Stand in Holy Places

How blessed are we to have a living prophet on the earth today to lead us and to guide us through the storms of life! How blessed are we to hear from our prophet regularly, and to know God's will through him. President Thomas S. Monson (b. 1927) is the Lord's prophet. I love hearing his words and his stories; he sets a powerful example with his ability and willingness to receive and heed the promptings of the Spirit.

President Monson

In the October General Conference, President Monson spoke about the importance of prayer to our Father in Heaven and following inspiration from Him in an address entitled, "Stand in Holy Places." "Communication with our Father in Heaven--," taught President Monson, "including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us--is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life."

President Monson spoke of the rapidly-evolving moral compass of society and about how, "behaviors which once were considered inappropriate and immoral are now not only tolerated but also viewed by ever so many as acceptable." He continued, "Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed they will not change."

The reason that we are not to conform to the teachings of society but cling to the teachings of Jesus Christ is so that we will be better equipped to deal with the storms of life, to learn from them, and to overcome them. By striving to have the gospel of Jesus Christ at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts, we can effectively deal with all the challenges we face. The constancy of the Lord is, "something on which we can hold fast and be safe, lest we be swept away into uncharted waters." When we live in the world and not of the world, we stay clean and worthy of the influence of the Holy Spirit that we may receive strength from the Lord. "There is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the Spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments."

I know that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. I know from personal experience that only when I am striving to do what the Lord asks am I able to recognize and have the strength to heed His promptings. He is the way, the truth, and the light and the source of the greatest happiness and joy.

Jeremy

Let Your Light So Shine

We, each of us, carry with us the light of Christ. The way we, as Latter-day Saints, live our lives give us the wonderful blessing of carrying the Holy Ghost, the testifier of the Lord, with us everywhere we go. The “light in our eyes” is not merely a product of being a member of the Church but of following the standards that we are given. Keeping the spirit with us takes obedience and constant reminders of truth. Studying scriptures and other spiritually uplifting works and activities will keep that light fresh and easy to see and share.

We as members of the church should be doing all we can to “let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven (Mathew 5:16).” This includes things such as following the promptings of the spirit, serving those in need, keeping the Savior in the forefront of our minds, being good examples and doing all we can to be like Christ. 

In an address given at Brigham Young University, President David O. Mckay said this,

“Every man has an atmosphere which is affecting every other. Man cannot escape for one moment from this radiation of his character. This constantly weakening of strengthening of others. He cannot evade the responsibility by saying it is an unconscious influence. He can select the qualities he would permit to be radiated. He can cultivate sweetness, calmness, trust, generosity, truth, justice, loyalty, nobility, and make them vitally active in his character. By these qualities he will constantly affect the world. This radiation to which I refer comes from what a person really is, not from what he pretends to be. Every man by his mere living is radiating sympathy, sorrow, or morbidness, cynicism, or happiness or hope, or any other hundred qualities. Life is a state of radiation and absorption. To exist is to radiate. To exist is to be the recipient of radiation.”(The Mission of Brigham Young University)

I love this quote and it image it creates and also, the responsibility it places on us to make our light worth of radiating. I personally have witnessed the power of the light of Christ. I also have, unfortunately, witnessed the loss of it. Someone to whom I am very close has chosen to lead a life different than that which the church councils. Slowly but surely, year by year, I watched their countenance change from that of a worthy and righteous individual that shined as an example to those around them to instead an uncertain and undirected being that merely floated from one choice to another, having lost influence and even presence. Even certain responsibilities in the family could no longer be handled by them. Eventually, the light was replaced by their decisions and lifestyle and their countenance had truly changed, presenting to me and others a different person completely. A person that I still love deeply, but a different person none the less. I have promised myself that I will strive daily to prevent this from happening in my life and that I will do my best love and support those around me to prevent it from happening to them.

I leave you with this council from Alma, “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
…I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?” (Alma 5:16,19) I know that as I look at these questions there are things I can be doing to improve on a daily basis. But, I also know that the Lord will help me if I ask in prayer and humility. I challenge you to gain and cultivate that light for yourselves.

