Search Results for: blog priorities and the gospel

Mary, Martha, and Betty Sue

We read in the Bible about two sisters named Mary and Martha, and their brother, Lazarus. The members of this family were close personal friends of our Savior’s and He came to visit them whenever he was in Bethany. On one memorable visit, Mary sat at His feet while He taught the principles of everlasting life. Martha was busy in the kitchen, preparing the evening meal, and felt as though Mary should be helping her. When Martha spoke to Christ about this, we all remember His response, that Mary had chosen the better part. Women of the Church have thought … Continue reading →

Ritual and Rules or Relationship?

Jesus taught that Christianity is about a relationship, not the keeping of rules and rituals. Jesus warned his disciples they would be cast out of the synagogues, for following Him rather than abiding by the rules and laws of the Jewish religion, John 16: 1-4. Jesus’ prayer, for his early disciples and for us, is that we may be one with him and with the Father, John 17:20-23. That’s relationship! If we look back earlier in John’s gospel we see another example of Jesus in relationship with his people. Jesus taught He was ‘the good shepherd.’ He is our shepherd … Continue reading →

Priorities and TLC.

TLC what does it stand for? Yesterday we saw T stands for Transformation. If our priorities need changing and we want to give our lives the right focus, then some things in our lives will need to be changed. L is for love. Christians should show love and be loving. God is love and as Christians we need to reflect godly qualities of which the greatest is love, 1 Corinthians 13:13 When assessing our lives, it is the love and the people that matter. If we look at Jesus, we see he was a people person. He cared about people, … Continue reading →

Do Your Actions Demonstrate Your Priorities?

Recently I took a quiz that matched me to the political candidate I should vote for. The quiz asked me all sorts of questions about the many different issues that you consider when voting for a candidate. I was surprised to discover that the candidate that I most closely matched was not one that I had considered, in fact he is not in the same political party that I put myself in. It really got me thinking about what I felt and thought and why. Now as we all know this is a religious blog and not a political one, … Continue reading →

Priorities and the Gospel

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A few weeks ago, Miriam wrote a great blog on ‘example families’ – those families in the ward who do a stellar job with family prayer, family scripture study, and so forth. As I read her entry, I started a comment that expressed how impressed I was with such families, and then basically said, “As a mom of four young kids, I often wonder just how these families do it.” I never even submitted that comment because, as I thought about it, I realized that I do, in fact, know how they accomplish this task. It’s all about priorities. These … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “I Know Him Not”

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This week’s Sunday School lesson focuses on the trial and crucifixion of Christ. After His arrest, the disciple Peter followed Him from afar. When recognized, he denied knowing Jesus three times, as Jesus had earlier predicted. When the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, the disciple remembered his vow to follow Jesus to prison and to death (Luke 22:33), and he “went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). Here we have a man, a disciple who loved Christ earnestly and sincerely, and who had already given up so much to follow Him. Why would he then deny the Savior? President … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Our Stewardship of Time

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The second parable given in Matthew 25 is that of the talents. A master leaves three servants in charge of different portions of his estate; he gives each a varied amount of talents. When he departs, two have increased their talents and receive their reward; the third has done nothing and is punished. The Lord has made us stewards over many things, and we, too, shall find ourselves accountable to Him. There are so many different ways to interpret this parable and apply it to us. The talents could represent our callings, our role as parents, or our spiritual gifts, … 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 →

Priorities and People

One of the things that we as members of the church need to do is take the time to meditate and contemplate the gospel. As we do this it is also important to consider if our actions match our priorities. Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to reflect on whether my current actions fit my priorities. I have also considered whether or not my priorities are in line with what the Lord wants me to do. It is amazing how easy it is to get off track by becoming wrapped up in the daily tasks of … Continue reading →

Celebrating Our Pioneer Heritage

July is a month where I always think about my pioneer ancestors. The pioneers sacrificed to come across the plains and to establish the church in Utah. All of the early members of the church made significant sacrifices to help to establish the church. It had to be difficult to leave your family, your home and everything you knew to go to a new place and start over. With travel conditions being so difficult, most people realized that they may never see their families again. In Utah there is a state holiday that celebrates these sacrifices, but for everyone living … Continue reading →