Here are the links to today's lesson on fasting:

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1986/04/the-law-of-the-fast?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/providing-in-the-lords-way?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/04/the-law-of-the-fast?lang=eng

Definition of "Pride"--from Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, by Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet, and Brent L. Top.

(4 Nephi 1:20). “Why would it matter to a people what they were called? Why would it be so important for them to be called Lamanites? Why would a group choose to forsake the transcendent privileges of unity in order to be designated by this or that name? The answer is simple: pride. A desire to be different. A yearning to be acknowledged. A fear of being overlooked. A craving for public notice. The righteous feel no need for attention, no desire to be praised, no inclination to demand recognition. The prideful demand their rights, even when they are wrong. The prideful feel that they must do things their way, even when that way is the wrong way. The prideful insist that they must pursue their own path, even when the road they take is wide and broad and leads to destruction” (Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet, and Brent L. Top, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4 vols. [1987–92], 4:204–5).

Having Gratitude for the Commandment to be Grateful, Relief Society Lesson, May 5, 2013

Prophet Joseph Smith--"As God has designed our happiness--and the happiness of all His creatures, He never has--He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed."  (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 296.) 

Sister Bonnie Parkin--"Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle.  It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God.  Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God's love.  This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction.  When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord.  Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence...." 

"Gratitude:  A Path to Happiness", Sister Bonnie B. Parkin, Ensign, May 2007.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/gratitude-a-path-to-happiness?lang=eng

"A Grateful Heart", Ray L. Huntington, BYU Devotional, October 2, 2012.
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=2072

"Gratitude As a Saving Principle", President James E. Faust, Ensign, December 1996.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1996/12/gratitude-as-a-saving-principle?lang=eng

"And in Everything Give Thanks", Elder Marvin J. Ashton, BYU Devotional, September 1, 1991.
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=29

"Gratitude for the Goodness of God", Elder Robert D. Hales, Ensign, May 1992.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/05/gratitude-for-the-goodness-of-god?lang=eng

"O Remember, Remember", Elder Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, November 2007.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/11/o-remember-remember?lang=eng

"Remembrance and Gratitude", Elder Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, November 1989
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/11/remembrance-and-gratitude?lang=eng

"The Divine Gift of Gratitude", President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, November 2010
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/11/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

Building Zion

Elder Dale E. Miller:

“Brothers and sisters, thrusting in our sickles to help build the Lord’s kingdom should be the prime focus of our lives. It seems reasonable to suggest that we each agreed to that in our premortal life. The key decisions pertaining to education, career, marriage, and the very use of our time, talent, and means should prayerfully hinge on how best we serve the Master, building His kingdom and becoming perfected in Him.

“Our work in building up Zion takes several forms. In one context, Zion is geographic, having a center while enlarging its boundaries to eventually fill the earth. We enlarge Zion’s borders as we share the gospel with others. That is part of our job here.

"Another context shows Zion as an organization wherein we work to strengthen its stakes trhough our callings.  Each state, in trun, pushes dep into the gospel soil, providing a defense and a refuge so followers of Christ might stand with confidence against the snares of the aversary.  Stakes create teh foundation culture for perfeting God's people on earth" (Ensign, May 1998, p. 29). 

President Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, November 1987

     "With reference to both standing and sitting, I have observed that life—every life—has a full share of ups and downs. Indeed, we see many joys and sorrows in the world, many changed plans and new directions, many blessings that do not always look or feel like blessings, and much that humbles us and improves our patience and our faith. We have all had those experiences from time to time, and I suppose we always will....

     "I share the view expressed by Orson F. Whitney in these words:

          “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven” (as quoted in Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 98).

 

        "At various times in our lives, probably at repeated times in our lives, we do have to acknowledge that God knows what we do not know and sees what we do not see. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isa. 55:8).

Elder Allan Packer, BYU-Idaho Devotional, November 13, 2012

     "In God's Plan of Salvation, we are the ones who are being molded, shpaed and polished to become like Him.  It is something each of us has to do individually....

