He Gave Us Our Riches

Samuel the Lamanite is preaching to the Nephites, and tells them that one day soon they will say: "O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches. . ." (Helaman 13:33)

Our riches come from the Lord.  He gives them to us as both a blessing and a test.  He blesses us for our obedience, and He tests us to see if we will stay faithful to Him even though our lives are comfortable.  But we must remember Him who gave us those riches, and use them to bless others and to do good, not for our own selfish desires.

Sometimes we are fond of saying that this scripture doesn't apply to us because we aren't rich.  But we are!  We are SO rich!  We have enough to eat.  We have homes with electricity and heat and air conditioning and comfortable furniture.  We have cars to get us where we want to go.  We have dear families who love us.  And we have the Gospel which blesses our lives in ways we rarely begin to imagine!  It's so easy to forget all of that and to pine for newer cars or bigger houses or more toys.

Counting our blessings is one way of remembering the Lord.  We need to remember to LOOK for the blessings, to notice not only the material ones, but the spiritual ones.  We all have so many riches!

He Loves Us

I'm currently reading in Daniel in the Old Testament.  I loved this quote that the angel Gabriel said to Daniel:  ". . . for thou art greatly beloved".

Daniel was pleading with the Lord for an understanding of the prophecy that said for 70 years would the Israelites be in captivity.  The Lord sent Gabriel to answer the prayer, and in the process, in Daniel 9:23, the Lord affirmed His love for Daniel.

I don't think this love is reserved for prophets and great leaders.  I believe that each of us is loved more than we ever realize.  In a recent meeting in our stake, a brother related of a time he was playing with his toddler son, making him laugh, and he thought to the child, "You have no idea how much I love you".  The thought came clearly to his mind, "You have no idea how much I love YOU"

I have had a sweet experience in the temple when I was praying earnestly for the Lord's counsel, pleading for it, and the feeling washed strongly over me of the Lord's love for me.  I felt greatly beloved.  I think we all can (and should) feel that love that He has for us.

Faith in Jesus Christ

Can I count the Relief Society/Priesthood manual as a book of scripture?  I'm substituting for Carma on Sunday in teaching a lesson on Faith.  Just wanted to jot down some thoughts and ideas that have come to me as I've studied.

1. True or False:  The first principle of the Gospel is Faith.   False - The first principle of the Gospel is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not faith in the rising of the sun, or that planted seeds will grow.  It's great to teach little kids these things to help them learn what faith is, but those examples of faith don't constitute a principle of the Gospel.  
2. Where do we get faith?  Is it something we do?  A:  Faith is not that easy to define.  It is a spiritual gift from God given as a blessing for our obedience to His laws.  It is a principle of power and action.  The scriptural examples in the lesson show times when actions were performed because of faith, or miracles were performed using the power of faith.  In Lectures on Faith by Joseph Smith, he teaches that faith is the power whereby worlds were created.  This is not an easy principle to understand.
3. Where do we put our faith?  What do we do with it?   A:  Our faith must be in the Lord Jesus Christ.  As we have faith in Him, we also have faith in the Father.  We must have such trust in Them that we will do whatever They command.  Sounds easy, but it isn't.  The reward is forgiveness of our sins and being prepared (by Him) to return to Them.  Our faith in Them gives faith that the Holy Ghost will teach us all truth and comfort us.
4. Through faith in the Savior and through repentance, we make His Atonement fully effective in our lives. Through faith we can also receive strength to overcome temptations.  Think about these two blessings!  These are not like a cereal box prize.  These are like a trip to Hawaii prize.  Like an Extreme Home Makeover.  Like winning the lottery.  To be able to overcome temptations, and make the Atonement FULLY EFFECTIVE in my life!
5.  How can we increase our faith in Jesus Christ?  A:  Just as we would develop any other skill.  We have a desire to increase faith.  We study and learn.  We practice and act on promptings.  We do all we can to bring about the things we pray for.
6. What are some blessings that follow faith?  A:  Through the gift of faith, miracles are wrought, angels appear, other gifts of the Spirit are given, prayers are answered, and men become the sons of God (see Moroni 7:25–26, 36–37).  Also, Joseph Smith taught:   … And he who possesses it will, through it, obtain all necessary knowledge and wisdom, until he shall know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has sent—whom to know is eternal life” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 83).

What beautiful blessings!  What a beautiful principle to learn more and more about!

Am I a Watchman?

Ezekiel 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Ezekiel warns us that we are responsible to our neighbors and those we have stewardship over, to teach and help and instruct and warn them.  My mother used to quote a general authority as saying:  "We will be held responsible for those we might have saved, had we done our duty."

If I am a lazy visiting teacher or neighbor or classroom teacher and fail to teach and lead and encourage and testify, I will be held responsible for their sins.  It's a sobering thought.

Give Me a New Spirit

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.


I seem to be seeing my sins more clearly lately.  This is probably a good thing, and certainly a requisite to repentance, but it's very uncomfortable and discouraging.

However this scripture in Ezekiel jumped out at me.  I want a new spirit.  I want Him to take my stony heart away and to give me a heart of flesh.

I want to walk in His statutes and to keep His ordinances and do them.  I want to be one of His people and to have Him be my God.  I pray for that.