Mourn with those that mourn

I have seen this first hand in my family as well as in my extended family. More particularly what Henry B. Eyring said in the second paragraph. It's a miracle, an absolute miracle, the way The Lord lifts our burdens in ever literal sense of the word. Tasks that seem impossible during that time of morning seem doable and easy. People offer up help, things seem to fall into place, impossible tasks seem to have already worked themselves out and so on. Maybe that's why we are commanded to, "mourn with those that mourn...and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." 

It just shows me that the Lord is mindful of us and is merciful to us. It reminds me that he knows how we feel because of that one lonely night in the Garden of Gethsemane. What would this World do without Him? 

"Recently three generations of a family were grieving at the death of a five-year-old boy. He died accidentally while with his family on a vacation. I was granted the opportunity to watch once again how the Lord blesses the faithful with relief and the strength to endure.

I watched the way the Lord made their great burden lighter. I was with them as the Lord’s covenant servant--as you will be often in your life--“to mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”

Henry B. Eyring, The Comforter

April 2015

A busy life a badge of honor???

I LOVE this. While it is important to remain productive...with anything I believe our "badge of honor" needs to be in moderation. I love how the Spirit can speak to each of us and we can honestly ask ourselves and then honestly KNOW for ourselves how we fit into the below statement by President Uchtdorf:

"Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.

Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.

I can’t see it."

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The Great Day of The Lord

I think this video was well done. President Ezra Taft Benson is such a great speaker and there is no better topic then the Great Day of The Lord.

http://youtu.be/7dwe_hHX-sQ

How many times does the Book of Mormon mention Christ?

These statistics were performed by Susan Ward Easton in 1978. This article is found in the July 1978 Ensign:

Here is the link:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/07/discovery/names-of-christ-in-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng  

Table 1 Average Number of References to Christ’s Name Per Verse of the Book of Mormon

Books	References to Christ	Number of verses per book	Average number of verses per mention of Christ’s name
First Nephi	474	618	1.303
Second Nephi	591	779	1.318
Jacob	156	203	1.301
Enos	22	27	1.227
Jarom	8	15	1.875
Omni	20	30	1.500
Words of Mormon	15	18	1.200
Mosiah	492	785	1.596
Alma	1,012	1,975	1.950
Helaman	225	497	2.209
Third Nephi	293	788	2.689
Fourth Nephi	42	49	1.167
Mormon	188	227	1.207
Ether	220	433	1.968
Moroni	166	163	1.018
TOTAL	3,925	6,607

Gratitude and Contentment

David Bednar Oct 2013: 

"A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment..."

The Windows of Heaven

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-windows-of-heaven?lang=eng

Believe

"As we truly humble ourselves, we will be blessed with this gift to have faith and to hope for things which are not seen but are true (see Alma 32:21). As we experiment upon the words given to us by the scriptures and the living prophets--even if we only have a desire to believe--and do not resist the Spirit of the Lord, our souls will be enlarged and our understanding will be enlightened (see Alma 32:26–28)."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

The Fruits of the First Vision

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/the-fruits-of-the-first-vision?lang=eng

Morality

"...moral issues of our day must be addressed in the family."

Can Ye Feel So Now?

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/can-ye-feel-so-now?lang=eng

Overcoming the plague of Pornography

I really like how this video portrays and illustrates pornography as the plague of our day. Pornography is destroying our society in a very discrete way. It sneaks up on our families like a theif in the night and by the time people realize they have lost their family it's too late. Pornography is the root of numerous problems in today's society. 

http://youtu.be/iXXQpTgSSD8 

We've been exhorted by an Apostle of The Lord

We've been exhorted by an Apostle of The Lord Jesus Christ to increase our efforts to share the Gospel message through social media:

Elder Bednar said:

"What has been accomplished thus far in this dispensation communicating gospel messages through social media channels is a good beginning—but only a small trickle. I now extend to you the invitation to help transform the trickle into a flood. Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth—messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy—and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood."

Read the full address at the link below.

https://www.lds.org/church/share/goodness?cid=social_20140819_30064956&lang=eng

What kind of servant am I? What kind of servant are you?

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

D&C 58:26-27
http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/58?lang=eng

I love how there are two parts to this; anxiously and engaged:

Anxiously-I think of a child on Christmas morning. Are we as anxious as a child on Christmas morning to fulfill our callings and Gospel obligations?

Engaged-I think of an employee just going through the motions at work half-heartedly, only doing the bare minimum to just get by. Are we being the spiritual "go-getters" that some of us are in our jobs? If we are working harder and are more engaged with our work responsibilities than we are with our Gospel responsibilities, we have room for improvement.

Anti-Church material

Take note about the "parallel" he uses. I never thought of it like that before!

http://youtu.be/JSUvFTQu5nY

Priesthood Line of Authority

So my awesome brother found out that it is REALLY easy to have the Church send you your own Priesthood line of authority. I just think it is really cool that we can link our Priesthood back to the Savior.

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

PRIESTHOOD LINE OF AUTHORITY

13 August 2014

 

Nischan, Jordan Carl                                                                                              Superstition Springs Ward (78999)

Record number:                                                                                         Mesa Arizona Kimball East Stake (519928)

Current priesthood office: Elder                                                                                                                               (403)

 

PRIESTHOOD LINE OF AUTHORITY

 

Melchizedek Priesthood Conferral and Ordination to the Office of Elder 3 Feb 2002

 

Ordained By                                                                  Office Held                                                     Date Ordained

      Birth Date Displayed if Deceased

 

Carl Emmett Nischan                                                     High Priest                                                        26 Jul 1987

Robert Truman Tryon                                                   High Priest                                                        7 Apr 1961

19 May 1918

Sterling Welling Sill                                                       High Priest                                                        10 May 1931

31 Mar 1903

Henry Hooper Blood                                                     High Priest                                                         25 Mar 1906

1 Oct 1872

Hyrum Mack Smith                                                        Apostle                                                              24 Oct 1901

21 Mar 1872

Joseph Fielding Smith                                                   Apostle                                                              1 Jul 1866

13 Nov 1838

Brigham Young                                                               Apostle                                                             14 Feb 1835

1 Jun 1801

The Three Witnesses                                                     Called by revelation and set apart               14 Feb 1835

                                                                                            by the First Presidency to choose

                                                                                            and ordain the Twelve Apostles

Oliver Cowdery

David Whitmer

Martin Harris

Joseph Smith, Jr                                                           Apostle                                                                  1829

23 Dec 1805

Peter, James, and John Apostle

Who were ordained Apostles by the

Savior during His earthly ministry

TRACING PRIESTHOOD LINE OF AUTHORITY

Priesthood lines of authority are determined by the Melchizedek Priesthood office (elder, seventy, high priest, or

apostle) the officiator held at the time he performed the ordination.