Love One Another & The Holy Ghost

Loving One Another - Being Disciples of Christ

John 13:34-35 says: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

According to this verse, if we want to be known as disciples of Christ, we must have love for others.  What does it mean to love others as we love ourselves?  Why is this important in our discipleship?

Let me share a story I take from a message by James E. Paramore, titles, “Love One Another.” 

One morning a poor little crippled boy in ragged clothes and badly worn shoes came to a busy street corner and went from person to person, begging for a few lira without success. A man observing the boy from a distance finally went over and picked up this little lad, held him tightly and loved him, and then went forth and cared for him with his means without any judgment.

This sight would have touched any heart and helps us see the power of love that our Father in Heaven would have us understand in our lives. Jesus, the beloved Son of God, reemphasized this new dimension to bless the world when He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.”

As we step back and try to understand this love of God, we are astounded by its profound impact. At its center is the reality of a literal Father in Heaven whose love for His children knows no bounds. All truths, wisdom, power, goodness, and love He desires to share with His children, whom He created and sent to earth. He would have us reach up and know Him as a Father, as one who forgives, as a helper, as friend, as lawgiver—as one anxious to grant to every man the full opportunity of His love and potential and ultimately the blessing to one day become like Him. This love from Father in Heaven and its effects upon one of His children or the whole world is miraculous and contagious. He is constantly and everlastingly watching over us to lovingly and gently nudge us along.

In realizing Heavenly Father’s love for each of us, we can come to understand how much He must desire for us to be His hands here on earth and help every one of His children, not only for this life, but to hopefully help them return to Him.  This is true discipleship – giving of ourselves and loving others as profoundly as Christ and Heavenly Father loves us.  We can be His instruments in helping others, doing good, and spreading the gospel.

I’ve often asked myself, “Do people know I am a disciple of Christ by the way I treat them?”  There are definitely certain people in my life that I know I treat lovingly and in a Christ-like manner.  But can I say that about my interactions with everyone I encounter?  Some ways we can work to improve our love for others include serving them, speaking kindly, exercising patience, not passing judgment, and expressing our appreciation for all that they are and all that they do.  As we do these things, we can draw closer to our Savior, and become better examples for Him.

The Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given.  The Holy Ghost, or Spirit, has many purposes and ways in which he can bless our lives.  In John 15, it talks about how the Holy Ghost will teach and bring things to our remembrance.  It also talks about the Holy Ghost’s power to bring peace into our hearts and lives.  The Holy Ghost comforts us, and provides direction.  “The Holy Ghost is a Personage of Spirit, in the likeness of God the Father, in other words a likeness of the Father and the Son. His mission is to instruct and enlighten the minds of those who, through their faithfulness have obeyed the commandments of the Father and the Son. He bears witness of the truth, quickens the minds of those who have made covenant and reveals to them the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He is a special messenger from the Father and the Son and carries out their will. …” (Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:134.)  The New Testament Institute Manual shares this regarding the Holy Ghost bringing men to their fullest potential:

““The gift of the Holy Ghost adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”

“In the presence of such persons, one feels to enjoy the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit.” (Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p. 101.)

I have been blessed to have felt the Spirit strongly in my life.  I can recall one of the first times I felt the Holy Ghost; I was eight years old, and it was the day of my baptism.  All morning as I got ready for my exciting day, I remember feeling a sense of extreme happiness and peace.  As I put on my special white dress and prepared to enter the baptismal font, I felt a calmness and peace that I’d never experienced.  This feeling intensified as I was submerged and brought back up out of the waters.  I know it was the Spirit, and I knew then that Heavenly Father was proud of the decision I had made.  Another time I remember feeling the Spirit strongly in my life was when I needed to make a decision about what to do/where to live after completing my Associates degree in Logan, Utah.  I had my own plans, but wanted to be sure that I was making the right decision.  I doubted my plans and wondered how I could know for certain that what I chose would be the right choice.  It was a long process trying to discover Heavenly Father’s plan for me, filled with prayer and fasting and scripture study.  There’s not a specific moment I remember feeling the Spirit strongly, but rather looking back over those months in my life, I remember feeling very close to Heavenly Father, and as I received my answer bit by bit, I felt peace and clarity, and knew that I could trust the decision I made based on the things I was receiving from Heavenly Father.  The Spirit spoke those things to me, and I gained a stronger testimony of the importance of always keeping the Spirit with us.  He can guide and direct us, bring us peace, and comfort us.

