Preparation for the Second Coming

The last 2 weeks of institute were about the Second Coming. They were really good lessons and kinda scary too! It is so overwhelming sometimes. My teacher ended the class with these questions from Elder Oaks that have stuck with me and have really made me think.

"What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them."

As I have thought about these questions I think there are a lot of changes that I can do right now to be preparing for the Second Coming. The signs are all around us. We are here on this earth at this time for a reason. We were sent to prepare the world for our Saviors coming. It is our responsibility to teach those around us, especially our families the importance of this gospel. Now is not the time to be sitting on the fence trying to do some worldly things and then some good things too. We need to be stronger. If we are not doing those things we should we can repent. Repentance is not something to be scared of, it is a gift. It is a good thing to be preparing our temporal needs for the Second Coming but I think that our spiritual preparation is even more important.

"We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult—the spiritual. A 72-hour kit of temporal supplies may prove valuable for earthly challenges, but, as the foolish virgins learned to their sorrow, a 24-hour kit of spiritual preparation is of greater and more enduring value."

When I think about preparing if we are not spiritually prepared then all the preparing we did for our temporal needs will probably be wasted because we might not be around to use that food storage we saved up.

I know that we have been specially selected to be here on earth now. This gives me peace and hope since this world is so wicked and sometimes it seems like we will never make it. I am grateful for repentance and that we can change and be better today than we were yesterday. I am grateful for the promise that if we are faithful and endure to the end we can return to be with our Father in Heaven.

Sister Beck

So this past weekend, (Sat March 19th) I got the privilege of attending a Relief society meeting where Sister Julie B. Beck spoke! It was so awesome to be in the same room as her, and hear her words, and to meet her! :) Here are some of the highlights that I loved in this meeting::
** When you are asked to do a calling, ALWAYS say yes. Then pray and figure out what yes means!
** Relief society isn't a program, it's a way of life. We have been prepared in Primary and Young womens to come to relief society and live the way of a Disciple.
** The Lord doesn't care about your excuses of why you don't go Visiting Teaching... ( House isn't clean, you are to busy, you don't even know your sisters you teach, you don't have an active companion, you are shy..etc) He only cares about you helping his other sheep, to rescue them and offer them RELIEF.
** The Lord EXPECTS us to lead and to guide.
** As mothers, we need to be raising up Missionaries!
** Blogging is not to waste time, or to neglect your children, to whine and complain, it is an opportunity to SHARE THE GOSPEL! It's exactly what this blog is :) I love it!

She had some time where she answered questions from the audience. someone asked sister beck this: "After traveling so many places, and meeting so many women, what is your greatest concern for the women?"
Her answer was this:: Number 1: We are not always aligned with God.
number 2: Anger-- (2 nephi 28:20)
number 3: Apathy--Saying its ok what people do, it's there choice. not trying to help people come to Christ. (2 nephi 28:21)
and number 4: Entitlement. (2 nephi 28:22) Satan leads us to believe there is no Hell.

** Simplify our lives, get rid of activities that are not important.
** Some things are essential; making covenants, serving others, and being aligned with God. That means to spend some time with Him, reading our scriptures and praying to our Heavenly Father. We are to FEAST upon His words. The Lords says: Pray always lest ye enter into temptation.
** as mothers we think we have to do everything, there are certain "shifts" to a day. the day shift, swift shift, and night shift. We need to decide which one of those shifts are the most important to us and conserve our energy for that shift. We cannot work all three shifts or else we will eventually tire and wear out.
** We can be precise in things.
** Sometimes the spirit makes us feel guilty for us to repent. repentance= change.
** When I have the spirit, the biggest challenge challenge will not matter and I can handle it, when I don't have the spirit, the littlest challenge will be a BIG deal. --eliza snow. (D&C 11:12)

I loved her talk, and I loved how she would get a question and answer it perfectly. she has a great knowledge of the scriptures, and she has the strongest testimony. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to listen to her!

Come to Zion

Last week at institute our lesson was on Zion. I have to say I am really enjoying going to institute and learning more about the basic doctrines that I normally wouldn't think to study about. It gives me so much to think about and I enjoy studying more about them in my own personal studies. Here are a couple of quotes from Elder Christofferson's talk called Come to Zion that my teacher used in class.

Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen.

The Savior was critical of some of the early Saints for their “lustful … desires” (D&C 101:6; see also D&C 88:121). These were people who lived in a non-television, non-film, non-Internet, non-iPod world. In a world now awash in sexualized images and music, are we free from lustful desires and their attendant evils? Far from pushing the limits of modest dress or indulging in the vicarious immorality of pornography, we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. To come to Zion, it is not enough for you or me to be somewhat less wicked than others. We are to become not only good but holy men and women. Recalling Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s phrase, let us once and for all establish our residence in Zion and give up the summer cottage in Babylon (see Neal A. Maxwell, A Wonderful Flood of Light [1990], 47).

