SECTION ONE
THE PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY THE SOLUTION
Living the Law of Obedience
The Ten Commandments from Matthew 22: 37-39 and Exodus 20: 3-17
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”
The natural man is gluttonous and self-loathing, but the Lord hath said: “Thy ways hath created much sorrow with death longing in the shadows of regret. If ye suffer, know ye that the Lord sees your good works and feels compassion on thee. Repent ye and become converted unto thy Lord and Redeemer. My love hath been offered from the start of creation unto all those willing to endure the test of obedience unto thy most high God. I shall never leave thee, for ye are my children and I claimeth thee. I shall bring to pass all that I have promised, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”
The natural man is judgmental and filled with hypocrisy, but the Lord hath said: “If ye persecute one another of ill-doings or misuse the knowledge of God’s power and authority, then ye are not my children. But if ye hath a heart of compassion born from thy suffering, then thou art teachable and sufficiently humble to receive the forgiveness of thy God. Only then shall ye know the tender mercies of the Shepherd who feeds His sheep. For it shall ring sweet within your soul, that the Lord is merciful and His love is without end. Be like me, for behold charity never faileth. The endless cycle of love is life eternal, unto exaltation with the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me”
The natural man is vain with dominion, but the Lord hath said: “If the world maketh to become your holy grail, then ye shall feel enslaved unto its endless hunger and unquenchable thirst. If ye succumb to its temptations, then ye shall feel the wrath of God which waketh those to see their tormented soul. When ye waketh and repenteth, then ye shall be free to worship as you please. If ye but choose to worship Me, then ye shall be counted among my sheep. If ye are my sheep, then ye shall know the merciful love of the Lord thy God.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”
The natural man is evil and quick to contend, but the Lord hath said: “If dark thoughts burden ye, then ye stand in reflection of the image of the world. If thy image is burdened by the world, then ye hath lost the way. If ye lost the way, then repent so thine eyes may behold the light of the Sun. If ye hath felt the warmth of the Sun burning in thine heart, then ye are not truly lost, for I am with thee. Once ye hath chosen to follow me, then ye shall be embraced by the light of truth that is in me, the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”
The natural man is prideful and selfish, but the Lord hath said: “If ye misuse my name, thy works shall be made void. If ye condone Godliness and rebuke sin, then I shall forgive thee of thy burden. If ye are then made worthy to ye bear my name, then honor me with good works. If ye work to honor me all the days of thy life, then ye hath felt the healing power of God’s justice, mercy and love. If the love of God resides within thy heart, then seek ye to honor me when ye bear the name of the Lord thy God.”
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”
The natural man is slothful and easily distracted, but the Lord hath said: “Mine eyes behold the glorious reunion longing within thy soul, but if thine eyes behold the covetousness of greed, then ye shall suffer with regret when the day of rest comes. For behold ye hath omitted the Lord from thy doings, which manifests in thy lack of abundance in the Kingdom of thy Lord. I plead that ye quickly seek justice so ye may receive mercy and behold the glory of the coming of the Lord. All thy days are the Sabbath unto me, when thou art in the reverent nature of thy God. For behold, be one, even as the Father is one; then peace may abound in heaven and on earth. Listen and be still so ye may hear the Lord thy God.”
“Honour thy father and thy mother”
The natural man is oppositional in all things, but the Lord hath said: “Prepare ye to receive thy Father and Mother from Heaven. Her wisdom awaits until thy heart has been chastened, for there is virtue in wisdom. Wo unto thy days of youth and blessed be ye unto thy days of repentance for I shall forgive thee all thy days. As sure as the sun is in the sky, know that I am with thee. For my love is deeper than any mountain and steeper than any crevice. The mission shall be fulfilled in these last days; to honor the generations that have come to pass and generations yet to come, in bringing together the eternal Family of God. Patience in thy preparations with thy family for ye are builders of the Kingdom when ye teach thy little ones as the Father teacheth you. This I testify unto ye, even as I am, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not kill”
The natural man is wrath with vengeance, but the Lord hath said: “Thy thoughts yet divide thee from the Lord thy God, for in your heart ye seek retaliation for thine suffering. For lo, I am with thee in thy suffering. Seek ye not hostility, no not even in thy thoughts, for in that very hour, ye shall die; not that death of the flesh, but that death of the light within thy spirit. Thou hath fallen prey to the enemy, but suffer ye not and come unto thy repentance, as thou hath offended the light of thy Redeemer. Fear not, for I shall find thee and redeem thee. Know ye that all mankind shall need a Savior and I am He. Blessed are ye which shall rise in purity before our Father because love hath been offered unto thee from the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not commit adultery”
The natural man is lustful, but the Lord hath said: “And now the wrath of God shall come upon you, for any man who taketh the virtue of a woman for his own pleasure, shall not withstand the cruelty of his punishment. Repent ye, repent ye. For not even thy thoughts shall demean the purity of my precious daughters. For my children claimeth not thine own compulsories, rather they cherish the virtue of chastity with moral honesty unto one another. Fervently protect the heart of thy companion and love shall blossom in the sacred covenant of marriage. Only then shall the powers of creation bestow blessings upon thy generations. Eternal life with thy family shall be thy reward, then ye shall know joy eternal, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not steal”