~Tanisha

Christ's Atonement and Preparing for His Second Coming

The Last Days of Jesus’ Mortal Mission

Important events led up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  On the sixth day before He was crucified, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, riding through the town on a donkey.  A great multitude greeted him, shouting hosanna and praising Him.  Christ goes directly to the temple.  On the fifth day, Jesus goes to the temple again, and challenges the Jewish religious leadership.  As Christ goes to leave, He explains that the House of the Lord is to be a place of prayer, not of personal gain.  On the fourth day before His crucifixion, Jesus’ wrath the previous day in the temple raises an issue of authority, which causes priests to challenge Him.  Jesus explains to the scribes and Pharisees that they are hypocrites.  Only the Twelve Disciples of Christ teach in public from this day forward.  Jewish leaders conspire even more to discover ways that they can end Jesus’ life.  On the third day, Jesus explains his knowledge of the plot to kill him.  This day he spends outside of the city.  The next day, the day before his crucifixion, Christ arranges the Passover meal.  He introduces the sacrament, and prophesies of His death and betrayal.  Jesus takes his Apostles to Gethsemane, and then takes Peter, James, and John further into the garden.  He asks them to stand watch.  Christ offers a prayer to Heavenly Father, asking Him to “let this cup pass from me,” and proceeds to bleed from every pore.  He is then betrayed by Judas, and taken into the city for an illegal and unjust trial.  On the day before He is crucified, the Jewish leaders discredit Jesus in front of His followers.  Jesus is convicted of blasphemy, taken to Pilate, and the death sentence pronounced.  The Romans then crucify Christ.  The day was a Friday.  He is buried in a sealed tomb by two of His disciples.  On the following Sunday, Christ is resurrected.  He appears to Mary after emerging alive in the flesh from the tomb.  Many testimonies are recorded as many saw and witnessed Christ after His resurrection.

I have a testimony that because Christ died for each one of us, we will have the opportunity to live again.  While life can be hard and days will be dark sometimes, we can find hope and peace through Christ’s Atonement.  One of my favorite Mormon Messages is by Joseph B. Wirthlin, titled “Sunday Will Come.”

Here is the video:

 


How can we prepare for when Christ comes again?  What do we need to do?  There has been much revealed doctrine on this topic, particularly in the Doctrine and Covenants.  

In Mark chapter 13, we learn some of the signs we can look for in order to recognize the nearness of the second coming.  In verses 6-8 we learn that people will arise claiming to be Christ, there will be rumors of wars, nations will rise against nations, and there will be "earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles."  

In Doctrine and Covenant chapter 87 verse 8 it reads: "Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord..."  Because we don't know exactly when He will come again, we need to be preparing each day for the time when He will come.  "Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom."  We cannot suppose that if we've wasted our time "eating, drinking, and being merry," that suddenly when Christ does come, we'll be prepared to receive Him and to be judged according to our works.  We must have our lamps filled, meaning we must have a personal testimony and witness that Christ lives, that He atoned for us, and that His gospel is true.

I have a testimony that if we continually strive to come unto Christ, we will be blessed at that last day, and we will be prepared that amazing day when He comes again.

~Tanisha






Mormon Message retrieved from: http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages
Come Unto Christ image designed and created by Shayla Olson (https://www.etsy.com/listing/178621614/come-unto-christ-poster-2014-theme-for)

Disciples and Rewards

Being a Disciple of Jesus Christ

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?  There are several parables and accounts in the Old Testament that illuminate meaningful principles that can help us understand how to become a better disciple of Him.  In Luke 10:38-42, the story of Martha and Mary is recounted.  Christ comes to visit Martha, who has a sister named Mary.  Mary “[sits] at Jesus’ feet, and [hears] his word,” while Martha is “cumbered about much serving.”  Martha expresses her feelings to the Savior when she says, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.”  Then Jesus answers, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  There are many ways that this account can be viewed and dissected, but I’ll just focus on one: Mary recognized that the Savior’s teachings were more important than other tasks that may have needed attending to at that moment.  How does this translate into being a disciple of Christ? Disciples of Christ listen to His word, and place Him and His teachings above anything and everything else.

In Luke 11:1-13 our Savior teaches man how to pray, and shares these well known words: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”  Disciples of Christ pray to Heavenly Father, seek forgiveness, search for truth, and listen for answers from Heavenly Father.

According to Christ’s teachings in Luke 12:13-40, disciples of Christ give no thought for themselves, but seek to serve others.  Disciples of Christ fear not, give all that they have, lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth, and trust in Heavenly Father.  Luke 14:33 says, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”  Ultimately we must be willing to give up anything and everything we have in order to be a disciple of Christ.  We must take up our cross and follow Him, no matter what sacrifices we may be required to make.

