Sunday Inspiration

It was an inspirational Sabbath!  I'm grateful for the Lord, His teachings, His Church, His plan, His love!  Here are a few insights from the day from speakers, scriptures, lessons, music, discussions, nature.

Build Zion
We might live in a wicked world, but we can be as Enoch.  We don't need to move to a desert island, but we can have faith and build Zion, be one, dwell in righteousness (see Moses 7:13-21).  I love how it points out in these verses that the Lord came to dwell with them and Zion was taken up to heaven in the process of time.  I don't know exactly what that looked like, but I know that we will also be blessed as we are steadfast in our devotion to the Lord.

Study the Atonement

A really important part of that is understanding His Atonement.  We need to figure it out!!  It might be somewhat hard to comprehend, but that doesn't mean that we don't study and seek and try to understand and learn all that we can.  That should be our quest!  To know Him, to know His love, to know His sacrifice.  President James E. Faust gave a beautiful talk in October 2001, The Atonement:  Our Greatest Hope.  He explained that "Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement.  Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect."  There is much that I don't know or understand, but have a new desire and urgency to try!

Find Rest
I love Matthew 11:28-30, but it has taken on new meaning and importance today.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

There is much to learn from these verses.  Today I learned about how we take His yoke upon us and how that has much to do with finding rest.  I love these cross references:

• 1 John 2:6, "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
• Alma 37:34, "Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls."
• D&C 84:19-22, "And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.  Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.  And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;  For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."

It's all about understanding the Atonement, knowing Him, and then receiving priesthood ordinances and keeping covenants.  That is how we take His yoke upon us, bind ourselves to Him, and find rest....and much of that is found in the temple!  I love the temple!  I loved singing this song today:

We Love Thy House, O God

We love thy house, O God,

Wherein thine honor dwells.

The joy of thine abode

All earthly joy excels.

It is the house of prayer,

Wherein thy servants meet,

And thou, O Lord, art there,

Thy chosen flock to greet.

We love the word of life,

The word that tells of peace,

Of comfort in the strife,

Of joys that never cease.

Be Obedient

There is so much to learn and study and understand and do when talking about and practicing obedience, and it was a blessing to learn and discuss a little bit today.  Obedience is the first law of heaven.  We are here on earth to be tested and proved to see if we will do all things the Lord commands (see Abraham 3:25).  We are blessed when we obey, particularly when we obey willingly and because we love the Lord (see Matthew 22:36-40 and John 14:21).  Obedience has much to do with faith and trust.  :)

The scriptures are full of faithful and obedient examples:  Adam (see Moses 5:5-6), Abraham (see Genesis 22:1-13), Nephi (see 1 Nephi 3:7, 1 Nephi 4:6-7, 1 Nephi 9:5-6, 2 Nephi 33:15), and many other examples (see Alma 57:20).  Joseph Smith said, "I made this my rule:When the Lord commands, do it."  The greatest example of obedience is our Savior, Jesus Christ who always did the Father's will (see John 6:38, 2 Nephi 31:7, Matthew 26:39, Luke 22:41-46).

President Monson quoted Doctrine and Covenants 93 when he taught, "In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, in May of 1833, the Lord declared:  “Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. …The Spirit of truth is of God. …And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.  He that keepeth [God’s] commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”  What a glorious promise! “He that keepeth [God’s] commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”  There is no need for you or for me, in this enlightened age when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or to travel unmarked roads in search of truth.  A loving Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing guide—even obedience.  A knowledge of truth and the answers to our greatest questions come to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God."

...this sacrament song seemed particularly applicable today.  :)

How Great the Wisdom and the Love
By strict obedience Jesus won
The prize with glory rife:
"Thy will, O God, not mine be done,"
Adorned his mortal life.

Go for a Walk :)

And the best way to end a Sabbath day is with a peaceful, inspirational, and uplifting sunset walk around Temple Square.  :)