Thoughts for Today

I have been reading this morning as I walk on the treadmill and a few things I have read really struck me. First I was reading the Priesthood and Relief Society lesson for this Sunday.  I like these thoughts from President Ezra Taft Benson: "We have no cause to really worry. Live the gospel, keep the commandments. Attend to your prayers night and morning in your home. Maintain the standards of the Church. Try and live calmly and cheerfully. . . . Happiness must be earned from day to day. But it is worth the effort." and "Be cheerful in all that you do. Live joyfully. Live happily. Live enthusiastically, knowing that God does not dwell in gloom and melancholy, but in light and love.". He closed the lesson with this testimony, "We will never be alone if we live as we should, because our Father will always be with us to bless us. He wants us to be successful. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to achieve the good goals we set. He will do His part if we do our part."

Then I thought of our Southern Alberta winds when I read this thought from Elder Holland.  "Be true and faithful. Live your religion. Stand straight and be firm—and if there’s a little wind blowing, just put your face into the wind and go forward. And when you can’t go forward, just stand. Just plant your feet and stand immovable for a while if that’s all you can do. Be faithful and be true and love the Lord, because He loves you." Standing steadfast and immovable in the wind. What a great visual.

Some wonderful thoughts to think about during the day.

Our Personal Lifesaver

Our Personal Lifesaver

In the New Testament during the Savior's life on the earth, he and his disciples were on a boat. The Savior was tired and went to sleep but while he was sleeping a terrible storm came up and the disciples became afraid. They woke the Savior saying, “carest thou not that we perish?” The Savior gently asked, “Where is your faith?” and then calmed the seas.

We are often thrown about in life's stormy seas and there are times when we call out “carest thou not that I perish?” The Savior is always there if we just show faith. He is our “lifesaver” in the storms of life. He throws out the lifesaving device of the atonement to help us overcome the stormy seas and we need to grab a hold of His lifesaving device. He offers to buoy us up, strengthen and help us and He has made resurrection and eternal life possible all through the atonement.

There was a certain man whose son was very sick to whom the Savior said that all things are possible if you just believe. He cried out “Lord, help my unbelief.” When those stormy seas come and our faith begins to falter we can also reach out to the Savior begging for help with our belief and faith. Then we can hold on to the lifesaving blessings of the atonement. It is only through the Savior and his atoning sacrifice that we will be able weather the storms of life. The Savior in every sense of the word is our “lifesaver.”

I saw this on the wall in the resource room at the Relief Society building on Temple Square. It really impressed me because I feel that with September coming it is time to reorganize my life and adjust my priorities. This is a guide that helps me to know where to start. The ideas are from Sister Julie B. Beck, former General Relief Society President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

 In the Book of Mormon in Alma chapter 5 Alma is speaking to members of the church in Zarahemla. He says:

19 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?

21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. 

22 And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you?

27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

After reading these verses and picture came to my mind:

 Imagine yourself in the temple. You are sitting, waiting to go into the Celestial room where you will have the opportunity to meet the Savior, Jesus Christ. You have dressed in the most beautiful white dress possible and have dressed very carefully for this special time. As you are waiting you look down lovingly at your dress and find to your horror that it has somehow been soiled with big spots of mud. You desperately try to rub the mud off but it only gets ground deeper into the fibers of the dress and all your actions seem to make the mud spots worse. Tears sting your eyes and you want to run and hide. You don’t want them to call your name when it is your turn to meet the Savior.

Your name is called and slowly, reluctantly, and shamefully you enter the room. The tears are freely flowing down your face and your eyes are downcast. You can’t bring yourself to look into the eyes of the Savior. Gently and lovingly the Savior lifts your chin and kindly looks into your eyes. His hand softly touches the soiled places on your dress and where the mud spots used to be a brilliant white fabric is seen. Your dress has “ been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ.”

The atonement of Jesus Christ gives us the chance to repent of those things that we do wrong so that we can stand blameless before God with a pure heart and clean hands. 

Have you ever been sitting in a conference and it was like the speaker was talking directly to you? That happened to me today. We were at Stake Conference but part of the conference was a broadcast from Salt Lake. President Boyd K. Packer was the last speaker. Right at the end of his talk he said something that was kind of like an after thought, but it was just for me. He said that if you were worrying about this or that remember that if you have faith, the Lord will let you know what to do and that you will know what to say in the very hour that you need it. He also said that the Lord will help and bless us. Those words were so amazing because for the last few days I have struggled with my calling as a Relief Society President. I have felt like I am just not able to do all that is required of a Relief Society President. There are times that I am afraid of not knowing what to say or I am afraid of saying the wrong thing. Then the challenges of being a wife and mother and still having time to take care of over 100 women is so daunting. What President Packer said this morning is exactly what I needed. It is wonderful that the Lord sends these "tender mercies" to us just in the hour that we need them most.