Mormon Life - Gratitude tag

{Poll} The Wedding Thank-you

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:02:00 -0600

by Kaela Worthen
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Having recently gotten married, I'm now facing the daunting task of sending thank-you cards. What rules do you think are most important when sending cards?

It's a given that thank-you cards should be sent when people come to your wedding and give you gifts. But the exact manner in which this should be done seems cluttered by a lot of rules and sometimes debate. I've seen some that are monogrammed in sealed envelopes and others that are just postcards, some with photos and some not. Some mention the gift (and some mention the wrong gift), and some add a personal note while others are more formulaic. What's okay and what's not? You tell me.

Young Women Lesson 19: Personal Records

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:04:00 -0600

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children?" -Henry B. Eyring

Discussion Questions

• What blessings from the Lord could we record in our journals? How can recording these blessings remind us of the Lord’s love for us?

• Who else might be blessed when we keep personal records? How?

Excerpt from "O Remember, Remember" by President Henry B. Eyring, October 2007 General Conference:

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done. You remember that song we sometimes sing: “Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” 2

It won’t be easy to remember. Living as we do with a veil over our eyes, we cannot remember what it was like to be with our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in the premortal world; nor can we see with our physical eyes or with reason alone the hand of God in our lives. Seeing such things takes the Holy Ghost. And it is not easy to be worthy of the Holy Ghost’s companionship in a wicked world.

That is why forgetting God has been such a persistent problem among His children since the world began. Think of the times of Moses, when God provided manna and in miraculous and visible ways led and protected His children. Still, the prophet warned the people who had been so blessed, as prophets always have warned and always will: “Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.”

To read the full talk, click here.

Young Men Lesson 17: Personal Journals

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:03:00 -0600

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "'O remember, remember,' Book of Mormon prophets often implored. My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness." -Henry B. Eyring

Discussion Questions

• In what ways does keeping a journal show love for your posterity? (see 2 Nephi 25:26).

• What would you want your posterity to know about you from your journal?

Excerpt from "O Remember, Remember" by President Henry B. Eyring, October 2007 General Conference:

When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”

I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

To read the full talk, click here.

Friday Minute: Gratitude after the fire

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:48:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

When fire destroyed their Arizona home just weeks before Thanksgiving, gratitude was not Russ and Bekki Webb’s first emotion.

The date was Nov. 9, 2011.

The Webbs and their four young children were out of town, serving others. That decision saved their lives.

Elder Hales Talks about Gratitude

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:43:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

Studies show the benefits of being grateful

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:56:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Grateful people are better rested, are more active, and have better marriages - count me in! Buttery stuffing. Oozing gravy. Creamy mashed potatoes. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner is not for the health- or calorie-conscious. And that's before the pie.

But experts are saying that the sentiment behind our American day of feasting might actually have important benefits to health and wellness. Gratitude, apparently, can make even the most holiday-phobic among us happier, kinder, and less likely to dump cranberry sauce on our siblings' heads.

In time for the season, the New York Times reported some of the benefits of gratitude on minds and bodies based on a number of different studies. The results are impressive.

{LDSL Blog} Our "Thankful" List

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:03:00 -0700

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Just a quick list we're sharing with you of the things for which we're grateful during this Thanksgiving season.

After an eventful year, LDS Living is feeling really grateful – and that's a contagious emotion. So we're sharing our thankful list with you:

Erin Hallstrom, Associate Publisher: After dealing with an unexpected medical diagnosis this year, I can unequivocally say I am grateful for good health and a strong body. Our bodies are resilient and can do really hard things. For that (among many other things) I am thankful.

SarahJo Ciotti, Intern: I’m thankful for social media that makes the distances between family and friends seem a little smaller.

Bradley Hayes, Marketing Graphic Artist: I am thankful for good music. Whether playing it on an instrument or listening to it, nothing can melt away my cares the way music can. It invigorates my mind and energizes my soul. 

Kate Ensign-Lewis, Online Editor: I could try to be clever and say that I'm most grateful for a big five-bum kitchen to cook in (which I am grateful for), but this year perhaps more than any other year I am most thankful for family. I look around me and see all the evidence of a blessing for which I waited – a child. And every time I look at my baby's sweet face, or kiss his cheeks, or simply stop to think about him, I can't help feeling overwhelmingly blessed to have been entrusted with him. How sweet it is.

Ruthann Cunningham, Circulation Manager: I’m thankful for the small miracles I see every day when I stop and look up.

Ashley Evanson, Online Editor: Of course I'm grateful for the big things: family, the gospel, my job; but I'm grateful for the not-so-big things, too. For example, my space heater. I would freeze without it. Or butter. Life is better with butter. Oh, and mail – real mail, that is. I love getting letters and magazines in my mailbox; they make me feel special. What would life be without the small stuff?

Jamie Lawson, Managing Editor: After making it through the most difficult year of my life, I can honestly say that I’m thankful for each of the trials I have faced. I am stronger, wiser, more compassionate, and more patient because of them, and I appreciate the personal growth that can come from life’s twists and turns if I am willing to learn.

