Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Call Me PollyAnna...

It seems that most of what we hear about the world is not good news. Of course we need to be aware of what is going on and probably even have some responsibility to do something to change it, but, we often make things more bleak than they really are because of our lack of faith. Here's a few things about what our church leaders say about the future.

"The future will be essentially the same as the past, only much brighter and greatly enlarged...I see a wonderful future in a very uncertain world." Pres. Hinckley

"It is no ordinary blessing to live in these latter days. These are glorious times, forseen by ancient prophets and attended by watchful, angelic hosts. The Lord is mindful of His Church." Pres. Uchtdorf

"It may seem that the world is in commotion, and it is! It may seem that there are wars and rumors of wars; and there are! It may seem that the future will hold trials and difficulties for you; and it will! However, fear is the opposite of faith. Do not be afraid!" Pres. Packer

With all that is going on in the world we must not loose faith. This land is still the promised land and the Lord isn't through with it yet.

Just because I posted after a year of not, don't think it will be a regular occurance, we'll just have to see.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Worth of a Soul

-"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship...There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal and their life is to ours as a life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit...Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
C.S. Lewis

side note, even a gnats heart has some nutrients.

-"An intelligent being, in the image o9f God possesses every organ, attribute, sense, sympathy, affection of will, love, power, and gift, which is possessed by God Himself.

But these are possessed by man in his rudimental state, in a subordinate sense of the word. Or in other words, these attributes are in embryo; and are to be gradually developed. They resemble a bud-a germ, which gradually develops into bloom, and then, by progress, produces the mature fruit after it's own kind."
Parley P. Pratt

-"We believe that we are the offspring of our Father in Heaven, and that we possess in our spiritual organizations the same capabilities, powers, and faculties that our Father possesses, although in an infantile state, requiring us to pass through a certain course or ordeal by which they will be developed and improved, according to the heed we give to the principles we have received."
Lorenzo Snow

Friday, January 30, 2009

What is righteousness

After another inspiring institute class I decided I wanted to share some of the great quotes so here they are.
-"Welcome to the celestial journey. Take courage and take hope. You have help from heaven and on earth...And remember, the most significant sign of your progress on this journey is not so much your location on the path at the moment, but rahter the direction in which you are moving."
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

-"Who is righteous? Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting, he is a righteous man. There is hope for him. And no matter how good he has been all his life, if he is not repenting, he is a wicked man. The difference is which way you are facing. The man on the top of the stairs facing down is much worse off than the man on the bottom step who is facing up. The direction we are facing, that is repentance; and that is what determines whether we are good or bad."
Hugh Nibley

-"We will not be able to travel through life on borrowed light. The light of life must be part of our very being. The voice we must learn to heed is the voice of the spirit."
Pres. James E. Faust

-"First, we must desire to find God above all other desires...Whatever it si we want so much, we are likely some day to have it. Not only will the righteous desires of our heart be granted, the unrighteous desires of our hearts will also be granted. Over the long run, our most deeply held desires will govern our choices, one by one and day by day, until our lives finally add up to what we have really wanted."
Elder Bruce C. Hafen

-"I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable."
Anne Morrow Lindbergh