     "He has established what we must do and the standards that we must meet. Something quite remarkable is that He gives us the moral agency of deciding whether or not we choose to accept and meet those standards. However, there are consequences of our decisions. While He gave us agency, He does not give us the authority to change the standards or the consequences of our decisions.

     "As a teenager I spent my summers working on my grandfather’s ranch in Wyoming. It was a sheep and cattle ranch of more than two thousand acres plus additional rangeland. The ranch operation required a lot of equipment. Since the closest repair center was a long way away through part of the Wyoming Bad Lands my grandfather taught us to carefully maintain the equipment and inspect everything before we left the ranch house. If we had a breakdown, it was usually miles from the ranch house and that meant a long walk. It didn’t take long for me to learn the law of consequences. It was always better to avoid the problems than have a long walk. The same is true with the commandments of our Heavenly Father. He can tell the difference between someone who is striving to become like Him and an individual who is pushing the edges but trying to stay just inside the acceptable limits."

     "There are those, if they could, in the world today who are striving to dismiss or change the standards established by God. This is not a new phenomenon. We must not be deceived or give heed to those who would attempt to convince us that the standards have changed. They have no authority to change those standards. Only the designer, Heavenly Father, can change the specifications.

     "All of us easily recognize how ridiculous it would be for a Boeing supplier to listen to some unrelated individual who promoted making changes to the specifications or tolerances of a part. None of us would want to ride in an airplane manufactured with such a part. Parts that do not meet the Boeing specifications are rejected.

     "No one would accuse Boeing of being unthoughtful or intolerant when such parts are rejected. Boeing would not and could not jeopardize all of the passengers who may fly in their airplanes. They would not allow themselves to be intimidated or bullied into accepting parts that cannot be certified. To do so would jeopardize their business and the lives of their customers.

     "The same is true with God’s laws and commandments. His standards are fixed, and no one else can change them. Some individuals who think they can, will be greatly surprised in the final judgment."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign, May 2010

In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise.  Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way.  Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy.

My dear young sisters, you need to know that you will experience your own adversity.  None is exempt.  You will suffer, be tempted, and make mistakes.  You will learn for yourself what every heroine has learned:  through overcoming challenges come growth and strength.

It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life's story will develop. 

Hearing the Holy Ghost

President James E. Faust, CES Fireside, September 5, 1993
      "I have suggested a simple solution for selecting the channel to which you will attune yourselves: Listen to and follow the voice of the Spirit. This is an ancient solution, even eternal, and may not be popular in a society that is always looking for something new.
      "This solution requires patience in a world that demands instant gratification. This solution is quiet, peaceful, and subtle in a world enamored by that which is loud, incessant, fast paced, garish, and crude.      "This solution requires you to be contemplative while your peers seek physical titillation. This solution requires the prophets to “put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth” (2 Peter 1:12). This may seem foolish in a time when it is not worth remembering much of the trivial tripe to which we are exposed.      "This solution is one unified, consistent, age-old message in a world that quickly becomes bored in the absence of intensity, variety, and novelty.        "This solution requires you to walk by faith in a world governed by sight (see 2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7). You must see with the eye of faith eternal, unseen, spiritual verities, whereas the masses of mankind depend solely on temporal things, which can be known only through the physical senses.       "In short, this solution may not be popular, it may not get you gain, or worldly power. But “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).       "Learn to ponder the things of the Spirit and to respond to its promptings; filter out the static generated by Satan. As you become attuned to the Spirit, “thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21).      "Hearkening to the “voice of the living God” will give you “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (see D&C 50:1; 59:23). These are the greatest of all the gifts of God (see D&C 14:7). "

Michael Wesch, professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University, will present a Brigham Young University campus forum address, “The End of Wonder in the Age of Whatever,” Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 11:05 a.m. in the Marriott Center.

http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=2090

http://www.educatednation.com/2010/05/07/michael-wesch-ted-talk-on-media-and-teaching-students-to-become-knowledge-able/

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Deposition of a Disciple, 1976, Deseret Book Co. (Salt Lake City), p. 5

"I have on my office wall a wise and useful reminder by Anne Morrow Lindbergh concerning one of the realities of life. She wrote, "My life cannot implement in action the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds." That's good counsel for us all, not as an excuse to forgo duty, but as a sage point about pace and the need for quality in relationships."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Notwithstanding My Weakness, 1981, Deseret Book Co. (SLC, Utah), pg. 7

"A few little flowers will spring up briefly in the dry gulley through which torrents of water pass occasionally. But it is steady streams that bring thick and needed crops. In the agriculture of the soul that has to do with nurturing attributes, flash floods are no substitute for regular irrigation."

