Temple Work

My SMART project was centered around temples and different scriptures I related to temples and this past week I have thought more about the greatness of temple work and have been reading scriptures again. Most of you don't get to read my final project, so I want to share part of the spiritual aspect of it that I learned concerning the Book of Mormon. 

It was actually quite difficult to find scripture references that directly talked about temples in the Book of Mormon since that is mostly discussed in D&C. But, one of the scriptures I did find was  Mosiah 1:18 -

“And now, it came to pass that Mosiah went and did as his father had commanded him, and proclaimed unto all the people who were in the land of Zarahemla that thereby they might gather themselves together, to go up to the temple to hear the words which his father should speak unto them.”

I really liked this scripture because it reminds you that the temple is a place to hear the words of God. Even though the scripture doesn't explicitly say that, I read that this was talking about the ability to go to the temple and be close to God and have the spirit speak to you. I love that we have the temple as a place to go to when you are wanting to be closer to Him and I know that we can hear his words through the different ordinances we do, but then also through the feeling of the spirit.

I think that this scripture can be read in many ways, but I think it is interesting to think of it as a message for the power of the temple and the ability we have to go and hear the Lord's words.

I hope to find time to go to the temple this finals week because I have a testimony of its help when life gets rough.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Caroline

Endure to the End

Recently, my family has been going through some tough things. This trial has been very challenging and has caused a few family members to stray away. This last week, things have been especially difficult and so I decided to search lds.org for things that could be comforting or helpful. I decided to look at was under the scripture guide for "Endure". There were many comforting scriptures and 3 Nephi 27:6 stuck out to me the most. This scripture is simple, and while it can be directed to the idea of sticking with your faith, I also see it in a different way. The scripture says:

"6 And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day."

Not only does this scripture remind you to be a believer of Christ and withstand any temptations or persecution, to me it also reminds you that when you are going through trials, you always have the Lord with you. This scripture is comforting because it reminds you that Christ helps you when you have faith in him.

This scripture is really applicable to what is going on in my life. It reminds me to be an example of a believer in Christ and not fall to temptation when I am struggling through a trial, but then it also reminds me that the Lord is with me and I will be rewarded for my strength.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline

Beattitudes

I really enjoyed examining and learning more about 3 Nephi 12 this past week. It was really interesting to look at the verses 3-10 as a story of conversion and progress through faith. I found the steps towards to perfection to be enlightening and comforting, and it really impacted me.

The way we read the verses in this chapter are interesting because instead of looking at is as the Lord declaring who will be blessed, he is actually giving steps to reach perfection.

The first step from imperfect to perfection like Christ is vs. 3:

"3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

This verse can be read as where you begin in the process. You don't have a strong testimony, but you recognize that and know that you need to move forward.

The second step is described in vs. 4:

"4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

In this verse, after realizing you are "poor in spirit" you mourn for the sins that you have committed and reflect on your imperfections. This mourning process if still comforted by knowledge of the possible changes you can make from the place you are in.

"5 And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

In vs. 5, we receive step three, which is humility. When you are meek, you are ready to be taught and are open to change. Because you have recognized that you are of little faith, and have this feeling of remorse, you are humbled and ready to learn more and change. After you experience this level of humility, you are moved onto step four. This step is described in vs. 6:

"6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."

This step tells of the growing desire to learn and be strengthened that follows the humble attitude. When you are finally humbled, you receive a strong hunger for the gospel and are ready to be taught and active. Before this point, you are slowly moving towards perfection and now you are actively moving towards it.

Step number five is when you really start to move beyond yourself and look more towards others. This step is described in vs. 7:

"7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

In this step, you are being asked to be merciful to others and to yourself. You need to be like Christ and forgive others for their transgressions, just like Christ forgave you. You also need to forgive yourself for the sins you have made, because Christ has already forgiven you. This ability to forgive others and forgive yourself makes you more perfect through your Christ-like attribute of forgiveness.

