Open heart and going to the temple

I am the keeper of my heart and I can decide whether or not to open it. Elder Gerald Lund said, "The condition of our hearts directly affects our sensitivity a spiritual things. Let us make it a part of our every day striving to open our hearts to the spirit. Since we are the guardians of our hearts, we can choose to do so."

I'm reading a book called house of learning about getting more from your temple experience and the first chapter talks about having an open heart and about how when we have an open heart or about how the openness of our heart directly affects how much we can gain spiritually. And that our ability to understand the spiritual meaning of it symbolic teachings is directly connected to the spiritual condition of our hearts. I patriarchal blessing talks about how I will receive revelation in the temple and have a very spiritual experiences there. And it says that I should go to the temple frequently and with a prayerful heart. That's something I want to work on and study, having a prayerful and an open heart and purifying my heart. And what I can do better and more to make that happen. 

We don't like to feel guilty

I've been noticing a pattern lately in movies, life, and the scriptures that humans don't like to feel guilty. But we should. Because it gives us an opportunity to repent and grow and get closer to Heavenly Father and the Savior. 

One example is King Noah. He, after hearing Abinadi preach repentance, said, "Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged if him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people so great affliction?" Crazy that he is so bold to say who is God. Sometimes people will make me feel guilty for something I don't need to feel guilty about. Other times, I need to take the matter to the Lord, see if there is something I can repent of, do so, and have faith that He will remove the guilt. But ignoring a prompting from another to repent or from God, is like saying who is God? I don't want to be like that. 

Receiving a witness of Christ

I was really touched yesterday when I read about Peter and Matthew and how he says that Jesus was the Christ that had been prophesied. And this confession is sincere and brought upon by the Spirit, and the Savior recognizes that and points it out. And Jesus tells Peter that the only way Peter knew this was through the Spirit. I supplemented this reading with Jesus the Christ and felt the spirit so strong in thinking about what a witness of the Savior does for us. I also have been reading in the beginning of the lasagna about how King Benjamin teaches his people about the Savior and about how to come and to him and become more like him and believe in him and repent and believe that he is the only way to eternal salvation and joy in this life. And what the people did when they receive this witness: they felt humbled, they desired to repent, and they had no more desire to do evil. It's so amazing to me how impactful a testimony of the Savior can be. And I want to strengthen my own witness and then share it with others and show them how knowing Christ can influence them and their lives.

When we put God first

When we put God first we won't be destroyed. In Jarom, he talks about how by obeying the prophets and by being continually perfect in their hearts with the word and continually repenting and having faith and not being stiffnecked and keeping the Commandments, they prospered. This isn't because the Lamanites didn't attack them, but because they put the Lord first and therefore were guided to know what kind of preparations they needed to make in order to defend themselves. So it's not like we can just have faith and study and be obedient and then sit and expect no temptations or trials to come into our life. It's more like that when we do keep the Commandments and prepare ourselves, heavenly father will guide us in knowing what we need to do to be safe and protected and not be destroyed. And often times this is a physical preparation like it was for the Nephites. They strengthened their armies and their cities in defense.

Our spiritual righteousness is so connected to our physical prosperity. 

Parenting like those in the Book of Mormon

Today while working at the temple I read Enos 1:1-3. Only the first few verses and they really caught my attention. I learned that I have been wrong in my thinking: that with children (or anyone else under our jurisdiction/influence) we should wait until they are ready to teach them or to testify to them. It's not true! Jacob taught his son Enos throughout his (Enos's) whole life...NOT just when Enos was ready. Which is a dang good thing because if Jacob had waited, there might not have ever been an opportunity to teach him and testify to him. And Enos would have never learned. Would have never had built up a spiritual storage (even without meaning to). 

There is SO MUCH about parenting in the Book of Mormon. It's so good. I hope I diligently consult the Book of Mormon as a parent. 

I could not be shaken

I am reading and Jacob and it is so good. In Jacob seven he talks about all of his witnesses, like how he has seen angels and how they have ministered unto him and how he has heard the voice of the Lord. He says, "I could not be shaken" and "For I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost."

This makes me think of how many different ways the Holy Ghost can communicate to us and the many different ways that heavenly father can give us witnesses. I feel that I have received many witnesses throughout my life and I want to say the same thing as Jacob, "I could not be shaken."

Another lesson to learn from this chapter is that even if we are strong, Satan will still try to make a struggle with random and unlikely things sometimes. We may think we are beyond a certain temptation or a certain test, but Satan will always try to infiltrate our testimonies and make us sin. Sherem was an anti-Christ who really wanted to make Jacob, a prophet and strong believer in Christ, doubt his faith.