I know the gospel effects every aspect of my life and that, as I walk with my intentions focused toward the Lord, he will be reflected on my countenance.

Elisabeth

LIGHT!

When interacting with other people sometimes they will comment about the light that is in the eyes of the Latter-Day Saints. We know that “the Lord is the true light, and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.” (President Faust, "The Light in Their Eyes" Oct. 2005) People describe it as the light because that is what makes sense to them. It is the influence of the Holy Ghost that others can sense even though they cannot have it with them at all times until they have been confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "The Lord is my light" (Psalms 27:1). As we follow Him, “the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness” becomes even more apparent in our countenance. (Alma 19:6) We cannot be lost as long as we can see the light and are willing to follow it.

The word light has always been a special word and a symbol to me. My name Lucy comes from the Latin word Luz which in Spanish means light. I hope to live up to my name so that I can be a light to others. I was also recently thinking about how I like to take pictures and how the word photography relates to this subject as well. The word photography has Greek origin from the word photo meaning light and graphy meaning writing. Photography is then writing with light. It is capturing something in its pureness and simplicity. To me pictures look the best when there is sufficient amount of light to see the details or to see the sharpness of the subject. It is vital to have light to be able to see the image, just like it is vital to have the Holy Ghost to see what we need to do.

When we have this light in our lives we are happier. I have been told by several people that I am one of the happiest people that they know. I want the light I have to shine, so that it can touch other people and they will want to glow in happiness. The infectious happiness can be theirs if they are willing to put forth the effort to know that Jesus is the Christ. Once they know this, they can have a portion of His light with them at all times, even the Holy Ghost. I know this to be true.

Lucy

Spiritual Strength

The prophet Joseph Smith taught, "Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God."¹ 

We came to this earth with the express purpose of being tested and tried by our Father in Heaven. Taught the Lord, "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."² Should we be successful in striving to keep the commandments and "hold out faithful to the end [we] are received into heaven, that thereby [we] may dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness"³ together with our families.

But holding out faithful to the end isn't always easy. In fact, rarely is keeping the commandments ever easy. We live in a world of shifting and changing values where men call evil good and good evil.⁴ The prophet Abinadi taught that as a result of the Fall of Adam, "all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state."⁵

Taught the prophet Alma, "all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made."⁶ He continued, "Therefore may God grant unto you, . . . that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you."⁷ We live in a fallen world and each of us "have sinned and come short of the glory of God."⁸ We are born natural men and women subject to all manner of temptations and weaknesses. However, we can, by yielding to the enticings of the Holy Ghost, put off the natural man and become saints through the Atonement of Christ the Lord.⁹ We must exercise faith unto repentance and through the redemptive power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ all wrongs, inequalities, disappointments, and trials are made right and our sins are forgiven.

Following the pathway to eternal life is simple to understand yet difficult to perform. The way is clear and the guideposts are well-defined, but Satan is very good at creating mists and haze and distractions that entice us to loosen our grip on and eventually leave the iron rod.¹⁰

How, then, are we to maintain the proper focus to stand against the adversary and his minions? How can we become strong enough to yield to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and put off the natural man? The answer lies in spiritual strength. Developing spiritual strength enables us to "continue in the way which is narrow, until [we] shall obtain eternal life."¹¹ Spiritual strength is the key to successfully staying on the strait and narrow path and overcoming our trials and weaknesses.

As we prepare for trials and life in general and pray for the strength to endure all things, we are endowed with power from on high and are blessed with the capacity to do all things. Our spiritual strength grows, as does our capacity to endure hardships and trials. As life gets harder, our ability to endure our trials increases, but only if we are constantly striving to develop and increase our spiritual strength.