The natural man is greedy and hath forsaken the law so the Lord hath said: "Possessions hath stolen thy heart away from the Lord and mocked thy devotion with the weight of greed. Weepest thou, for thy God hath laid claim upon your debt and forgiven thee of unrighteous doing so thy heart may be filled with the riches of eternity. Seek ye not to take the reward that thou hast not earned, either on earth or in heaven. Build up thy Kingdom in the presence of thy God and He shall bestow more riches than ye shall have power to receive. Let thy heart be filled with love and thy mind will be lightened with truth, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”
The natural man deceives in his heart, but the Lord hath said: “Do not lie in thy heart by withholding thy testimony. If ye covenant to take upon my name, this honor shall be entrusted upon you. If ye falsify thyself in my name, ye have mocked the very essence of God. Confess and bear witness unto accountability even unto the workings of thy heart. Ye shall only abide thy Lord when truth consumes thy heart and mind. Then shall I comfort thee and offer blessings unto the restoration of thy light. Then shall ye feel the power of forgiveness and know I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not covet”
The natural man is envious, but the Lord hath said: “Thy heart is consumed with vain imaginations and feasts upon an empty well. Oh ye of little faith. All thy hath, God hath bestowed upon you. Therefore, when ye appreciate the blessings of God, He shall open thy eyes and ye shall be satisfied. If ye choose to fulfill the Lord’s will, then He shall bestow His power unto thee. Open thy heart to pour out blessings upon one another and glorify God’s name, then He shall share His wealth untold, even everlasting life. When ye have built the Kingdom of God upon the earth, then the Lord shall reign and ye shall once again see that I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”
The natural man is gluttonous and self-loathing, but the Lord hath said: “Thy ways hath created much sorrow with death longing in the shadows of regret. If ye suffer, know ye that the Lord sees your good works and feels compassion on thee. Repent ye and become converted unto thy Lord and Redeemer. My love hath been offered from the start of creation unto all those willing to endure the test of obedience unto thy most high God. I shall never leave thee, for ye are my children and I claimeth thee. I shall bring to pass all that I have promised, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”
The natural man is judgmental and filled with hypocrisy, but the Lord hath said: “If ye persecute one another of ill-doings or misuse the knowledge of God’s power and authority, then ye are not my children. But if ye hath a heart of compassion born from thy suffering, then thou art teachable and sufficiently humble to receive the forgiveness of thy God. Only then shall ye know the tender mercies of the Shepherd who feeds His sheep. For it shall ring sweet within your soul, that the Lord is merciful and His love is without end. Be like me, for behold charity never faileth. The endless cycle of love is life eternal, unto exaltation with the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me”
The natural man is vain with dominion, but the Lord hath said: “If the world maketh to become your holy grail, then ye shall feel enslaved unto its endless hunger and unquenchable thirst. If ye succumb to its temptations, then ye shall feel the wrath of God which waketh those to see their tormented soul. When ye waketh and repenteth, then ye shall be free to worship as you please. If ye but choose to worship Me, then ye shall be counted among my sheep. If ye are my sheep, then ye shall know the merciful love of the Lord thy God.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”
The natural man is evil and quick to contend, but the Lord hath said: “If dark thoughts burden ye, then ye stand in reflection of the image of the world. If thy image is burdened by the world, then ye hath lost the way. If ye lost the way, then repent so thine eyes may behold the light of the Sun. If ye hath felt the warmth of the Sun burning in thine heart, then ye are not truly lost, for I am with thee. Once ye hath chosen to follow me, then ye shall be embraced by the light of truth that is in me, the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”
The natural man is prideful and selfish, but the Lord hath said: “If ye misuse my name, thy works shall be made void. If ye condone Godliness and rebuke sin, then I shall forgive thee of thy burden. If ye are then made worthy to ye bear my name, then honor me with good works. If ye work to honor me all the days of thy life, then ye hath felt the healing power of God’s justice, mercy and love. If the love of God resides within thy heart, then seek ye to honor me when ye bear the name of the Lord thy God.”
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”
The natural man is slothful and easily distracted, but the Lord hath said: “Mine eyes behold the glorious reunion longing within thy soul, but if thine eyes behold the covetousness of greed, then ye shall suffer with regret when the day of rest comes. For behold ye hath omitted the Lord from thy doings, which manifests in thy lack of abundance in the Kingdom of thy Lord. I plead that ye quickly seek justice so ye may receive mercy and behold the glory of the coming of the Lord. All thy days are the Sabbath unto me, when thou art in the reverent nature of thy God. For behold, be one, even as the Father is one; then peace may abound in heaven and on earth. Listen and be still so ye may hear the Lord thy God.”
