Faith

I've read Hebrews 11 a few times and have really come to love it. I read it again tonight and decided it's probably my favorite chapter in the Bible. It gives so many great examples of faith. It tells us what faith is. Faith is, "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Faith is the first principle of the Gospel. It's huge! Everything we do is motivated by faith. (But, we must have faith in The Lord.)

I've been trying to work on having more faith. Yeah, it's been a long process. It's going to be a lifelong process, it appears. 

Sometimes the only amount of faith we have is the size of a mustard seed. And that's ok. God will take that. And He'll help us grow it. 

This life requires so much faith. Really, this life is all about faith! It's what helps us grow and become closer to our Father in Heaven.

The Whole Idea

"The whole idea of Mormonism is improvement. Mentally, physically, morally, and spiritually." - Lorenzo Snow

Grateful

A friend shared this quote with me last night. I love it! 

We Matter to Him.

One of my all-time favorite talks is entitled, "You Matter To Him." It was given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf in April 2011. I read it often. It is a good reminder that I'm not just one of billions of people on this earth. I am a child of God and I matter. And you do too. Sometimes it's easy to forget that. Especially for me, as a young single adult. Sometimes I feel lost in the shuffle. But I am not forgotten. And neither are you.

"...No matter where you live, no matter how humble your circumstances, how meager your employment, how limited your abilities, how ordinary your appearance, or how little your calling in the Church may appear to you, you are not invisible to your Heavenly Father. He loves you. He knows your humble heart and your acts of love and kindness..."

The Touch of the Master's Hand

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile:
“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—” But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand
What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He’s “going” once, and “going” twice,
He’s “going” and almost “gone.”
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand. 

God loves us the way we are, but he refuses to leave us that way. He can make us so much better. We just have to turn to him.

His Divine Creation

As I was preparing for my lesson in Relief Society at church today, I came across this talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley. As I listened, I felt so strongly the love the Lord has for women.

In his talk, President Hinckley says, "I remind you that you are not second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. You are His divine creation. Men hold the priesthood. Yours is a different role, but also extremely important. Without you, our Father’s plan of happiness would be frustrated and have no real meaning."

I am so grateful to be a woman in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm grateful for my role as a woman in the Church. I'm grateful that the priesthood - the power and authority to act in God's name - is in this Church. And I'm grateful it blesses us all - both male AND female. 

Beware of Pride

"Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.

The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.

Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)  -Ezra Taft Benson

(Read the whole talk here.)

I've been thinking about this talk lately and how important it is to recognize the pride we have within ourselves and seek to get over it and be humble. President Benson also says (in the same talk): "Pride is the universal sin, the great vice." It is a huge problem. But, as I posted about perfectionism last time, I am grateful the Lord knows we are not perfect. He is willing to work with us and be patient with us as we overcome our pride/faults.