The Way

Today I read "The Way"- by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge Of the Seventy.

One part of his talk that really struck me was this:

John the Baptist said that while he baptized with water, Jesus baptized
“with the Holy Ghost.”12
Nothing
in this life is of greater worth than the supernal gift of the Holy Ghost. It is
the source of joy, peace, knowledge, strength, love, and every other good thing.
With the Atonement, it is the power by which we may be changed and made strong
where we are weak. With the priesthood, it is the power by which marriages and
families are sealed together eternally.13
It is the power by which the Lord makes Himself manifest unto those who believe
in Him.14
Every good thing depends on getting and keeping the power of the Holy Ghost in
our lives. Everything depends on that.
To that end, Jesus Christ entered a
garden called Gethsemane, where He overcame sin for us. He took upon Himself our
sins. He suffered the penalty of our wrongs. He paid the price of our education.
I don’t know how He did what He did. I only know that He did and that because He
did, you and I may be forgiven of our sins that we may be endowed with His
power. Everything depends on that. What then shall we do? We will “take upon
[us] the name of [the] Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments
which he has given [us]; that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with
[us].”15
Everything depends on that.

I have been thinking a lot about the covenant of the sacrament lately. I want to have a lovely atmosphere in my home all the time. With four little children, I sometimes get frustrated with them. I need to keep his commandments, and always remember him, because I know that I need his spirit to always be with me.

Everything depends on that.

Sacrament Meeting

Today I read and listened to:
Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament
Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This talk had a lot in it that I need to work on. I used to really enjoy Sacrament Meeting. Now that I have four young children, and even with the help of my super nice neighbors, and DH, I find it a very difficult hour and half, not the wonderful spiritual experience that it is supposed to be.

Frequently someone will mention some talk, and I honestly didn't hear it at all- even if I was in the room the entire time. Instead my mind was thinking.

"DH, get S2!!! don't let him go there!!! S2 is touching the man in
front of us!!! S1, sit on your BUM! stop moving around!!! D2-
this is not STORY HOUR!! No one can read out loud to you!!! Don't
talk out loud!!! S1- only take ONE piece of bread!! Where is S2? Why can't we sing one of the "good 'old songs" why do they always feel like they need to teach us new ones? The "new ones" have no melody, that is why they will never become one of the "good 'ol songs." Where did S2 go? I should just take him out.
But will DH make S1 be quiet? D1, D2, we did not have this standing hymn
so you could spread out and lay down on the pew!!! Get up! (all of this I
am motioning with my mommy sign language) D2- I whisper to her"no- I did
not bring snacks!!!- you just had lunch, go sit down! Well- if you are
hungry- remember next week to eat more lunch!!- go sit down!" She sulks
away. She can hang her head incredibly low. She has a good neck that
way. Oh no, where is S2??? he is making a run for it, I'd better go
get him-- - and I'm off, to hang out in the lobby for a while with a run away 14
month old. "

I am sure this is a poor reflection on my parenting. - but I'm just calling it how it is. Four more months and S2 will be in nursery- then I can listen to the other lessons anyway. Any advice for me???? I certainly don't find it a time to "rest from my labors"- quite the opposite.

Elder Oaks quotes

By participating weekly and appropriately in the ordinance of the sacrament we
qualify for the promise that we will “always have his Spirit to be with [us]”
(D&C 20:77). That Spirit is the foundation of our
testimony. It testifies of the Father and the Son, brings all things to our
remembrance, and leads us into truth. It is the compass to guide us on our path.
This gift of the Holy Ghost, President Wilford Woodruff taught, “is the greatest
gift that can be bestowed upon man”

This I know that I desperately need.

We are seated well before the meeting begins. “During that quiet interval,
prelude music is subdued. This is not a time for conversation or transmission of
messages but a period of prayerful meditation as leaders and members prepare
spiritually for the sacrament” (Liahona, Aug. 2004, 13; Ensign, Aug. 2004, 27).

Ohhh- this I have struggled and struggled with. "well before the meeting begins." I never used to be late for things before children- now, no matter how hard I try- two or three things happen- and --I fail. (by that I mean that S2 needs to go "potty" even though he just did, and I need to remove him from his car seat, and- good thing that I did, because I notice that S2 has REMOVED her shoes, and gotten into the car without them. Then I smell something coming from S1... then I cannot FIND S2's shoes!!! I need to try harder. )I just need to plan on being there thirty minutes early. It would not be the worst thing in the world to actually be totally early, and I guess that would be the worst case scenario, right?

In his writings on the doctrines of salvation, President Joseph Fielding Smith
teaches that we partake of the sacrament as our part of commemorating the
Savior’s death and sufferings for the redemption of the world. This ordinance
was introduced so that we can renew our covenants to serve Him, to obey Him, and
to always remember Him. President Smith adds: “We cannot retain the Spirit of
the Lord if we do not consistently comply with this commandment” (Doctrines of
Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:341).

I like the way he puts that "retain the spirit of the Lord."

I know this post wasn't much of a "spiritual message." But- it is my study- however it went for the day. :) Have a good one! Feel free to give me advice!

Helaman 6:28-31 Always Remember Him

I am reading in Helaman 6 today, trying to keep up with Sunday School. Secret Combinations have started- - -

28 And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell.

29 Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time...

31 And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver.

So- going with what what I was studying yesterday, if the word "hearts" is referring to "thoughts"- Then Satan is putting things in thier thoughts, and has great hold upon their thoughts. What I want, is I want the Lord to have "great hold upon my thoughts."

I did a search for "hold upon heart"- and all of the scriptures were talking about Satan- except for one- which was Alma the Younger talking about his experience after he saw the angel, was unconscious, and remembered what his father had taught:

Alma 36:17- 18 I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

Enos had an experience with his thoughts: 3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.

I am not looking for an "experience" so much as I want a peaceful state of mind. I want to be able to have my three year old having potty training accidnets, my six year old not doing her homeowork, my five year old putting real food and drinks in her playroom kitchen, my baby taking too short a nap, my husband never installing the baseboards, and I want to be happy and peaceful inside. I am sure this is possible.

Isn't this what the sacrament is supposed to help me with "always have his spirit to be with me"- THAT is what I need. There must be some part of the covenant that I am not keeping up, becasue I feel like I "sometimes have his spirit to be with me" so- here is the other half:

1. we witnessed that we were willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ,


2. that we would always remember Him,


3. and that we would keep His commandments.

My guess is that I am messing up on #2. I study early in the morning, like right now, and then go about my day, not always remmebering him. Funny how both Alma and Enos's examples involved "remembering."

My favorite hymn- my favorite version- this is from back when I was at BYU: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUhU0HgTq94&feature=related