“Honour thy father and thy mother”
The natural man is oppositional in all things, but the Lord hath said: “Prepare ye to receive thy Father and Mother from Heaven. Her wisdom awaits until thy heart has been chastened, for there is virtue in wisdom. Wo unto thy days of youth and blessed be ye unto thy days of repentance for I shall forgive thee all thy days. As sure as the sun is in the sky, know that I am with thee. For my love is deeper than any mountain and steeper than any crevice. The mission shall be fulfilled in these last days; to honor the generations that have come to pass and generations yet to come, in bringing together the eternal Family of God. Patience in thy preparations with thy family for ye are builders of the Kingdom when ye teach thy little ones as the Father teacheth you. This I testify unto ye, even as I am, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not kill”
The natural man is wrath with vengeance, but the Lord hath said: “Thy thoughts yet divide thee from the Lord thy God, for in your heart ye seek retaliation for thine suffering. For lo, I am with thee in thy suffering. Seek ye not hostility, no not even in thy thoughts, for in that very hour, ye shall die; not that death of the flesh, but that death of the light within thy spirit. Thou hath fallen prey to the enemy, but suffer ye not and come unto thy repentance, as thou hath offended the light of thy Redeemer. Fear not, for I shall find thee and redeem thee. Know ye that all mankind shall need a Savior and I am He. Blessed are ye which shall rise in purity before our Father because love hath been offered unto thee from the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not commit adultery”
The natural man is lustful, but the Lord hath said: “And now the wrath of God shall come upon you, for any man who taketh the virtue of a woman for his own pleasure, shall not withstand the cruelty of his punishment. Repent ye, repent ye. For not even thy thoughts shall demean the purity of my precious daughters. For my children claimeth not thine own compulsories, rather they cherish the virtue of chastity with moral honesty unto one another. Fervently protect the heart of thy companion and love shall blossom in the sacred covenant of marriage. Only then shall the powers of creation bestow blessings upon thy generations. Eternal life with thy family shall be thy reward, then ye shall know joy eternal, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not steal”
The natural man is greedy and hath forsaken the law so the Lord hath said: "Possessions hath stolen thy heart away from the Lord and mocked thy devotion with the weight of greed. Weepest thou, for thy God hath laid claim upon your debt and forgiven thee of unrighteous doing so thy heart may be filled with the riches of eternity. Seek ye not to take the reward that thou hast not earned, either on earth or in heaven. Build up thy Kingdom in the presence of thy God and He shall bestow more riches than ye shall have power to receive. Let thy heart be filled with love and thy mind will be lightened with truth, for I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”
The natural man deceives in his heart, but the Lord hath said: “Do not lie in thy heart by withholding thy testimony. If ye covenant to take upon my name, this honor shall be entrusted upon you. If ye falsify thyself in my name, ye have mocked the very essence of God. Confess and bear witness unto accountability even unto the workings of thy heart. Ye shall only abide thy Lord when truth consumes thy heart and mind. Then shall I comfort thee and offer blessings unto the restoration of thy light. Then shall ye feel the power of forgiveness and know I am the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt not covet”
The natural man is envious, but the Lord hath said: “Thy heart is consumed with vain imaginations and feasts upon an empty well. Oh ye of little faith. All thy hath, God hath bestowed upon you. Therefore, when ye appreciate the blessings of God, He shall open thy eyes and ye shall be satisfied. If ye choose to fulfill the Lord’s will, then He shall bestow His power unto thee. Open thy heart to pour out blessings upon one another and glorify God’s name, then He shall share His wealth untold, even everlasting life. When ye have built the Kingdom of God upon the earth, then the Lord shall reign and ye shall once again see that I am the Lord thy God.”
Step 1 - Waiting for the Bridegroom
There is nothing that deserves more attention than your own reunion with the Lord.
In this dispensation of the fullness of times, women are birthing the transformation for the world, as mothers of all living. We live in the dispensation of great tribulations prior to the second coming. Misinformation plagues the world and divides neighbors by heating up contention against one another. We must learn how to focus on God amidst the destruction of war so we do not drown in the stormy sea, but rise up with the elect. If you are wise, then you’ve received the Savior’s purity and are sufficiently preparing for the marital union. It’s not too late, your preparation to unify with the Savior should be your highest priority as the clock has struck midnight.
In the beginning, you made a decision, one that affects you to this very day. Father knows you are as a child without experience or maturity, so in His perfect wisdom he gave commandments along with choice and accountability. You made a decision with your own wisdom to gain knowledge of good and evil, which led to the consequence of being removed from God’s physical presence. The Parable of the 10 Virgins symbolizes each of us leaving Heaven and unaware of the dangers in the world due to a lack of experience or maturity. This parable offers layers of depth, one of which may be a new concept to you, but offers an opportunity for introspection so you can be counted as the Lord’s sheep when He returns.
Your personality may be like the wise virgin who took extra oil for the lantern within your vessel, or your personality may be like the “foolish” virgin who left heaven without enough oil. Both the wise and the foolish virgins left home with an “all or nothing” mindset. The “wise” virgins may have used their own wisdom rather than God’s wisdom. Maybe the oil was meant for their lantern and not their vessel. Maybe they didn’t trust in God to fulfill His promises so they “overpacked” because they knew life would be hard. Maybe they are over-reaching for a level of perfection in their preparation for the Savior or feel entitled due to their righteousness. Maybe they deceived the foolish into buying oil because they took more than their fair share and there wasn’t enough for everyone. Maybe they weren’t permitted to take the oil into their vessel until after uniting with the Bridegroom.
