Let Charity abound

As I have struggled the last few months, and especially this last week on where to draw the lines of standing for whats right and showing love for persons who are violating God's commands, I received light and inspiration once again as the Sun Rose. I found myself three times in this last week finding basically the same answer in three different places.

First I was studying DC 18 and 19. DC 18:10-12 & 19. Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh: wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. ..... And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing. I am always worried that this person doesn't understand the gravity of the situation and that I need to harp on them and nag them into repentance. I also felt I needed to do some punishing by withholding support of even some good actions on their part. Obviously this way does not work. We have to have charity and do things and say things that communicate complete love and understanding. We need to show faith in our Saviors plan and realize each person has their own path which they choose and we can let it be in the hands of the Lord to judge and punish. Each soul is precious, each one must be given opportunities to turn to the Lord and receive His light. I must be a light and an example through the light of charity which suffereth long, and is kind,...is not easily provoked....Wherefore, my beloved brethern, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth... Moroni 7:45 I am going to hold to the promise that it never faileth.

Second: I was reading our Relief Society lesson. Pres. Monson's talk in conference this past conference, Finding Joy in the Journey. In there he says: "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved."

Third: I was reading for the Sunday School Lesson Mormon 1 - 6 and Moroni 9: Here is Mormon surrounded by wickedness, leading them into battle, not withstanding their wickedness because he loved them, according to the love of God which was in him. Mormon 3:12. For a time he refused to take them into battle, but in Mormon 5:1 he repents of his oath and goes once again to battle with them, having no hope, for he knew the judgementsw of the lord would come. Then in Moroni 9: 4-6, he says he labors with them continually, "let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God. Moroni's situation is far more precarious and awful then mine. I still have hope. Moroni is a great example of love and enduring to the end.

Each reading this week gave me a deeper understanding and feeling of love. I have certain actions that I must accept and be supportive of. I need to pray for these feelings to be with me when I am confronting each new situation and have the kind of conversation that would allow the spirit to be there. DC 88: 125 And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and PEACE. I know this is a learning process and I will not be perfect at it. However, even Moroni gave up for a little while and then repented and went forward with his mission, laboring diligently until the end.

Now putting all this into practice will be another story. I'm sure I will fail miserably at times. I will have to review this lesson often so i can REMEMBER.

The Lord will not come to reign over the righteous… Until everything for the Bridegroom is ready

What needs to be made ready?
In our own earthly experience, as we prepare for a wedding party, the first things we women would do would be to clean house, wouldn't we? Everything must be in perfect order. I remember preparing for Brittney's wedding, I even cleaned behind the washer and dryer, and what guest would have ever looked behind there? No one, but it sure felt good when it was done.

Well, the earth must be cleansed also, thus we see wars, and rumors of wars, vapors of smoke, famines, pestilence and earthquakes in diverse places. The earths way of cleaning house. Its part of what must happen. We also need to be cleaning our homes, our hearts and our minds.

What must the bride do to be ready? In the Joseph Smith manual it states: “Brother Joseph arose and said, to receive revelation and the blessings of heaven it was necessary to

1. Have our minds on God and
   
2. Exercise faith and or be Faithful
   
3. become of one heart and of one mind.
4. Therefore he recommended all present to pray separately and vocally to the Lord for [Him] to reveal His will unto us concerning the upbuilding of Zion and for the benefit of the Saints.” Each high priest “bowed down before the Lord” and then spoke of his feelings and
   
5. determination to keep the commandments of God.3

After all present at this meeting described above, Joseph Smith then received what is Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

If we look at each directive and apply to ourselves preparing to meet our Bridegroom, we can also find deeper meaning in preparing ourselves to receive Him.

1. Every bride has her mind on her bridegroom. You can see it in her eyes. They convey love, and adoration. She seems somewhat oblivious to the preparations going on around her, as she keeps her mind on Him. That we must do also, to be able to make it through the cleansing process. We ourselves may get scrubbed in the washing, but we are ok, because our eyes are on Him.
2. She is faithful to him. No one comes before Him. Does anyone or anything come before Him in our lives? Are we distracted by the glitter and the noise of the world?
3. Become One. If ye are not one ye are not mine. As we become one with our Savior, we will become more one as a husband and wife, as a family, as a ward, and as a neighborhood. There is power in One. And it takes great individual exertion. Joseph Smith said “Let the Saints remember that great things depend on their individual exertion, and that they are called to be co-workers with us and the Holy Spirit in accomplishing the great work of the last days; and in consideration of the extent, the blessings and glories of the same, let every selfish feeling be not only buried, but annihilated; and let love to God and man predominate, and reign triumphant in every mind, that their hearts may become like unto Enoch’s of old, and comprehend all things, present, past and future, and come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Let us pray to God without ceasing that we may know personally the things we need to do to prepare ourselves and our families for His coming. Elder Bednar spoke of Prayer in this last general conference and how to improve our prayers. Please read it.
5. As we submit ourselves to the will of the Savior, and keep His commandments what happens to us? Are we beaten down and abused. No, not with him who is the perfect bridegroom. He raises us up. We become as he is and we receive all that he has. He receives us into His mansion, prepared by His hand. DC 81:6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansion which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

As we think of the bridegroom, the other parable that comes to mind is that of the 10 virgins. Let us be like the five wise virgins and fill our lamps with oil that we may LIGHT our way. DC 45: 56, 57 They took the Holy Spirit as their guide and they were not deceived. The Lord will not come to them as a thief in the Night, for they are children of the light, and he will come as the light of the morning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth.
Fill yourselves with light that you might dispel the darkness around us. DC 50: 24 That which is of God is light and he that receiveth light and continueth in God receiveth more light and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

And then we shall say:
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

DC 33:17 Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps timmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom--

DC 101:16 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion, all flesh is in my hands, be still and know that I am God

The Light Within

I hope my thoughts can help turn your thoughts to that higher source of learning and understanding, that we might rise to that higher plane of living.