Readings Sept 28-Oct 9 (Gen Conf week)

I am going to post really quickly and hope that it publishes before my computer wacks out again. Sorry for the lack of entries - I blame it all on the computer - it certainly couldn't be the user :).

"In Mine Own Way"
Reading assignment: Doctrine and Covenants 38:30; 42:30–31, 42; 58:26–28; 104:13–18; Our Heritage,pages 108–9, 111–14.

2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 D&C 56:17 D&C 58:27 D&C 42:42 D&C 88:124

Readings Sept 21 - 25

"We Thank Thee O God, for a Prophet"

Doctrine and Covenants 21; 43:1–7; Articles of Faith 1:9; Our Heritage,page 131.

Mosiah 8:13–18 D&C 21:1–5 Mosiah 13:33 D&C 43:2–3 D&C 1:38

D&C 68:3–4 D&C 20:21–26 D&C 107:91–92

Work, work, work

The Desert did bloom as a rose. You know why? Work, work and work and then some more work. There was really no other option at the time the Saints came to Utah and before. If you wanted something, you found a way to do it and then you worked and worked and worked and you had patience with the process.

My brothers and sister and I will not hesitate to tell you that one of the most valuable things we learned from our parents is how to work. The kind of books my parents bought were how-to books. They read about how to do something and then did it and did it well. We joke with them about making my brothers dig holes in the backyard when there was no other work to be done, just so they could work! I of couse see more value in work now than I did when I was younger.

I have thought a lot about that more recently because Mark and I are trying to teach our kids the importance and value of work. I am not a believer in waiting for the proper age for a child to work. They are human, therefore they work. Now, I'm not running a sweat shop or employing child slavery or anything. I "help" them with most any job they do as they need, but because I do this, I'm discovering that teaching kids to work is a lot of work! But I know it's well worth it, so I will keep showing them which spots to wipe on the toilet and where the spots are on the kitchen floor and what exactly having a clean room means.

Pioneer children did not have any other option. They contributed to the family and household well-being. End of story. Because they worked hard, they prospered and produced and learned and had purpose and confidence. Like President Hinckley said (paraphrase): work will get you through a lot of things (speaking of his situation after Marjorie's death).

Thanks to all founders of nations and civilizations and cities and communities for all their work that we now benefit from.

Readings Sept 14-18

The readings this week are from Our Heritage, with a few additional scriptures. "The Desert Shall Rejoice and Blossom as the Rose."

Our Heritage pg. 81-96
DC 34:64
DC 93:1
DC 89: 18-21
DC 130:19-21

Helping hands

While reading the assignment this week, I was overwhelmed with not so much "proclaiming the gospel" but "perfecting the saints." One of the questions from the student pamphlet is: "What are some specific things that you can do today to rescue someone in need?" Then the assigned scriptures listed many, many characteristics that would help in rescuing people.

It seems to be that in my life right now there are many people who sort of missed the boat where gospel doctrine is concerned. That is, they went to church like they were supposed to and participated in what they were supposed to, but were never really taught the doctrines behind what, why and how we do what we do. This has led to a breakdown in faith and testimony. So, as I read the scriptures this week, I thought about them. I also thought about people that I have difficulties with at times. Here are attributes that will help me rescue them and me in the process:

Faith, hope, charity, love (notice charity and love are listed as seperate things), virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, humility, diligence, suffers long, envieth not, kind, not puffed up, seeketh not her own, seeketh not her own, thinketh no evil, rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endures all things.

I don't think all of these things come at once, or that we have to have them all at once in order to rescue someone in need. I do think though, that it is some or all of these things come (whether at once or a few at a time) by understanding the workings, communications, and purposes of the Holy Spirit. So, my answer to the question, what can we do to rescue someone in need is: practice asking for, listening to and acting on the communications of the Holy Spirit. If we can do this we are more likely to be at least some of the list above, or whatever is needed for a certain situation. Then as we become familiar with how it feels to act on prompting and having confidence in the directions of the Holy Ghost and ourselves, our understanding of charity widens and our desire to have it strengthens

5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

Readings Sept 8-11

"A Mission of Saving"

Tues, Sept 8: DC 4:4-7; 18:10-16
Wed, Sept 9: DC 52:40; 81:5-6; Moroni 7:45-48
Thurs, Sept 10: Our Heritage 77-80

Every footstep

We went on a hike yesterday. It was not a very difficult hike, but one of my boys tends to complain about hiking, especially if it was not his idea. So, we listened to complaining most of the way. At one point I said, "how would you have walked across the plains if you were a pioneer walking to the Salt Lake Valley." He said, "it would hurt a lot." Then we talked about finding treasures at the end of our journeys and trying to enjoy the journey along the way. The concept didn't sind in. Not yet anyway.

The phrase "faith in every footstep" is rather descriptive of how the pioneers operated. They literally must have had to think of the Savior and their plan in every footstep they took.

If there were joyful, they thought of the Savior:
28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

If they were having a tough time they were to think of the Lord:
29 If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.

To say that we should be the same way, is easier said than done. I'm sure the pioneer Saints had a hard time staying focused, but then their whole goal was to be a religious group that would not be bothered by others. Their purpose was religion. What is our purpose? Our religion is already well established and far-reaching. Is it harder for us to keep our religion as a focal point because developing a religion is not our focus? Maintaining our religion though can take just as much "faith in every footstep" because it takes constant self-monitoring and motivation. Maybe the different between the early Saints and us is their purpose was given to them as a body of saints, where our purpose is given to us too, but there are so many other diversions, distractions and paths to put our footsteps on, that our purpose are more individualized? Maybe. Whatever path or purpose this passage applies to all:
31 My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.
32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;
33 For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.