Developing Spiritual Strength

In preparation for this study and post, I searched, "spiritual strength" in General Conference addresses on LDS.org and these are the first 10 results (some similar results omitted):

• "The very nature of the Redeemer’s Atonement and the purpose of the restored Church are intended to help us receive . . . spiritual strength."
• —Elder David A. Bednar, "And Nothing Shall Offend Them," Ensign, Nov 2006
• "a temperate soul—one who is humble and full of love—is also a person of increased spiritual strength."
• —Elder Kent D. Watson, "Being Temperate in All Things," Ensign, Nov 2009
• "As we obey our Heavenly Father’s commandments, our faith increases, we grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, and it becomes easier for us to make right choices."
• —Elder Wolfgang H. Paul, "The Gift of Agency," Ensign, May 2006
• "I repeat, fervent prayer is key to gaining the spiritual strength..."
• —Elder M. Russell Ballard, "O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One," Ensign, Nov 2010
• "Righteous character provides the foundation of spiritual strength."
• —Elder Richard G. Scott, "Truth:The Foundation of Correct Decisions," Ensign, Nov 2007
• "Increased spiritual strength is a gift from God which He can give when we push in His service to our limits. Through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our natures can be changed. Then our power to carry burdens can be increased more than enough to compensate for the increased service we will be asked to give."
• —President Henry B. Eyring, "O Ye That Embark," Ensign, Nov 2008
• "Making and keeping temple covenants also adds spiritual strength..."
• —Julie B. Beck, "And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit," Ensign, May 2010
• "Spiritual strength frequently comes through selfless service." 
• —President Thomas S. Monson, "Preparation Brings Blessings," Ensign, May 2010
• "Through our discipleship, we are able to receive the spiritual strength that we need to deal with the challenges of life."
• —President James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006
• "I am grateful for the spiritual strength and guidance the gift of the Holy Ghost has given me throughout my life."
• —Elder Robert D. Hales, "The Covenant of Baptism:To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom," Ensign, Nov 2000

And one non-General Conference bonus:

• "As you adhere to the standards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you will . . . gain protection and spiritual strength in complete obedience.”
• —Elder Russell M. Nelson, BYU-Hawaii commencement address, 9 April 2011

Even simply by skimming the results of this search, the way to develop spiritual strength becomes clear: keep the commandments. Pray, make and keep temple covenants, work on developing Christlike attributes, love and serve, seek the guidance and companionship of the Holy Ghost, etc. Spiritual strength is developed in doing spiritual things.

Conclusion

As we strive to develop spiritual strength, we must rely on the Savior, who is the source of all strength.¹² The Savior told the early Saints, "as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life."¹³ The promise of miracles and power to overcome the world and obtain eternal life can be ours too, if we come unto Christ desiring to be perfected in Him.¹⁴ President Ezra Taft Benson taught, "By his grace [meaning Jesus Christ] we receive an endowment of blessing and spiritual strength that may eventually lead us to eternal life if we endure to the end."¹⁵

The Lord is the source of all spiritual strength. May we strive to develop such strength that we may overcome the trials of life and be happy and gain eternal life with our Father in Heaven and our families.

Jeremy

1. History of the Church, 5:134–35.

2. Abraham 3:25

3. Mosiah 2:41

4. see Isaiah 5:20

5. Mosiah 16:4

6. Alma 34:9

7. Alma 34:17

8. Romans 3:23

9 Mosiah 3:19

10. see 1 Nephi 8:23

11. Jacob 6:11

12. For more about the Lord as our strength, try searching "strength" simply in the Old Testament, or even just in The Book of Psalms or Isaiah.

13. D&C 45:8

14. Moroni 10:32

15. "Redemption Through Jesus Christ After All We Can Do," Liahona, Dec 1988

Spiritual Fortitude

As we strive daily to draw closer to the Lord, to become the people we know He can make us, we are met with trials and tribulations that can, if we so choose, teach us to be better or lead to our down fall. Trials, pain and frustrations are part of this mortal life and are something everyone must handle. Fortunately, if we let him, the Lord uses these struggles to teach us to become more like him. Through his atonement we can hand ourselves over to Him and receive His strength.