The “foolish” virgins may have thought life would be easy because they felt prepared so they “underpacked” when they left heaven. Maybe they were confident in their righteousness, but consequently faced regret when they didn’t have enough light to last through the night. Maybe they felt lost in the darkness of the world and were seeking any light they could find, but they were easily led astray into buying their oil. Maybe the parable is teaching us how to recognize deception and avoid deceiving others. Maybe the wise forgot that God also loves the foolish and maybe the foolish thinks that God only loves the wise. Maybe they all forgot the oil is not purchased, but grown from their testimony in Christ. Maybe nobody was shining their light on a mountain top because they were afraid to share their testimonies.
They are all seeking God, but they aren’t preparing in their slumbers. The ill prepared shall not withstand the brightness of His glory. We cannot see the Savior because our eyes are closed, but He walks with each one of us until we can bear His name and image in our countenance. We must patiently wait with a veil covering our eyes during the probationary time. When you’re prepared to unite with Christ as the Bridegroom, the angels will awaken your mind. Then you’ll see wonders beyond comprehension as the earth prepares to receive her King! The body that beholds the spirit of the Lord, shall abide the brightness of that perfect day. Glorious is that body which shall receive all that the Lord has in store, including the Master Physician Himself.
In the beginning, you made a decision, one that affects you to this very day. Father knows you are as a child without experience or maturity, so in His perfect wisdom he gave commandments along with choice and accountability. You made a decision with your own wisdom to gain knowledge of good and evil, which led to the consequence of being removed from God’s physical presence. The Parable of the 10 Virgins symbolizes each of us leaving Heaven and unaware of the dangers in the world due to a lack of experience or maturity. This parable offers layers of depth, one of which may be a new concept to you, but offers an opportunity for introspection so you can be counted as the Lord’s sheep when He returns.
Your personality may be like the wise virgin who took extra oil for the lantern within your vessel, or your personality may be like the “foolish” virgin who left heaven without enough oil. Both the wise and the foolish virgins left home with an “all or nothing” mindset. The “wise” virgins may have used their own wisdom rather than God’s wisdom. Maybe the oil was meant for their lantern and not their vessel. Maybe they didn’t trust in God to fulfill His promises so they “overpacked” because they knew life would be hard. Maybe they are over-reaching for a level of perfection in their preparation for the Savior or feel entitled due to their righteousness. Maybe they deceived the foolish into buying oil because they took more than their fair share and there wasn’t enough for everyone. Maybe they weren’t permitted to take the oil into their vessel until after uniting with the Bridegroom.
The “foolish” virgins may have thought life would be easy because they felt prepared so they “underpacked” when they left heaven. Maybe they were confident in their righteousness, but consequently faced regret when they didn’t have enough light to last through the night. Maybe they felt lost in the darkness of the world and were seeking any light they could find, but they were easily led astray into buying their oil. Maybe the parable is teaching us how to recognize deception and avoid deceiving others. Maybe the wise forgot that God also loves the foolish and maybe the foolish thinks that God only loves the wise. Maybe they all forgot the oil is not purchased, but grown from their testimony in Christ. Maybe nobody was shining their light on a mountain top because they were afraid to share their testimonies.
They are all seeking God, but they aren’t preparing in their slumbers. The ill prepared shall not withstand the brightness of His glory. We cannot see the Savior because our eyes are closed, but He walks with each one of us until we can bear His name and image in our countenance. We must patiently wait with a veil covering our eyes during the probationary time. When you’re prepared to unite with Christ as the Bridegroom, the angels will awaken your mind. Then you’ll see wonders beyond comprehension as the earth prepares to receive her King! The body that beholds the spirit of the Lord, shall abide the brightness of that perfect day. Glorious is that body which shall receive all that the Lord has in store, including the Master Physician Himself.
- Introspection: Do you overcomplicate things, over-reach, expect too much from yourself and others or do you carry the weight of the world? Do you feel like you need things to be fast and simple, are you running on empty or struggling to receive answers to your prayers and seeking God’s healing light anywhere you can find it? Maybe you are taking on too much and then running out of fuel. Do you feel you are spiritually prepared for the Savior to return? Are you so focused on what is to occur, that panic ensues? Have you received His image in your countenance? Has the Holy Ghost descended upon you? Is your testimony strong enough to withstand the great storms of tribulations? Does your heart ache due to great suffering insomuch that you cannot fathom further tribulations? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to receive the Kingdom of God and abide with the Lord for a season? Have you seen great revelatory miracles occur, through your commitment to the fulfillment of His will? What if you knew that the Son of man was walking on the earth and inviting you to follow Him? What if you could release all fear and rest in the Lord’s embrace; would you run to His open arms and believe in the Savior’s sacrifice?
- President Nelson’s powerful words of wisdom tie together a perfectly orchestrated message: think celestial all ye peacemakers on the earth and walk the covenant path with spiritual momentum. I promise that you will hear Him while in your righteous desire to let God prevail as we gather Israel for the Lord’s return.
- President Nelson’s powerful words of wisdom tie together a perfectly orchestrated message: think celestial all ye peacemakers on the earth and walk the covenant path with spiritual momentum. I promise that you will hear Him while in your righteous desire to let God prevail as we gather Israel for the Lord’s return.
- Obedience: We begin by walking the covenant path in obedience to the Lord’s wisdom. The Savior is the good Shepherd and He cares for all the sheep in His fold. Close your eyes and visualize the Shepherd feeding His sheep. He tends to the needs of the sheep in His fold, excluding none. You might feel lost and alone, but His hand is always outstretched to guide the way. Are you ready to take His hand and walk the path He’s laid?