Step six is a really big step that is very important for the progression to perfection. This is described in vs. 8:

"8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

In this verse, we learn that it you are pure in heart, you shall see God. This step is another realization moment. To reach this step, you must be pure in heart - which is helped by forgiving others. When you are pure in heart, you also can see God's hand in your life. When you realize how much God has helped your life, you will have the strongest faith and this faith will drive you to bring others into the church - which is step seven. Step seven is described in vs. 9:

"9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

In vs. 9, you have finally reached the point where you are going out and sharing the gospel with others. When you are "peacemaker", you are making peace in everyone's hearts by sharing the gospel with them. When you share the gospel, you are a missionary and are called a Children of God because you are sharing his work. This step is really important because it opens others to the greatness of the gospel. When you share the gospel with others, you are opened up to criticism and that leads you to step eight, which is in vs. 10-12:

"10 And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;
12 For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you."

In these verses, you can see how you can be persecuted for your faith. But with this persecution, you can be strengthened and rewarded. If you are tested by others and persevere, you will be stronger and closer to perfection. At this step, you are constantly being challenged and sometimes you will be pushed to your limits and you faith will be broken. When this happens, you restart the steps and through the repetition of steps, you continue to grow closer to God and to perfection. But, if stay strong and are remembering the journey and the steps you have taken, you will be on the path to perfection still.

These steps that are outlined in 3 Nephi 12 are a great reminder of how you can return to the Lord when you fall away. They are comforting because they show how the Lord has created a way for you to be perfect just like Him because that is what he wants. Repentance is the key to this process and it is the greatest gift and we are blessed for Christ's sacrifice through the Atonement. The Atonement is especially important to reflect on as we get close to Easter. I am really thankful for the Atonement and for the Plan of Salvation. I am happy that we always have a way to grow closer to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline

Relief Society Conference: Trust in the Lord and Lean Not

For scripture study this week, I decided to apply some of the Relief Society Conference talks to my study. The one I am choosing to share is "Trust in the Lord and Lean Not" by Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, the Second Counselor of the Relief Society.

In her talk, she discusses the ways in which we can trust in the Lord instead of leaning away from him. The first example that she shared was scriptures. She shared that reading and studying your scriptures is a great way to avoid leaning away.

With this, I am reminded of the power of the scriptures and so I searched Book of Mormon scriptures on reading and studying the gospel. One of the examples I found was: Helaman 3: 29-30:

"29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."

In this scripture, we are told of the power of trusting in the word of God. The scripture shares that if you trust in the word of God, you will be able to avoid temptations of the devil. I have definitely found that the times in my life where I am actively studying the scriptures, I am less able to be tempted by the devil.

The next tool for trusting in the Lord that Sister Cordon shares is prayer. She says to trust the Lord through prayer. She shares a personal experience where prayer helped her. One of the scriptures that is footnoted in the talk is Moroni 7:48:

"48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

In this scripture, it tells you to pray to God with your heart and that by doing so, you will be more like him and become more pure. This is a comforting message about the great powers of prayer and its ability to help us become better. During the semester, I often rush out in the morning and don't remember to pray. This is something I need to work on because I know there are benefits to prayer and this Moroni scripture shows that.

The last tool that Sister Cordon shares is service. She explains how it is beneficial to trust in the Lord and do service. Sister Cordon shares a heartfelt story about a woman who chose to serve others when she was battling cancer. The woman, Amy Wright, chose to spend the nights that she couldn't sleep, because of her cancer symptoms, looking for ordinances that could be done in the temple, or searching for others to help. Through this service, Amy was trusting in the Lord to help her as well.

One of the scriptures shared in this talk, in relation to service, was Mosiah 2:17:

"17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

This scripture is really popular, and that is because its message is so clear and true. I have found that when I serve others, I am growing closer to God. Sometimes in life, you are so busy and it can be hard to find time to serve others. But, if you trust in the Lord to help you when you sacrifice time to serve others, it will be beneficial. It is never a bad idea to serve others and you can do it in so many ways.

These three ideas that Sister Cordon presented: Scriptures, Prayer, Service; are all great ways to grow closer to the Lord and with each one, I have personally found that to be true. I am so grateful for Relief Society Conference and how it inspires me and also how it helps me in my personal scripture study!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline ferrell