Discernment/sending spies

Moroni was actively looking for threats to his army, and also their plans, so he could sufficiently strategize. I should be looking for threats to my family or testimony. I can pray and ask what these threats might be, and I can plan ways to combat them so I can keep my family and myself safe.

One is: taking a non-spiritual perspective toward things. News. People's actions. Books. Movies.

Danger of anger

Anger is dangerous. In Alma 43:29, Moroni knew (maybe through the power of discernment) that Zerahemnah just wanted to destroy and captivate the Nephites. The footnotes for this scrioture lead to three different examples of captains getting their peoole ready to fight and captivate by stirring them up to anger.

Sometimes I get caught up in anger. There's not a good result to this. And I should recognize other peoole or things trying to do that to me too (even the news).

Prophet Joseph, priesthood, motherhood

Today I felt the Spirit so stron gin the YW lesson. Especially when Melissa PEtty (13) shared what she learned from the lesson. She said that it just made so much sense to her that Joseph Smith was insprired by God. She said, "It would be impossible to do everything he did without God behind him. God has a purpose for him and was behind it." She usually says funny things during that last few minutes when we share what we learned, but today she was really reverent and I could tell she was sincere. I also just liked the lesson overall. The girls had a lot to share about the resotration and Joseph Smith. They seemed like they learned something. And I just felt a burning in my bossom that confimred to me that Joseph Sith was a prophet and that he was so inspired with most of the things that he did. I'm grateful for him and to him.

Also, during the preisthood discussion (How can we use the priesthood?), We talked about operating under delegated priesthood authority. And it made me think we were ready really soon to watch the interview  with the general YW presidency about how the YW responsibilities as class presidencies are equal to the aaronic priesthood holders' responsibilities with the Sacrament and whatnot. this information is a blessing to me, especially as a leader for the girls.  And during that same discussion, one of the sister missionaries pointed out in Alma 13:2 that it says priests get the priesthood, but in verse 3 it says that the reason is so that "the people" (not just the priests thmesleves, or men in general or whatever)might know about God through th power of the preisthood. So men holding the preisthood hold it so that we can ALL benefit and know God.

From an Ensign article this month: "I know that my daily efforts to magnify my calling as a mother bring me closer to Jesus Christ," The lady said that her phrase was "itn's not about you," that we are doing these things as mothers, for our children, but moreso, for God and for our relationship with Him. And instead of worrying about what people think about me, I should worry only about waht the Lord thinks of me.

She mentions Nicole Johnson's video about how she felt invisiable as a mother. Then a friend gave her a book of amazing cathedrals, and she noticed taht in most of them, the builder/architect was "unknown." Those builders built amazing, incredible, strong works of art not to be seen of men, but for God. he saw, and He knew.

Anyway. Being a mom is so important. And I do so many good and important things every day.

Dismissing what the Lord does

Just like Pharaoh hardened his heart when Moses and Aaron showed him signs and wonders from God, and said that they weren't from God and all that we can dismiss what God says or does. We can say it wasn't from him or decide not to obey it for some reason or justify not obeying it. The story makes me want to think about how God is trying to reach out to me.

How to give credit to the Lord

We can give credit to the Lord for the gifts and skills he has given us by using them to glorify him and bless others. Ask myself if that is WHAT I am doing with them.

I haven't thought about this as a way to give credit to the Lord/not myself. But it's awesome!

Daily Bread

I'm learning a lot from Tom Christofferson's That We May Be One. In chapter 4, he talks about daily bread. He says that we should focus on the present instead of worrying about the future. He says that we should face each trial, however insurmountable it may seem, just with each day. He asks parents of gay or transgender children to focus on each day by day, not think about how their child will marry in ten years or whatever. He also shares some amazing quotes.

Neal A. Maxwell: "Just as the capacity to defer gratification is a sign of realy maturity, likewise the willingness to wait for deferred explanation is a sign of real faith and of trust spread over time."

Tom says when we need answers, we should first pray for patience. He says we should look at trials like revelation: they reveal us to ourselves, and show us what we need to learn. And, if we handle them right, they reveal the Savior unto us as well.

