Day 114

I read a chapter out of 2 Kings today. It was a hard chapter for me to read, because I didn't understand a lot of it, and the names were really hard to pronounce. But I did get something out of it anyways. I try and read books of scripture that I normally don't think to read every so often, and today it was out of 2nd Kings.

Verses 18-19 were what stood out to me and actually made sense. It talks about how the people of Assyria had their gods destroyed, and how those "gods" were just workings of man, not the true and living God that we worship. And that got me thinking again, how easily it is to sometimes worship other things of man, besides Heavenly Father. It's not just statues that people worship these days. It's anything that keeps us from doing our duty of serving one another and our Heavenly Father. TV, internet, sports, crafts, whatever. If we put those before Heavenly Father, we are just the same as the people of Assyria. Worshipping that of man rather than that of God.

Reading verses like that are helping me put back into perspective what is most important in my life right now, and of course I say Heavenly Father and the church. But do I always act that way? It's helping me look at my life and see what I can adjust to be a better daughter of God.

Day 113

This week I'm focusing on talks by Elder Russel M. Nelson. Today I read a talk about prayer. How to pray, what to pray about, and why we have prayer.

I know prayer is a topic that we all know a lot about and continue to talk about in church. Because it's so imporant! Prayer is our communication to Heavenly Father. We can actually talk to Heavenly Father whenever we need or want to!

I know sometimes I really could do better at praying. Especially at night, sometimes while I say my personal prayers I'm already so tired I fall asleep in the middle of them. I always feel guilty about that, but sometimes I wonder if Heavenly Father gets a chuckle out of that, listen to my thoughts wander and eventually shut down because I'm so tired. Oops.

But I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to pray whenever I need to. Alma taught in the Book of Mormon that we should be constantly praying to Heavenly Father, whether it's just thanking him, or telling him about something. He is our Father, and wants to know how we are just like any parent! I like to think that sometimes when I pray that yes, I should be respectful and formal because he is a higher being, but I also like to know that he loves me as a daughter and I can talk to him about anything. When I really open up and talk to Heavenly Father, that's when I feel like I have the most meaningful prayers.

Day 112

I just read a short article on Elder Ballard's thoughts on helping a testimony continue to grow. He said our testimonies need to constantly be nourished in order for us to keep them.

It reminded me a lot of a plant. You can't keep a plant alive by simply keeping it in your home. You have to water it. Put it in the sun. It's the same with our testimonies. Even though I know I have one, I can't just keep it to myself, or not do my regular scripture study, or go to church on a regular basis. I need all of that in order for my testimony to continue to grow. And I want it to grow! Everytime I read the scriptures, or learn something new (which is daily, I think) I feel that much closer to my Heavenly Father, and feel his love even stronger than before. It's because of the testimony I have in Him and Jesus Christ that I can find happiness every day. That I have a purpose in this life, and know that I will have a purpose in this next life as well.

Day 111

Since I read a talk about families yesterday, I decided to read some scriptures about them as well. I read Jacob 3 today.

He was talking about how the Lamanites have become more righteous than his brethren, the Nephites. He talked about how the Lamanites had better family units going on. The husbands loved their wives and the wives loved their husbands. The parents loved their children and the children loved has their parents. They were bringing up their children to be good people, while the Nephites were setting bad examples to their children. Jacob warned that because of how the Nephites were bringing up their children, it would one day be a sin on the parents' heads because they planted those seeds of wickedness in their children.

 Reading that helped me realize once again how important being a good example at all times is. You never know who is watching. These children were watching their parents and all the bad things they did, and took them to be what was normal and what was needed to be done.

I know that everyone has free agency, but parents do teach their kids at a young age whether they realize it or not. I need to work on remembering that I am always an example to those around me.

Day 110

Today I read a talk by Elder Ballard about families and keeping the bonds of a family strong in these last days.

I know I've been taught that the family is one of the most important parts of the plan. The church functions because of the strength of the family. I know that growing up and supporting my family I have now is just as important as the family I plan on helping raise in the future.

The world is doing everything it can to bring down the family, to break it up, to make it seem like it's something silly. But it's not! I know that growing up in the family I did has helped mold me into the person I am today. It was by loving parents that I learned the gospel, and now I have a testimony of my own.

I know the family is a unit God approves of, and created himself. I want to continue defending the importance of it and to never be ashamed of standing up for it.

Day 109

I just read the first chapter of Malachi. I don't really ever think or sometimes even like to read out of the book of Malachi or Revelation because they scare me a little and make me nervous. Mostly because the writing is along the lines of great destruction and endless woe. I know that only applies to the wicked, but still, I need to continue to try and be the best I can so that I won't have anything hanging over my head when judgement day comes.

This chapter I read all seemed to be the Lord telling everyone that even though many will try and hide from him, say that they never knew him, he will bring upon them his wrath because he knows our hearts, and knows our stories. He knows if we've ever known about the gospel and what we've chosen to do with it. He is the ultimate judge. We can't hide from him.

His name will be heard everywhere, and ever knee will bow and tongue will confess that he is the King of Kings. Some may say that sounds a little arrogant, but it's not. It's the Lord giving justice to those who have fought to defend his name their whole lives, who have tried their best to live his commandments. It's the wicked who will be running for their lives.

It was an interesting chapter. I need to read stuff like that more often to remember that Malachi is talking about the days I'm living in right now. Am I doing what I need to be doing?

Day 108

I just read a talk by Elder Ballard about Daughters of God. He talked about the importance of motherhood, and how others can show their appreciation to mothers byt doing small and simple things.