 

Elder Michael Otterson, March 5, 2013, BYU-Idaho Devotional

"Faith is so much more than mere belief or assent. Faith stretches us. It forces us to reach beyond our senses, and in that reaching we develop spiritual strength and greater trust in the Lord....

"I repeat: faith, therefore, is more than belief. Faith is an active force, not a passive condition. I suspect that one reason why we have to develop it here on earth is because of the expectations that will be placed on us when we are in the next sphere. I offer this only as personal opinion, but the Lord has promised that those who are faithful will inherit all that the Father has.

"In the eternities to come, will those who create worlds do so because they have learned the laws of physics that govern the universe, or will they work through the exercise of perfect faith, or a combination of both? How much reaching and stretching will it take? We don’t know, but when Jesus says that by faith we can move mountains, is he merely being figurative or is there something about the power of faith that we now only dimly perceive, but that we must learn while here on earth?"

"Never Suppress a Generous Thought."

Sister Bonnie Parkin, BYU Devotional, February 13, 2007

     It's so important to realize that every interaction we have is an opportunity to minister, to nurture....  "To minister" is defined as attending to the needs and wants of others.  The Bible Dictionary adds, "The work of the ministry is to do the work of the Lord on the earth--to represent the Lord among the people."  Ministering involves extending charity--that pure of Christ--to others, one person at a time.  By doing so, we offer a kind, generous, peaceful, and pure heart. 
     Opportunities to minister may come within the formal stewardship of a calling or assignment, or they may come as we spontaneously extend ourselves to someone in need....Most ministering opportunities are spontaneous, not planed in advance.  Much of the Savior's ministering seemed almost incidental, happening while He was on His way to somewhere else--while He was doing something else....Please never suppress a generous thought!

Wonderful talk!--
                                      http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=1685

February 28, 2013

"The Gift of a Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit"

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Ensign, May 2004

       "Let me mention one other thing. In ancient times when people wanted to worship the Lord and seek His blessings, they often brought a gift. For example, when they went to the temple, they brought a sacrifice to place on the altar. After His Atonement and Resurrection, the Savior said He would no longer accept burnt offerings of animals. The gift or sacrifice He will accept now is “a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (3 Ne. 9:20).  As you seek the blessing of conversion, you can offer the Lord the gift of your broken, or repentant, heart and your contrite, or obedient, spirit. In reality, it is the gift of yourself—what you are and what you are becoming.

   

      "Is there something in you or in your life that is impure or unworthy? When you get rid of it, that is a gift to the Savior. Is there a good habit or quality that is lacking in your life? When you adopt it and make it part of your character, you are giving a gift to the Lord.  Sometimes this is hard to do, but would your gifts of repentance and obedience be worthy gifts if they cost you nothing?  Don’t be afraid of the effort required. And remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Jesus Christ will help you make of yourself a worthy gift. His grace will make you clean, even holy. Eventually, you will become like Him, “perfect in Christ" (Moroni 10:32-33).

Grieving--Positive reasons for it

"The Refining Power of Grief" by Ashley Isaacson Woolley, Ensign, February 2013.

I was heartbroken. I grieved over my son’s condition and had to come to terms with the fact that he might never enjoy full health. I felt like I was drowning in sorrow—sorrow that felt inescapable because it went hand in hand with my love for my precious child.

 

At first, I felt that my grief meant I lacked faith. But with time, I understood that grief was a normal, healthy response to my son’s illness. In God’s plan for me, grief was a refining fire that transformed my love for others, my perspective on life’s challenges, and my faith in Heavenly Father....