“He [Christ] is our shield. . . . It is by Him that we remain unto this day; and by Him we shall remain, if it shall be for our glory; and in His Almighty name we are determined to endure tribulation as good soldiers unto the end.” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith)

I often here the phrase, “Why me?” uttered in times of hardships and I have always wondered to myself when I hear that, “Why not me? Why should I be the exception?” Though easier said than done, we must accept the trials we have been given and open our hearts to whatever it is that the Lord wants us to learn. Through listening to the promptings of the spirit we can be strengthened by the Lord to know what we need to do to become what He has in mind.

 In Psalms 138:3 it says, “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” Time and time again this has happened in my life. Then, again in Psalms 18:32, it reads “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”

If we give our lives to Christ we will be strengthened, fortified and will become even greater tools in His hands to further His work. But, how do we go about giving our lives to Christ?

Harold B. Lee said, “The enemies of your own human ‘fortress’ are both physical and spiritual… They may include an unexpected sorrow, a family disgrace, a shock in your finances, the [disloyalty] of a supposed friend, or a secret sin against the laws of God.” When such things happen in our lives, we require “an additional supply from spiritual sources. … And so I beg of you … to live each day so that you might receive from the fountain of light [the] nourishment and strength sufficient to every day’s need. Take time to be holy each day of your lives.” (Decisions for Successful Living (1973))

Taking time to be holy really means investing your time and your heart into the little things. We must have daily scripture study and prayer to continue growing. We should be attending our church meetings, having and going to FHE, doing our home and visiting teaching and doing all that we can to keep the spirit with us and draw closer to the Savior throughout our day.

As C.S. Lewis so eloquently stated, “Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him.” (Mere Christianity, p. 226)

We must turn to Christ. Doing so will bring blessings and strength that we cannot comprehend. It is a long process but I shall never forget that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Elisabeth

I'm Trying to Be like Jesus

Jesus is the perfect example. I have learned a lot from the chorus of the song "I am trying to be like Jesus."

"Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought for these are the things Jesus taught."

We are to love one another as Jesus loves others. This means that He sees the best in everyone and cares for them and wants the best for them. "The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service." (M. Russell Ballard "Finding Joy through Loving Service" General Conference April 2011). When we truly love someone it is easier to serve them and it becomes easier to keep the commandments. However, sometimes we need to start in reverse, which is that we need to serve them which will help us learn to love them.

The song also talks about our thoughts. I think one of the trials in this life is learning to control your thoughts. When we control our thoughts we control our bodies which control our actions. Our thoughts are the roots of who we are.

As we learn to love other people more we can see their true worth. We can see them in the light that Heavenly Father sees them. In 2 Nephi 26 :30 we are reminded that "the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they have nothing." "God is love" (1 John 4:8), so if we learn to love as he does we can develop the qualities he possesses. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin has said, "Love is the very essence of the gospel of Christ." (General Conference Report Oct 1997).

I know that as we actively seek to develop the virtue of charity we become better people and draw closer to Christ so we can become as He is.

Spiritual Strength through cleansing our lives

First off, it was never my plan to use such a pretentious moniker as you see I'm posting with; however, since our beloved capitán gave me credit for coining our group name, I feel it's only appropriate that I stick with the nickname he created for me...

Anyways, on the topic of spiritual strength, the first thing that came to my mind was one of my favorite quotes by the prophet Joseph Smith: "If I were in the deepest coal-pit of Nova Scotia, and had the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I would not be discouraged, and I would come out on top!"

This quote demonstrates all kinds of strength to me and the ability to, as Winston Churchill put it, “never, never, never, give up.” If we are going to reach any destination, spiritual or not, this is an important strength.

