How to be better Saints

In Romans 13:11 we learn that our salvation is nearer then we think, it is time to prepare now, we cannot delay. In Doctrine and Covenants we learn that we must keep His commandments and endure to the end, meaning not giving up but striving to keep the commandments our whole lives. If we do this we will receive the greatest gift of all which is eternal life.

Here are some verses that Paul taught would help lead to salvation

• 1.       Romans 12:1- sacrifice our bodies unto God to be of service unto His hands. In other words be an instrument for Him, He is not physically on the earth but He can act through us.
• 2.       Romans 12:2- Don’t give into the world. Live in the world but not of the world, we have to live here we don’t have much of a choice, but we can choose to not follow the world’s standards. Turn our eyes unto God and perfect His will, choose to follow Him.
• 3.       Romans 12:9- Love everyone even our enemies. Turn away anything that is evil and cleave to that which is good, we should be filling our lives with righteousness.
• 4.       Romans 12:13- Serve other saints care for them and also care for the needy and the sick and those poor in heart
• 5.       Romans 12:16- Don’t be prideful, we all owe everything to God, the saints need to be of one heart and one mind. They need to be able to strengthen each other and withstand Satan
• 6.       Romans 12:21- Overcome evil with good
• 7.       Romans 13:1- recognize that God is the only power, and all power goes through Him
• 8.       Romans 13:3- Do that which is good and we don’t need to be scared of a higher power
• 9.       Romans 13:8- Love one another! Loving and being Christ like is how the law is fulfilled
• 10.   Romans 13:9- don’t commit adultery, Don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t bear false witness, don’t covet, and love they neighbor

Cautions Paul gave about judging

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are in charge of everything, they are the ones to judge, not us. We are all going to stand before Christ and be judged, so don’t judge others. It is important to remember that we are all brothers and sisters and we all have the same ultimate goal of returning home to our Heavenly Father and that we should be helping each other not putting each other down. Become one help and lift each other, care for each other. Care for the sick and the needy, we are all brothers and sisters don’t leave each other behind. During this time Paul referred the members of the church “Saints” any time saint is used during Paul’s time they are member of Christ’s church.

Baptism

Romans 6: 1-13

What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

• Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore rein in your mortal body” The scriptures say that the desire to sin must be destroyed. We must repent of any sins before we can be baptized and have a desire to choose the right and follow Christ.

What events from Christ’s life are symbolized in baptism?

• The symbolism with Christ’s crucifixion and with our lives is we must crucify or end our desire to sin and rise up again as Christ did. Going down into the water by immersion is the dying of our sins, like Christ’s dying and laying down into the grave, and then when we rise out of the water it is symbolic of Christ rising from the grave, the resurrection.

Consider this symbolism, why couldn’t someone be baptized by sprinkling?

• Considering the symbolism someone cannot be baptized by sprinkling because there is not the going down into the water completely submerged immersed by water, our sins dying, and then rising, coming up free of sin, as Christ rose from grave. Sprinkling doesn't work because you aren’t submerged. There is no symbolism of Christ’s life, not the death and resurrection like in immersion baptisms.

What do these verses teach us about the “newness of life?”

• Baptism gives us a new start at life; we have been cleansed of all our sins, and any desire to sin, we come out of the water with a clean slate. It’s our opportunity to show Christ that we are willing to follow Him and give up our old life to be disciples for Him.

According to Mosiah 3:19 what part of us would ideally die at baptism?

• We want the natural man inside of us to die, all the carnal and worldly things that we focus on to disappear and instead have our focus on Christ and following Him and His desires, instead of the worlds desires.

How do we know whose servant we are?

• The true source of freedom is through our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and choosing to be righteous. We have been given scriptures and Prophets who have given us commandments to follow, and when we follow them we are choosing to do the Lord’s will which is righteousness. We can feel that we are doing what the Lord wants us to do in our hearts and minds through the Holy Ghost. The spirit gives a comforting peaceful feeling, anything which is good comes from God. If we are serving Satan we don’t have a peaceful feeling in our hearts, we aren't choosing good choices. Someone cannot serve two masters, you must pick one or the other. Three simplified steps to being righteous.