What are YOU thankful for?

How To Show Your Spouse You're Thankful for Them

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:51:00 -0700

by Jonathan Swinton, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Are you thankful for your spouse this Thanksgiving season?

As we approach the beginning of the holiday season, I gear up for a busy time of couples counseling. There always seems to be an influx of couples coming to see me for counseling help after Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays can test family relationships, strain finances, and highlight the lengthy winter that lies ahead. However, couples can combat some of these tendencies and strengthen their relationships through the holidays. One of the best ways is to help your spouse realize how thankful you are for them.

My family has a ritual at Thanksgiving dinner. We all go around the table saying all the things we are thankful for. This is certainly an uplifting exercise. However, I think couples can take this a step further by actually showing their spouse they are thankful for them. After all, actions do speak louder than words. My father often recounted the wise counsel he received when he was being sealed to my mother. President Lee said to him, "Just because of this ceremony, Heidi will not lose her love for roses or her taste for chocolates." Simple, yet incredibly profound advice. While I am not suggesting that flowers and chocolates are the only key to showing your spouse you love them (though chocolate goes a long way for me), the principle is vital for healthy relationships: you need to keep doing the things that made your spouse fall in love with you. After all, that is who you convinced them you could be.

Too often couples stop doing the things that made them fall in love with each other. Are you guilty of such behavior? What better time to recommit to showing your spouse how much you love them than Thanksgiving. Here are several things you could do to show your thankfulness to your spouse (for a printable list of these ideas visit www.swintoncounseling.com):

-Take her out for a date every week. Take the initiative to find the babysitter.

-Surprise him with a clean house.

-Watch the kids for the afternoon so she can have some time to herself.

-Give him a hug and a kiss each time he leaves or returns home.

-Surprise her by bringing her lunch at work.

-Take care of the kids in the morning so he can sleep in.

-Make her breakfast in bed.

-Take him to his favorite restaurant (even if you don't like it).

-Keep a dry-erase marker in the bathroom and write her notes on the mirror.

-Ask him to tell you about something he cares about.

-Do whatever you used to do when you were courting her.

-Do you have other ideas? Leave a comment below.

Each person may need something different to feel love from his or her spouse. Do you know what would say that to your spouse? If so, do more of it. If not, you may not be showing your spouse how much you love them. This Thanksgiving, will your spouse know how thankful you are to have them? Show them, they will be thankful.

Jonathan Swinton is an LDS Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He accepts self and Bishop referrals, and is available to provide marriage and family therapy services and weekend couple retreats to anyone interested. He is also available to speak on marriage or family issues at Relief Society and Ward events. Contact him at Swinton Counseling: 801-647-9951, www.swintoncounseling.com.

Weekend Craft: Thank You Card

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:01:00 -0700

by Oh My Crafts
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Thank You – Two simple words that can mean the world to someone! What better way to celebrate the season of giving than with a handcrafted Thank You card. Remembering the kindnesses bestowed upon us will surely help keep the Christmas spirit within each of us.

Supplies Needed:

Paper: Hot Chocolate: Fancy Pants Designs
Stamp: The Right words: Unity Stamps
Embossing Powder: Zing-Brown Opaque finish: American Crafts
Distress Ink pad: Brushed Corduroy: Ranger Inks
Ribbon: Cream Dot: generic
Embroidery Floss: Cream: In stitches: Bazzill
Embroidery template: In stitches: Bazzill
Use coupon code LDS10 at checkout for 10% OFF any order at ohmycrafts.com

Thank you Card:

   1. Cut card base 5 ¼” x 3 ½” of red, white and brown polka dots. Ink edges.
   2. Cut pull tag 3” x 4 ¼” of light green damask pattern. Punch hole in center and trim approximately 5/8” of each of the top corners to make angles. Ink edges.
   3. Stamp sentiment and sprinkle brown embossing powder over ink and emboss with heat gun. Set aside.
   4. Cut red snowflake paper 4 x 6” and fold in half. Pierce holes through layers using line template and stitch. Adhere to polka dot base.
   5. Trim a band from light green damask paper 1” x 12” and punch a hole every inch. Ink edges. Thread cream ribbon through holes. Wrap band across red pocket. Overlap edges and adhere together on backside of card.

Thanksgiving tips, tricks and testimonies of Apostles

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:38:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

I’m grateful for blogs that teach me, inspire me and surprise me pretty much daily.

I’m grateful for virtual friends who have become real friends.

I’m grateful for the ease of finding tips, tricks and tidbits for my Thanksgiving table and share a few today.

And I’m grateful for online Thanksgiving testimonies, some of which are linked below, that allow me to share in others' gratitude and remind me of my own.

Thanksgiving tips: There are so many great Thanksgiving recipes and crafts in the Bloggernacle, found with a few clicks of Google searching “Thanksgiving” and “LDS.” But I found this blog full of “Thanksgiving tips” a great place to start. It highlights links to some of these cooks’ favorite recipes, including a delectable-looking Cran-apple Torte. Or, “Want to try a yummy traditional Thanksgiving recipe- straight from the pilgrims themselves?” Then you need to click into this blog for a recipe for “17th Century Succotash.” Impress your guests with something both authentic and delicious!