- You might feel this is redundant, but we could all use refinement and improvement.
- You might feel this is redundant, but we could all use refinement and improvement.
- You’ve gained knowledge and maturity through experience, but your journey is just beginning. Let’s prepare for your marriage to the Bridegroom so the light of God can work mighty miracles in your life.
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Step 2 - Light of the World
Hope is the glimmer of light found in darkness.
At this point in your progression, your ability to appreciate agency is in its infancy. The trials which you now face may feel so heavy that you’re unable to see the purpose. Your thoughts create your results. You have the choice to focus on the knowledge of evil in the world or the tree of life! We must resist the temptation to focus on evil and instead stand for God’s truth! You may not have control over the situation, but Faith is the presence of trusting in God’s love and wisdom to lead the way through the wilderness. Your suffering has converted your heart unto that of tenderness so your heart can be alive with God’s eternal love. God loves you, He hasn’t forgotten you, this is your time, your season and He is working a miracle in you. We must all practice walking in obedience. Your willingness to endure to the end may be challenged, but God is willing to share His wisdom if you’re open to receiving. Faith can be a choice to trust in God, even when you don’t know the purpose yet, but believing that God will teach you. Enduring extreme tribulations with faith is a process of growth that starts small like a mustard seed, but grows each day. This faith can become as strong as a tree rooted in the ground, unshakable, but fed daily by the light above and the earth below. Faith is a partnership with God rooted in the knowledge that He loves you and His wisdom is perfect. You may feel blind, but the Lord guides His sheep out of the darkness and into the light. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20) If a mustard seed chooses to become a plant, it must die as a seed and reside within the soil. The sprout seeks the light of the sun and gains strength from the resistance of the soil. The journey creates appreciation and harmony, just like climbing the mountain of the Lord is an uphill climb that develops the roots of your testimony. Mountains are symbolic in the scriptures of reaching the Heavens, “I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain.” (1 Nephi 11:1) Marvel, for His love is the strength to endure the climb and the faith to move mountains.
Oh, don’t they know it’s wrong?
Maybe there’s something I missed, how could they treat me like this?
It’s wearing out my heart, the way they disregard
Lord, it doesn’t feel right for me to turn a blind eye,
Well I guess it’s not that much when I think of what you’ve done
This is love. This is hate. We’ve got a choice to make
Why do we think that hate’s going to change their heart?
We’re up in arms over wars that don’t need to be fought
But pride won’t let us lay weapons on the ground
We build bridges up, but just to burn them down
We think pain is owed apologies and then it’ll stop
Truth be told, it doesn’t matter if they’re sorry or not
Freedom comes when we surrender to the sound
Of your mercy and your grace, Father, send your angels down
Oh, Father won’t you forgive them, they don’t know what they’ve been doing
Oh, Father give me grace to forgive them cause I feel like the one losing
- Make a choice: You can choose to focus your thoughts on worldly evils or Godly light. Visualize putting down the evidence of evil choices made by people in the world as though it were a piece of fruit. Dedicate your thoughts to God and fill your mind with the evidence of His miracles and His words. Declare your commitment: I have a choice and I choose God’s way!
- Gain a testimony of your agency: Each of us are no longer dwelling in God’s presence because we made a choice that led to the consequence of being removed from heaven. However, the atonement was foreordained so every soul is already clean from this transgression under the proper authority. Now, we’re enduring until the end of this probationary time, but growing in wisdom with choice and accountability. Ask God if you were given a choice and did you make a choice to gain knowledge of good and evil to progress and become like God. It’s important to develop a testimony of your agency. Dedicate time to prayer and seek God’s answer, not mine. The Lord hath said, “I hath not deceived Adam nor Eve into disobeying without providing agency unto all of mankind.”
- Agency in your afflictions: Accepting God’s will, opens doors to healing in harmony with God. Remember, you are a little child at physical therapy and His perspective is complete. He can turn any tragedy into a blessing, if you consecrate your trials to the Lord. In your personal prayers, seek God’s perspective. Here’s a few examples:
- My son has down syndrome and hearing impairment. I prayed for God’s blessing in my decision to proceed with surgically implanted hearing aids. However, God answered my prayers with counsel against the procedure, even stating that inevitable regret would follow surgery. I struggled to accept God’s direction as I desperately desired to communicate with my son. I practiced these JOY steps so I could accept God’s will. Once I was fully ready to cooperate, I fell to my knees in extreme brokenness and humility. I asked the Lord to help me understand and this time He revealed more knowledge to my mind. Most importantly, the implants would cause a deadly brain infection. Additionally, my son has a higher form of love communication and his hearing loss will prevent elopement so he’s not taken out before his time is through. This deeper understanding developed into effortless faith in supporting and choosing to follow God’s will. As directed by the spirit, I focused my efforts on sign language and seeking “Helen Keller’s teacher”. Which led me to Applied Behavior Analysis, to teach communication skills and obedience. About a year later, he got out the front door, but rather than wandering off, he stayed on the porch and rang the doorbell to alert us that he wanted to come back inside. My son didn’t wander and he wasn’t taken out before his time was through because I chose to act in obedience to God’s wisdom. I immediately fell to my knees in complete gratitude and humility that God answers prayers in His way. Now I have a testimony of this blessing I used to call a trial. I’ve also learned to quickly embrace God’s loving wisdom when He says no.
