Romans 12:12-14 -- On Being Instant in Prayer

"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."
Romans 12:12-14


This is some great life advice for us (the rest of the chapter is also great if you have time to read today). My favorite part of the selection is the "instant in prayer" part. ... I think what that means is not necessarily dropping to our knees in the middle of the sidewalk, but rather a relationship with God where we think often about what He would think or like or do, as we do with mortal people that we love. I think that's also part of hearkening to the spirit and putting God first... praying always. It's that mental space that is dedicated to God because we love him and he is never far from our thoughts.

Today, let's think about what that kind of relationship with God would be like, and talk to God about how we would like to change our lives to get there. And of course let us also rejoice in hope, help others and invite them in, and bless everyone, even the ones that we are still learning to love.

Judges 6:13-14 -- On Answers from the Lord

"And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?"
Judges 6:13-14


I love this answer from the Lord. You have a question about something I haven't done for you? Let's go and do it together. :) I think the Lord uses this answer with us often... he can work more freely with us if we are engaged in doing something that we care about, and which is pleasing to God, so any project that does good is something that he can use to help us and build us into better people. :)
Today, let's take our own questions to the Lord, and be willing to get in there and work on making them happen.

D&C 45:56-58 -- On a House of Friends

"And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.
For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.
And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation."
Doctrine and Covenants 45:56-58


A few verses before this, still talking about the second coming, Jesus is asked about the wounds in his hands and feet and says "These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (verse 52) That is a really emotional message, and it made me think about how Christ could feel about all of this. He loves us so much, but we keep rejecting him in all sorts of ways. The whole world, our corruption, and the evil and ludicrous things that we put each other through... we're all certifiable.

Which is probably why even the destruction mentioned in this section seems compassionate to me. He mentions redeeming the heathen and them that "knew no law" and that it will be "tolerable" for them. Trying to help people and give them the best life and best future possible, even though we killed him. We rejected him. We rarely acknowledge him, and are often ashamed of him. That's an awful relationship to be in... and we're the bad guys in this story. So when he reaches out and talks about the parable of the ten virgins, it is so much easier to understand why not everyone is getting in to this feast.

Today, let's be abundantly grateful for Christ's life and his suffering for us, who never deserved what he gave up for us, but he loved us anyway. Let's take the grace that he offers to us, and learn to be wise, to recieve the truth, and take the Holy Spirit for our guide. Let's become the people and the friends that *Christ* deserves.

Mark 14:6 -- On God's Protection

"And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me."
Mark 14:6


I like here that Christ stands up for the woman that poured oil on his head, and explains why, even though the woman herself might not have known. Today, let's remember God's protective power in our own lives as well, and gather with him in safety.

Mark 7:24 -- On Taking Time to Recover and Blessing Others

"And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid."
Mark 7:24


I think it is cool that Christ needed some time away from the crowds. He served and gave of himself to others, which is of course noble and good, but he also took care of himself and those he traveled with. It's a good thing to remember as we face decisions in life as well. We need to take time to rest and recover along with giving service, and all the rest. Let's remember not to glorify overwork and busyness, but rather to find the balance, and to look unto God in every thought, so that he can help us know when to work and when to rest, study, and play. :)

Psalms 4:4 -- On Being Still

"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."
Psalms 4:4


Our Relief Society lesson today was based on Bishop Budge's talk from this last conference (Link), and I really liked a lot of what he had to say about stillness, which is similar to the advice in this verse. Today, let's not let the distractions of the world pull us away from God, but let's make the mental effort to be still, remembering and focusing on God.

When we pray/meditate with God, we don't have to say anything, but we can if we want to. The idea is to lift our hearts to him, and to be able to feel his love... and to take similar time regularly to commune with the Lord. We don't need to fear or run away from our trials, which are there for us to learn from. He will shelter us and protect us if we turn to him in quietness and peace.