I just want to interject a quick and personal side note. This five minute fireside activity has already proved quite beneficial and quite a bit more enjoyable than I anticipated. Thoughts started popping into my head the moment I started reading the assignment for this week's post. Right as I learned it was intended that we include one quote from Joseph Smith, the previous quote I posted popped right into my head. When I learned we needed another quote from a deceased, modern-day prophet, the story I'm going to share in a moment from President Hinckley about being clean popped into my head. The only thing that didn't pop into my head instantly was an O.T. Scripture, probably because I'm the least familiar with that book of scripture. However, once I got the spiritual wheels turning in my head and dove into my morning study to contribute to this blog, I went back to find an O.T. Scripture and the thought “Joshua, Chapter 1, verses 8 and 9” immediately popped into my head. Anyways, that was quite surprising because I had no idea what these scriptures said, so I rushed to look them up and I was quite please to find that they mesh in perfectly with this topic.

Joshua 1:9 - “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the ^aLord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

We are commanded to be strong, and obey the Lord's law, and in verse 8 we are promised the blessings for our spiritual strength and obedience: “for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Finally, if there is any story, or theme that could tie in perfectly with the topic of spiritual strength, it would be the following story given by Gordon B. Hinckley in the April 2007 Priesthood Session of General Conference. It is a long excerpt, but I wouldn't have posted it if it wasn't worth the read. It gives a stunning example of the power gained in one's life from spiritual strength, and how such spiritual strength is achieved. And as a side note, I'm sad that I'm only able to post the text from his talk because most of the power was felt in hearing this story from his own lips. It was a very powerful talk, but I've never been able to track down a version of it in video...

The following is a story from the life of Joseph F. Smith, in his own words, quoted by President Hinckley:

“I was very much oppressed [when I was] on a mission. I was almost naked and entirely friendless, except [for] the friendship of a poor, benighted … people. I felt as if I was so debased in my condition of poverty, lack of intelligence and knowledge, just a boy, that I hardly dared look a … man in the face.

“While in that condition I dreamed [one night] that I was on a journey, and I was impressed that I ought to hurry—hurry with all my might, for fear I might be too late. I rushed on my way as fast as I possibly could, and I was only conscious of having just a little bundle, a handkerchief with a small bundle wrapped in it. I did not realize … what it was, when I was hurrying as fast as I could; but finally I came to a wonderful mansion. … I thought I knew that was my destination. As I passed towards it, as fast as I could, I saw a notice [which read B-A-T-H], ‘Bath.’ I turned aside quickly and went into the bath and washed myself clean. I opened up this little bundle that I had, and there was [some] white, clean [clothing], a thing I had not seen for a long time, because the people I was with did not think very much of making things exceedingly clean. But my [clothing was] clean, and I put [it] on. Then I rushed to what appeared to be a great opening, or door. I knocked and the door opened, and the man who stood there was the Prophet Joseph Smith. He looked at me a little reprovingly, and the first words he said: ‘Joseph, you are late.’ Yet I took confidence and [replied]:

“‘Yes, but I am clean—I am clean!’

“He clasped my hand and drew me in, then closed the great door. I felt his hand just as tangible as I ever felt the hand of man. I knew him, and when I entered I saw my father, and Brigham [Young] and Heber [C. Kimball], and Willard [Richards], and other good men that I had known, standing in a row. I looked as if it were across this valley, and it seemed to be filled with a vast multitude of people, but on the stage were all the people that I had known. My mother was there, and she sat with a child in her lap; and I could name over as many as I remember of their names, who sat there, who seemed to be among the chosen, among the exalted. …

“[When I had this dream,] I was alone on a mat, away up in the mountains of Hawaii—no one was with me. But in this vision I pressed my hand up against the Prophet, and I saw a smile cross his countenance. …

“When I awoke that morning I was a man, although only [still] a boy. There was not anything in the world that I feared [after that]. I could meet any man or woman or child and look them in the face, feeling in my soul that I was a man every whit. That vision, that manifestation and witness that I enjoyed at that time has made me what I am, if I am anything that is good, or clean, or upright before the Lord, if there is anything good in me. That has helped me out in every trial and through every difficulty” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 542–43).”

May we each do our best to be clean and obtain spiritual strength in our own lives.

Michael