- My son was abused by the hands of his special education teacher. We faced many choices moving forward regarding his education and the prosecution of his abuser. When we seek retaliation, the offending party tends to defend themselves from legal repercussions. Jesus Christ gave His life to teach us that the only way to combat injustice is with forgiveness. Extreme acts of forgiveness create more change than enforcing accountability. Maybe God wants to protect my son and prevent something worse in the future, that I cannot foresee. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise and I need to trust that God’s in control. I quickly offered God control over my son’s educational plan and made all the necessary changes as directed by the Spirit. The song ‘Losing’ by Tenth Avenue North, offered great comfort and redirection for my thoughts anytime resistance crept into my heart:
- My son has down syndrome and hearing impairment. I prayed for God’s blessing in my decision to proceed with surgically implanted hearing aids. However, God answered my prayers with counsel against the procedure, even stating that inevitable regret would follow surgery. I struggled to accept God’s direction as I desperately desired to communicate with my son. I practiced these JOY steps so I could accept God’s will. Once I was fully ready to cooperate, I fell to my knees in extreme brokenness and humility. I asked the Lord to help me understand and this time He revealed more knowledge to my mind. Most importantly, the implants would cause a deadly brain infection. Additionally, my son has a higher form of love communication and his hearing loss will prevent elopement so he’s not taken out before his time is through. This deeper understanding developed into effortless faith in supporting and choosing to follow God’s will. As directed by the spirit, I focused my efforts on sign language and seeking “Helen Keller’s teacher”. Which led me to Applied Behavior Analysis, to teach communication skills and obedience. About a year later, he got out the front door, but rather than wandering off, he stayed on the porch and rang the doorbell to alert us that he wanted to come back inside. My son didn’t wander and he wasn’t taken out before his time was through because I chose to act in obedience to God’s wisdom. I immediately fell to my knees in complete gratitude and humility that God answers prayers in His way. Now I have a testimony of this blessing I used to call a trial. I’ve also learned to quickly embrace God’s loving wisdom when He says no.
Oh, don’t they know it’s wrong?
Maybe there’s something I missed, how could they treat me like this?
It’s wearing out my heart, the way they disregard
Lord, it doesn’t feel right for me to turn a blind eye,
Well I guess it’s not that much when I think of what you’ve done
This is love. This is hate. We’ve got a choice to make
Why do we think that hate’s going to change their heart?
We’re up in arms over wars that don’t need to be fought
But pride won’t let us lay weapons on the ground
We build bridges up, but just to burn them down
We think pain is owed apologies and then it’ll stop
Truth be told, it doesn’t matter if they’re sorry or not
Freedom comes when we surrender to the sound
Of your mercy and your grace, Father, send your angels down
Oh, Father won’t you forgive them, they don’t know what they’ve been doing
Oh, Father give me grace to forgive them cause I feel like the one losing
Step 3 - The Lamb of God
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28 & 30)
When the people accepted Christ as the Messiah, they rejoiced and laid palm leaves at His feet as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. They had chosen to invite Him into their homes and their lives to teach them about God. Laying the leaves at His feet was symbolic of accepting Him as their Messiah and King. This is a significant shift to transfer from trusting in mortal leaders, to trusting in God. They were offering their devotion, honor, and humility by accepting Christ as the son of God.
God is preparing your entrance into His Kingdom, so your preparation begins by inviting Him into your life. God baptized the earth with the mighty flood and even Jesus Christ was baptized at the hands of John the Baptist. Baptism is essential to the plan of salvation to restore our family tree of living ordinances. This principle will not be taught in this manual as it’s an essential part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and offered through proper priesthood authority.
Christ teaches us that we are honoring Him when we obey His wisdom and keep the commandments, thus becoming like a child. Jesus Christ embodies the pure love of God and testifies of the redeeming love of the Father unto mankind. To be saved in the Kingdom of God, we must have faith, hope and charity. Charity is the pure love of God, which hath the power to redeem all mankind, insomuch that the Lord is seeking the lost sheep, “Visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction.” (James 1:27) Anyone not yet married to the Savior, is the widow. Anyone without companionship of the Father, is the Fatherless. The true affliction is being without the marital union with the Bridegroom in order to also be sealed to the Father. Hope in Christ is what purifies that which is dark to become restored as white as snow, “whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” (1 John 3: 6) Faith in God is love for one another, keeping the commandments and believing in Christ so that God can dwell in us. “And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” (1 John 3:24)
The Lord hath said: “One day you sought to become like God, knowing good from evil. Your thoughts yet divide you from the thoughts of God. The thoughts of God lead to everlasting life and joy. Humble yourself before Me and learn of My way, the ways of righteousness. You are as a palm leaf that was attached to a living tree; that tree is God and eternal life. When that palm leaf was plucked from the tree, it no longer has the source of life coming from the tree. One day the seeds from that leaf can be fertilized into its own tree, but not before the leaf comes alive once again. Do not cast that leaf aside thinking it is too dirty or has no value. Take this leaf and place it before me. You are incapable of returning life unto a leaf that has been plucked off a tree.”
