Love, the Source of Both Blessings and Burdens

"Since the beginning of time, love has been the source of both the highest bliss and the heaviest burdens. At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things."And the greatest of all good things is God."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 22

Topics: Love

Love, the Defining Characteristic

"We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God's spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 22

Topics: Love

HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST LOVE ME

Take a closer look at the words to the song "Thanks to Our Father". Look closely at what the song teaches us about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for us.

"Thanks to our Father we will bring,
For he gives us everything;
Eyes and ears and hands and feet,
Clothes to wear, and food to eat;
Father, mother, baby small,
Heav'nly Father gives us all.
Thanks to our Father we will bring,
For he gives us ev'rything."

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ show their love for us by giving us everything we have. I bear my testimony that they love me, and they love you. One way that I know that they love me is because they gave us the scriptures. The scriptures are a great guide for us to know how to return to them. 1 Nephi 11:22 reads, 'And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the ^alove of God, which ^bsheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the ^cmost desirable above all things.' I know that this is true, I have felt the love of God and it is a great feeling. I also know that when we do the things that are pleasing to our Father in Heaven, like going to church, reading the scriptures, and choosing the right we can have that feeling of love with us constantly.

JANUARY WRITER'S CHALLENGE

Love More, Try Harder

It often seems that the harder one tries to do what’s right, the more trials and obstacles one faces. It is somewhat comforting to know that the Savior himself was tempted and tried just as we are, although he obviously has the greater advantage. St. Matthew 4: 1,10 &11 says, “Then was Jesus ^aled up of the Spirit into the wilderness ^bto be ^ctempted of the devil. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, ^aSatan: for it is written, Thou shalt ^bworship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, ^aand, behold, ^bangels came and ministered unto him.”

While it is often easier said than done to follow Christ’s example, His example remains the sure and only way to eternal life. As I often fall to my knees to plead for guidance, I find that many of my prayers are answered by the whisperings to either love more or try harder.

Love More

In Matthew 22:37&38 we read, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy ^cmind. This is the first and great ^acommandment.” We also know that the second great commandment states in verse 39, “Thou shalt ^alove thy neighbour as thyself.” Our love for our Father in Heaven is obviously most important. If we love him, we keep his commandments, and we begin to care more easily for our brothers and sisters. But, it is also often a fact that the person who needs our love most is the one that is hardest to love. It can be trying to our relationships and personal growth if we let hurt feelings, mistakes, weaknesses, and grudges come between us. So how can we love others when it is most difficult? Probably the easiest way to change our hearts and frame of mind toward some one is to serve them. Recently I heard a story of a family that as they sat around the dinner at night, the father would ask them, not what they had done that day, but what they had done for someone else. Asking our family or ourselves this daily is a great way to change our mindset and to expand our compassion.

Try Harder

There is ALWAYS, ALWAYS something more we can do. As humans, we are often weaker than our spirits. We tend to look for the easy way out, the path of least resistance. When a particular trial stands in my way, I often find that as I pray, it is revealed to me that I haven’t yet done all of my part. There seems to be always something more to try or do. Sometimes we see what must be done right away, but are too scared to follow through, or we start looking for the easier path. 1 Nephi 3:7 “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” May we each find the courage and obedience to first do all that we can on our own, THEN go to our Father in heaven with what we truly lack.

As the New Year begins, I find that these two things are something that I can really spend more time developing and working on. I would like to be able tell my Father in Heaven that yes, in my life, I learned to love more and I tried my hardest.

The Security of Feeling Love

"The relationship between love and appropriate action is demonstrated repeatedly in the scriptures and is highlighted by the Savior's instruction to His Apostles: 'If ye love me, keep my commandments' (John 14:15). Just as our love of and for the Lord is evidenced by walking ever in His ways (see Deuteronomy 19:9), so our love for spouse, parents, and children is reflected most powerfully in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds (see Mosiah 4:30)."Feeling the security and constancy of love from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such love nurtures and sustains faith in God. Such love is a source of strength and casts our fear (see 1 John 4:18). Such love is the desire of every human soul."We can become more diligent and concerned at home as we express love—and consistently show it."

David A. Bednar, "More Diligent and Concerned at Home," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 18

ASK SHIZ

Dear Shiz,
I understand that genealogy is important in order to do the work for those who have passed on and haven't had an opportunity to receive those blessings. But what is the significance of tracing and knowing our lineage all the way back to Adam. Seems a little excessive. Please clarify!
Thanks,Nut Fallen from the Family Tree

Dear Nut,
Thank you for your question and in fact that is a good question to ask ourselves. Most of the reason we do Genealogy work is so that we can indeed bring the blessings of eternal life to those who have passed on. Think of why we as families want the Sealing Covenant?... This is so we can propel our family relations into the next life. This is no different then that of our complete family all the way back to Adam and Eve our first parents.

In the Old Testiment this is taught in Malachi 5:5-6 with says,
"5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
This is simple to understand and yet sort of confusing at the same time. Joseph Smith tells us that the word "turn" can be translated to either "bind" or "seal" and Elijah the prophet did return to the early saints of this dispensation to restore the blessings to "bind" or "seal" the parents to the children.

With more detail let me quote from Andrew C. Skinner's book "Temple Worship : 20 Truths that will bless your life,page142," about this specific subject from President Young.

"We are called, as it has been told you, to redeem the nations of the earth. The fathers cannot be made perfect without us; we cannot be made perfect withour the fathers. There must be this chain in the holy Priesthood; it must be welded together from the latest generation that lives on the earth back to Father Adam, to bring back all that can be saved and placed where they can receive salvation and a glory in some kingdom. This Prieshood has to do it; this Prieshood is for this purpose...."

I hope this has answered your question Nut. Not only is it important to do the temple work for those who have passed on but it is our duty so that we may be one eternal family after this mortal existence.

Gospel in the Home

"Remember that having religious observance in the home is as important as providing food, clothing, and shelter."

Quentin L. Cook, "Stewardship—a Sacred Trust," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 93

Scripture--Agency

. . . And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon. . .(2 Nephi 2:26)

PRAY ALWAYS

"To access information from heaven, one must first have a firm faith and a deep desire. One needs to 'ask with a sincere heart [and] real intent, having faith in [Jesus] Christ' (Moroni 10:4). 'Real intent' means that one really intends to follow the divine direction given."

Russell M. Nelson, "Ask, Seek, Knock," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 81

Topics: Prayer, Faith

2 Nephi 32:8-9
And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.