A man who is thankful for cancer

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:42:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, was always physically active and usually met others with a wry smile. Even-tempered and kind, he is a genuine, good man who loves his family and they love him. We use the expression "firm in the faith." It perfectly describes Paul.

Sunday when he stood to bear his testimony to our ward he was, inevitably, a changed man. Cancer — brain cancer — has a way of doing that to you.

Paul walked slowly to the stand at a determined pace. As he clasped the podium, he struggled to find and deliver the words he so desired to speak. He explained that the tumor was pressing on his brain and wrecking havoc. Occassionally, after garbled words, he chuckled. Then he would bear down in a gallant attempt to capture and deliver his message. He spoke slowly, simply, powerfully.

"I am thankful for my cancer."

Thanksgiving Tree

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:22:00 -0700

source: ldsactivitydayideas.blogspot.com/

Yesterday we did a really fun activity that the girls loved! We made thankful trees! It was so much fun! I printed them off here!

http://www.sundayschoolkids.com/activities-thanksgiving-tree-instru.htm

I printed them off on cardstock! with leaves of different colors! and we talked about "gratitude" and being thankful! I based it on President Monsons talk.

Thankful Jar

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700

by LDS Living staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” ~Aldous Huxley Sometimes it feels like the two least-used words in the English language are "thank you." It's sad how busy we get and easily forget to be thankful. But that can change!

In General Conference this past October, President Monson taught:

"A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that 'feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.'”

Teach your family the importance of showing gratitude on more than just Thanksgiving Day. Here's a family activity that will teach them to be more aware of their blessings, whether great or small.

Create a Thankful Jar--a jar you will fill up with notes of gratitude. From now until Thanksgiving, encourage your family to write things they are thankful for on a piece of paper and place it in the jar. Small children can draw pictures of these things, instead. On Thanksgiving, open up the jar and read together as a family the things everyone wrote.

Dedicate a family night to teaching your family about thankfulness, and then decorate an empty jar as your Thanful Jar. This is a great way to set the mood for the following weeks.

Young Women Lesson 42: Gratitude and Appreciation

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:03:00 -0600

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. This afternoon I am honored to represent those Relief Society leaders who, here in this very Tabernacle, shared the doctrines of the kingdom, emphasized the significance of women’s roles in the home and family, called each other to charitable service, and reminded their sisters of the joy that comes from righteous living.

From this pulpit in 1870, Eliza R. Snow asked thousands of women a question that I’d like to repeat today: “Do you know of any place on the face of the earth, where [a] woman has more liberty, and where she enjoys such high and glorious privileges as she does here, as a Latter-day Saint?”1 I bear witness that the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do enjoy grand and glorious privileges.

Blessing Basket

Let me share a sweet story with you. A family was going through a difficult time. It was hard for them not to focus on their challenges. The mother wrote: “Our world had completely crumpled, so we turned to Heavenly Father for guidance. Almost immediately we realized that we were surrounded by goodness and were being cheered on from every side. We began as a family to express our gratitude to each other as well as to the Lord daily. A close friend pointed out to me that our family’s ‘blessing basket’ was overflowing. From that conversation came a sort of game, which my children and I grew to love. Before family prayer each night we would talk about how our day had gone and then share with each other all of the many blessings that had been added to our ‘blessing basket.’ The more we expressed gratitude, the more there was to be grateful for. We felt the love of the Lord in a significant way as opportunities for growth presented themselves.”2

What would a “blessing basket” add to your family?

A Spirit-Filled Principle

Gratitude requires awareness and effort, not only to feel it but to express it. Frequently we are oblivious to the Lord’s hand. We murmur, complain, resist, criticize; so often we are not grateful. In the Book of Mormon, we learn that those who murmur do not know “the dealings of that God who … created them.”3 The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us.

Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence. “Live in thanksgiving daily,” said Amulek, “for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.”4

Mercies and blessings come in different forms—sometimes as hard things. Yet the Lord said, “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.”5All things means just that: good things, difficult things—not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love.

How do you feel when someone expresses gratitude to you? One Sunday I sat next to a sister in Relief Society and got to know her a little better. A few days later I received an e-mail: “Thank you for sitting next to my daughter in Relief Society. You put your arm around her. You will never know how much that meant to her and to me.”6 This mother’s words surprised me and brought me happiness.

How do you feel when you express gratitude to another? I’d like to express gratitude to someone who cares about my grandchildren. A few months ago, while visiting in Texas, I asked six-year-old Thomas to tell me about his bishop. He said, “Oh, Grandmother, you will know him. He wears a dark suit, a white shirt like Papa, and he has shiny shoes and a red tie. He wears glasses and always has a smile.” I recognized Thomas’s bishop as soon as I saw him. My heart was filled with gratitude for him. Thank you, Bishop Goodman, and thank you, all you wonderful bishops.