2 Corinthians 10:7-10 -- On Appearances, Weaknesses, Judgements, and Love

"Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible." 2 Corinthians 10:7-10 It's interesting to me that Paul talks about the outward appearance, and then talks about his power in writing being stronger than his face-to-face presence and power in speaking. Moses had a similar weakness, claiming to be slow of speech and slow of tongue. Moroni seems to have been opposite, saying that they were not mighty in writing like the Brother of Jared, but rather that their words were "powerful and great, even that we cannot write them." I think that all of this together is a strong message about the way that we look at other people, and the way that we make judgements and decisions. Are we dismissing people because of something external or comparing our strengths to their weaknesses? The prophets all had weaknesses... it's more than likely that we, and the people around us, have some too. Today, let's try to see past the outward appearance and the possibly stumbling words, or the awkward writing. Let's do our best to see as God sees, with love. And when we're having trouble with that, let's pray to him for help to let us glimpse others as he sees them. Let's listen and learn what is inside.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 -- On Sorrow and Hope

"Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
2 Corinthians 7:9-10


I like the idea here that godly sorrow and worldly sorrow are different and lead to different outcomes. I think I have felt this in my life... the difference between the howling loss of something you desperately want, but can't (and shouldn't) have, and the deep shame and remorse for something that you did terribly wrong paired with the determination to improve, and not be that person anymore. Maybe it can also be seen just in the difference between funerals... a group that has lost someone and believes that is the end, and the group that truly believes that they will see thier loved ones again. The difference in hope for the future I think is one of the vast differences between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. God doesn't make us feel bad just to break us down. He shows us our weaknesses to inspire us to do better and to change and heal where we have harmed, and he is there to help us de better and be better. Satan, however, is the author of despair. He wants us to feel bad, and like we're worthless and life isn't worth living, and trying again is pointless. Let's not give in to the lies today, but counsel with God and live in hope. God can help us and change our hearts, and give us the power to overcome any challenge we face, even though we by ourselves could never handle it all. That's why we need him so desperately. He loves us so much to make up for our weaknesses and he teaches us to triumph over them.

Romans 6:4 -- On Baptism and Renewal

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Romans 6:4


I like the idea of baptism here... that it is like a rebirth. That is the traditional symbolism behind it, but I think it hit me a little harder today reading about it from the perspective of Christ's recent death in the New Testament... that we join in that death because of sin, but also in his triumph over it. And as Christ can walk in "newness of life" he gives us also this possibility... of starting fresh and letting go of our old selves, becoming new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) through Christ. Today, let's think about what that means... having a new spiritual start... and whether we are being baptized today, or have been for a while, let's be new, letting go of sin and starting fresh with God to help us become vastly better than we have been, step by step, with help along the way.

Matthew 7:1-5 -- On Self-Perfection

"Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye."
Matthew 7:1-5


The whole judgement thing is difficult. We have to make judgements in life in order to make choices and move in a direction. Here though, we get a clear directive from God not to make personal judgements, presumably about the worth and/or flaws of an individual. Rather, we should worry about perfecting ourselves before we worry about perfecting others.

Today, let's look to ourselves and the change and repentence that we all need. Let's learn the stillness of study and prayer and learn of Him. As we do, God will help us learn how to perfect ourselves and how to interact with others as well, in positive ways.

Revelation 3:17-19 -- On Seeing Clearly and Making Decisive Changes

"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
Revelation 3:17-19


This is just after God asks us to be cold or hot, rather than lukewarm, so I think this is continuing on the theme of self-deception, that we aren't comprehending the truth and committing to it fully. We're trying to float in the middle and just get along, thinking we are better off than we are.

Today, let's trust less in the world's goods and our standing there, and focus on our standing with God, and the distance between who we are and who we can be. The distance is vast, but God will help us... he loves us, which is why he corrects us and shows us the way to become closer to our best selves. Let's commit, and jump in with both feet rather than staying in the middle and not seeing the truth.

