If we don’t feed the fire, it dies. Plain and simple. 

The insightful question of jumps from the pages of the Book of Mormon to all those who ever have felt a might change of heart in their searchings for the truth, “can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26) I just read an article entitled Preserving the Heart’s Mighty Change that helped me to think again about the answer to that question. Here were some of my thoughts:

I used to think myself invincible to learving the Church. My mother had raised me well and I had the habit of attending meetings weekly. Though, as time goes on I realize that I too am suseptable to walking away, losing the fire, letting worldly ideas convince me that there’s no God or that I am not divine and his child and am just as well off out of the Church as I am in it. Because there are daily attacks on the state of my heart, I must be careful to do those things daily that defend & protect my heart from the ever so imperceptable hardening, damagina and deadening of those slow and steady attacks.

If you’d like to feel the power of the God’s word through his living prophets and apostles I’d like to invite you to join me and many others to study a talk a week in a facebook group called Walk The Talk. It’s low key and there’s no pressure. You can go here

“Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, ‘I will not leave you comfortless. [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].’ “

Three promises came to my mind as I began to ponder and study this talk. They stemmed from a question that I asked myself after I read Elder Holland’s words. The question is, “How can I receive the Lord’s comfort in troubled or lonely times?”

Here are the three promises that sunk into my heart:

1. ^aDraw ^bnear unto me and I will draw near unto you; ^cseek me diligently and ye shall ^dfind me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (Doc & Cov 88:63)
2. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and ^aopen the door, I will ^bcome in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev. 3:20)
3. “I will not leave you ^acomfortless: I will ^bcome to you…If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will ^alove him, and we will come unto him, and make our ^babode with him.” (John 14:18,23)

I learned the other day in my studies that the Lord extends so many individual promises to all of us. We can know these as we seek to know his will in the scriptures. When we find them we can cling to them with hopeful hearts. AND if we “prove him” by living so that those promises have chance to sprout, we will come to know through the Holy Ghost that he loves us, we will become more fully pure and we will be full of his light.

This said, the Savior’s grace or enabling power comes into our lives and we realize our reliance upon it. None are saved in any other way than by Christ. He makes ALL the difference.

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Original Talk: Jeffrey R. Holland – None Were with Him
Discuss Here: None Were with Him @ Walk The Talk

Sadness & strife

These are but gifts

Blessings of life

We ride the cycles of happiness and sorrow. With every rotation we learn more of what it is to be human, to have strains, to have challenges, to have difficulties. To recognize that these down times are but part of the whole allows us to let hope into our hearts and understand, as my grandmother used to say, “this too shall pass.”

At times we run faster than we’re able. We fill our lives, and rightly so, with good activities. But there comes a point when the busyness of life robs from us the precious gift of reflection. In quiet moments we can look back on our behavior, let the solemnity of special moments sink in and we can assess our thinking on important topics. Simplifying our lives can provide us with many such opportunities. In these sacred times we can come to accept & love ourselves as well as see life more clearly.

Shelter, food, clothes and heat. These are the few basic things that Henry David Thoreau determined were necessaries for man while he lived a simplified life on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Walden Pond. I am thankful for my meager apartment and cramped room. I am grateful that I have clothes to wear, including my cowboy boots. I am pleased that my house is warm when the weather outside has other plans. I am grateful for my 5 pound bag of pretzels and chocolate milk that sustain somehow my life.

Breaking from philosophy and entering practicality: In considering a shelter Dave Ramsey counsels to spend no more than 25% of your monthly take home pay on your monthly home payments. Also, providing at least 20% in down payment on a 15 year loan will allow you the most flexibility if you need to immediately sale the home.

Thrift, industry, economy and frugality are traits that I seek. At present time I think I’m running about 50/50 on most of them. Hopefully my kids someday will be able to learn these from their bearded father.

Finally, I’m grateful for my agency. I needn’t choose simplicity because that’s what I was advised to do. Rather, I choose simplicity because I can conceive of its benefits in a busy and rushed world.

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Thoughts taken from Let Him Do It with Simplicity, a talk by Elder L. Tom Perry in the October 2008 LDS General Conference.

So I was up last Sunday and my friend Arden popped online and we started chatting. We both recalled how great it had been to be really involved in the scriptures on a daily basis. So, without much hesitation we both agreed to a challenge of sorts that would help us in our daily reading.