An Expression of Faith

Luke chapter 17 records the experience of the Savior when He healed 10 lepers. As you recall, only one of the cleansed lepers returned to express his appreciation. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord did not say, “Your gratitude has made you whole”? Instead, He said, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.”7

The leper’s expression of gratitude was recognized by the Savior as an expression of his faith. As we pray and express gratitude to a loving but unseen Heavenly Father, we are also expressing our faith in Him. Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgment of the Lord’s hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith.

Gratitude in Tribulations: Hidden Blessings

In 1832 the Lord saw the need to prepare the Church for coming tribulations. Tribulations are frightening. And yet the Lord said: “Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

“And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.”8

The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace.

When was the last time you thanked the Lord for a trial or tribulation? Adversity compels us to go to our knees; does gratitude for adversity do that as well?

President David O. McKay observed, “We find in the bitter chill of adversity the real test of our gratitude … , which … goes beneath the surface of life, whether sad or joyous.”9

Conclusion

To my remarkable, faithful sisters of the Church, I thank you for the ways you extend the Lord’s love through your service: your care for families at the death of a loved one, your watchcare as you visit teach, your willingness to build testimonies in children as you serve in Primary, your time preparing young women for womanhood. Thank you for your devotion. I have experienced the love of the Lord through your faithfulness. I have been blessed to serve among you; my heart is brimming over with gratitude and love for each of you. I have deep gratitude for the priesthood brethren with whom I’ve served.

My most profound gratitude is for my Savior—an obedient Son, who did all that His Father asked and atoned for every one of us. As I remember Him and acknowledge His goodness, I desire to be like Him. May we be blessed to feel of His love in our lives daily. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”10 In His sacred name, Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes
1. In Jill C. Mulvay, “Eliza R. Snow and the Woman Question,” Brigham Young University Studies, winter 1976, 251.
2. Personal correspondence.
3. 1 Nephi 2:12.
4. Alma 34:38.
5. D&C 59:7; emphasis added.
6. Personal correspondence.
7. Luke 17:19; emphasis added.
8. D&C 78:18–19; emphasis added.
9. Pathways to Happiness, comp. Llewelyn R. McKay (1957), 318.
10. 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Young Men Lesson 36: In Everything Give Thanks

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:19:00 -0600

by Henry B. Eyring
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: “O remember, remember,” Book of Mormon prophets often implored. My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. I was grateful for the choir in their broadcast this morning, which was about the Savior, and grateful to see that the words of one of the songs they sang, "This Is the Christ," were written by President James E. Faust. As I sat down next to Brother Newell, I leaned over to him and asked, "How are your children?" He said, "When President Faust sat in that chair, that's what he always asked." I'm not surprised, because President Faust was always a perfect example of a disciple that was described in Music and the Spoken Word today. I always felt that when I grew up, I wanted to be like President Faust. There may still be time.

When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind - not in my own voice - these words: "I'm not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down."

I went inside. I didn't go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn't have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: "Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?" As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance - even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.

The years have gone by. My boys are grown men. And now and then one of them will surprise me by saying, "Dad, I was reading in my copy of the journal about when . . ." and then he will tell me about how reading of what happened long ago helped him notice something God had done in his day.

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God's kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done. You remember that song we sometimes sing: "Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."2

It won't be easy to remember. Living as we do with a veil over our eyes, we cannot remember what it was like to be with our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in the premortal world; nor can we see with our physical eyes or with reason alone the hand of God in our lives. Seeing such things takes the Holy Ghost. And it is not easy to be worthy of the Holy Ghost's companionship in a wicked world.

That is why forgetting God has been such a persistent problem among His children since the world began. Think of the times of Moses, when God provided manna and in miraculous and visible ways led and protected His children. Still, the prophet warned the people who had been so blessed, as prophets always have warned and always will: "Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life."3

And the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers. The prophets have repeated this lament over and over:

"And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.

"Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One - yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity."

And the prophet goes on to say: "Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!"4

Sadly, prosperity is not the only reason people forget God. It can also be hard to remember Him when our lives go badly. When we struggle, as so many do, in grinding poverty or when our enemies prevail against us or when sickness is not healed, the enemy of our souls can send his evil message that there is no God or that if He exists He does not care about us. Then it can be hard for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the lifetime of blessings the Lord has given us from our infancy and in the midst of our distress.

There is a simple cure for the terrible malady of forgetting God, His blessings, and His messages to us. Jesus Christ promised it to His disciples when He was about to be crucified, resurrected, and then taken away from them to ascend in glory to His Father. They were concerned to know how they would be able to endure when He was no longer with them.

Here is the promise. It was fulfilled for them then. It can be fulfilled for all of us now:

"These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."5

The key to the remembering that brings and maintains testimony is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion. It is the Holy Ghost who helps us see what God has done for us. It is the Holy Ghost who can help those we serve to see what God has done for them.

