Cebu City, Philippines
133rd operating temple
Dedicated: 13 June 2010
By: Thomas S. Monson
Jesus Christ, Mission of
Mosiah 3:9
And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.
Book of Mormon
1 Nephi 17:1-16
"Come Follow Me"
Review: DC 3-5 "My Work Shall Go Forth"
OctGenCon
'Let God Prevail'
President Russell M. Nelson
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
We may be led to some who have never believed in God or Jesus Christ but who are now yearning to learn about Them and Their plan of happiness. Others may have been "born in the covenant" but have since wandered away from the covenant path. They may now be ready to repent, return, and let God prevail. We can assist them by welcoming them with open arms and hearts. And some to whom we may be led may have always felt there was something missing in their lives. They too are longing for the wholeness and joy that come to those who are willing to let God prevail in their lives.
The gospel net to gather scattered Israel is expansive. There is room for each person who will fully embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each convert becomes one of God's covenant children, whether by birth or by adoption. Each becomes a full heir to all that God has promised the faithful children of Israel!
P3 S1
In humility, we declare that in answer to his prayer, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph and inaugurated the "restitution of all things" (Acts 3:21).
Today was definitely a snow day, and lots of it. I had bad muscle cramps this morning and did not think I would be able to sit through church so I stayed home to watch on Zoom. James got permission to administer the sacrament to me when he spoke to the bishop at church. He also helped bless the sacrament at church.
James also represented Chuck at ward council today. Chuck is under quarantine until February 4th because Kathy has Covid. James reported on our indexing activity and progress to the ward council. The bishop wants everyone in a leadership position to do some indexing.
At home I listened to President Nelsons' talk, "Let God Prevail" and then the talk by President Oaks about Joseph Smith.
As I waited for the Zoom broadcast to start I read from 1 Nephi 17 about the Lord commanding Nephi to build a ship. He had such an attitude of gratitude. He was even thankful for raw meat to eat in the wilderness. I wonder if I could be as grateful as Nephi if I was in a similar situation.
The powers that be, Sandra and Kerri, had difficulty getting the broadcast started today. It came in in the middle of Alicia's talk and then it was the bishop's turn. We could not hear a word he said. Well actually I did hear a couple of words, one was Lamanites and the other was focus. I had to wait for James to get home to tell me what the bishop's message was.
He said it was the best talk he as ever heard the bishop give and that he wanted everyone to read and study President Nelson's conference talk from the women's session of the October conference. The title of the talk is, "Embrace the Future with Faith." Here are some of the highlights of this talk:
My dear sisters, you have found new ways to make the Sabbath a delight. And you have made protective masks - millions of them!
You young women have also been remarkable. Though social media has been flooded with contention, many of you have found ways to encourage others and share our Savior's light.
Sisters, you have all been absolutely heroic! I marvel at your strength and your faith. You have shown that in difficult circumstances, you bravely carry on. I love you, and I assure you that the Lord loves you and sees the great work you are performing.
How are we to deal with both the somber prophecies and the glorious pronouncements about our day? The Lord told us how with simple, but stunning, reassurance:
"If ye are prepared ye shall not fear."
If preparation is our key to embracing this dispensation and our future with faith, how can we best prepare?
I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation.
In that regard, we can learn a lot from Captain Moroni. As commander of the Nephite armies, he faced opposing forces that were stronger, greater in number, and meaner. So, Moroni prepared his people in three essential ways.
First, he helped them create areas where they would be safe - places of security he called them.
Second, he prepared "the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord."
And third, he never stopped preparing his people - physically or spiritually. Let us consider these three principles.
Principle Number One: Create Places of Security
As turmoil rages around us, we need to create places where we are safe, both physically and spiritually. When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith - where the Spirit resides - your home becomes the first line of defense.
Likewise, the stakes of Zion are "a refuge from the storm" because they are led by those who hold priesthood keys and exercise priesthood authority.
The temple - the house of the Lord - is a place of security unlike any other.
Simply said, a place of security is anywhere you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him.
Having places of security to which you can retreat will help you embrace the future with faith.
Principle Number Two:
Prepare Your Mind to Be Faithful to God
The Lord taught us how to increase our faith by seeking "learning, even by study and also by faith." We strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ as we strive to keep His commandments and "always remember him." Further, our faith increases every time we exercise our faith in Him. That is what learning by faith means.
Few things build faith more than does regular immersion in the Book of Mormon. No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most. The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide.
Our ultimate security comes as we yoke ourselves to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! Life without God is a life filled with fear. Life with God is a life filled with peace. This is because spiritual blessings come to the faithful. Receiving personal revelation is one of the greatest of those blessings.
I promise that as you increase your capacity to receive revelation, the Lord will bless you with increased direction for your life and with boundless gifts of the Spirit.
Principle Number Three: Never Stop Preparing
The adversary never stops attacking. So, we can never stop preparing! The more self-reliant we are-temporally, emotionally, and spiritually-the more prepared we are to thwart Satan's relentless assaults.
Dear sisters, you are adept at creating places of security for yourselves and those you love. Further, you have a divine endowment that enables you to build faith in others in compelling ways. And you never stop.
Please, keep going! Your vigilance in safeguarding your homes and instilling faith in the hearts of your loved ones will reap rewards for generations to come.
I am not saying that the days ahead will be easy, but I promise you that the future will be glorious for those who are prepared and who continue to prepare to be instruments in the Lord's hands.
Let us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith! Turbulent times are opportunities for us to thrive spiritually. They are times when our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times.
I promise that as we create places of security, prepare our minds to be faithful to God, and never stop preparing, God will bless us. He will "deliver us; yea, insomuch that he will speak peace to our souls, and will grant unto us great faith, and . . . cause us that we can hope for our deliverance in him.
As you prepare to embrace the future with faith, these promises will be yours!
It snowed a lot today! James went over to the Scott's because Sister Scott told him at church that she used to have cramps like he says I am having and that she now takes vitamin K2, magnesium, D3, Zinc, and potassium. He brought home some K2 vitamins. I will order some tomorrow for Sister Scott to replace them. She also said to drink lots of water and no diet soda because aspartame in the diet soda causes cramps.
I indexed 124 names tonight for a total of 754 for this month.
We Facetimed with Jared, Kacey, and Charlie tonight. It was so much fun!
James and I watched the first part of Brother Halverson's "Unshaken" on YouTube tonight.
I love this!
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