The next morning I woke up and began to read my Book of Mormon and felt that I had some other friends that also could benefit from stepping it up a little in the Word of God department. So, over the next hour or so I texted many of my friends to invite them to to join me in what I called the Apple Pie Challenge.

Now some didn’t quite understand what the whole thing had to do with apple pie, and to them I apologize. Here’s what that’s all about:

I had a friend recently start reading the Book of Mormon again after a time of famine. He ate it up and said it was like home made apple pie. The Lord told us to “feast upon the word” so I thought that was a rather appropriate metaphor.

The Challenge

The Apple Pie Challenge then was to feast 30 minutes each day on the Book of Mormon for a week’s time. I asked all who accepted the challenge to report to me via text message when the day’s readings were complete and I would do the same for them. This daily reporting I learned served two purposes: 1) It was a reminder of the committment I had made and 2) It was a way to be accountable for it. I also invited those who joined to invite at least one other to join in with them.

Some Group Results

By week’s end 38 friends had joined in the challenge to step up. Reports came in throughout the week of simple, yet powerful and personal experiences. Several friends expressed a clarity that became available in the midst of their trials as they spent just a short time with their Father in Heaven daily. Many also expressed that when began it was boring or hard to get into, but as they continued in faith a change happened and they started to hunger for the word.

My Personal Blessings

While each of our experiences were very personal and sacred to us individually, I feel that I can share at least 3 benefits I received this week from studying the Book of Mormon on a consistent basis:

1. I was given strength to face feelings of anxiety and frustration.
2. I was able to see my situations more clearly and my tendency to be easily distracted was lessened.
3. I felt more motivated to choose the right in the midst of the temptations I face daily.

This coming week I realize that I cannot take for granted these blessings. They are too important to me to proudly claim that I am the source of their origination. I will feast again as before, but I will also add a prayer to the routine both before and after I read.

My Invitation to You

I invite all to join me! If you’re in, just text me, “I’m in!” (361-5002) and I’ll report to you daily when I finish and expect you to do the same. We will be having a real life apple pie party in the next couple weeks to celebrate those who take the challenge and step up.

Doctrines studied and practiced with the hope that they are indeed God’s word allows us the gift of the Spirit, who testifies to us, strengthening our testimony. This process is known as faith: Hope that some thing’s real, act upon what you know, receive a witness that the thing you hoped for is true.

I know this to be true. By simply following the doctrine, we’ll know it through the spiritual, deep rooted proof that only the Holy Ghost can provide.

It’s been a little while since I took some time to get out of myself. The other week I stepped out of my usual self-absorbed role to wear the hat of a missionary again. Our ward mission leader had asked for several ward members to go to the Missionary Training Center to spend some time in the referral center. This is where those who see or hear one of the Church’s ads can call in and request a free Bible, Book of Mormon or church video.

I opted that evening to help with the Mormon.org chat feature and was lucky enough to get a 26 old man from FL. He was kind in his questioning and I talked with him the entire hour that I was there. I appeared to answer his questions to his satisfaction as he would say “I believe that too” after I answered.

As Charles and I chatted with one another this talk by Elder Holland came to my mind. We talked about prophets and the necessity of revelation in our day. I felt a strong spirit of goodness as I testified to him that I know that God loves us as much as his children in any age of time.

Elder Holland speaks powerfully about the misconceptions behind LDS not being Christian. A definite MUST watch for anyone looking to get to the bottom of this topic.

I believe that God speaks to us and that he wants to speak to anyone willing to seek him out. Truly the invitation, “Seek and ye shall find” is real. This is how I will Walk the Talk…I will show that I know my Father’s words never cease by recommitting to study them daily. I often come to this point and I’ll keep doing it until it becomes part of my daily habit and until I crave the word of the Lord and it is part of me in every way.

• Original Talk: “My Words . . . Never Cease”
• Discussed On: Walk the Talk – Discussion Board

• Do I harden my heart? Then I’ll receive LESS of the Lord’s word.
• Do I soften my heart? Then I’ll receive MORE of the Lord’s word.

Responsibilities of the Holy Spirit…

comforts, teaches, warns, enlightens and inspires us.