After this lesson I have felt the desire to become more like Zion, to have a broken heart and contrite spirit. When I do this as an individual I know I will be able to build Zion in my home and around me. I am so grateful for this gospel and my opportunity to go to institute! I am learning so much and my testimony is growing. I know this church is true and I would not be the person I am without it!

Charity

Daily Living::
Clothe yourself in Charity, the pure love of Christ.

Clothed with charity suggest an inner quality that is in our very being. IT IS WHO WE ARE. IT IS WHAT WE DO. it is in our countenance. Our feelings, attitudes, values, perceptions, and, above all, our actions are charitable like unto Christ. Charity will never fail. Oh, that we might be filled with this love, "which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him... (Moroni 7:48; 2 Peter 1:3-10)

Hey Family... I am speaking on Charity on this upcoming Sunday. I love this quote and I'm planning on using it. If anyone has any other great quotes on Charity or any thoughts, that would be awesome, and I would love to hear them!! :)
Love you all!
Chels

Salt of the Earth

After teaching the Beatitudes in Sunday School last week I have been thinking a lot about sharing this part with you all.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
As I thought about this scripture and thought about purity I came upon these scriptures:
D&C 101:39-40
39 When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men;
40 They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

D&C 103:9

9 For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men;
Matt 5:13

13 ¶Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

Who are the Salt of the Earth and the Savor/Saviors of men? From these scriptures it explains that it is the Covenant Saints.
"The Savior asks but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?"

I found this great quote from Carlos E. Asay about how salt loses its savor and its relation with man:
"A world-renowned chemist told me that salt will not lose its savor with age. Savor is lost through mixture and contamination. Similarly, priesthood power does not dissipate with age; it, too, is lost through mixture and contamination. When a young man or older man mixes his thoughts with pornographic literature, he suffers a loss of savor. When a priesthood bearer mixes his speech with lies or profanity, he suffers a loss of savor. When one of us follows the crowd and becomes involved in immoral acts and the use of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and other injurious substances, he loses savor. Flavor and quality flee a man when he contaminates his mind with unclean thoughts, desecrates his mouth by speaking less than the truth, and misapplies his strength in performing evil acts. King Benjamin cautioned, “Watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God” (Mosiah 4:30)."
Remember that Salt only loses its savor through mixture and contamination.
Carlos E. Asay continues:
"We must fight daily to retain our savor, our purity. We must press forward, clinging to our standards of holiness, remembering all the while that we are called to be the savor of men."

So as we are the Salt of the Earth we must fight DAILY to retain our savor or our purity and the blessing for doing this is that we can be the savior of men. Jesus Christ is our Savior and the only Savior of men, but he has called the Saints to join him in his work. We help him by sharing the gospel, redeeming the dead, and perfecting our own lives. If we are unable (by contamination) or unwilling to do that work,..."wherewith shall the earth be salted (preserved)?"

I love this last quote by Carlos E. Asay:
"We should extend honor, friendship, and hospitality to all of our brothers and sisters. To the inactives we extend the hand of fellowship; to the nonmembers we extend the divine invitation “come and see”; with the fathers of yesteryear we establish links which weld fathers to children and children to fathers. In all of this, we advance the purposes of the Master and assist in the reconciliation of men to the God who gave them life. And, in the process, we not only preserve our savor but we save ourselves. I count it significant that the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Salt Lake City. From this center of the Church flows the message of salvation to all the world. To this city of salt, men and women gather from all corners of the earth to receive instruction and edification. Such instruction, if accepted and practiced, will enable men to retain their savor and assist them in becoming saviors of men.

Now back to the pure in heart shall see God.
I love this quote from Harold B. Lee:
“If you would see God, you must be pure. There is in Jewish writings the story of a man who saw an object in the distance, an object that he thought was a beast. As it drew nearer he could see that it was a man and as it came still closer he could see that it was his friend. You can see only that which you have eyes to see. Some of the associates of Jesus saw him only as a son of Joseph the carpenter. Others thought him to be a wine-bibber or a drunkard because of his words. Still others thought he was possessed of devils. Only the righteous saw him as the Son of God. Only if you are pure in heart will you see God, and also in a lesser degree will you be able to see the ‘God’ or good in man and love him because of the goodness you see in him. Mark well that person who criticizes and maligns the man of God or the Lord’s anointed leaders in his Church. Such a one speaks from an impure heart.” (Lee, “Decisions for successful living, pp. 56-63.)

Oftentimes I feel life here on earth is just filled with so many distractions and temptations all around us that sometimes are just hard to overcome, but I am so grateful for the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Atonement brings about change and getting us closer to perfection and it is always there. What a beautiful and wonderful gift that is and that our Savior so freely gave to us so that we can return to our Father in Heaven. We can come to him and find peace and forgiveness and then move forward maintaining our purity so that we can be the Salt of the earth. I believe that by maintaining this purity we will be the pure in heart that will see God, seeing the reality of Him through the miracles and tender mercies of the Lord which constantly remind us that we are sons and daughters of a true and living God, and ultimately as we truly "see" and live with Him again.