Search Results for: blog general conference using the supernal gift of prayer

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 15:7-11

Nephi has just come down the mountain from his vision of the latter days, and is met by his unbelieving brothers. Filled with the Spirit, he’s in the perfect mindset to teach his brothers the things they need to know, but he finds them unreceptive, which concerns him greatly. 7. And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles. 8. And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? Nephi knows from personal experience that the Lord is the source of … Continue reading →

Making Prayer More Personal

Prayer is a wonderful gift that is given to each of us. It is a time that we can truly communicate with our Heavenly Father. When you pray it is often easy to make prayer just a one way communication—generally this is just you rushing through a prayer telling Him your wants and needs. It is vital to keep prayer a two-way communication. Here are four ways to help you make your praying more effective. 1) Set aside time each day to pray. If you are rushing through a prayer, you will not take time to pause and listen. You … Continue reading →

When the Answer Is No

Have you ever prayed for something, absolutely sure that it is the right thing and gotten no for an answer? I am sure that most of us have experienced that from time to time. It can be difficult to know what to do in times like these. You may feel hurt or that it is unfair that you can not have or do the thing that you want so badly. You may decide to ask again or to do what you want to anyway. The best thing to do is to pray that you may feel good about this decision … Continue reading →

General Conference From the Past: “The Importance of Prayer”

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In April of 1974, President N. Eldon Tanner, First Counselor in the First Presidency, gave a talk entitled “The Importance of Prayer.” He discussed the Lord’s prayer and the pattern presented. He elaborates on the various aspects of that great prayer, and how we need to not only apply prayer in our daily lives but live the very things we are praying for. President Tanner starts off by bearing his testimony of the newly called prophet, President Spencer W. Kimball. This alone makes it an interesting and uplifting talk to read, especially since we are studying President Kimball’s teachings this … Continue reading →

Maintaining Your Spirituality

One of the things that we have all studied in Sunday School and Seminary is the repentance cycle. We start out realizing our dependence on Heavenly Father, but as we are righteous and our lives get easier, we take for granted the things He has given us. Then we begin to drift away, until we have a crisis realize we need to repent and then begin again. This cycle is very easy to see as you read the Book of Mormon. What can we do as members of the church to avoid this cycle in our lives? It is important … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Men Ought Always to Pray

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Yesterday, we talked about the parable of the wicked judge. Today, I’d like to take a look at why that parable was told. Christ provides the reason in the first verse of Luke 18: “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” We need to make sure that our physical bodies do not keep us from spiritual experiences. As a new mother, I’ve struggled with this greatly over the last six weeks. My schedule has been somewhat disrupted, and I have let my prayers and scripture study slide. Things have been on the “when you think of it” … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Cry Day and Night

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This week’s lesson is about faith, but it begins with a parable on prayer. The connection between prayer and faith is obvious. If we lack faith, we cannot truly pray. If we do not believe that the Lord is listening, we would not bother talking to Him. When we allow ourselves to question if He hears, or cares, prayers tend to grow less fervent and heart-felt, less sincere and more automated. However, like many gospel things, the two are related; the more we pray, the more our faith increases, and the more faith we have, the more we pray. The … Continue reading →

The LDS Week in Review: April 9-14

This week there were several articles on Relief Society. We learned about the importance of visiting teaching supervisors and coordinators in Serving in the Relief Society: Visiting Teaching Coordinator and Supervisor. We also learned more about the various presidents in the Relief Society in Relief Society Presidents: Amy Brown Lyman, Relief Society Presidents: Clarissa S. Williams, and Relief Society Presidents: Louise Y. Robison. Nola offered excellent insight on the Gospel Doctrine lessons in Gospel Doctrine: The Parable of the Sower, and Gospel Doctrine: Why Speakest Thou in Parables?. Several blogs discussed teaching the gospel to your family. We learned about … Continue reading →

Personal Prayer

Prayer is truly a blessing in my life. I pray every day, but there are specific experiences when I can remember the prayers and answers clearly. These times strengthen me, because they demonstrated to me that Heavenly Father really does hear and answer my prayers. The answers were not immediate, but came shortly after the prayer, and I felt strengthened by the answers. At times you may be in situations for which you can find no solution. You may be looking for a job, trying to solve a conflict with a family member or planning for the future. As you … Continue reading →

General Conference: “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer”

In his talk “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer” Elder Richard G Scott begins by explaining that prayer is a gift from God for each of us. He tells us that prayer gives us each the opportunity to speak to Heavenly Father, and to ask for guidance and blessings when we are in need of them. Everyone has been given this gift. Elder Scott then goes on to speak of how we are to pray. He says that prayer is the most effective when we maintain personal worthiness. He also says not to worry about how awkward you may feel … Continue reading →