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Avoiding Barren Ground

Today I was reading in Alma 32. The analogy of the faith being compared to a seed has always been a favorite of mine. Today the verses about the importance of nourishing the tree really stood out to me. In Alma 32:37-39 it reads: “37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit. … Continue reading →

Spritiual Pick Me Up

As you go through lives ups and downs, you may find that you are in need of a spiritual pick me up. When you are struggling through difficult times, it is so easy to become focused on your needs and trials. This can cause you to feel depressed or separated. It can also affect how in tune you are with the spirit. One easy way to do solve this problem is to begin to serve others. Often when you think of service you think of giving something or spending a lot of time on something. An act of service can … Continue reading →

General Conference: “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then Nothing Else Matters”

In his talk “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?” Elder Neal A Anderson speaks about the importance of living the gospel completely. He opens his talk by sharing the story of a young man who was returning home to Korea after joining the church. He was talking to President Hinckley who asked him if he could handle giving up his family, his friends and possibly his career for the church. The young man replied by pointing out that since he knew the church was true, nothing else mattered. This young man knew that things would work out if … Continue reading →

Evaluate Your Scripture Study

We all know that we need to nourish ourselves spiritually. Our testimonies will not stay strong, if we are not working on developing them on a daily basis. One important part of making sure that you are strengthening your testimony is to establish set times to study the scriptures meditate and pray. If you set up a routine then you will better be able to accomplish the most important tasks for you. It is not always easy to find time to yourself to read and ponder the gospel. It can be difficult to squeeze into the day. If you do … Continue reading →

Reminiscing

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It’s hard to believe that today is the tenth anniversary of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hope you’ll allow me to indulge in a little reminiscing on the subject. As I stand here, my mind is blown by the small number of years that have passed. In many ways, it seems as though the gospel has always been a part of my life. The life I lived before seems so distant and foreign. But at the same time, it seems as though it were only yesterday. Oddly enough, I can remember thoughts and … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Physical and Spiritual Blindness

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As I studied the rest of John 9 tonight, I pondered the wonderful illustration of the faith of the blind man healed by the Savior. This man does not start with a testimony that Jesus is the Savior of mankind, but despite tremendous pressure from those around him – including the weakness of his parents – he insists that Jesus came from God. Because he stood by his developing faith, he was privileged to learn more about the divine nature of Christ. Unlike many who followed the Savior, the blind man in this chapter did not ask to be healed. … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Parable of the Sower

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Circumstances did not allow for posting these lessons the weeks they were completed. However, it is my hope that you will still be able to take something from them. Today’s posts address lesson 11, “He Spake Many Things unto Them in Parables.” Today’s scripture study focused me on the parable of the sower, found in Matthew 13:1-8. The first thing I did was to match up the verses of the parable with the verses of Christ’s interpretation (found in 13:19-23). As we examine Christ’s explanation, try to remember that one of the interesting things about parables is their wide array … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Studying for a Testimony

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As I read the first section of lesson 7 in the “Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball” lesson manual, I was startled by the close relationship to this week’s Sunday School lesson, particularly to the bit I studied today. I suppose this is the time to testify to you that I know the Lord loves to teach us and guide us in our studies of Him, and that He can make all things work together for our good. As I looked at the section on receiving a testimony, I was particularly touched by this statement from President Kimball: “this testimony…will have … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “Flesh and Blood Hath Not Revealed It Unto Thee”

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As we continue to study Lesson 13 in the New Testament manual, we come across a beautiful testimony of the divinity of the Savior by the apostle Peter. I would like to explore the idea of testimonies and where they take root from as we examine Matthew 16:13-19. Following the second miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus asks His disciples who men say He is. I found verse 13 a bit confusing, as Christ refers to himself as “I the Son of man”. I thought about how Satan referred to Moses as the son of man rather than the … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Questioning Your Testimony

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Although General Conference has thrown something of a cog into our regular Relief Society and Elder’s Quorum lesson planning (pity whoever is conducting this month, as they didn’t have to prepare a lesson! Unfair!), you should be studying from the Spencer W. Kimball handbook. This week, we are reading Chapter 7, a beautiful lesson on Personal Testimony. As I started off by reading the first section, addressing moments from President Kimball’s life, I was touched by the experience his son had. While on his mission, young Elder Andrew Kimball would frequently be impressed to bear his testimony. Later, he would … Continue reading →