Ears to Hear

Lately, I have become more aware, or coming out of denial, of how sensitive my ears are.  I don't confess this very often, but I have very sensitive hearing.  I tend to hear people's conversations a lot just by sitting in the same area as they are.  I have a hard time NOT listening to what other people say around me.  I know it is not polite, but I have yet to figure out a devise that will turn my ears off.  Now that you know this, think about all the sounds that you hear in a normal day. Alarm, water, feet walking, voices, drawers open, drawers close, teeth brushed, door open, door shut, birds, wind, car unlock, car door, etc.  This was only probably the first hour that you were awake this morning.  That is a lot of things that we hear.  Are we aware of all the commotion that we hear each and everyday?  There is a lot of things going on in our lives.  But we need to make sure our ears are tuned into the correct things as we go about the day.  As we tune our ears into the Spirit, that Spirit that wispers softly to us, we can be stronger and greater tools for the Lord to help those people that we come in contact with.  In 3 Nephi 11:3 it explains an experience of hearing the Holy Ghost.  "And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center..."  This video is an apostle talking about the still small voice and how we can tune our ears to hear and follow the Holy Ghost, and the blessings that come from listening to it. 





"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowldedge?  Where is knowledge we have lost in information?"

Sunrise

In life, it always seems to be that the hardest times in life are right before something fantastic is about to happen.  Why is this? 

I hurt my foot about a week ago.  I am a very graceful person and was walking down a sidewalk.  It was after the sun had gone down and I wasn't watching as closely as I should have, but I rounded the corner too quickly and ended up rolling my ankle on some rocks, tried to catch myself as I was plummeting to the earth.  My other foot caught on the edge of the sidewalk that I had just stepped off of which concluded me catapulting myself clear to the other side of the sidewalk and landing on more rocks and plants.  WOW!  I jumped up, all embarressed and walked to the car with no "pain or affliction."  We got in the car and all the pain hit me at once.  Through the next several days, I limped around and felt a lot of pain in my heal.  Oddly enough, my ankle never swelled up, just bruised.  Well, I got a crutch from our mission nurse and was told to be patient as it healed!  YA RIGHT?!  I am not patient with healing.  So, I hobbled to and fro, and come Monday we were to go miniture golfing with the other missionaries.  Of course, my foot hurt the worse that day.  I didn't know what I was going to do.  If I didn't go, then that stopped my companion from going.  I said a lot of prayers and just tuffed it out.  As the day went on, my foot was feeling better and better.  I was feeling more relief.  That morning was probably the most pain my foot had experienced since I first hurt it, yet I pressed on and now almost have the full use of my foot again. 

It seems to be, that right before something amazing is about to happen, that is when satan attacks you the most. I know for me, right before I came on my mission, satan was tempting me a lot. I kept having lots of doubts and wrong thoughts and ideas come into my mind. I like to think about the night. The darkest part of the night is the hour before the sun rises. I know that this is like our lives. We have some of the hardest things happen right before we are going to excel. Satan knows something GREAT is coming your way, but keep your faith in our loving heavenly father. He loves you! He loves and cares for your family. He is helping you. Sometimes we have to have the patience and faith for God to work out other details to give us the best outcomes there could be!   When we are going through ruff times, we have to look forward with the faith and hope of the sunrise that is coming.

The greatest gift!

                                 We are each given gifts. 

                                           Each gift is:

                                              different size,

                                              different color,

                                              different weight,

                                              different bow,

                                              different wrapping

                                              paper. 

 There are several gifts we can recieve and give in life.  But as you probably have figured out, I am not talking about physical gifts.  But gifts that are given by our loving Heavenly Father.  Read through the list below, pick out 4 gifts that you would want in this life.

The gift of:

Love

A family forever

Sports

Religion

Scriptures
Prayer

Scrapbooking

A testimony
The Atonement
Sewing
Swimming
Reading
Knowledge
Memory
Cooking
Health

Popularity

The Holy Ghost

Atheletic

Now ponder in your minds those gifts that you picked out while you read this scripture.

Moroni 10:18 "And I would exhort you, my beloved brothren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ." 

Now, out of those gifts that you picked, which ones are eternal gifts?  Which of those gifts that you have selected are things that we are going to be able to continue to enjoy in the next life? 

We have to remember to always select good gifts.  Just a little bit later in Moroni 10 verse 30, we are reminded to "...lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing."  Now I am not saying that some of these gifts are evil, for we are told to develop our gifts and talents we are given in this life.  But, to remember those gifts that we have been given are good, but the better and best gifts are those that are spiritual.  We have to remember to give our spiritual gifts as much attention and detication as we do our physical, or temporal gifts.  If we strived everyday to grow and develop those spiritual gifts as much as we do our temporal gifts, we would be able to come closer to God and be strengthened by him. 

With all the gifts we can recieve, there is one gift that tops them all. 

Doctrine and Covenants 6:13

"If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation."