Heavenly Father has given a simple pattern for us to receive the Holy Ghost not once but continually in the tumult of our daily lives. The pattern is repeated in the sacramental prayer: We promise that we will always remember the Savior. We promise to take His name upon us. We promise to keep His commandments. And we are promised that if we do that, we will have His Spirit to be with us.6 Those promises work together in a wonderful way to strengthen our testimonies and in time, through the Atonement, to change our natures as we keep our part of the promise.

It is the Holy Ghost who testifies that Jesus Christ is the Beloved Son of a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to have eternal life with Him in families. With even the beginning of that testimony, we feel a desire to serve Him and to keep His commandments. When we persist in doing that, we receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost to give us power in our service. We come to see the hand of God more clearly, so clearly that in time we not only remember Him, but we come to love Him and, through the power of the Atonement, become more like Him.

You might ask, "But how does this process get started in someone who knows nothing about God and claims no memory of spiritual experiences at all?" Everyone has had spiritual experiences that they may not have recognized. Every person, upon entering the world, is given the Spirit of Christ. How that spirit works is described in the book of Moroni:

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

"But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. . . .

"Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ."7

So, even before people receive the right to the gifts of the Holy Ghost, when they are confirmed as members of the Church, and even before the Holy Ghost confirms truth to them before baptism, they have spiritual experiences. The Spirit of Christ has already, from their childhood, invited them to do good and warned them against evil. They have memories of those experiences even if they have not recognized their source. That memory will come back to them as missionaries or we teach them the word of God and they hear it. They will remember the feeling of joy or sorrow when they are taught the truths of the gospel. And that memory of the Spirit of Christ will soften their hearts to allow the Holy Ghost to testify to them. That will lead them to keep commandments and want to take the name of the Savior upon them. And when they do, in the waters of baptism, and as they hear the words in confirmation "Receive the Holy Ghost" spoken by an authorized servant of God, the power to always remember God will be increased.

I testify to you that the warm feelings you have had as you have listened to truth being spoken in this conference are from the Holy Ghost. The Savior, who promised that the Holy Ghost would come, is the beloved, glorified Son of our Heavenly Father.

Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes
1. Mosiah 2:41; Alma 37:13; Helaman 5:9.

2. "Count Your Blessings," Hymns, no. 241.

3. Deuteronomy 4:9.

4. Helaman 12:1-2, 5.

5. John 14:25-26.

6. See D&C 20:77, 79.

7. Moroni 7:16-17, 19.

Young Men Lesson 36: In Everything Give Thanks

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Henry B. Eyring
source: MormonLife.com

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind - not in my own voice - these words: "I'm not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down."

I went inside. I didn't go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn't have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: "Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?" As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance - even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.

The years have gone by. My boys are grown men. And now and then one of them will surprise me by saying, "Dad, I was reading in my copy of the journal about when . . ." and then he will tell me about how reading of what happened long ago helped him notice something God had done in his day.

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God's kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done. You remember that song we sometimes sing: "Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."2

It won't be easy to remember. Living as we do with a veil over our eyes, we cannot remember what it was like to be with our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in the premortal world; nor can we see with our physical eyes or with reason alone the hand of God in our lives. Seeing such things takes the Holy Ghost. And it is not easy to be worthy of the Holy Ghost's companionship in a wicked world.

That is why forgetting God has been such a persistent problem among His children since the world began. Think of the times of Moses, when God provided manna and in miraculous and visible ways led and protected His children. Still, the prophet warned the people who had been so blessed, as prophets always have warned and always will: "Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life."3

And the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers. The prophets have repeated this lament over and over:

"And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.

"Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One - yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity."

And the prophet goes on to say: "Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!"4

Sadly, prosperity is not the only reason people forget God. It can also be hard to remember Him when our lives go badly. When we struggle, as so many do, in grinding poverty or when our enemies prevail against us or when sickness is not healed, the enemy of our souls can send his evil message that there is no God or that if He exists He does not care about us. Then it can be hard for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the lifetime of blessings the Lord has given us from our infancy and in the midst of our distress.

There is a simple cure for the terrible malady of forgetting God, His blessings, and His messages to us. Jesus Christ promised it to His disciples when He was about to be crucified, resurrected, and then taken away from them to ascend in glory to His Father. They were concerned to know how they would be able to endure when He was no longer with them.

Here is the promise. It was fulfilled for them then. It can be fulfilled for all of us now:

"These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."5

The key to the remembering that brings and maintains testimony is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion. It is the Holy Ghost who helps us see what God has done for us. It is the Holy Ghost who can help those we serve to see what God has done for them.

Heavenly Father has given a simple pattern for us to receive the Holy Ghost not once but continually in the tumult of our daily lives. The pattern is repeated in the sacramental prayer: We promise that we will always remember the Savior. We promise to take His name upon us. We promise to keep His commandments. And we are promised that if we do that, we will have His Spirit to be with us.6 Those promises work together in a wonderful way to strengthen our testimonies and in time, through the Atonement, to change our natures as we keep our part of the promise.

