best way to live the gospel

Ballard: The best ways for us to see the spiritual purposes of the Church are to live the true, pure, and simple teachings of Christ and also to apply the Savior’s two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. … Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”10

Living the true, pure, and simple gospel plan will allow us more time to visit the widows, widowers, orphans, lonely, sick, and poor. We will find peace, joy, and happiness in our life when serving the Lord and our neighbors.
I'm amazing by this. How does this happen? Living the gospel more simply gives us more TIME. 

Easter

I've felt thankful for Christ more than normal this week, and I'm grateful for that feeling. I've felt sad at the thought of Him being persecuted and dying. I've been listenint to matt 21-28, and it's amazing how many things are applicable to our day. That false Christs would come (there are so many things that take my focus away from Jesus and what's important); that I need to spend the necessary time to put him first and to serve Him and learn of Him and repent, because I wont' know him otherwise, and i will be left out of the wedding feast because I don' thave any oil; so many people persecuted Him, and they will do the same to me--i might stand alone sometimes, I might be mocked sometimes and laughed at--people might not beliee what I have to say. I'm so grateful for Jesus, that I can repent, that I can loveHim and feel His loe for me and for others.

make crooked paths straight

Luke 3 at the beginning quotes an Isaiah scripture about Jesus making our crooked paths straight, and also of flattening out a mountain. CFM points out that if Christ can do these things, He can help us sort out our crooked paths. So I was pondering and praying about what some of my crooked paths might be, and I thought of how I forget to involve him in all my actions and also forget to consecrate my actions unto Him. I want to involve him and consecrate all I do to him, and do things for Him: serve my children and family for Him, serve other for Him. Like the talk "For Him" says to do. I want to review that today and see what practical methods she suggests.

Joy D. Jones says in that talk:

We need to serve out of love for the Lord, not for any other reason.
Our focus should be on the Lord; our prayers should be directed that way.
Don't seek or need appreciation or recognition.
Focus on all Heavenly Father has done for us.
Like Ballard's quote below, think about how I can love Christ and God more with my whole soul.
He needs to be the top priority, by choice. See her quote below.
Just remember that it's between me and the Lord; am I making it that way?

"When He takes the preeminent position in our lives by our deliberate choice, then He is able to bless our actions to our good and to the good of others."

President M. Russell Ballard taught, “It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service.”10

Faith been's low

My faith has been low again. I don't really know what to do. I haven't had much motivation for a week or so. But I feel now that I want to read the BoM. I'm still working on Nelson's challenge to finish it by the end of the year. I love reading it so quickly. It's so fun. I learn new things and patterns really stick out to me. This time, the patterns I see so much are what people say to negate truth or to make you feel stupid. The BoM was written for our day, I swear. It's like God knew all the things people would say. They really haven't changed much over time.

I was thinking this week about how medicine sometimes just seems more effective than Jesus's atonement. It seems that might be true, about physical and mental ailments. It sucks. Watching Meredith Beck this week, as a 14 year old, going through such intense anxiety and sleep deprivation, the prayers and priesthood blessings just like haven't worked. And so I was thinking, well what's the point then? I don't really know. I guess we will see what happens. But I did remember today during the Sacrament how sweet the spiritual healing that comes from the Savior and His Atoenment is, when I seek it and am worthy of it. Nothing can copare to it. But with mental struggles, it's tough, because you can't even really get spiritual ...feelings, blessings, etc., when you are mentally distraught. Moira, Meredith. I guess I just have to do some learning about this.

Also, I'm realizing how sensitive my Spirit is. It's taken me a couple weeks to really realize how true that is, how much things affect me. I'm not talking about violent movies and language. I'm talking about ideas. I love NPR. I love the podcasts and the books I've been reading. And I don't want to stop learning. But the opinions of those things are what are harmful to me. I want to learn facts and make decisions. But advertising to others seems to be somewhat contentious, unless it's inspired by the Spirit. Anyway. I've been taking a break from NPR, and I thnk I will continue to do so.

Quickly answered prayers

I just feel so incredibly blessed, because I asked for a lot of things yesterday and I got them all today. I just don’t know how or why it was so quickly. I don’t know I have Heavenly father wants to bless me so much and does blessed me so much. Yesterday I prayed to stop having unwanted dreams, specifically those about past relationships. Last night I didn’t have any. I also prayed for faith, hope and peace, based on the scripture that I read in Alma 58:11. I was just feeling some unwanted distance from heavenly father. I prayed  on Monday, more than most common playlist today more than normal. I was hoping to just feel closer to heavenly father and Jesus Christ of my mind. I wanted to have faith that the right name Grace could help my soul feel whole.

prayer and boasting

1. Prayer. My soul was so crunchy and crusty and tired today. I was dragging. And irritable. We went to Beth's and I felt weird and crunchy around her. In her basement, I remembered God. So I prayed and asked Him to help me soften and feel love. I felt so good when I was thinking about Jesus during that prayer. And about the scriptures. And I just longed to read them.

2. Boasting. Alma 39 starts with Alma condemning Corianton for a few sins, and the first one, significantly, was boasting. I think that is how all sins really start: with pride. It made me want to be more humble, and seek learning and want to learn and realize things I don't know and need to learn. And not see myself as super knowledgeable about ... mostly anything--because I can learn more for all of them!

3. More boasting. In Alma 41 it says that our desires will be restored to us: good for good, evil for evil. What do I desire? When I have prideful thoughts, or want glory for myself, that's what I'll get! And it won't last, because it has nothing to do with God. What do I truly want in situations and in life? Think about that sincerely, because that is what I'll get. And if it doesn't involve God and bringing glory to Him and drawing closer to Him, it should be moot to me as well.

4. How to be humble: Alma 42:30 "Let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility." Think about Jesus and how good He is, how much He loves me, How much has has done and can do and will do for me. His long-suffering toward me. That will help me be humble

easily forget

Helaman 13 is morbid a little, but it's a good chapter to take seriously and read as a reminder. To not forget the Lord. It says that it's easy for man to set their hearts on vain things, and to forget the Lord their God, and how He can do ANYTHING, and how He can help them...and curse them.

The other day I was thinking and feeling like I didn't have a ton to pray about for some reason. I thought that I wanted to pray and I wanted my prayers to be meaningful, but I felt they were a little empty. Then I remembered the scriptures, and how connected they are to pray. They give me what to pray about. They give me things to work on and things to ask for help with or thank or talk to Him about.

So then I read this chapter--feeling extra grateful for the scriptures. And I was reminded how easy it is for ME to forget Him throughout the day, and to focus on vain things or on myself. Or just to rely on myself, or the arm of flesh. Heavenly Father wants to be involved in my day.

What are some way I can remember Him?

• Talk about Him
• read my journal
• read my scriptures
• be grateful
• ask Him for help or guidance with lots of things
• work on goals
• apply what I learn
• be kind and loving to others
• think about how I can be an instrument in His hands
• recite scriptures and hymns