In the Book of Mormon it says, “And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26).  Each day I will continually work to improve my dedication to my Savior, and to becoming more like a disciple of Him.  I know that is what He wants me do.

 

Earthly and Heavenly Rewards

Recall the parable Christ teaches to his disciples in Mathew 19:16-30, regarding a young man who comes to Christ and asks what he should do in order to have eternal life.  Christ first shares the Ten Commandments with the young man, to which the young man replies, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?”  Then Christ says, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”  Unfortunately, we know the ending to this parable.  The young man turns away, feeling sorrowful, because he had many great possessions.  Christ used this parable to teach His disciples that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”  Obviously, the word rich here holds a deeper meaning than what we may initially think; Christ is referring to riches of this world that keep us from following Him.  This could be any number of things, including actual money, homes, cars, vacations, hobbies, and so forth.  In Mathew 6:19-20 it says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  I have a testimony that all the wealth in the world can never make up for what we gain when we put Christ first in our lives.  If we are willing to give up everything for Him, we will be blessed.  “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mathew 6:33).

I know that as we seek to be disciples of Christ, and put Him first in our lives by "laying up" our heavenly rewards, we will be happy and blessed.

~Tanisha

Walking on Water and Becoming Child-like

Week 3

In Mathew 14:26-31, we read an account of Christ's apostles at sea, and Peter walking on water:

“And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”  Then Peter wants to walk on the water, so he steps out of the ship and begins walking towards Jesus; “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

This story teaches me about the importance of focusing on my Savior, and exercising my faith, rather than allowing myself to fear.  If you notice, Peter only begins to sink when he saw (or focused) on the boisterous wind, and was afraid.  Christ chastises him a bit by saying, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  There are times when it would be beneficial to ask ourselves this very question - why did I doubt?

The Savior is always there for each of us; when we fear, He will comfort us.  When we doubt, He will catch us.  Notice the word that is used in the timing of Jesus' response to Peter beginning to sink: and immediately Jesus...caught him.  There will be times in this life when we doubt, or lose our footing, and have fear, but we can have confidence that just as Christ immediately caught Peter, He too will immediately catch us when we begin to fall.  Life will be hard, and challenges may seem unending, or we may feel scared to do something or move forward in a certain direction we're uncertain of; however, we can know with a surety that the Savior will be there to guide us, if we seek Him.  If we stay focused on Him, He will never let us fall.

Matthew 18:1–14. “Become as Little Children” 

In Mathew 18:3 it says, "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me."

Why do we need to become as little children?  In Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-18 it says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours."  Clearly, those who learn to become even as children are, will be blessed and will be led along by Christ until the "kingdom is [ours] and the blessings...and riches of eternity are [ours]."  Being child-like requires humility, as mentioned in the verses from Mathew above.  As Sister Jean A. Stevens (from the General Primary Presidency) has said, "If we have a heart to learn and a willingness to follow the example of children, their divine attributes can hold a key to unlocking our own spiritual growth."

Sister Stevens continues, "What is it we should learn from children? What qualities do they possess and what examples do they demonstrate that can help us in our own spiritual development?

These precious children of God come to us with believing hearts. They are full of faith and receptive to feelings of the Spirit. They exemplify humility, obedience, and love. They are often the first to love and the first to forgive."  Along with these qualities, Mosiah 3:19 offers more qualities that we are to develop if we want to be not only as little children, but like Christ.  Mosiah teaches that the natural man is an enemy to God and that we should put off this natural man, and "[become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

I testify that that becoming more Christ-like really requires us to become more child-like; meek and humble, loving and forgiving, kind and submissive. These qualities are Christ-like qualities that are apparent throughout the accounts of Jesus in the scriptures.

Our Savior loves each one of us, and desires for us us to come unto Him, and become like Him.

~Tanisha

Parables and Miracles

What is a parable, and why are they important?

Here is a definition of a parable, according to the Bible Dictionary: "The word parable is Greek in origin and means a setting side by side, a comparison. In parables divine truth is presented by comparison with material things." A parable is a story used to teach truth, and allows for different levels of understanding and application, based on spiritual depth and understanding of different individuals. Jesus almost always taught in parables. In the Bible Dictionary it also says, "From our Lord’s words (Matt. 13:13–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10) we learn the reason for this method. It was to veil the meaning. The parable conveys to the hearer religious truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to the dull and uninspired it is a mere story, “seeing they see not,” while to the instructed and spiritual it reveals the mysteries or secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Thus it is that the parable exhibits the condition of all true knowledge. Only he who seeks finds."