ü Listen

ü Do

ü Feel

Amazing Song of the Day

Hymn "Let us All Press On"

Let us all press on in the work of the Lord, That when life is o'er we may gain a reward in the fight for right let us wield a sword, the mighty sword of truth.

Fear not though the enemy de-ride, courage for the Lord is on our side. We will heed not what the wicked may say but the Lord alone we will obey

We will not retreat though our numbers may be few when compared with the opposite host in view but an unseen power will aid me and you in the glorious cause of truth

Fear not, courage though the enemy de-ride we must be victorious for the Lord is on our side. We'll not fear the wicked nor give heed to what they say but the Lord, our Heavenly Father him alone we will obey.

If we do what's right we have no need to fear, for the Lord our helper will ever be near in the days of trial his Saints he will cheer and prosper the cause of truth.




Our Lord is always on our side if we fight with him we will win! If we fight against him we will lose. Who's side are you on?
I choose my Lord, through my actions, my words, my thoughts, my deeds, I choose him. 

One of my Favorite Talks

April 2007 General Conference

The Tongue of Angels

Jeffrey R. Holland

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity.

The Prophet Joseph Smith deepened our understanding of the power of speech when he taught, “It is by words … [that] every being works when he works by faith. God said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light.’ Joshua spake, and the great lights which God had created stood still. Elijah commanded, and the heavens were stayed for the space of three years and six months, so that it did not rain. … All this was done by faith. …Faith, then, works by words; and with [words] its mightiest works have been, and will be, performed.” ¹ Like all gifts “which cometh from above,” words are “sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit.” ²

It is with this realization of the power and sanctity of words that I wish to caution us, if caution is needed, regarding how we speak to each other and how we speak of ourselves.

There is a line from the Apocrypha which puts the seriousness of this issue better than I can. It reads, “The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones.” ³ With that stinging image in mind, I was particularly impressed to read in the book of James that there was a way I could be “a perfect man.”

Said James: “For in many things we offend all. [But] if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

Continuing the imagery of the bridle, he writes: “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

“Behold also … ships, which though they be … great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm.”

Then James makes his point: “The tongue is [also] a little member. … [But] behold, how great a [forest (Greek)] a little fire [can burn].

“… So is the tongue [a fire] among our members, … it defileth the whole body, … it is set on fire of hell.

“For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, … hath been tamed of mankind:

“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” ⁴

Well, that is pretty straightforward! Obviously James doesn’t mean our tongues are always iniquitous, nor that everything we say is “full of deadly poison.” But he clearly means that at least some things we say can be destructive, even venomous—and that is a chilling indictment for a Latter-day Saint! The voice that bears profound testimony, utters fervent prayer, and sings the hymns of Zion can be the same voice that berates and criticizes, embarrasses and demeans, inflicts pain and destroys the spirit of oneself and of others in the process. “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing,” James grieves. “My brethren [and sisters], these things ought not so to be.”

Is this something we could all work on just a little? Is this an area in which we could each try to be a little more like a “perfect” man or woman?

Husbands, you have been entrusted with the most sacred gift God can give you—a wife, a daughter of God, the mother of your children who has voluntarily given herself to you for love and joyful companionship. Think of the kind things you said when you were courting, think of the blessings you have given with hands placed lovingly upon her head, think of yourself and of her as the god and goddess you both inherently are, and then reflect on other moments characterized by cold, caustic, unbridled words. Given the damage that can be done with our tongues, little wonder the Savior said, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” ⁵ A husband who would never dream of striking his wife physically can break, if not her bones, then certainly her heart by the brutality of thoughtless or unkind speech. Physical abuse is uniformly and unequivocally condemned in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If it is possible to be more condemning than that, we speak even more vigorously against all forms of sexual abuse. Today, I speak against verbal and emotional abuse of anyone against anyone, but especially of husbands against wives. Brethren, these things ought not to be.

