Help Us O Lord.....

A worthwhile attitude for all of us could well be, “Help us, O Lord, to remember thy love for us and help us to be fortified by thy strength when our eyes are blurred with tears of sorrow and our vision is limited.”

It is expedient for all of us, particularly those who may be weighed down by grief because of acts of misconduct or misfortune, to recall that even the Prophet Joseph Smith had hours of despair because of his very trying experiences in the Liberty Jail. Perhaps he too was entitled to question, “What did I do wrong? What have I done to displease Thee, O Lord? Where have I failed? Why are the answers to my prayers and pleas withheld?” In response to the feelings of his heart and mind he cried out:

“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?” (D&C 121:1.)

The reassuring response came: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; “And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” (D&C 121:7–8.)

The promise God gave to Joseph Smith is a promise for all of us: “If thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes,” and also over heartaches caused by misconduct of loved ones.

Marvin J. Ashton, “‘If Thou Endure It Well’,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 20

In The Past....

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to determine what we did wrong in the past to deserve the unpleasant happenings of the moment that we fail to resolve the challenges of the present. Og Mandino wrote in his book The Greatest Miracle in the World, “If we lock ourselves in a prison of failure and self-pity, we are the only jailers … we have the only key to our freedom.” (New York: Frederick Fell Publishers, 1975, p. 61.) Marvin J. Ashton, “‘If Thou Endure It Well’,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 20

No Middle Ground......

‘...with the right of choice comes the responsibility to choose. We cannot be neutral; there is no middle ground. The Lord knows this; Lucifer knows this. As long as we live upon this earth, Lucifer and his hosts will never abandon the hope of claiming our souls.

Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal journey without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him God-given guidance to assist in our safe return at the end of mortal life. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice within each of us, and I do not overlook the holy scriptures, written by mariners who successfully sailed the seas we too must cross.

Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices. The prophet Mormon tells us, “The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.”’

Thomas S. Monson, “The Three Rs of Choice,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 67–70

Who Is The Co-Pilot......

If God is your Co-pilot – swap seats!

And

The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

Sarcasm....

Among the many weapons we use to castigate other people we disapprove of, is sarcasm. True, it relieves our pent-up feelings, and if our remarks are really pointed, gives us a certain satisfaction. Repugnant as it is in itself, sarcasm becomes even more distasteful when we find it comes from Greek verb “sarcazo,” which means to tear flesh. It is that form of irony in which the speaker is motivated by scorn. If I have ever used this weapon against anyone, I promise myself not to do it again. I have no right to scorn anyone, since I can never know what creates their need to behave as they do.

I will make an effort to blend gentleness with firmness, to add a note of harmony to my relations with others instead of tearing and destroying. I will realize that the wounds made by sarcasm are slow to heal, and may defer the longed-for improvement in my life.

“A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. (Proverbs)

One Day at a Time in Alanon, April 23

Look back and thank God,

Look forward and trust God,

Look around and serve God,

Look within and find God!!

Innocent Victims.......

“The innocent victim should not be required to carry guilt and scars and baggage of shame.  A loving and willing Master desires to lift those things from our hearts and minds and replace them with His love and sweet peace. Christ will take on Himself our illnesses, our sicknesses, our sufferings-but we must let Him.” “Do not put time limits on justice against the wicked.  Many men and women leave this life without ever having felt a particle of guilt, some without having had their vile crimes detected.  They have felt no remorse for their conduct.  They may even have served in Church callings and had wonderful reputations, wealth, good health, and glowing funeral services.  Do not be concerned; the demands of justice reach beyond the veil!  The important thing is for those who are innocent victims to remember the words of the Lord:  ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ (D&C 110:16). We must forgive and leave judgment to Him who promised justice.” “The Incomparable Christ, Our Master and Model, Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, 1995

Parenting and children....

Although we bring personal weaknesses to our parenting that may provide real opposition for our children, we do not need to feel that all is lost. We remember that our Heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning. (See Abr. 2:8.) He knew beforehand the ignorance, the failings, the confusion, and the spiritual infirmities of each of his children— including those who would become parents. Knowing all these things, the Lord prepared the gospel plan and allowed us the experiences of mortality, with certain compensations and blessings and talents available within the child or along life’s path that would help the child as he or she struggled with opposition. God provides ample opportunity to learn and recover from the opposition. (See 2 Ne. 2:11, 15; Ether 12:27, 37.) Some of the learning experiences we undergo may cause us heartache. But fortunately, divine growth can be the outcome of the pain and opposition in anyone’s life