It was a great talk and I greatly respect mothers, and look forward to the day when I will be one myself. I do believe it is one of the greatest joys on earth, and right now I'm doing all I can to continue to prepare to me a good mother.

I feel like what Elder Ballard mentioned for others to do to show their appreciation to mothers can also be things we show others in general that we appreciate them. I think so often we get caught up in our busy lives that we forget that small and simple things can go a long ways with others. We like to know that our efforts aren't being ignored, and we need to remember that other people struggle too. This was a great talk to remind me of that.

Day 107

I read a chapter out of Philippians tonight. Philippians. That's a book I don't hear much from, or think to open up to when I want to read the scriptures. Why is that? Because the chapter I read tonight had a lot of good insights and teachings, which resulted in me underlining a lot of verses.

I read chapter 2 and really loved what was written about Christ and his mission. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; And being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

That was verses 6-8 clumped together. I love those verses. It's put in such great context what Christ's whole mission was about. Christ came down as the only begotten son, but did not go about boasting of what his mission was and who he was. Instead he went about serving people humbly, and teaching by example. He did not wish for fame and fortune, just to teach others about the plan of salvation and how we are each heirs to the kingdom of God.

It made me want to be better at not seeking others' approval in this life, but God's approval. He is the one I should be concerned about. And I can please him by serving others. I need to remember that more often.

Day 106

I'm reading talks by Elder Ballard this week. I just read an address he gave in conference in 2007 about how we can all be missionaries, but we need to find the fine balance between sharing what we believe and being too overbearing in trying to teach someone more about our church.

I love how he told us to read into the situation more and figure out what exactly those that are investigating the church through us really want. Some are merely curious about the church, and some are actually interested in learning more teachings.  We need to pray for guidance to know how Heavenly Father wants us to go about teaching our fellow men.

We are taught every member a missionary, and we can be that. We also need to follow the rest of Christ's teachings and love those that reject the message. We can still be good examples. We need to be good examples and who knows? Maybe someday in the future those who once rejected the message will come back.

We are here to help build up the kingdom of God.

Day 105

I'm preparing my lesson I have to teach this Sunday, and it's on "developing our talents".

I really struggled with this topic at first because I was letting myself be insecure and thinking that I don't have any talents that are very good.

But as I continued to read and ponder on this topic and prepare my lesson, I realized what Heavenly Father wanted me to realize all along-I have talents. Many of them. And I'm developing a lot of them right now. I don't have to be the best piano player or soccer player in order to feel like I have "talents". Talents are anything that we continue to cultivate and make better.

It was a good lesson to learn while I'm preparing to teach others about it.

Day 104

I just finished reading chapter 14 of Helaman. Samuel the Lamanite came and prophesied about the coming of Christ and how significant and important it would be for everyone.

I loved how he talked about not only the signs and importance of Christ's birth, but also of his death. Verse 15 gave some really good insight. "For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becoeth expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord."

For some reason, I really like how Samuel stated that it was "expedient" that Christ should die. That it's not a bad thing, but an important part of the plan. Jesus Christ needed to sacrifice himself in order for the plan of salvation to be fulfilled. So that we could truly come back to our Heavenly Father.

Day 103

I read a talk by Elder Oaks about the resurrection. That topic always brings joy to me because I once again am reminded of what has been promised to me in the next life. I will always have my body, and it can become perfect!

Jesus Christ said something that I think is so sincere and full of love "Because I live, ye shall live also." I love that. Because of his sacrifice and being the first one to be resurrected, we can also be like him. We will be like him. It has been promised to us that our bodies will be resurrected. What joy that brings to me!

Elder Oaks also touched on the subject of how we will take whatever habits, traits and knowledge we gain in this mortal life with us. Our bodies will be perfect and free of defects and illness, but our minds will still be the same. That makes me want to be better at becoming better. So that I always like who I am, because I'm stuck with that for forever!

Day 102

I just read a story in Acts that I don't remember learning. It's about Paul and his journey to Rome, and while he's on the boat, they encounter a storm and the crew on the boat fear they will never reach land, and are destined to die at sea. They go many days in a dark storm and lose their sense of direction. They get to the point where they lose all hope.

While the crew is up on deck doing everything they can to keep themselves alive and afloat, Paul is praying and fasting that everything will go ok. He comes up to the crewmen and tells them "And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar, and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee."

Paul continued to have faith that if the Lord told him he would be brought before Caesar, he would make this journey alive. He trusted in God and didn't fear the storm would take his life.

In a way that's a lot like what we have to do. We trust that God will welcome us back home someday, and that we shouldn't fear the storms of life that we have to pass through. As long as we remember where our true end destination is, we will be able to make it through any storm.

Day 101

I read a talk by Elder Oaks about being thankful. I chose that talk to read today because right now I'm having a hard time remembering all I do have, and just focusing on things that are going wrong in my life. This talk helped, because Elder Oaks reminded me of all the things I am always blessed with, like the atonement, Christ's love and Heavenly Father's love, a body, the gospel and it's teachings, etc. Many, many things that I should always remember and be grateful for. And that's not counting things in my own life that I have that other people don't.

He said in his talk that I should be grateful for my afflictions, because that helps me to stay humble and to remember Christ and become strong through him. Sometimes, ok, a lot of times it's really hard to remember that when I'm going through a hard time. Sometimes I just want to sit in a corner and pout because my life isn't going smoothly. But I need to remember that I have trials for a reason, to learn and to gain experience, and that I should be thankful for them. I can look back on other hard times I've had in my life and be grateful for those now, because I'm not going through them anymore and I can see what I learned during those times. But in the moment it is harder. So that's my goal, to remember what I have amidst the hard things going on right now.