In that same spirit we speak to the sisters as well, for the sin of verbal abuse knows no gender. Wives, what of the unbridled tongue in your mouth, of the power for good or ill in your words? How is it that such a lovely voice which by divine nature is so angelic, so close to the veil, so instinctively gentle and inherently kind could ever in a turn be so shrill, so biting, so acrid and untamed? A woman’s words can be more piercing than any dagger ever forged, and they can drive the people they love to retreat beyond a barrier more distant than anyone in the beginning of that exchange could ever have imagined. Sisters, there is no place in that magnificent spirit of yours for acerbic or abrasive expression of any kind, including gossip or backbiting or catty remarks. Let it never be said of our home or our ward or our neighborhood that “the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity … [burning] among our members.”

May I expand this counsel to make it a full family matter. We must be so careful in speaking to a child. What we say or don’t say, how we say it and when is so very, very important in shaping a child’s view of himself or herself. But it is even more important in shaping that child’s faith in us and their faith in God. Be constructive in your comments to a child—always. Never tell them, even in whimsy, that they are fat or dumb or lazy or homely. You would never do that maliciously, but they remember and may struggle for years trying to forget—and to forgive. And try not to compare your children, even if you think you are skillful at it. You may say most positively that “Susan is pretty and Sandra is bright,” but all Susan will remember is that she isn’t bright and Sandra that she isn’t pretty. Praise each child individually for what that child is, and help him or her escape our culture’s obsession with comparing, competing, and never feeling we are “enough.”

In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.

I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: “The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.” ⁶ We should honor the Savior’s declaration to “be of good cheer.” ⁷ (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, “Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow.”

I have often thought that Nephi’s being bound with cords and beaten by rods must have been more tolerable to him than listening to Laman and Lemuel’s constant murmuring. ⁸ Surely he must have said at least once, “Hit me one more time. I can still hear you.” Yes, life has its problems, and yes, there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims for living—no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse.

Paul put it candidly, but very hopefully. He said to all of us: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but [only] that which is good … [and] edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God. …

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you. …

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” ⁹

In his deeply moving final testimony, Nephi calls us to “follow the Son [of God], with full purpose of heart,” promising that “after ye have … received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, [ye] can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels. … And … how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost? Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.” ¹⁰ Indeed, Christ was and is “the Word,” according to John the Beloved, ¹¹ full of grace and truth, full of mercy and compassion.

So, brothers and sisters, in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail. I pray that my words, even on this challenging subject, will be encouraging to you, not discouraging, that you can hear in my voice that I love you, because I do. More importantly, please know that your Father in Heaven loves you and so does His Only Begotten Son. When They speak to you—and They will—it will not be in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but it will be with a voice still and small, a voice tender and kind. ¹² It will be with the tongue of angels. May we all rejoice in the thought that when we say edifying, encouraging things unto the least of these, our brethren and sisters and little ones, we say it unto God. ¹³ In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

1.  

Forgiveness

What were the people of Corinth commanded to do “if they have caused grief”?

·         They were told to forgive others, to apologize, to comfort them, and not to have grudges, love everyone. We are to forgive everyone if we want to be forgiven ourselves. Sometime it is not easy to forgive but it is always the right thing to do.

What blessings do we see if we forgive?

·         If we forgive others then we receive the blessing of being forgive ourselves Matt 6:14

What is the danger in failing to forgive?

·         If we fail to forgive then we are in danger of not being forgiven Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-10 Matt 6:15

forgiveness is to renounce anger or resentment against. Forgiveness is important because we all want to be forgiven of our sins, we want to be forgiven of our faults and misdeeds. How can we expect to be forgiven when we will not forgive others? We must forgive willingly to to show that we deserve to be forgiven.  