God is preparing your entrance into His Kingdom, so your preparation begins by inviting Him into your life. God baptized the earth with the mighty flood and even Jesus Christ was baptized at the hands of John the Baptist. Baptism is essential to the plan of salvation to restore our family tree of living ordinances. This principle will not be taught in this manual as it’s an essential part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and offered through proper priesthood authority.
Christ teaches us that we are honoring Him when we obey His wisdom and keep the commandments, thus becoming like a child. Jesus Christ embodies the pure love of God and testifies of the redeeming love of the Father unto mankind. To be saved in the Kingdom of God, we must have faith, hope and charity. Charity is the pure love of God, which hath the power to redeem all mankind, insomuch that the Lord is seeking the lost sheep, “Visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction.” (James 1:27) Anyone not yet married to the Savior, is the widow. Anyone without companionship of the Father, is the Fatherless. The true affliction is being without the marital union with the Bridegroom in order to also be sealed to the Father. Hope in Christ is what purifies that which is dark to become restored as white as snow, “whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” (1 John 3: 6) Faith in God is love for one another, keeping the commandments and believing in Christ so that God can dwell in us. “And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” (1 John 3:24)
The Lord hath said: “One day you sought to become like God, knowing good from evil. Your thoughts yet divide you from the thoughts of God. The thoughts of God lead to everlasting life and joy. Humble yourself before Me and learn of My way, the ways of righteousness. You are as a palm leaf that was attached to a living tree; that tree is God and eternal life. When that palm leaf was plucked from the tree, it no longer has the source of life coming from the tree. One day the seeds from that leaf can be fertilized into its own tree, but not before the leaf comes alive once again. Do not cast that leaf aside thinking it is too dirty or has no value. Take this leaf and place it before me. You are incapable of returning life unto a leaf that has been plucked off a tree.”
- Welcome Christ into your life: Close your eyes and see palm leaves in your hands that have been broken off a living palm tree. Humbly place your palm leaves at His feet, just like they did in Jerusalem when Christ rode His donkey into the city and welcome Christ into your life.
- Submit all your burdens to Christ: Honor God by trusting Him with your broken palm leaves. Submit all your burdens and fears to the Lord. There is hope in the darkness. The Savior will walk over your palm leaves, restoring them as living branches!
- Surrender to Christ: Weep at the Savior’s feet. Allow your tears of gratitude to wash the Savior’s feet, anointing His feet with your devotion.
- A mighty fortress: There is love in God’s wisdom to guide your journey home as you desire to obey the commandments. The Lord is walking with you, and together there is strength to move any mountain and survive any storm.
Step 4 - Wonderful Counsellor
Once you “know” the bitter taste of evil, you cannot “know” the sweet taste of goodness again except through the redeeming power of God’s eternal life.
When Christ entered Jerusalem, He cleansed the holy temple of worldly things. There’s symbolism in keeping your mind and body a holy place for the Lord’s spirit to dwell. When the world has your focus it pollutes the body and mind. Deeds follow soon after as your thoughts create your reality. God’s love is ever present, but some blessings are reserved due to the demand of justice. There are consequences we must face, but God’s justice allows a remembrance of God’s redeeming love to soften and transform your heart. We’ve been offered this probationary time to repent and obey the commandments.
God is the great mediator of ALL men, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh… to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death.” (2 Nephi 2:27) A mediator seeks to bring peace through compromise; creating something new that satisfies both parties. Liberty means to be free of restriction; when combined with eternal life it means that we can be free of suffering from death. No peace can be found except through God’s wisdom, and we will know eternal life when we love one another. Peace is not forced, it’s spoken to the heart from the Spirit of God to those who humble themselves unto the Lord’s will.
The natural man has a self-focused impulse to fear suffering and avoid growth in the fight for survival. Afflictions tempt you to focus on yourself first, which prevents you from being God-focused and service oriented. This is a rejection of God’s wisdom, which is a violation of divine law. The word “sin” means a moral deviation from God’s ways that has a consequence, but not a permanent stain. The word “transgression” means to break a relationship and lose trust by an act of rebellion. The word “iniquity” means a continual distortion of the truth, with ongoing consequences. The word “repent” means turning away from sin and returning to God, but as an ongoing process of restoring the original relationship with God.
The natural man displaces responsibility in order to resolve discomfort, but this masks sin and blurs righteousness because contention abides in darkness. Inflicting accountability is the same as judging and enforcing a consequence, but this is a transgression against agency and divides our family Tree of Life. When your thoughts are afflicted with frustration or anger towards one another, you bear the fruit of contention, “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.” (3 Nephi 11:29) Conflict and contention grow like a snowball of corruption that engulfs like an endless pit of suffering, keeping you trapped in a cycle of debt, division and isolation. Temptations to use God’s power to overcome the cycle of bondage without the justice of redemption is iniquity. Choosing to fear accountability blinds the eye when the mind has fallen prey to a false god, who has corrupted the sacredness of the body, with the darkness of shame associated with sin. In layman's terms, you cannot change that which does not lie within. When there is an enemy to blame, the solution is forever out of reach. God’s gift of agency reminds us that we always have a choice and all change begins within. God chastises with love to purify suffering and lead each of us to receive a restoration of His blessings. The enemy is not your brother or sister, the enemy is sin.