It is the Holy Ghost who testifies that Jesus Christ is the Beloved Son of a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to have eternal life with Him in families. With even the beginning of that testimony, we feel a desire to serve Him and to keep His commandments. When we persist in doing that, we receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost to give us power in our service. We come to see the hand of God more clearly, so clearly that in time we not only remember Him, but we come to love Him and, through the power of the Atonement, become more like Him.

You might ask, "But how does this process get started in someone who knows nothing about God and claims no memory of spiritual experiences at all?" Everyone has had spiritual experiences that they may not have recognized. Every person, upon entering the world, is given the Spirit of Christ. How that spirit works is described in the book of Moroni:

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

"But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. . . .

"Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ."7

So, even before people receive the right to the gifts of the Holy Ghost, when they are confirmed as members of the Church, and even before the Holy Ghost confirms truth to them before baptism, they have spiritual experiences. The Spirit of Christ has already, from their childhood, invited them to do good and warned them against evil. They have memories of those experiences even if they have not recognized their source. That memory will come back to them as missionaries or we teach them the word of God and they hear it. They will remember the feeling of joy or sorrow when they are taught the truths of the gospel. And that memory of the Spirit of Christ will soften their hearts to allow the Holy Ghost to testify to them. That will lead them to keep commandments and want to take the name of the Savior upon them. And when they do, in the waters of baptism, and as they hear the words in confirmation "Receive the Holy Ghost" spoken by an authorized servant of God, the power to always remember God will be increased.

I testify to you that the warm feelings you have had as you have listened to truth being spoken in this conference are from the Holy Ghost. The Savior, who promised that the Holy Ghost would come, is the beloved, glorified Son of our Heavenly Father.

Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes 1. Mosiah 2:41; Alma 37:13; Helaman 5:9.

2. "Count Your Blessings," Hymns, no. 241.

3. Deuteronomy 4:9.

4. Helaman 12:1-2, 5.

5. John 14:25-26.

6. See D&C 20:77, 79.

7. Moroni 7:16-17, 19.

FHE: Gratitude

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Conference Talk:

For more information on this topic read "Finding Joy in the Journey," by Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov 2008, 84-87.

Thought:

Send that note to the friend you've been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say "I love you" more; always express your thanks.

(Thomas S. Monson, "Finding Joy in the Journey," Ensign, Nov 2008, 84-87.)

Song:

"Thanks to Our Father" Children's Songbook, p. 20.

Scripture:

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. (Psalms 92:1)

Lesson:

Ask your family if they have ever done something nice for someone and never received any thanks. How did they feel? Have family members read Mosiah 24:21-22 and find what Alma and his people remembered to do after they had been delivered from bondage. Ask why it is important to show gratitude. (See D&C 59:21.) Ask each family member to suggest a way to show more gratitude in your family and to Heavenly Father for your blessings.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Book of Mormon, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 144.)

Story:

A rancher in Kamas, at the base of Utah's Uinta mountains, decided he wanted to sell his ranch. He hired a real estate agent, who came out to inspect his property and write up an ad.

Later the realtor called the rancher to go over the ad copy with him before placing it in the paper. "For sale," read the realtor, "Picturesque white frame ranch house with white picket fence and eighty acres of rich farmland in the middle of beautiful Kamas Valley. Clear streams of mountain water flow nearby, well stocked with rainbow trout. House faces rugged mountain peaks and is located in a small, friendly farming community with good schools and a new church."

"Stop!" said the rancher. "The deal's off! This is the kind of place I've wanted all my life!"

(Richard Nash, Lengthen Your Smile, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 1996], 205.)

Activity:

Hand out paper and pens, pencils, markers, or crayons. Have each person create an award to thank another member of the family for a kind deed or for just being himself. Then hold an "awards ceremony" to present the awards.

Examples of thank you awards could be: Thank you for being patient, Thank you for cleaning your room, Thank you for working hard, Thank you for being a good friend to others, Thank you for standing for the right, Thank you for making others feel happy, Thank you for doing your homework.

(adapted from Melodie Webb, 250 Ways to Connect With Your Family, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], 181-183.)

Refreshment

Meltaways

2 sticks butter (no substitutes)
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup flour, stirred and measured

Cream butter; gradually add cornstarch and sugar. Blend in flour. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes until done, but not brown. Cool and frost.

Frosting:

1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioners' sugar
few drops food coloring (yellow, pink, or light green)

Cream together all ingredients.

(Winnifred C. Jardine, Mormon Country Cooking, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1983], p. 291.)

Click here to download the pdf version of this lesson.

Book of Mormon Lesson 22: Have Ye Received His Image in Your Countenances?

