Spiritual Notes, Most Important Parts of a Talk, Vicarious Ordinances in Temple, Serving

 Spiritual Notes

What makes a person mighty?

With any talk or book, there are three important things. The third is what you hear, second what the Holy Ghost teaches you and first the commitments that you make.

There are those who scoff at the ideas of vicarious ordinances performed for the salvation of souls. They think it all to be very strange. No thinking Christian should be surprised at such a doctrine. Was not he sacrifice of Christ a vicarious offering for and in behalf of all mankind? The very Atonement was wrought vicariously. -President Boyd K. Packer

When we say yes to serving, we are saying yes to Jesus Christ. And when we say yes to Christ, we are saying yes to the most abundant life possible. -Elder Steven D. Shumway, Participate to Prepare for Christ's Return

Cleaning Floors, Talents, Serving, Meeting Needs

Use talents to further God's work. I remember hearing an example of a woman who would always clean floors when I family near her moved. It was her signature service. Someone had done that once for her and she appreciated it so much the she, in turn, did it for others.

While on the topic of cleaning floors, Elder Perry's mom would make sure they cleaned the corner and baseboards well. She knew the middle of the floor would be cleansed if the corners and baseboards were. If those hidden parts of our lives are clean, the middle seems to take care of itself. 

Institute Notes

 Institute Notes

 

Mosiah 11-17

Truth

Everything in this world that is true has a divine source, and that source is Jesus Christ. Truth is eternal (D&C 1:37-39) Divine truth is absolute (D&C 3:2) God uses the Holy Ghost to impart truth (D&C 50 19-22) The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are the fountain of all truth.

 

We too often confuse belief with truth thinking that because something makes sense or is convenient it must be true. Conversely, we sometimes don’t believe truth or reject it because it would require us to change or admit that we were wrong. Often truth is rejected because it doesn’t appear to be consistent with previous experiences when the opinions of truth of others contradict our own….The thing about truth is that it exists beyond belief. It is true even if nobody believes it. There is indeed such a thing as absolute truth unassailable, unchangeable truth. This truth is different from belief. It is different from hope. Absolute truth is not dependent upon public opinion or popularity polls. So how can we find truth?...the things we once thought we knew are continually being enhanced, modified or even contradicted by enterprising scholars who seek to understand truth…Satan has many cunning strategies for keeping mortals from the truth. He offers the belief that truth is relative appealing to our sense of tolerance and fairness. He keeps the real truth hidden by claiming that one person’s truth is as valid as any other. Some he entices to believe that there is an absolute truth out there somewhere but that it is impossible for anyone to know it….it is always good to keep in mind that just because something is printed on paper appears on the internet or is frequently repeated or has a powerful group of followers doesn’t make it true…all who seek to know the truth, who study it out in their minds, and who ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ will know the truth by the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

Mosiah 18-24

 

Pray asking the Lord, “What can I do?” to help those who are in bondage.

Start where they are and bring them up.

Don’t expect to repeat actions and expect different outcomes. Nothings changes if nothing changes.

How have I felt God’s love?

What is my duty?

Allow children to follow through with choice. Let them make it.

The Lord works in natural ways. 

Hopelessness is from Satan.

 

Jesus’ love was inseparably connected to and resulted from his life of serving, sacrificing and giving in behalf of others. We cannot develop Christlike love except by practicing the process prescribed by the Master. Charity is not just a precept or principle, nor is it just a word to describe actions and attitudes. Rather, it is an internal condition that must be developed and experienced in order to be understood. We are possessors of charity when it is part of our nature. People who have charity, have a love for the Savior, have received of his love and love others as he does.” -Elder C. Max Caldwell

Parenting

 No other work transcends that of righteous, intentional parenting.

Russell M. Nelson

Callings

 No calling is beneath us. Every calling provides an opportunity to serve and to grow."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Mankind was My Business

A few years ago, I was visiting my parents. When church ended, I went to pick up my dad from the nursery where he was serving as a nursery worker. As we were walking out of the building, I told him we should use the closest exit. He asked “why” and I replied, “So we don't have to talk to people”. He replied by quoting Charles Dickens, “My business, my business, mankind was my business.” He wasn't about to let me get out of interacting with others. He has always viewed his circumstances and gifts as given by God to help with His work and His glory. I've often thought of this simple yet meaningful teaching moment. 

In the Lord's Hands

In the Lord's Hands 

I remember the story of a Vietnamese family that fled Saigon in 1975 and ended up living in a small mobile home in Provo, Utah. A young man in the refugee family became the home teaching companion to a Brother Johnson who lived nearby with his large family. The boy related the following:

“One day Brother Johnson noticed that our family had no kitchen table. He appeared the next day with an odd-looking but very functional table that fit nicely against the trailer wall across from the kitchen sink and counters. I say odd-looking because two of the table legs matched the tabletop and two did not. Also, several small wooden pegs stuck out along one edge of the worn surface.

“Soon we used this unique table daily for food preparation and for eating some quick meals. We still ate our family meals while we sat on the floor … in true Vietnamese fashion.

“One evening I stood inside Brother Johnson’s front door as I waited for him before a home teaching appointment. There in the nearby kitchen—I was surprised to see it—was a table practically identical to the one they had given to my family. The only difference was that where our table had pegs, the Johnsons’ table had holes! I then realized that, seeing our need, this charitable man had cut his kitchen table in half and had built two new legs for each half.

“It was obvious that the Johnson family could not fit around this small piece of furniture—they probably didn’t fit comfortably around it when it was whole. …

“Throughout my life this kind act has been a powerful reminder of true giving” (Son Quang Le, as told to Beth Ellis Le, “Two-of-a-Kind Table,” Liahona, July 2004, 45; Ensign,July 2004, 63).

 Elder Larkin Story: When he was a kid he went to a family reunion and he was having fun terrorizing squirrels with his cousins when his mom made him go to a family meeting.  He didn’t want to be there and was acting up when his aunt pointed at him and said, “Todd. I’ve been doing family history and looking for Casper Yenter for 22 years and I’m going to die before I find him, so I need you to find him for me.”  When Elder Larkin was young he would send letters to Germany trying to find information about Casper Yenter. When he was older he looked online. The search for Casper Yenter kept helped him make good decisions growing up. He would tell himself, if you do this bad thing, then God won’t help you find Casper Yenter.  He also felt a connection to his family and heritage because of it. Just recently he was doing family history one Sunday and he searched once again for Casper Yenter and found him. His parish records in Germany had been digitized and now his work could be done. After 42 years Casper Yenter was found, but it was the years of searching that helped save Elder Larkin.