Matthew 28:18 -- On All Power

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Matthew 28:18


Jesus discussed power with his disciples here, not because he is bragging but because he is letting them know that he can back them up. Right after this he says "Go ye therefore" (referring back to the power), and asks them to teach and baptize, and promises to be with them.

I think that this same promise is to all of us, if we are on God's errand, as well. When we go out to do as he asks, he will be with us, and he will back us up with his power. Today, let's be willing to do as God asks, trusting that he will be with us and help us along the way.

Philippians 4:6 -- On Worry, Prayer, and Expectations

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Philippians 4:6


The footnote on "be careful for nothing" tells us that it means "don't be unduly concerned about anything," which I really like. Basically, God is telling us not to worry or freak out about things, but when things happen that concern us, to bring those things to him and allow him to help.

I don't think that helps come exactly in the way that we want it always, and so sometimes we interpret as God not caring or helping at all, but I also believe that God does help, every time we ask. Sometimes that means strengthening us and helping us carry the burden rather than removing the burden. God's will and timing are his, and are much wiser than our requests are... but God is still a God of miracles, and if we ask, and watch, and pray, we will see his hand in our lives, helping us with the things that we need.

We have examples of this in the scriptures... Nephi asked for the power to break the ropes that tied him, and instead they were loosened. The brother of Jared asked for light in his vessel, and God gave him restrictions and told him to figure out another way. Abraham's desire for posterity didn't happen the way that he expected... so many examples then and in modern day talks about unexpected miracles.

Today, let's not worry, but instead pray, suppolicate, and offer thanks, letting God know what we want and what we need. Then, let's have faith that God will help us in the best way, even if it isn't something that we expected. :)

Psalms 149:4-5 -- On Beauty and Joy

"For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds."
Psalms 149:4-5


A couple of cool things here... that the Lord with beautify us with salvation... everyone looks better in salvation. :) And the idea that God wants us to be joyful, and sing that out. :) Today, let's remember that goodness is beautiful, and to sing out our joy, whether we are comfortable doing that by voice or by heart. :)

Psalms 147:5 -- On Infinite Understanding

"Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
Psalms 147:5


This is a good reminder that God is not fallible like we mortals are. If we think of him that way, our thinking can get way off... we start thinking that God doesn't understand us or our circumstances or that he is wrong. ... But he does understand, all of it, and he is right. He loves us, and wants us to find happiness. Let's trust in that and turn to him today in prayer.

Psalms 146:8-9 -- On Open Eyes and Good Works

"The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:
The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down."
Psalms 146:8-9


I feel like we are all blind sometimes... a lot of the time, so I feel like this touches us all in a symbolic way as well as the physical healing aspect. God helps and supports us as we do good and work for the happiness of all. As we turn a blind eye or lie and cheat and take advantage of others instead, then he turns our ways upside down... and perhaps that happens to all of us at some point as well.

Today, let's let God open our eyes. Let's love God and serve him in making the world a better place and doing good to everyone around us. Let's see the goodness in the world, and cling to that rather than the evil. Let's trust God, and be patient in working toward and waiting for his kingdom.

D&C 101:16 -- On Comfort, Confidence, and Calm

"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God."
Doctrine and Covenants 101:16


Different context than Psalms 46:10, but same message. God is asking us to trust him and not to get freaked out or anxious about the world around us. He will fulfil his promises. Things are going to work out. Today, let's pray and do our best to have confidence that God will do as he promises. Let's cultivate some stillness in our lives so that we can stay calm amidst the craziness of the world.

Psalms 46:10 -- On Stillness and Anti-Drama

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalms 46:10


I like the commandment here to be still. Stillness, the way God asks it here, is not laziness. It is focus and peace. It is about learning and knowing the Lord. I think it is the anti-Drama. We overthink things and get anxious and fearful, but if we can learn to be calm/still and remember that God is watching over us, and trust in him, we would do a lot less running around like crazy people and more focusing on what is important and relevant. We'd be closer to the Lord, and more confident in his gospel and how it works in our lives.