Parables can teach us many things and can be applied to our times and to our lives. Here are a few examples of parables Christ taught:

The parable in Mathew 13: 24-30 (parable of the tares) can be seen as describing the future growth of the Church.

The parable in Mathew 13: 31-32 (parable of the mustard seed) helps explain the growth of the Church, even though it's fairly new.

The parable in Mathew 13: 44-46 (parable of the pearl of great price) helps answer the reasons why so many members of the Church are willing to sacrifice so much.

The parable in Mathew 13: 47 -50 (parable of the gospel net) explains why the Church has so many missionaries.

In considering the parable of the treasure and the pearl of great price, one might ask the self, "What am I willing to give up, or what sacrifices am I willing to make, in order to obtain the gospel." Being born into the Church, it's easy to sometimes take the gospel for granted.  This parable helped me ponder what it is I'd be willing to sacrifice in order to have the gospel in my life if I didn't have it, and also what I'd be willing to sacrifice in order to keep it in my life, and a full part of my life. I would (hopefully) give up anything in order to have the precious truths contained in the gospel and the scriptures in my life.  In my extended family, my grandparents (my dad's parents) made some sacrifices in order to bring the gospel into their family. My grandparents were not members of the Church, and sought many answers to deep questions regarding life before finding the truth. They had old habits and thoughts that needed to be let go of in order to join the Church and embrace the gospel.  Because of some of the sacrifices associated with this, I was able to be born into the gospel and enjoy the blessings of the everlasting covenant from my parents.

Another parable I've pondered about this week is the parable of the net being cast into the sea.  The net represents missionaries (full-time and member missionaries), and their efforts to bring others to the gospel.  It can also be representative of the Atonement. As the net is cast in, it is representing those who are being brought into the Church and are converted to the gospel. Not everyone will be a member of the Church in this life, thus the "good" and " bad" fish; once we've been gathered in, and it's judgment time, we have the opportunity to partake of the gospel and come unto Christ (for some of us this will mean converting to the gospel and being baptized, etc., and for others it will mean repenting and utilizing the Atonement), otherwise we will be like the "bad" that was cast out of the net and destroyed.

If we learn to use parables to deepen our understanding of spiritual and gospel matters, we can be richly blessed.  There is so much to learn from and draw out of Christ's parables, if we take the time to study them.

Miracles of the Lord

Christ performed many miracles while on the earth.  In each of His miracles, someone exhibited amazing faith.  We can learn from these miracles, and those demonstrating faith, below:

Reference	Miracles of the Lord	Who Demonstrated Faith
Matthew 8:1-4	Christ heals a leper.	The leper ("Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean").
Matthew 8:5-13	A centurion's servant is sick with palsy, and Christ heals him.	The centurion (Christ says, "As thou hast believed, so be it done...").
Matthew 8:14-15	Christ heals Peter's mother from a fever.	Christ exhibits faith.
Matthew 8:16	Christ casts out spirits of the devil from many people.	Christ and those who brought the people to Him for healing.
Matthew 8:23-27	Christ calms the winds and sea.	Christ (as it says, the men were fearful).
Matthew 8:28-34	Spirits of the devil are cast into swine.	Christ, and those whose bodies had been inhabited by the evil spirits.
Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34	A woman with a blood diseased is cured by Christ.	The woman with the disease ("If I but touch Him, I will be whole").
Matthew 9:27-31	Christ gives sight to two blind men.	The two blind men believe they will be healed.
Mark 2:1-12	Christ heals a person with palsy, and they take up their bed and walk.	The people in the area and around the home have faith in Christ's power to heal the bed-ridden individual.

What kind of faith do we each have?  Have we exercised our faith recently?  What can we do to increase our faith?

Water to Wine, Cleansing the Temple, and The Beatitudes

Week One

Water to Wine

In John chapter 2, verses 1-22, the miracle of Christ turning water into wine is shared.  This miracle is a significant one to me, because of the principles that can be drawn from it.  Principles are eternal truths, which we can glean from scripture (and other sources, such as counsel from Prophets and Apostles), and apply to our lives, in order to liken the scriptures unto ourselves.  From this miracle, of Christ turning water into wine, I catch a glimpse of the ultimate power that our Savior can have, and has, in each of our lives.  I studied the commentary from the New Testament Institute (Student) Manual for John 2:6, (which says that Christ turned six water pots containing two or three firkins of water apiece into wine) and discovered that a "firkin" equals about nine gallons. "Thus, each of the six water-pots contained around 18 to 27 gallons of water, with the result that Jesus then created between 100 to 150 gallons of wine—a miracle showing that the wedding celebration was quite large" (The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles: Chapter 4).  If Christ can take this element of water, and literally change it into something entirely different, think of what He can do with each of us.  He has the power to change us; indeed, He has the power to make us into something entirely different, something entirely better.  He held this power even before He sacrificed His life and atoned for us.  He can and will help us change to become the person we're meant to be - the person we need to be.

