the successful travelers resist all distractions, including the lure of forbidden paths and jeering taunts from the vain and proud who have taken those paths. The record says that the protected 'did press their way forward, continually [and, I might add, tenaciously] holding fast' to a rod of iron that runs unfailingly along the course of the true path...'I beheld,' Nephi says later, 'that the rod of iron...was the word of God, [leading]...to the tree of life;...a representation of the love of God.'" As it says in this story, the scriptures are what will guide us to return again to our Heavenly Father.
     He goes on to offer up a more modern testimony of this same principle by sharing the testimonies of Joseph and Hyrum Smith as well as his own. I invite you to watch it because I will not do it justice if I try to summarize it, and if you have time I would even invite you to watch the whole talk as it is that powerful.

     He ends by echoing Nephi's witness in his "last days": "Hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ...and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day.” I invite all of you to take the challenge and read and pray from the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of it's truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know it to be true. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

"His Grace Is Sufficient"

     This weeks talk is titled, "His Grace Is Sufficient." This is by far one of the best talks I have read in a long time. He begins by trying to explain to someone how much of getting to Heaven is what we do and how much is what Christ did in his Atonement. So basically, he was simply explaining what grace is. He uses an example in which there are 2 points, one representing God, and the other representing us. He asks her to draw a line,from us to God, representing how much is our part and and how much is Christ's. After some trial and error, he explains that Christ is the whole line. The girl is still confused now thinking that she doesn't have to do anything except accept Christ as her Savior. As this may have some truth to it, there is still more that is not so easily seen. He goes on to tell her "you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap."
     He uses an example of a mom providing music lessons for her child. "Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift." That practice is similar to what Christ expects of us in the way we live. It will NOT get us to heaven, but it WILL make us grow and make Christ happy! He gives a bunch of other examples of how the practice applies to us, but I will let y'all read it to find them on your own. There is one, however, that I will share. He talks about how hard it is to practice and how it will take forever to get it perfect and how you might just be no good at piano. Let me ask you this; if someone hits a wrong note, does that mean they're no longer worthy to practice? No! We expect them to keep trying. "In all of these cases there should never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano, are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No." Perfection may be the ultimate goal, but is not the only option other than quitting. Learning takes time. He closes by saying, "As we do, we do not discover—as some Christians believe—that Christ requires nothing of us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so much and the strength to do all He asks (Philippians 4:13). Grace is not the absence of God’s high expectations. Grace is the presence of God’s power (Luke 1:37)."
     Christ has made a huge investment in you, so don't let him down. Become that master pianist by practice, practice, practice.

To see the whole speech view: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1966&fb_source=message