Saturday, August 20, 2005

   Hi!
I deleted the wrong post! Sorry that the post before this is missing. :(

Scriptural or religious quotes of the day:

"[...]Those people need to have a little private time and ask themselves what they really want in life. Is it entertainment? Is it wealth? Is it fame? They need to decide what they really want to accomplish. [...] Many people, in and out of the Church, have not really framed their objectives, what they want to accomplish more than anything else. But once they have made the decision to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, to emulate His example, to live according to His precepts, then their commitment is secure. That has to be done individually. No leader can do it for anyone else."

"[...]In the scriptures the Savior says, “Come unto me.” What does this invitation mean? How do we come unto Him?

"[...]“Come unto me,” the Savior said, “all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). So you come unto Christ to be yoked with Him and with His power, so that you’re not pulling life’s load alone. You’re pulling life’s load yoked with the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and suddenly your problems, no matter how serious they are, become lighter. That’s what we mean by coming unto Christ, being yoked to Him."

"[...]Many of our Saints don’t understand what repentance really is. Repentance is more than just undoing the wrongs you’ve done. It’s a whole change of your outlook on life. You want to think like the Lord. You want to talk like the Lord. You want to act like the Lord. You want to believe, you want to pray, you want to love the way the Lord does. And then you’re converted. Often you see people whose first interest is somewhere else. They will have conflicts, because as they try to serve the Lord they have one foot in the stirrup and one foot dragging on the ground."

"[...]As I go around to visit the members of the Church in stake conferences and regional conferences, often I ask them what they know about the life of the Savior. How can you describe what you know about the Savior in a word or two? And maybe I don’t phrase the question very well, but quite often their answers are rather nebulous. I’ve learned that generally people in the world do not understand who the Lord is, what His mission was, or what His ministry meant. The Lord’s mission in mortality was to accomplish the Atonement, which is a gift of immortality to every individual who has ever lived. That is an incredible gift. Part of that mission was to make eternal life a possibility for anyone who would qualify for it. That is a gift conditioned upon obedience to the laws and temple ordinances and covenants. What was His ministry? His ministry was everything else that He did—His miracles, His teachings, His love, His focus on ordinances, His teaching us how to pray. His mission—the Atonement—was uniquely His. Only one was required to do that. He did it once for all. On the other hand, His ministry was to be an example for us. There is no limit to the number of people who can learn to love as He loved, to serve, obey, pray, and endure to the end as He did. We can all emulate that example. We need to make a clear distinction between the things we can do that the Lord did and the things we need not worry about that the Lord did once for all. If we can understand that, then we can really emulate the Lord in our own lives and follow the example He set for us."

"[...]Is there anything else you would like to say to the members of the Church?

"[...]Just to bear my testimony that this is the work of the Lord. We are engaged in His holy service. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, as is the New Testament, as is the Old Testament. But the Book of Mormon is a very special document that teaches us more about the life, the mission, and the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ than any other book. I’m so grateful for the Book of Mormon. And I’m very grateful to be led by a living prophet. To have a prophet at the helm of this Church is a wonderful privilege. It is my testimony that we are engaged in the work of the living God in His living Church, the only true and living church upon the face of the earth. And I leave that testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

from “The Mission and Ministry of the Savior: A Discussion with Elder Russell M. Nelson,” Ensign, June 2005, p 16 (emphasis added)

Hope you're enjoying the thoughts. While I think these are all good, the first one especially is what I need right now. The second one is a comfort. And the one about the Savior's ministry and mission is a comfort--and also really neat. Hugs and love to all.

^_^
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