Friday, February 9, 2007

   Yeah, we have kitties. XD
"There is no substitute for kindness in the home."
~ Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Virtue of Kindness", Ensign, May 2005, 27


Doctrine & Covenants 18: 10-18, 21-24, 26-28
Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.
And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.
And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!
Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.
And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation.
Ask the Father in my name, in faith believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.
[...]
Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness.
And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved;
Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day;
[...]
And now, behold, there are others who are called to declare my gospel, both unto Gentile and unto Jew;
Yea, even twelve; and the Twelve shall be my disciples, and they shall take upon them my name; and the Twelve are they who shall desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart.
And if they desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart, they are called to go into all the world to preach my gospel unto every creature.

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Equus: I'm going to a dance tomorrow!

Xihuitl: This will only be her second semi-formal dance. She enver went to her prom.

Equus: ^_^ Of course, I have to get my vest done, so this will be quick.

Xihuitl: God your Father and Jesus Christ love you all and bless you and want to bless you.

Equus: Pocket hugs! Ooh, my outfit is a white dress with a red vest and matching detached sleeves, with the dress's white sleeves big and poofy on my arms. And silver and purple for the makeup and jewelry...or gold and red...

Xihuitl: Good night, and we love you. Take care. ^_^ Hope you enjoyed the quotes. And we'll start working on the Jake Long story.

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Fact of the day: White animals are susceptible to a tumor, I believe it is. One reason that white isn't the most common color in mammals like horses. Or light grey, for that matter, at least in the wild. It's dangerous.

"The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's altar. The many other things we 'give,' . . . are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God's will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!"
Topics: submissiveness, sharing, humility
~ Neal A. Maxwell, "Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 24

Many years ago, when I was called as a bishop, I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives.
One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic. He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy. Something had happened that day. He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry, pulled him out of class, and told him not to come back.
He never did.
It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect. But it had. And, as a consequence, this man had never returned to church. Neither had his wife or children.
I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way. I told him how unfortunate it was that one word spoken in haste, and so long ago, could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity.
“After 40 years,” I told him, “it’s time the Church made things right.”
I did my best to do so. I reassured him that he was welcome and needed. I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members. In particular, this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond.
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes.
Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given, but they can linger with us over the years. One day, when I was in college, a man seven years my senior congratulated me on my performance in a football game. He not only praised how well I had done in the game, but he had noticed that I had showed good sportsmanship. Even though this conversation happened more than 60 years ago, and even though it’s highly unlikely the person who complimented me has any recollection of this conversation, I still remember the kind words spoken to me that day by Gordon B. Hinckley, who would later become President of the Church.
[...]
“My older brother and I were going to school, near to the building which was known as Joseph’s brick store. It had been raining the previous day, causing the ground to be very muddy, especially along that street. My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud, and could not get out, and of course, child-like, we began to cry, for we thought we would have to stay there. But looking up, I beheld the loving friend of children, the Prophet Joseph, coming to us. He soon had us on higher and drier ground. Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little, heavy-laden shoes, took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces. He spoke kind and cheering words to us, and sent us on our way to school rejoicing.” 1
~ Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Virtue of Kindness", Ensign, May 2005, 27
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