DC 59 – Be Ever Grateful

We are incredibly blessed to have the fullness of the gospel in our lives. We need to always remember all the ways Heavenly Father blesses us and be grateful to him. We owe him that much.

Don’t ask me why I like photographing bushes so much. I just do. XD

Well, I’m finally getting back on track with the whole post-a-day thing. Yay! Gee, I sure hope I’m not the only one benefitting from it. 😀 … T_T

Anyway. I love the Doctrine and Covenants. A lot of the chapters in it are just pure slices of wisdom, the most basic things we always need to remember. I had a good read from Section 59 today for that reason. It just straight-up reminds us of what matters most. So, I’ll just elaborate on that nice little hodge-podge here. XD

Blessed are those, it says, who keep an eye single to the glory of God! Whether we live or die doesn’t matter. Those who live will inherit the earth in all its wonderful goodness, and if we die, we get to chill in Heaven. Pretty sweet deal. We’re blessed either way. No matter what goes on in life, we’re blessed for it, and after it, and in spite of it.

God has promised to crown us with many blessings, including – perhaps ironically – more commandments to fulfill. Why is this a blessing? Because it’s when we do God’s will that he’s able to bless us. So, the more chances he gives us to fulfill his will, the more we will be blessed for it. Ergo, commandments really are a blessing, not a burden.

Revelations are also mentioned as a blessing, and revelations include visions, dreams, warnings of the future, and basic answers to prayers of all kinds. Doctrinal answers, life advice, promptings, the guidance of the Holy Ghost…that’s all promised to us too.

Proof, Shmoof – Why It Doesn’t Matter

It’s easy to think you can prove what you believe, especially when there’s secular evidence. Don’t bother. It’s easily swept under the rug. People either want to believe or they don’t.

How’s that for a beautiful shot? 😀 I got these at just the right angle, and I love how the sunlight was shining through the leaves. They look like they’re glowing, don’t they? And the shadows in the background and all – really happy with this picture. But that’s not really what you came for, is it?

Alrighty, let’s get to the point. I recently read from the Church’s history, as written by Joseph Smith himself. You know, in the Pearl of Great Price. Talk about a heartbreaking read. I really empathize with Joseph a lot. People can be so cruel. Either way, that’s not what I’m here to talk about today.

I was reading this section in the history specifically, where Martin Harris took parts of the translation to show to a known translator, to prove the Book of Mormon wasn’t just pulled out of thin air. The result was this:

3 Nephi 11: Admitting Our Own Shortcomings

Well, well, well. I wasn’t really in the mood to post anything today, but after finishing my reading, I feel like I should. 3 Nephi 11 is a beautiful chapter of scripture. If you remember, this is where Jesus has shown himself to the surviving Nephites, after all the fires and tempests that just destroyed everything else. And he teaches the Nephites the same things he taught to those at Jerusalem. So, if you read the Sermon on the Mount, this whole thing is very similar to it.

Anyway. Three verses in particular caught my attention while reading this – they were actually kind of a guilt-trip for me. Verses 28-30 read this…

“…And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”

Well, Lord, hasn’t that become a problem!

Like A Broken Vessel: Depression And Similar Illnesses

Well, seems like a good time to use a picture from my trip to Utah.

I wasn’t sure what I would write about this morning. After doing my scripture studies, there was a bunch of topics I could’ve talked about. Ranted about, even. Some of these topics get me pretty fired up. But after cruising through the church website, a new video came up, and immediately I knew I wanted to talk about this. If you haven’t seen it, I’m including the link here; it’s called, Like A Broken Vessel.

The video is about 11 minutes long, and is told through the eyes of people who struggled with mental illness – particularly depression and anxiety. It’s a beautiful story of hope, and finding hope in the middle of these trials. I found out that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland faced depression in his own life too, something I hadn’t known before. At the heart of the video is a message for people struggling with either: Get help. Combining physical and spiritual treatment is the way to overcome.

As I viewed this, I found myself thinking of my own little sister. And also of myself.

Thoughts On Love And Loyalty

 

This morning was a rarity for my area. Cool, crisp, not humid like it normally is. Bright and sunny, a fresh, cool breeze. Not too hot, not too cold, even for a little sunflower like me. 😛 One of those rare days when you’ve just gotta be outside as long as you can, before it’s gone. So, that’s what I did.

My beloved often sends me recorded messages on his P-Day, so I was listening to that while out walking, just enjoying the sun and the beautiful weather. Honestly, it felt amazing. If only Andrew could be physically by my side right now. Then it’d be perfect. Just a few more months…