I also just read a talk in the Ensign, called "Finding Answers for Myself" (https://www.lds.org/ensign/2018/02/young-adults/finding-answers-for-myself?lang=eng). In it, the author advises to go into question with the perspective of "This doesn't make sense to e now, but I'm confident that over time, when I do my part to pray and study, I can gain further understanding." She also says that we should treat revelation the same we do rain: we can't force it to come. We can go to places it might more likely be, we can store it when it does come, but we can't demand it to come, or even predict it. It's important that we just trust God and His timing, and recognize that He is the one who decides when and how we learn things. And there's a reason for that!

And Elder Christofferson: "Thoughtful planning and preparation are key to a rewarding future, but we do not live in the future—we live in the present. It is day by day that we work out our plans for the future; it is day by day that we achieve our goals. It is one day at a time that we raise and nurture our families. It is one day at a time that we overcome imperfections. We endure in faith to the end one day at a time. It is the accumulation of many days well-lived that adds up to a full life and a saintly person. And so I would like to talk to you about living well day by day."

Pray as a tool for applying Jesus

The end of Alma 31 taught me so much about prayer this time. The prayer that Alma offers in that section teaches a few things. First, Alma starts his prayer by giving specific information about the situation, information that Heavenly Father already knew (and Alma was aware of that) but he gave it nonetheless. It was like Alma was explaining the situation to justify what he would plead for next. It can be that way for me. Also, I think talking about how we are feeling and going through the situation can help us see things more clearly and know better what to ask for. Second, Alma prayed for a few really specific things, and he applied each one to the Savior or His Atonement: strength, comfort, help in bearing burdens, success in bringing others unto Him, and for his brethren. That is also something I can and should use prayer for. I should think about my situation, and tell Heavenly Father about it. then I should pray for really specific things, and figure out how the Savior specifically could help.

thoughts about the new prophet

I was praying to know that President Nelson is a mouthpiece for God. I think I know he was called of God, that he has all the keys, that he's prophet. But I wanted to know if what he said and did was inspried of God. There have been things in the past very few in my lifetime, but I can think of a thing or two, like the transgender comment and how he said it, when he came to Omaha) times when someone has said something and I've wondered if it really was from God, or just from them. I think that, after this weekend's thoughts, i think that I should accept it all first, and then if something doesn't sit right, then pray about that. Instead of not accept any of it, and have to prove all of it. I am not sure if that is right, though, because then does that just mean I bleieve stuff if it sits right to me? Maybe not. Maybe it just means that if it doesn't sit right, I will go through the process to figure ourt if it is or not.

Anyway, I really loved PresidenT Nelson today. I have also loved everything that has happened since hehas been the president. The church's statement and stance on DACA recipients; the content in the Friend that talks about taking care of the earth, recycling, doing yoga and breathing, other cultures, and Heavenly Parents (not just Heavenly Father). And then today there were a lot of changes and I just loved them all. They all seem very inspired from the get-go (meaning I don't need to give them time to proveI just believe them straight away). There were some changes today: VTing and HTing are replaced with "ministering." I love that focus. VTing was getting so annoying, how you have to report the numbers and how that made it forced sometimes. Now it's just focused on needs. And how the YW are now involved in that. Just cool stuff.

President Nelson talked about receiving revelation. He said with all of the information and misinformation in the world, stuff that we read and see every day, it's so important that we learn how to receive revelation. It's too late to knowhow to hear and recognize the HG once a typhoon has already hit, for example. He said revelation might come litle by little. Another speaker said that the scriputre in D and C that talks about how it isn't needful that we ask in all things isn't referring to us asking God in all things. It's talking about asking the prophet in all things. This was life changing for me. Because it made me realize that I can and should ask God about way way more stuff! And that He will answer! It just doesn't mean that I can sit around and wait for an answer before I act. I still need to be anxiously engaged and all of that. So good and so interesting.

Anyway. I felt like everything Presideny Nelson said today was from God. I felt like he was inspried. I felt like he loed me and that he wants good, true good, to happen to all of God's children, not just certain ones.