Example of Paul

Found in reading 1 Corinthians 9 http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-cor/9?lang=eng

Paul is an apostle and has seen our Lord Jesus Christ. He loves teaching the gospel and he knows that if he doesn’t teach the gospel he will be in big trouble. Paul not only taught the people he became one of the people he was teaching, he didn’t look down upon them he didn’t think he was better than them. He became weak himself, and helped others grow along with him. He showed true empathy to understand and take the time to listen to others and took the time to get to know them, and truly cared for them.

This is a great example for us in missionary work. We should follow his example to show empathy instead of ignorance, to become one of them instead of looking down on them. Related to 1 Cor 9:22 Bruce R. McConkie said “ Paul here says he made himself all things to all men in an effort to get them to accept the gospel message; that is, he adapted himself to the conditions and circumstances of all classes of people, as means of getting them to pay attention to his teachings and testimony. And then, lest any suppose this included the acceptance of their false doctrines or practices, or that in any way involved a compromise between the gospel and false systems of worship, he hastened to add that he and all men must obey the gospel law to be saved.”

                Things we can learn to become better missionaries

·         Become one with the people

·         Do not look down on the people

·         Try to understand individual people

·         Take the time to listen

·         Live the way you want them to live

·         Teach them why they should love the gospel, don’t just tell them to live it

·         Become their friend

·         Serve and minister to the sick and the needy as the Savior would

·         Understand that we are all children of God and none of us are better than the other

·         Learn from the people 

Why the Apostasy?

The Four Gospels tell of Christ’s ministry on the earth, his interaction with the people, his parables and teachings, he gives us the ultimate perfect example that we are told to follow. In these books in explains Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, He lives. Christ continues to teach in the America’s then ascends to His Father in Heaven leaving the promising to come back again, the Second Coming. When Christ left the earth the gospel continued to grow as long as the priesthood was still on the earth and people were willing to listen, however a few hundred years later of gospel has disappeared off the face of the earth. My focus on this report is the importance of the apostasy.

In 2 Thes. 2:1-3 We learn that Christ will come again and that we need to stay steadfast in keeping his commandments and continue being a disciple of Christ. However in order for Christ to come again there must be a falling away first. As we read in Amos 8:11,12 there will be a famine of words, people will search for these words and they won’t be there to find. This famine was prophesied, it was planned, it is an essential part of the gospel.

During the apostasy we know that the gospel is no longer on the earth, God has not left His children but the priesthood is no longer with him. From history we know that many more religions developed claiming to be the right church, confusion and confrontation crusades. False prophets and teachers came and taught. In the New Testament Student Manual describes the apostasy as

The Greek word Paul uses is apostasia, the word from which we derive the words apostasy, apostatize, and apostate. The literal meaning of the word is to revolt; but in secular Greek usage it meant political revolt or the changing of governmental forms. The passage in Thessalonians is a reference to the apostasy that was to occur before the Lord returns to the earth to rule and reign in majesty and power. (276)

Because of the apostasy and the gospel being off the earth, when the gospel was restored to the earth through a prophet Joseph Smith, Christ and the Father appeared to him in 1823, and in 1831 the keys to the gospel were back on the earth. The scriptures prophesied of the forth coming of the church and we will know our purpose again. Eph 2:19-20, we are no more strangers but saints and part of the household of God and the gospel foundation is built on Jesus Christ, the “chief cornerstone” of the gospel. Matt 24: 9-12, 24 describes the hardships the latter-day saints would go through, the persecutions and the killings. These things happened because it was a new church in the land, because of the apostasy. The apostasy is crucial to the plan because without the apostasy you cannot have a restoration. The gospel had to be restored to the earth and grow from nothing, from a farm boy who saw a vision, a boy who would not give up despite the persecutions, a true sacrifice for the kingdom of God to lose everything he had, including his life, he became a martyr for the truth. Even with the prophets death the saints continued to stay steadfast and continued to grow. Some fell away but this is a crucial part for the church to go through hardships and prove their willingness to serve God and not give up at a little trial. Without the apostasy you wouldn’t have the great restoration saints wouldn’t have to prove themselves to God, they were saints because they know the gospel is true. May gave their life for it, and died with a testimony steadfast and unmovable in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.