 

Letting myself grieve taught me how to show Christlike compassion for and sensitivity to others.... 

Grief softens our hearts not only toward strangers but also toward the one for whom we are grieving. The depth of my sorrow over my son’s condition showed me the depth of my love for him. And grieving over my old expectations for my son’s life allowed me to let go of them, freeing me to see my son as a beautiful child of God with an eternal destiny, regardless of the imperfections in his physical body....

 

Just as physical injury causes physical pain, emotional injury causes emotional pain. Because I was in pain, I sought a remedy for the situation and relief for my emotional wounds.... During my son’s illness and surgery, grief prompted me to seek emotional relief through earnest prayer and fasting....

 

In the darkest moments of my son’s illness, I sometimes felt forsaken by God, wondering how He could let my son suffer and leave me to endure such heartache. I came to understand that my feelings were natural because I did not share God’s perspective. I reflected on the difference between God’s perspective and my own one night after my husband and I had put our son to bed. We sat in another room, listening to him and watching him on a video monitor. As our son fussed, my husband commented, “You know, he probably feels completely abandoned. It’s dark in there, and he probably thinks we have forgotten him. He doesn’t know that we can see and hear him, because he can’t see or hear us. He doesn’t know that we are always nearby.” As our son was to us, so we are to our Heavenly Father.

 

God is there, and He did not leave me feeling alone forever. Once when I was feeling particularly upset about my son’s health and especially forsaken by God, I prayed. Soon afterward, a phrase came to my mind: “God makes a way where there is no way.” I looked up the phrase and discovered a quotation by Martin Luther King Jr.: “When our days become dreary with low hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that … [God] is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.”

 

This thought reminded me that I could hope for a bright tomorrow without denying the darkness of today. I could keep my faith in God and hope for a happier future while allowing myself to grieve in the present. In God’s own time, He spoke comfort and reassurance to me.

 

 

 

Build Spiritual Strength to Protect You

Elder Russell M. Ballard, CES Fireside, November 10, 2010

The Oak Tree” by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away,
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark.
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
“How can you still be standing, Oak?”
The oak tree said, “I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two,
Carry every leaf away,
Shake my limbs, and make me sway.
But I have roots stretched in the earth,
Growing stronger since my birth.
You’ll never touch them, for you see,
They are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure.
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you,
I’m stronger than I ever knew.

      "My beloved young brothers and sisters, be like the strong oak tree. Come to know how strong you are. Push your faith and trust in God and Christ down deep in gospel soil. Always be aware of the artificial flies being presented to us by the counterfeit fisher of men, Lucifer. May we have the wisdom and spiritual insight to discern and refuse his many dangerous offerings. Live the doctrine of Christ, the simple and basic principles of the gospel, each day—have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent, honor the covenant of baptism, live worthy of the Holy Ghost as your companion, and endure to the very end. Do this every day, and the Spirit of the Lord will be with you to keep you safely on the pathway that leads to eternal life."

Protection against Temptation

Elder Russell M. Ballard, CES Fireside, March 3, 2002.

     "I like to think of this spiritual armor not as a solid piece of metal molded to fit the body, but more like chain mail.  Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection.  I say that because it has been my experience, covering many more yeas than you have yet been privileged to live, that power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil." 

Consequences of Choice

President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, November 2010

     "...by choosing our path, we choose our destination.  Decisions are constantly before us.  To make them wisely, courage is needed--the courage to say no, the courage to say yes.  Decisions do determine destiny." 

Blessings of Service

President Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, April 1992.

     "If you feel that much of what you do this year or in the years to come does not make you very famous, take heart.  Most of the best people who ever lived weren't very famous either.  Serve and grow, faithfully and quietly."

Serving others brings blessings

Brother Stanley A. Johnson, BYU Devotional, June 5, 2012

     "A loaded train doesn't jump the track."  The principle in this for me is that serving others brings the Spirit into our lives and helps us to remain on the straight and narrow way, especially during times of challenge and stress.  No matter how difficult it gets, just keep working and serving.  Why?  The blessings will come! 