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:30:00 -0600

by Ted L. Gibbons
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Like the Bible, [The Book of Mormon] is a volume of holy writ that speaks forth the mind and will of the Almighty. Like the Bible, it invites men to forsake the world and live as becometh saints. Like the Bible, it has such an impact upon the hearts of men that they are prepared to die in defense of their beliefs. Already the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh have left Babylon and come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy because of it. And before the end of the world, which is the premillennial destruction of the wicked, and before the end of the earth, which shall not occur until after the Millennium, the Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it. (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p.170) Introduction Alma's reform movement involved at least these four cities: Zarahemla, Gideon, Melek, and Ammonihah. These chapters deal with his ministry in Zarahemla and in Gideon. Once Alma had determined the depth of the iniquity in the Church, and had freed himself from the restraints of public office, he went forth to try and reclaim the people in the best way he knew how--by the power of his testimony. His efforts in Zarahemla and Gideon (and in Melek for that matter-see Alma 8:3-6) met with great success. 1. Alma teaches the people how they can experience a mighty change of heart (Alma 5). Notice in Alma 5:2 where the account of this sermon in Zarahemla comes from. Does it matter that our personal history contains this kind of information, or is this a concern only for the Prophet? President Kimball taught this: "Keep journals and family records. Let us then continue on in this important work of recording the things we do, the things we say, the things we think, to be in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. For those of you who may not have already started your books of remembrance and your records, we would suggest that this very day you begin to write your records quite fully and completely. We hope that you will do this, our brothers and sisters, for this is what the Lord has commanded." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.349) The multitude of questions Alma asks are worth a careful, personal look. But it seems clear that there is one question in the sermon, what might we might call the critical question, that must be answered correctly. That question is asked five different times toward the end of the sermon. The question is in verses 53-56 and it is this: if you are doing any of these things that are contrary to the teaching of the gospel, will ye persist? If you have found something in this sermon that needs your attention, or that needs repentance, will you repent? Or will you persist in rebelling against the commandments of God? And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches? Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance--Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them? And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent (Alma 5:53-57). This is a matter that receives attention other places in the scripture. For example, in Mosiah 2, Benjamin spoke of the danger of listing to obey the evil spirit. To list means to lean or incline. We all do that to some degree. All of us are sinners. But Benjamin's warning is not just for those who list, but for those who list and persist, that is, those who will not repent. Jacob warned those who seek and who love riches, and think themselves better than those who possess less stuff. And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you (Jacob 2:14). Benjamin did not use the word persist, but he addressed the concept. For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. (Mosiah 2:33) It is one thing to list. We ought not to, and if we do, we ought to repent. But is another and a much more dangerous thing to list and persist. Abinadi spoke of this to King Noah and his court: But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore, he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God. (Mosiah 16:5) The Lord says it more simply in D&C 42: And he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he so continue. (D&C 42:60) As you review the questions Alma has asked, take a look inside yourself. Are you willing to cease and desist, or are you more inclined to persist? As Alma concludes his sermon, he bears a powerful testimony. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true(Alma 5:45). At the end of verse 45, Alma asks an additional question: "And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?" I remember reading that question for the first time. The story of Alma the younger had thrilled me and blessed me. His confrontation with the angel was perhaps the most vivid message I absorbed my first time through the book. Thus, when I read Alma's question, "And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?" I was pretty sure that I already knew the answer. Alma was about to declare that he knew those things were true because an angel descended from the courts of glory and told him they were true. But that is not what he said. Alma had seen an angel (Mosiah 27:1`1-16), and afterward he was born of the Spirit (Alma 27:24), and he said he thought he saw God sitting on his throne (Alma 36:22). But notice what he says when he tells how he knows the truth: Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God. (Alma 5:46,47) If Alma had seen God and an angel, and had been born again before he preached his first missionary sermon, why did he have to fast and pray for a testimony? Perhaps this statement from Bishop Robert L. Simpson provides part of the answer: Testimonies built on miracles alone are at best shallow and can only be perpetuated by other miracles. Such is not the eternal process considered best for the acquisition of a testimony that can withstand ...troubles (New Era, March 1972, p. 4). But there is more to Alma's testimony than a certainty that the Church is true. Alma has been asking a multitude of questions related to the doctrine of the Church, and has just delivered a solemn warning to those who refuse to abide by those doctrines--a warning of fire. He has fasted and prayed for testimonies of the truthfulness and meaning of many of the principles of the Gospel. Elder Legrande Richards explained how valuable a man like Alma can be in a society. The story is told that there was a new minister who moved into the community where Thomas Carlisle lived, and he went to the office of Carlisle and asked this question: "What do the people of this community need more than anything else?" And Carlisle's answer was: "They need a man who knows God other than my hearsay." (Improvement Era, June 1858, p. 98) Alma was a man who knew God other than by hearsay. And he knew him because of his fasting and his prayers. His witness, based on personal experience, was the catalyst for thousands of conversions. 