Free Forever, to Act for Themselves

This week we will be studying from Free Forever, to Act for Themselves

by Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

Here are 3 quotes I loved from this talk

Happiness by Elder Paul Roberts- my missionary

So Mondays have become my favorite day of the week. Ever since Dec 11, 2013 when we dropped my son Paul off in the Missionary Training center to go to Mexico to serve and love the people there.

Here are pictures of that day

 

Provo Temple across the street from the Missionary training center. Paul is in the middle

So what does this have to do with my change in feelings about Mondays, that is the day that I get to hear from my missionary. It is the only contact I have with him for 2 years except for a phone call/skype call on Mothers day and Christmas (now you know the Christmas present I am really looking forward to this year as well :) 

I wanted to share with you my favorite messages from the last year

1. http://elderroberts1213to1215.blogspot.com/2014/10/happiness-is-purpose-of-this-life.html

"I have felt God's love, I have felt God's happiness and comfort for me in really hard times. I have felt the Lord's love for others and I am coming to finally understand that happiness is only gained through Jesus Christ. Christ is our way to being happy and I know that now. I cannot fight against the nature of God (Nature of Happiness) and expect to be happy. I know that I and my investigators can only be as happy as we are willing to let ourselves be, and that is by letting Christ show us how it's done and then doing it His way."

2. http://elderroberts1213to1215.blogspot.com/2014/09/remember-worth-of-souls-is-great-in.html

"we taught a lesson to a guy who has recently had a TON of family problems, and he's pretty angry at God right now. He wants to know how, if God really loved him, He could let all this happen. We started talking to him about how trials are for our ultimate benefit, if we can just learn from them, and finally to finish up because honestly we weren't making a lot of headway with this guy, we just shared a simple scripture, that is now one of my favorites. DC 18:10-11. He read the first verse through super fast just to get this lesson over with, then he finished it and his eyes got really big and he read it again under his breath, and then he started to cry. The Spirit was so strong as this man realized in one simple, easy verse he is worth something, God did care. The feeling was so humbling and so comforting.

DC 18:10 - Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

It's one sentence that sums up our purpose both as children of God and as missionaries. I was so humbled as not only this man got the answer he needed, but I also got a reminder from my Heavenly Father why I'm here"

3. http://elderroberts1213to1215.blogspot.com/2014/08/how-to-be-happy-serving-lord.html

"The biggest lesson I learned in this past transfer though was how to love my mission. After lessons with people that "are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" - you love your mission. When you see people opening up, and deciding to finally make steps towards God - you love your mission. When you find people that are just doing the best they can with what they have been given and you can help them along - you love your mission. When you speak in Spanish for an hour and a half like its no big deal - you love your mission. When you learn how to really teach the gospel in a way that is personal and is the only way to bring them to Christ - you love your mission. When you put in everything, EVERYTHING you can the Lord makes up the rest - and you love your mission.

I'm so glad I had the past transfer in an area that was, for the most part, closed off to the restored gospel. It helped me to dig in and find out how to be a better instrument every day in my Savior's hands."

Family's can be happy when based on unselfishness

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/vatican2014?cid=HPMO111714483


President Henry B. Eyring joined other faith leaders this morning at the
Vatican adding his witness of traditional marriage. Watch his full
address here:

This was my favorite quote because I am an eyewitness too. Family breakups cause pain and suffering.

"I am an eyewitness of the power of the union of a man and a woman in
marriage to produce happiness for each other and for their family. The
evidence I offer is personal, yet I trust my recital may trigger in your
memories what you have seen that would point to a general truth beyond
the experience of one couple and one family." Pres. Eyring

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

"Why I Believe" - Nicole Sheahan

Christmas Videos for our family
The pictures in this are amazing and I love the Saviors eyes. The music really touched my heart!

Highlight: Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth

"Your personal testimony of light and truth will not only bless you and your posterity here in mortality, but it will also accompany you throughout all eternity."

Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"It was less than a century ago that most astronomers assumed that our Milky Way galaxy was the only galaxy in the universe. They supposed all that lay beyond our galaxy was an immense nothingness, an infinite void—empty, cold, and devoid of stars, light, and life."

"Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime. Your testimony of the living Son of God and His restored Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, may not come as quickly as you desire, but I promise you this: if you do your part, it will come. And it will be glorious."

Here is my testimony:

I have learned for my self that this is God's church. I have learned through my own experience that God is good and very personally involved with our lives. He wants to bless us and give us all that He has. He wants us to be happy.

In working as a pediatric nurse for the last 20 years I have been involved in the loss of many children. Each time this tragedy happens I am forced to look again at my faith and hope in God. When a child dies it is unfair, it is a huge loss, the sorrow is so great for the family and any who love that family or that child. After a particularly hard loss my son asked me "How can you believe in a God who lets children die?" This is a question you have to address each time death happens it never gets easier but my answer to Him and to me is "How can you not?" All that is left if you don't believe in God and His goodness is never ending pain and sorrow. Hope is all there is to hang on to.

Two messages of hope have been a great comfort to me. One is  “All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” this was shared in our recent annual women's meeting. I loved this because I know that there are things in this mortal life that are just not fair.
My children say "That's not fair" all the time.  I have loved the comfort and hope that comes from telling them just because it is unfair now doesn't mean it always will be.

The second message that brings me comfort is that this is the second act of a 3 act play. Before we came to earth we lived in heaven and some of our choices there influence where we are born here. And any good writer knows that the second act is where the conflict and climax are.  All that is tragedy and sorrow happen in the second act. In a good play and in life we have to wait for the 3rd act to find the resolution to problems and the scales to be balanced. We just can't see the end but that doesn't mean that God doesn't.

I am a living witness of the very personal and sure love of God for His children. He has given me very personal and unique answers to my prayers.

I love the Temple and know it is the house of God on the earth today. I can feel His love and know His will when I am there.

I love the guidance and direction of the commandments they really keep us safe and I have loved having a sure guide to raising my children in this world that grows ever more wicked each day. I love the scriptures and try to immerse myself in them every day, just as I need to eat daily. I need to learn the word of God found in the scriptures daily.

One by One

Fresh Crab and French Bread  By Garnee Faulkner
 Make sure you bring tissues for this one! Story of how the Lord knows us very personally and ministers to us individually.

Sister Burton: Use Resources to Improve Learning and Teaching

Contributed By Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president

Ministering one by one is what the Savior did and what we can do as we seek to be more like Him in our loving service to others. We know that like the young widow whom the Lord noticed as she gave her precious mite, our loving ministry in helping others will not go unnoticed by the Lord.

This is His work, and we are told in the scriptures that when we do His work in His way, He will be with us on our right hand and on our left and will send angels to bear us up (see D&C 84:88).

May we count it a privilege to improve our efforts to learn, teach, live, and minister in the Savior’s way. As we do so, the Lord will surely bless our efforts.