weeds and flowers

The Holy Ghost makes an ideal traveling companion. If we are humble and teachable, He will take us by the hand and lead us home. However, we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way. We have to ask some difficult questions, like “What do I need to change?” “How can I improve?” “What weakness needs strengthening?”

What Lack I Yet? By Elder Larry R. Lawrence

1 john 1:8-10

Jude 1:4

Just as people can "creep in unawares", sin can easily creep in and slowly grow in us.  

John bytheway told a story about weeds taking over a little section of ground by the sidewalk. He plowed it all under and was very happy with his work. Soon, more weeds grew. He realized that although he'd removed the weeds, he'd left the ground bare and ready for whatever seeds happened to fly by. He cleared the little plot again but this time, he planted and nurtured grass. The grass kept weeds from growing. If some little weed managed to squeeze it was easy to pull it out.  

You get it. Sins and weeds. Good habits and lawn or flowers. 💐

a wise heart

Come follow me manual

nov 27-dec 3, 2023

Pray for your class members. Just as the Savior prayed for Peter (see Luke 22:32), you should pray by name for those you teach, seeking to understand their specific needs. As you do so, Heavenly Father will “prepare their hearts” (Alma 16:16) and help you know what to teach in order to meet their needs (see Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 6).

Alma 16:16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming

I've been praying for the hearts of others more lately. I pray for my heart too. There's little (some big) stoney bits in there. The world is hard and getting harder. Sometimes people call it being jaded. (Jaded-tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something. Often used as cynical or apathetic).  

It's one thing to be careful and aware. That can slip over into pessimistic and cynical fairly easy though. Make sure you're praying for the hearts of those around you but also for your own. Pray for a wise heart that can be strong, careful, firm, and steady but also kind, merciful, and meek.  

reach and teach individually

When we seek revelation to love as God does, we are guided to reach and teach each student individually. The result is very, very personal. The Lord demonstrated this personal approach with Nephi when he sought to obtain the plates. Nephi testified, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth.” (1 nephi 4:6-7)

Laban stood between Nephi and the plates. Nephi was instructed of the Lord to kill Laban. With great anguish, he obeyed. That same night Zoram also stood between Nephi and the plates. So why didn’t Nephi apply the same revelation to Zoram that he had received regarding Laban? Why didn’t Nephi unsheathe the sword once more?

The Lord knew Zoram, and Nephi knew the Lord and trusted in the guidance of the Spirit. The Lord knew that Zoram would be a “true friend unto … Nephi.” (2 nephi 1:30) Aren’t we grateful that in the beginning, Nephi sought individual revelation and was “led by the Spirit”? (1 nephi 4:6)

In the Light of His Love

Bonnie H. Cordon

Church Educational System Training Broadcast • June 12, 2019

love one another

1 john 1:7

1 john 2:9-11

1 john 4:7-8, 11, 20-21

1 john 5:2

As I have loved you,

Love one another.

This new commandment:

Love one another.

By this shall men know

Ye are my disciples,

If ye have love

One to another.

- Love One Another, hymn 308

I found some interesting quotes on loving one another. They aren’t all beautiful but they are worthy of contemplating all the same.

Our maturity will be judged by how well we are able to agree to disagree and yet continue to love one another, to care for one another, and cherish one another and seek the greater good of the other.

-Desmond Tutu

You can always make a lot of people love one another so long as there are a smaller number outside the group for them to kick.

- Sigmund Freud

We are obliged to love one another. We are not strictly bound to 'like' one another. Love governs the will: 'liking' is a matter of sense and sensibility. Nevertheless, if we really love others it will not be too hard to like them also.

- Thomas Merton

For one human being to love another; that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.

- Rainer Maria Rilke

light and love

1 john 1:5-6 cross reference to 1 Nephi 8:7-8, 23-24

God is light. The mists of darkness (of the world/media/etc) put us in shadow but the light is still there. Holding to the rod / word of God and listening when we can't see, or holding to what we do know will keep us heading in the right direction. The sun will come out, the mist will not always cover you, night will turn to day.  

Oh, how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day.

So, when life gets dark and dreary,

Don’t forget to pray.

- Did You Think to Pray?, hymn 140

It's not easy to continue in the dark. It wouldn’t be a test if it was easy. We may get distracted by the voices and disco lights at the great and spacious party. We must continue to shift our focus back on the true light of God. You can still dance by the tree but you have to get there and stay there. Don't worry. The mist isn’t forever. Hold tight to the rod (hymn 274) and press forward "With hope’s bright flame alight in heart and mind" (hymn 81)

You can do it. I believe in you and God believes in you.

the temple and ten virgins

Since we're going to the temple tomorrow, I thought I'd look for some temple scriptures.

The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation  

By President Russell M. Nelson

Oct 2021

As I listened to this talk, it stiuck out to me that he said, "Should distance, health challenges, or other constraints prohibit your temple attendance for a season, I invite you to set a regular time to rehearse in your mind the covenants you have made." Temples were just reopening after covid at the time.  We had experienced first hand being unable to visit the temple.

In the footnotes of this talk, he outlines some other times that the temple was inaccessible. The temple built by Solomon was destroyed and rebuilt several times with extended "closures" to the people.

The nephites were without a house of the Lord until they built one in the promised land. 2 Nephi 5:16

Even if you can't go often, soak up as much as you can when you're there. 

Matt 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

I sometimes think of temple covenants when I get dressed. It's mentally putting on my armour. Ephesians 6:10-18

That way I can "go forth with power" even if I can't go forth from the temple as often as I'd like.

Doctrine and Covenants 109:15, 22-23

rejoice in accountability

Mosiah 29:30-34, 38

We read this for family scriptures tonight. I thought about the willingness to be answerable for yourself. I always teach that you are responsible for your choices no matter what anyone else does. It's easy to blame others, whether following the crowd or returning similar behavior.  

We've always lived where we had religious freedom. We've never had to hide our beliefs like alma's people* or daniel** and his comrades***.  

*Mosiah 24:8-12

**Daniel 6:10-14

***Daniel 3:4-6, 14-18

Maybe it's harder to be responsible for your choices when your friends are the bad influence than when it's a ruler of some sort. It might be easier to rejoice in religious freedom than it is to appreciate our accountability. 

"As we look into the future, we are going to need to be stronger and more responsible for our choices in a world where people “call evil good, and good evil.” We do not choose wisely if we use our agency in opposition to God’s will or to priesthood counsel. Tomorrow’s blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today."

- Choices  

By President James E. Faust