2. Alma and the people establish the order of the church in Zarahemla (Alma 6). Alma knew he couldn't do the work alone. Too many needed the message. All who were converted were to accept some of the responsibility for those who were not. Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God. (Alma 6:6) I remember to consecutive weeks during my teen-age years in Logan when our ward gathered together in fasting and prayer for the welfare of the bodies of some members who knew God quite well. One father disappeared over the mountains in a small plane on a business flight to Wyoming. We fasted and gathered together to pray for his safety as searchers combed the mountains. One week later we were fasting again. A retired member of the ward, who had been helping set roof joists in our new church building, fell from the scaffolding to the concrete floor below. He was in a coma in the hospital. We fasted another day and gathered to pray for him. But I do not remember ever being invited to fast for the non-members living within our ward area, nor for the inactive and indifferent members who were around us. Alma teaches us that souls are as important as bodies, and worth as least as much physical and spiritual effort. According to Alma 6:3, what characteristic kept many in Alma's day from knowing God? Ask yourself (if you are a teacher, ask your students), who is there among my family or friends or acquaintances that needs my fasting and mighty prayers? As you consider this question, remember that Alma, who must have given the commandment, had some first hand knowledge about the redemptive power of fasting and mighty prayer. His father had fasted and prayed for him when he did not know God. 3. Alma testifies of Jesus Christ. He encourages the people in Gideon to follow the Savior (Alma 7). In Gideon, Alma delivered one of the great sermons about the Savior in the scriptures. Of all the things he might have taught, he chose this one: For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all--for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people. (Alma 7:7) One way to look at this chapter is to focus on a word used four times by Alma, and to reflect on the applications associated with that word. The word is path, and it appears in verses 9, 19, and 20. But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying--Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth. (Alma 7:9, emphasis added) For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight. (Alma 7:19, emphasis added) I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round. (Alma 7:20, emphasis added) Read Alma 7 and look for the qualities of those who are trying to walk in his paths. I will give my own list below, but you might consider performing your own search before you influence your conclusions with my observations. I. Alma 7:3-Be humble
II. Alma 7:3-Continue in supplication
III. Alma 7:3-Be blameless
IV. Alma 7:6-Don't be lifted up in the pride of your hearts
V. Alma 7:6-Don't set your heart upon riches
VI. Alma 7:6-Worship the true and living God
VII. Alma 7:6-Look forward to the remission of your sins
VIII. Alma 7:9-Repent
IX. Alma 7:9-Prepare the way of the Lord
X. Alma 7:14-Be born again
XI. Alma 7:14-Be baptized
XII. Alma 714-Have faith
XIII. Alma 7:15-Come and fear not
XIV. Alma 715-Lay aside every sin
XV. Alma 715-Enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments
XVI. Alma 7:22-Awaken to a sense of your duty
XVII. Alma 723-Be submissive and gentle
XVIII. Alma 723-Be full of patience and long-suffering
XIX. Alma 723-Be temperate in all things
/ XX. Alma 7:23--Ask God for whatever you need
XXI. Alma 7:24--Always return thanks to God for what you receive
XXII. Alma 7:26-Give diligence and heed to the word
Alma encouraged the people of Gideon to walk in the Lord's paths, which are straight. They must be straight, for "he cannot walk in crooked paths." What this means is explained quite nicely in D&C 3:1-3: The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men . . . God does not get frustrated, he doesn't turn to the right hand or the left, and he doesn't vary from what he says: therefore, he cannot walk in crooked paths. Alma 7 also contains holy writ's finest description of the empathy of Christ. We are taught that he suffered in many ways so that he could understand our needs when we suffer. Listen to the language: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh . . . (Alma 7:11-13) He can help us bear our pains and our sicknesses because he has already taken upon himself our pains and our sicknesses. Because of this, he can say to us in our agony, "I understand." An amazing insight from these verses comes in the revelatory discovery that he did not have to experience our pains and temptations and sicknesses and infirmities in the flesh to know what they were like. "The Spirit knoweth all things." Scriptural evidence for this knowing without experiencing can be found in the 22nd Psalm. A thousand years before the actual event, the Savior gave through David a graphic description of the pain of crucifixion. He knew, by the Spirit, precisely what kind of experience it would be. Read Psalm 22:1,7,13-18. But even with this advance knowledge he was willing to suffer according to the flesh "that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh . . ." I believe that many of his disciples have heard his quiet whisper in times of pain or times of trouble, "I understand." I know I have. My burdens have not always been lifted, but I have received strength enough to carry on, for I knew I was loved. Conclusion Alma 7 is like a pair of spiritual contact lenses. Looking through it we see the atonement of Christ more clearly than we have ever seen it before. We are offered a unique view of what the Savior has done for us-a view unlike any other in the scriptures. Of that view, Elder Maxwell said: In the description of the exquisite suffering of Jesus in His atonement, we are told that Jesus took upon Himself the infirmities of all of us in order "that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:12) Being sinless Himself, Jesus could not have suffered for personal sin nor known what such agony is--unless He took upon Him our sins, not only to redeem us and to save us, but also in order that He might know how "according to the flesh . . . to succor his people according to their infirmities." A stunning insight! Thus the compassion of the divine Jesus for us is not the abstract compassion of a sinless individual who would never so suffer; rather, it is the compassion and empathy of One who has suffered exquisitely, though innocent, for all our sins, which were compounded in some way we do not understand. Though He was sinless, yet He suffered more than all of us. We cannot tell Him anything about suffering. This is one of the inner marvels of the atonement of Jesus Christ! (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, 35-36).