Sunday Thoughts

Today I was inspired by a lot of GOOD!  I don't even know where to begin.... so I'll just jump in:

I'm looking forward to studying Church History this year in Sunday School and have decided to study a little bit more about Joseph Smith.  I was inspired by my reading before church this morning.

There was more goodness and light in sacrament meeting.  I'm grateful for the sacrament and testimonies.  I know the Savior's Atonement is what heals.... everything ....it's the answer to all the problems!  Also, there are so many good people in the world, with a lot of good to share.  I think it would be a blessing if we had a chance to truly know each others' hearts.  We are each blessed with experiences that teach us and help us grow.  We can share and strengthen each other in the most important things.  It's best if we're patient and don't judge and see the good and share our own.

Today's Sunday School lesson - Behold, I Am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World - was wonderful!  I loved studying verses from the Doctrine and Covenants that teach us more about Jesus Christ and His attributes.  I also loved this quote by President Boyd K. Packer: “[The Atonement of Jesus Christ] is the very root of Christian doctrine. You may know much about the gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them.”  We must have Jesus Christ and His Atonement as the center of our lives for our lives to have life and substance!  I love that and know it's true!  He gives life and meaning and purpose.  What a wonderful thing to be thinking about as we set goals for a new year!  AND...the second we treasure up His words and diligently and faithfully keep the commandments we are encircled in the arms of His love (see D&C 6:20)!  Also, fear not, doubt not, do good (see D&C 6:33-36)!!!

President and Sister Nelson's talks at the worldwide devotional were very nice!  A couple of my takeaways:

• Be pure!  Avoid anything that offends the Spirit!  Generate more love.  As Parley P. Pratt said, “The gift of the Holy Ghost...quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”
• Help prepare the world for the millennial reign of the Savior by sharing the gospel!  Study the words of the prophets and of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  Know Him!  Remember that what God says is right is right and what He says is wrong is wrong.  Understand and obey divine law!  We can learn God's laws by study and faith and by living by every word that comes from God (see D&C 84:44-45)!  We can increase our discipleship by consecrating time each week to studying everything Jesus said and did....in the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants.  As we learn all we can about Jesus Christ our love for Him and His laws will grow.  We can study the topical guide and everything that He is.  We can seek to understand each of His titles and what they mean.  We can study the words of the prophets and pray for a witness of the truth.  We should learn to articulate these truths in our own words, practice, pray, and speak about what we believe.  His identify, Atonement, and attributes can become real to us and we choose to be one of His true disciples NOW!  We should love Him, serve Him, do what He did.

Finally, I'm reminded of a question that my brother-in-law asked his family last week, "When did you feel the Spirit today?"  I love that question and want to ask it more consistently in my life!  My answer today:
* When I was watching a video of the First Vision.
* When I was listening to President Hinckley's testimony.
* When I was listening to President Nelson's blessing at the end of his talk tonight.