It will show unto you ALL things what you should do.

How the Holy Ghost Speaks…

He whispereth

- to hearts
- to mind

• Do I want to be visited by the Holy Ghost?
• Do I want the Lord to draw near unto me?
• Do I want joy and consolation in my life?

Then I must carefully assess the condition of my heart. It is one of the most important things I can do in this life.

The heart is a tender place. It is sensitive to many influences. It can be:

• softened by love
• hardened by sin (Moroni 10:22)
• hurt by others

to protect our precious gift of agency: Holy Ghost carries messages TO the heart, but not INTO it….

State of a Heart necessary to feel the Holy Spirit: Purity

When my heart’s on the things of the world…

• I seek to hide my sins
• I seek vain ambitions over the things of God
• I seek unrighteous dominion

+ This is pride

The condition of my heart directly affects the things of the Spirit….this is why anger, bitterness, blame, frustration can leave me feeling empty.

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Sachi’s thoughts on Opening Our Hearts

“Stable families provide the fabric that holds society together, benefiting all mankind, even those who may feel they live in less-favorable circumstances.”

There have been a handful or two times in this life where I have felt so overwhelmed with the Spirit of God that both His existence and the truth of the moment were undeniable. I consider those times my “tender mercies” from a loving Father. Most of those treasured moments have been experienced when I have been taught truth about the importance of the family. They are precious and special to me.

“Although spiritual truths may appear less tangible, to the humble heart their impact is undeniable.”

I have also had many moments of quiet peace in which I realize small and simple truths that help support the deeply personal moments I mention above. I cherish those moments as well and feel the Lord teaching me line upon line and precept on precept. Each time I am quiet enough and ready to hear these soft impressions I have a calm sense of gratitide because I know that my Father in Heaven loves me, is mindful of me and delights in teaching me things of eternal significance.

The things of eternity can only be taught by the Spirit. When we learn things that way, we have eternal truths imprinted on our souls, never to be forgotten. Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy spoke humbly and gratefully about gaining “an appreciation for the core values that are necessary for the development of a sound character.” I’m sure in his home atmosphere of love these qualities are some of his most valuable possessions:

Loyalty, dependability, integrity, selfless service, honor, respect for the daughters of God, provident living, dignity of work, ability to make important decisions, accountability, consideration for others, and encouragement to pursue educational opportunities.

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More:

• Facebook Group: Walk the Talk
• Ideas From: Restoring Faith in the Family
• Originally given during: 178th Annual General Conference, April 2008

• Talk
• Audio 

“We need to enlarge the circle of our influence” – This reminds me to break free from any cliques that we can quite easily establish and seek to include all.

“To some degree we all depend on each other to be able to make it back to our heavenly home.” – I don’t think to some degree, but to a LARGE degree we depend on each other. It’s with a little help from my friends that I survive. I realized while running in St George and again in the Wasatch Back Relay that without the help of others I would have had a much harder time keeping strong and courageous. Its in the helping hands, the smiling faces, the mutual strength that I draw from my friends and those who serve that I can become anything great.

“Do what you will, there is going to be some benevolence, as well as some malice, in your patient’s soul. The great thing is to direct the malice to his immediate neighbours whom he meets every day and to thrust his benevolence out to the remote circumference, to people he does not know. The malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary.” – I have enjoyed recently to listen to C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce and have read most of The Screwtape Letters. In a simple way Mr. Lewis clearly exposes the subtle ways we feed ourselves a steady meal of self deceit and garbage. It’s beautiful to me how clearly I see things after reading or listeningn to a few of his thoughts on Christian living.

This statement also reminds me of when Christ said if you can’t be kind to your brothers and sisters who are nearby then how can you show love to a God whom you can’t even see? (paraphrased)

My Walk will be simple. I will not bicker about “dirty dishes,” literally and figuratively and will do one kind, out-of-my-way act for each of my roommates and family members this week.

Walk This Talk Extras

• Sachi
• Mindy
• Shara

I often feel the pull of the world and today, to know that through Christ’s resurrection I have life was a good feeling. Though I walk through the valley of death I know that He is my Lord and that He knows all my troubles and sorrows.

Though I fall short I know that through him I may conquer all my fears!

He is Risen and I know this to be true.