Prepare yourself each and everyday to be able to recieve this gift.  Study the scriptures, go to church, obey the prophets, pray, develop all the spiritual gifts our Father has given to you at this time.  I know that if we do these things, we will be able to recieve this great gift of salvation!

What are some spiritual as well as temporal gifts that you have been blessed with?

What the Book of Mormon means to us!

The Book of Mormon was translated by a prophet of God.  Joseph Smith, a called prophet in these latter-days was called by God to translate ancient records to bring back the fullness of the Gospel.  Here is a challenge the Book of Mormon gives to the world. 

 

1. Write a history of an ancient people convering a period from 2200 B.C. to 400 A.D.

2. Include the history of two distinct, separate nations along with histories of different conntemporary nations or groups of people. 

3. Describe their religious, economic, social, and political cultures and institutions.

4. Weave into their history the story of Jesus Christ and the pattern of Christian religion.
5. Consider yourself 23 years of age and without formal school education.
6. Write this record on about 520 pages, with 500 words to each page.
7. You must never make any absurd, impossible or contradictory statements.
8. You must finish this record within 90 days and make no changes in the text.  The first edition must last forever.
9. You must proclaim that this narrative is not fiction but true sacred history.
10. You must invite the ablest scholars and experts to examine the text with care, to expose any flaws in it.

11. You must write this history of the basis of what you know now.

12. You must publish it in every nation to every kindred, tongue and people declaring it to be the word of God.

13. You must include within the record a marvelous and unique promise, a way to prove the truthfulness of the book. (Moroni 10:4)

14. This record must fulfill Bible prophecies, even to the exact manner in which it shall come forth.  To whom it shall be given and its purpose and accomplishments.
15. Your descriptions of the cultures of these peoples are not known when you bring forth the record.
16. Many of the facts, ideas and statements given as true in your record must be entirely inconsistent and in direct opposition to the prevailing beliefs of the world.

17. Thorough investigation, scientific evedience and archelolgical discoveries for the next 125 years must verify its claims and prove its truthfulness even to the minutest detail.

18.  After 125 years of extensive analysis, no claim or statement in the book is disproven, but all are vindicated.  All theories and ideas opposing its origin rise only to fall., leaving your own claim as the only possible or plausible one.

19. Internal and exterrnal evidences and prophecies must be confirmed and fulfilled in the next 125 years.

20. Fair, honest and credible witnesses must testfy to the whole world that an angel from heaven appeared to them and showed them the records.  That they handled the records and felt the engravings there on.

21. You must cause the voice of the Redeemer to call out from Heaven to declare to these men that the record is true and for them to declare its truthfulnesss and message to the world, and cause these witnesses to do it.

22. They must bear this testimony, not for personal gain, but at great personal sacrifice and throught persecution, even to death.

23. Thousands of great scholars and intellectuals must subscribe discipleship to this record and its movements even to the point of laying down their lives.

24. Many other thousands must bear testimony that it is true because they have put the promise (Moroni 10:4) to the test and recieved a testimony of its truthfulness.

25. After 20 years of revilement and persecution, you must then be ready to give your own life as a testimony that the record is divine and true, and that its message of truth is from God.

The Book of Mormon is an amazing book!  It can answer all the questions we have, especially those of the soul.  This book has brought many of God's truth to the world again through a very humble man named Joseph Smith.  Joseph Smith was able to translate it through the power of God.  This book was meant for each of us to read, ponder, and pray to better our relationship with our families and our loving Heavenly Father!

What has the Book of Mormon meant to you?  What are some simple truths you have recieved by studying the Book of Mormon?

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What Heaven sees in You!

I have been listening to this song a lot lately called "What heaven sees in You" by Doug and Sherry Walker.  My favorite section states:

"And the Father looked down

And the angels surrounded that place

They knew the truth, all that you could do

And you will, too, if you have eyes to see

What heaven sees in you"

This Chorus has been running through my mind a lot lately.  Why is it so hard to sometimes see what Heaven can see in us.  We start to feel like the ugly duckling and think that we are not good enough.  But when we open our eyes and see what we are in God's eyes, We can rise to our potential and become the gorgeous swan that we were meant to be.  The Ugly Duckling thought he was suppose to be a duck and he quickly realized he was different.  But excepting that he was different than the others and could never become anything was a choice that brought him down.  When he saw who he could be and became a swan, he was the best swan on the lake!  A lot of times I feel like the ugly duckling!  But when we see ourselves through Heavens eyes, we have no need to. 





 Watch this video and contemplate what our Heavenly Father sees in each of us. 

 

 

 

We are Sons and Daughters of a Heavenly Father.  We are precious and loved deeply.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he trusted us to come to this earth so that we could progess and then return and live with Him.  He wants us back.  He sees goodness, talents, gifts, love, loyalty, knowledge, and a worthy person to help all of God's other children on this earth!  You were sent to earth at this time, for a special reason.  Never believe that you are not worth EVERYTHING our Heavenly Father gives you.  You are worth it!  He believes in you.  Believe in Yourself!

 

Sister Powell