When God talks about his desolations (verse 8), he isn't trying to scare us, but rather prepare us so that we don't freak out, but remember that it is all part of the plan, he is in control, and things will happen as they should. Today, let's work on being still and trusting the Lord's power and promises. He will do as he says, and as we learn of him, and stick with him and learn his ways, he will help us and lead us to joy.

Mosiah 23:21 -- On Trials of Patience

"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith."
Mosiah 23:21


I'm not sure anyone is happy about this sort of trial while it is happening, but the trials that God offers us have the ability to improve us, if we approach them in the right way. The right way is to stick by God, look to him for strength, and to not break or give up when things are tough. Today, let's stay strong in the midst of trials, and learn how to be better.

Mosiah 23:1 --- On Running Away As a Legitimate Spiritual Option

"Now Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah."
Mosiah 23:1


What strikes me today, reading this, is how often the Lord has people run away... leave dangerous situations rather than stay and resist/fight. Abraham, Moses, Lehi, Nephi, and here Alma... and many more. The Lord leads his people out of a bad situation, and then blesses them with a better one. Often a "promised land" where they can dwell in safety and peace. ... Not without effort, which is always important to point out, but perhaps less conflict / war / effort than had they stayed in the untenable situation in the first place.

Today, let's remember that staying and fighting to the death is a media ideal, not an actual ideal. When we are in an impossible situation, let's remember to turn to the Lord, and that running away is often a really good option. It isn't always what the Lord asks, but if escaping IS what the Lord suggests, we should be open to it, knowing that the Lord will lead us to something better.

Mosiah 4:13 -- On Changing and Living Peaceably

"And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due."
Mosiah 4:13


I like the idea of never having the thought of injuring anyone, but always working for peace. As we work to follow God, we can achieve this. Like all things though, it doesn't happen just from hoping and wishing... those things are good, but they have to be combined with action and effort. We have to work to change ourselves. If we do, then God will bless our efforts and help us to make changes and become better, far beyond our ability to do alone.

Galatians 6:2 -- On Lifting Together

"Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2


Three verses later, the chapter says "For every man shall bear his own burden" (verse 5), which is interesting. The context makes me think perhaps we are supposed to help bear the burden of faults, mistakes, and give people a chance to repent and change, but also take responsibility for our own actions, relying on the Lord for assistance as needed.

Let's do our best to bear one another's burdens today, being united in serving God and lifting others... and lifting with God when our own burdens get too heavy.

2 Corinthians 3:17 -- On Spirit and Liberty

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
2 Corinthians 3:17


Always an interesting one, because it is easy to see God's commandments as restrictive when we are in a certain mindset. Hard to step back and actually see that it is sin that binds us, like Jacob Marley's chains. When we have the Spirit with us, the world is before us, and working *with* us, and we are much more free, with more choices, greater access to joy and wisdom, and the ability to be a better version of ourselves.

D&C 32:4 -- On Foundations and Prayer

"And they shall give heed to that which is written, and pretend to no other revelation; and they shall pray always that I may unfold the same to their understanding."
Doctrine and Covenants 32:4


The "pretend to no other revelation" thing is interesting here. Just guessing, but perhaps a reminder to first seek to obtain the gospel before seeking to expound upon it. It isn't that we can't get personal revelation, but more that we need to understand God and his gospel before we are ready for additional information, and if we try to go too quickly, we rish being decieved, or decieving ourselves. In verse one, God mentions that Parley should "learn of me," which is a good idea for all of us, and really, a lifelong pursuit. Today, let's remember that we need to learn the basics before going to graduate school. :)

D&C 29:5-6 -- On Lifting our Hearts

"Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.
And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive."
Doctrine and Covenants 29:5-6


It's cool that there are so many scriptures about rejoicing. Today, let's remember that God seeks our happiness, and let's try to get out of his way and our own away, lift our hearts, and enjoy the life that God has given us.

