Tuesday, August 15, 2006

   Hi!
Many today feel troubled and distressed; many feel that, at any moment, the ships of their lives could capsize or sink. It is to you who are looking for a safe harbor that I wish to speak today, you whose hearts are breaking, you who are worried or afraid, you who bear grief or the burdens of sin, you who feel no one is listening to your cries, you whose hearts are pleading, 'Master, carest thou not that I perish?' To you I offer a few words of comfort and of counsel.
Be assured that there is a safe harbor. You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you. Your Heavenly Father--who knows when even a sparrow falls--knows of your heartache and suffering. He loves you and wants the best for you. Never doubt this. While He allows all of us to make choices that may not always be for our own or even others' well-being, and while He does not always intervene in the course of events, He has promised the faithful peace even in their trials and tribulations.
~ Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Finding a Safe Harbor," Ensign, May 2000, 59

Doctrine & Covenants 18:10
Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

Joshua 8:33-35
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well as the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

Matthew 10:29-32
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Acts 11:1-18
And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

2 Nephi 26:33
For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Equus: Ah, a cool damp day.

Xihuitl: And are you going to do anything constructive today?

Equus: Of course! Heh, well...I hope so.

Xihuitl: Equus may finally get a sketch of Emeraulde up here so you all can see him finally. But Kyo-clone and Kakashi-clone have definitely been up to something. Not just the map--we finally got them to give us a copy of it--but they've been leaving for hours on end. We'll even search for them on the farm and not find them anywhere. I don't know what they're up to, but we'll find out.

Equus: Well, Night Shade2, if nothing else, you can maybe visit in the Millenium. That's what I was thinking. And it's exciting--we also have all of eternity. Perhaps we'll be able to learn more about it then, too, though there will be other things to do as well. ^_^ God bless, and Jesus Christ loves you!

Kurama-clone: Here are your pocket hugs. Have a nice day. ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fact of the day: Osprey are one of the raptors that belongs to its own exclusive group--unlike hawks and eagles. It is a fish hawk, a beautiful bird with a black mask.

Hope I got that all right. ^^;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please say a prayer for everyone giving and who has given so much for the good of mankind. The people who helped at ground zero on September 11, who now suffer complications. The soldiers serving their country. The doctors and nurses striving to help people. Your parents, who change the world through being your parents--loving and raising you, a very special person. God and Jesus Christ love you even more than anyone on Earth can. But we can try to love each other as well as we can, too. God be with you, and may you feel Their Holy Spirit guide you. Hugs and Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Conversion is a process through which every member must pass, regardless of how he or she came into the Church.
~ Elder Jensen

1 Kings 8:41-43
Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake;
(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.


Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a note about the upcoming issues of two of the magazines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A special issue for new members, the October 2006 edition of the Liahona and Ensign will speak directly to those who have recently joined the Church.
Elder Jay E. Jensen, Executive Director over the Church magazines, said: “The Lord said that 'the worth of souls is great in the sight of God' (D&C 18:10). This truth speaks volumes about our new brothers and sisters whom we welcome as new members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We love each one and want to help strengthen them and to speak directly to their common questions in this special issue.”
A welcome from a living prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley; what a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wishes every member knew; direction for how to fit into the framework of the Church—all these topics and more are included in the magazine, written especially with new members in mind.
For long-time members, it may seem strange to receive an issue addressed to new members, but long-time members play a vital role in nurturing new members. This issue can strengthen all members and help them be more aware of the challenges faced by new members.
Some of these challenges include accepting a new lifestyle, trying to meet new people, and making difficult changes. New words, meetings, and teachings can be overwhelming to new members, who may not have the support of friends and family in their decision to join. This issue will be a forum for these concerns.
Within its pages, terms are defined, testimonies are shared, and difficult questions are answered, such as “How do I answer friends and family who question my decision to join the Church?” and “Now that I've been baptized, where do I go from here?”
Comments (0)