Following Jesus Christ

Stanley A. Johnson, BYU Devotional, June 5, 2012

    Brother Johnson discusses President Marion G. Romney's four-point program for keeping the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Quoted President Ezra Taft Benson:
     "That man is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely fits the pattern of the Christ.  This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige.  The only true test of greatness, blessedness, joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ.  He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life."  (Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Devotional, December 10, 1974.)

Patience and Faith

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Continue in Patience", Ensign, May 2010

     "Brigham Young taught that when something came up which he could not comprehend fully, he would pray to the Lord, 'Give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself.'  And then Brigham would continue to pray until he could comprehend it. 

     "We must learn that in the Lord's plan, our understanding comes 'line upon line, precept upon precept.'  In short, knowledge and understanding come at the price of patience."


D&C 101: 38 And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.

Faith--
Gordon B. Hinckley, BYU Devotional, September 25, 1973

           "It is so easy to get discouraged while you are here. It seems so natural a thing to drop out or to give in.  The way seems so long, the road so steep, that we are prone to think it not worth the candle....  My dear young friends, never lose faith in yourselves or in your capacity to do worthwhile things.  And call upon the Lord for help that your minds may be enlightened and your understanding quickened. Then go to work with that assurance inside of you that somehow you can do it."

Giving Life, Giving Love

 

Elder Russell T. Osguthorpe, BYU Devotional, March 8, 2011

"My first mission was in Tahiti. I love the way Tahitians greet each other. The literal meaning of their greeting word—ia ora na—means “life to you” or “that you might live.” We are either giving life or taking life from each other as we move forward on our way.

"Harsh words take life away from the one who receives them and even from the one who utters them. But words spoken in love give life....

"[The Savior's] life on the earth was an example of what it means to do good. But it was also a singular example of what it means to do good for the right reason. Every act of the Savior on earth was done out of love. Even in the great premortal council His offer to the Father was motivated by love for others, while the adversary’s was motivated by selfishness. The Savior’s mission was to give us life by allowing us to choose to love the Lord and follow Him. (See Moses 4:1–3.) The adversary’s goal was to take away our agency and thereby make it impossible for us to love, because it is impossible to love unless we choose to love. Love must come from within. It cannot be forced upon us. So for purposes of his own selfish aims, the adversary would have made it impossible for us to keep the first two commandments. He would have made us into nothing.

"Christ had a clear mission in mortality. He came to earth to save each of us. He knew how His life on earth would end and how His act of love for us would change everything. Each of us has a clear mission as well, but, like the Savior, we need to remain open to the needs of others we pass along the way. Our calendars can never be so packed that we don’t have room to show love to those around us."

Relief Society Lesson on "Service", January 6, 2013

Relief Society Lesson, January 6, 2013

Talks about "Service"--How even small acts of service bless our lives.

President Spencer W. Kimball, "Small Acts of Service," Ensign, December 1974.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/12/small-acts-of-service?lang=eng

Elder M. Russell Ballard, "Here I Am, Send Me," BYU Devotional, March 13, 2001.
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=269

Brother J. Michael Hunter, "Small Things," BYU Devotional, May 22, 2012.
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=2034

Brother Alan L. Wilkins, BYU-Idaho Devotional, October 18, 2011.
http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2011_10_18_Wilkins.htm

Sister Sharalene Hardy, "I'll stay with the sheep," Ensign, December 2012.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/12/ill-stay-with-the-sheep?lang=eng

Elder M. Russell Ballard, "Be Anxiously Engaged", Ensign, November 2012.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/11/be-anxiously-engaged?lang=eng

Elder David A. Bednar, "By Small and Simple Things are Great Things Brought to Pass," BYU Women's Conference, April 2011.
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2011/pdf/Elder_David_A._Bednar.pdf

Elder Rex D. Pinegar, "The Simple Things", Ensign, November 1994.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1994/10/the-simple-things?lang=eng