D&C 28:16 -- On the Joy of the Gospel of Christ

"And thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the sound of rejoicing. Amen."
Doctrine and Covenants 28:16


I love that rejoicing is part of preaching here... as it should be, it seems, because God is all about joy. I think sometimes we forget that, and think about the gospel as something of guilt and heaviness and entrapment, but it is none of those things. It is a message of joy and hope and freedom from the bondage and hopelessness of sin and self-deception. Today, let's remember the pure joy of the gospel of Christ and the hope that he offers all of us. :)

D&C 26:1 -- On Devotions of Time

"Behold, I say unto you that you shall let your time be devoted to the studying of the scriptures, and to preaching, and to confirming the church at Colesville, and to performing your labors on the land, such as is required, until after you shall go to the west to hold the next conference; and then it shall be made known what you shall do."
Doctrine and Covenants 26:1


I like the idea here that there are a lot of good things to do. I love that God gave such specific direction, but I also like that he gave some fairly generic commands as well, leaving much in the hand of those who remained to read it later (and everyone reading the scriptures later), and reminding us that God wants us to do much of our own free will and not require a revelation to make choices.

Today, let's scrupulously do God's will, including reading our scriptures, and also make wise choices that reflect God's will and bring ourselves and others closer to Christ, even if exact actions weren't specified.

Proverbs 4:14-15 -- On Perfect Patterns

"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."
Proverbs 4:14-15


Emulating evil people is tempting sometimes because of their prosperity or success. It's a good reminder that the Lord should be our pattern, and that we should look to him in all things, avoiding even brief periods where we idolize imperfect examples.

Helaman 12:3 -- On Remembering

"And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him."
Helaman 12:3


It seems like we could save ourselves a lot of trouble by working on remembering without the harsh reminders. As humankind, perhaps we can't change the fact, but as individuals and smaller groups, we can do as Moroni exhorts and remember how merciful the Lord has been to us throughout the scriptures and in our personal lives, and let that knowledge and memory help us to develop a relationship with our Savior and learn more about him, and follow his ways. Let's not only remember when we realize we can't do it ourselves, or when things are falling apart.

Helaman 6:7-8 -- On Overcoming Grudges and Living in Peace

"And behold, there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the Nephites did go into whatsoever part of the land they would, whether among the Nephites or the Lamanites.
And it came to pass that the Lamanites did also go whithersoever they would, whether it were among the Lamanites or among the Nephites; and thus they did have free intercourse one with another, to buy and to sell, and to get gain, according to their desire."
Helaman 6:7-8


I love this interlude in the middle of what seems like an eternal grudge between the Nephites and the Lamanites... but clearly, at this point in time, it wasn't. Both groups get along, and they are essentially one people at this stage. Of course, someone later comes along and ruins it, but it's cool that they overcame that, and shows that it wasn't a continuous line of learned hatred, but rather a choice.

Today, let's remember that our own divisions and hatreds are also a choice, and do our best to let them go, following Christ's admonition to love our enemies and to do good even to those that hate us. Let's not pass on any grudges, but rather be the people that can get past them and learn to live and work together with everyone.

Helaman 4:15 -- On Repentance and Prosperity

"And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper."
Helaman 4:15


This seems like a good thing to keep in mind going into the new year. :) If we want to prosper, we should continue to repent each day. In this case they were recovering their lands from the Lamanites, but we can liken the scripture to ourselves ... whatever it is that we want to accomplish, we will get much further with repentance in the mix. :)

I also think that regular repentance just helps us to get out of our own way as we seek to accomplish anything... it helps us to remain humble, remember that we are fallible, and helps us correct our direction as we go. It invites the Spirit of God into our lives as we acknowledg our mistakes and ask for guidance. Let's go to the Lord today and clear things up, commit to do better, and then keep it up.