Some find it interesting that Christ refers to His mother as "woman" in the account above.  However, upon reading the commentary from the institute manual on this count, I discovered that there is actually endearment behind this referral.  “… The noun of address, ‘Woman,’ as applied by a son to his mother may sound to our ears somewhat harsh, if not disrespectful; but its use was really an expression of opposite import. To every son the mother ought to be preeminently the woman of women; she is the one woman in the world to whom the son owes his earthly existence; and though the title ‘Mother’ belongs to every woman who has earned the honors of maternity, yet to no child is there more than one woman whom by natural right he can address by that title of respectful acknowledgment. When, in the last dread scenes of His mortal existence, Christ hung in dying agony upon the cross, He looked down upon the weeping Mary, His mother, and commended her to the care of the beloved apostle John, with the words: ‘Woman, behold thy son!’ Can it be thought that in this supreme moment, our Lord’s concern for the mother from whom He was about to be separated by death was associated with any emotion other than that of honor, tenderness and love?” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 144–45.)


Cleansing the Temple

In John 2:12-16, Christ goes up to Jerusalem and finds money changers in the temple, upon which he "[drives] them all out of the temple...and over[throws] the tables."  He goes on to say, "...make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."  What can be learned from this?  In what ways are Jesus' actions symbolic of what He desires of each of us?  I believe that the Savior has high expectations for each of us, and feels disappointment when we don't live up to those expectations; however, I also believe that He loves us unconditionally, and because of that love must sometimes chastise us for behavior that is less than what he desires.  If we think about the connection between temple buildings and our bodies as holy temples, what should we be doing for our bodies, or lives, that correlates with what Christ did here?  We must keep ourselves holy and pure, and sometimes do some "cleaning," in order to maintain the sacredness that should exist in temples, both buildings and body.

The Beatitudes

“In that matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given us eight distinct ways by which we might receive this kind of joy. Each of his declarations is begun by the word ‘Blessed.’ Blessedness is defined as being higher than happiness. Happiness comes from without and is dependent on circumstances; blessedness is an inward fountain of joy in the soul itself, which no outward circumstances can seriously affect" (The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles: Chapter 8).  The eight beatitudes are as follows:

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
Blessed Are They That Mourn

Blessed Are the Meek
Blessed Are They That Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness
Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
Blessed Are the Merciful
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Blessed Are They Which Are Persecuted

Three of these beatitudes I'd like to expound on are the meek, pure in heart, and peacemakers. 

What does it mean to be meek?  “A meek man is defined as one who is not easily provoked or irritated and forbearing under injury or annoyance. Meekness is not synonymous with weakness. The meek man is the strong, the mighty, the man of complete self-mastery. He is the one who has the courage of his moral convictions, despite the pressure of the gang or the club” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles: Chapter 8).   I know that by living this beatitude, we can increase our happiness in the present as well as the future.  Learning patience (not easily provoked) and self-mastery add to our ability to respond well to difficult, trying situations.  Meekness can help us learn how to remain optimistic despite trials, and develop a quality that will increase our ability to live other beatitudes, including being a peacemaker and remaining pure in heart.   

Who are the pure in heart?  The definition of "pure" is "Having a homogeneous or uniform composition; not mixed.  Free from adulterants or impurities."  According to the institute manual, “If you would see God, you must be pure."  If we learn to be pure in heart, we will gain deeper understanding of our Father in Heaven and His purposes, along with a stronger testimony that Christ is our Savior, and that He is the way and the life.  If we keep our eye single to Him, (ye cannot serve God and Mammon), and obey His commandments, we will learn to be pure in heart, and find more happiness by doing so.

How can we become peacemakers? We must not be quarrelsome or contentious.  Peacemakers seek for truth, and are called "The children of God."  I know from personal experience the power of trying to be a peacemaker, and how much happiness it can bring into your life.  Seeking for truth, and abstaining from arguing and contentiousness, brings an added measure of the Spirit into your life and home, and helps strengthen capabilities to remain peaceful and close to Heavenly Father.

I'm grateful for all the things I've learned this week in beginning my study of the four gospels.

~Tanisha