Enmity is a gift from God to help you discern between good and evil, but not to be used as evidence to corrupt the goodness of God. The gift of enmity can be used as a tool for introspection, to avoid the pitfalls of temptation which results in the loss of light. Enmity is a natural hate of evil, but it goes both ways, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light.” (John 3:20) The challenge is recognizing the adversarial attributes creating entrapment. Anyone who senses frustration with righteousness and all those who deny the tender mercies of the Spirit, shall also find themselves without the freedom of the sacrifice offered by the Savior. Therefore, enmity is your Liahona.
God is the great mediator of ALL men, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh… to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death.” (2 Nephi 2:27) A mediator seeks to bring peace through compromise; creating something new that satisfies both parties. Liberty means to be free of restriction; when combined with eternal life it means that we can be free of suffering from death. No peace can be found except through God’s wisdom, and we will know eternal life when we love one another. Peace is not forced, it’s spoken to the heart from the Spirit of God to those who humble themselves unto the Lord’s will.
The natural man has a self-focused impulse to fear suffering and avoid growth in the fight for survival. Afflictions tempt you to focus on yourself first, which prevents you from being God-focused and service oriented. This is a rejection of God’s wisdom, which is a violation of divine law. The word “sin” means a moral deviation from God’s ways that has a consequence, but not a permanent stain. The word “transgression” means to break a relationship and lose trust by an act of rebellion. The word “iniquity” means a continual distortion of the truth, with ongoing consequences. The word “repent” means turning away from sin and returning to God, but as an ongoing process of restoring the original relationship with God.
The natural man displaces responsibility in order to resolve discomfort, but this masks sin and blurs righteousness because contention abides in darkness. Inflicting accountability is the same as judging and enforcing a consequence, but this is a transgression against agency and divides our family Tree of Life. When your thoughts are afflicted with frustration or anger towards one another, you bear the fruit of contention, “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.” (3 Nephi 11:29) Conflict and contention grow like a snowball of corruption that engulfs like an endless pit of suffering, keeping you trapped in a cycle of debt, division and isolation. Temptations to use God’s power to overcome the cycle of bondage without the justice of redemption is iniquity. Choosing to fear accountability blinds the eye when the mind has fallen prey to a false god, who has corrupted the sacredness of the body, with the darkness of shame associated with sin. In layman's terms, you cannot change that which does not lie within. When there is an enemy to blame, the solution is forever out of reach. God’s gift of agency reminds us that we always have a choice and all change begins within. God chastises with love to purify suffering and lead each of us to receive a restoration of His blessings. The enemy is not your brother or sister, the enemy is sin.
Enmity is a gift from God to help you discern between good and evil, but not to be used as evidence to corrupt the goodness of God. The gift of enmity can be used as a tool for introspection, to avoid the pitfalls of temptation which results in the loss of light. Enmity is a natural hate of evil, but it goes both ways, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light.” (John 3:20) The challenge is recognizing the adversarial attributes creating entrapment. Anyone who senses frustration with righteousness and all those who deny the tender mercies of the Spirit, shall also find themselves without the freedom of the sacrifice offered by the Savior. Therefore, enmity is your Liahona.
- Enmity as a Liahona: When the light of God goes out, your compass no longer functions. Enmity offers direction to discern as to whether you’ve partaken of the fruit of life or partaken of the knowledge of evil. If things of God irritate you, then you might be enslaved to the enemy. You might be blind, but God is not. Trust that repentance is the only path that conquers the enemy. If you’re burdened with contention, temptations and abandonment of mercy; this casts a shadow of forgetfulness and blocks God’s light. Shadows confuse the mind, but this awareness can lead towards repentance. Evil hungers for evil, but righteousness seeks truth and restores light. When your heart is hardened and resistant to God’s love, it prevents the Holy Ghost from entering your heart. God cannot pardon the sin and free you from suffering, if you don’t let Him into your heart to cleanse you, therefore making it unpardonable. The Lord loves effort and will help soften your heart to receive His light!
- Enmity alert of moral depravity: Compare your morals to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you getting your wants, needs or desires fulfilled by taking from others or giving to others? Is your heart warm or cold towards the needs of those suffering from addictions, homelessness, mental illness, or cognitive disabilities? During political strife do you feel contention fueled by blame or do you feel peace fueled by charity? Is your heart drowning in feelings of isolation, depression, fear or judgement? Or is your heart overflowing with feelings of love, generosity, service, and compassion? After a trying day do you seek relief through self-gratification or is the gospel sufficient in fulfilling your needs. Do you seek alternate ways to alleviate discomfort rather than turning to the Lord? Do you resist God’s wisdom and abide by thine own self-fulfilled prophecy?
- Cleanse the temple: Your mind and body is a temple for your spirit and must be cleansed for the Spirit of God to reside within you. A mind that is filled with doubt, lust, greed, pride, jealousy, judgement, gossip, hate or contention is not capable of receiving revelation free of deception. Consenting adults must look heavenward to align moral depravity with God’s moral cleanliness. Children of God always seek heavenly counsel and God’s approval above their own passionate desires.
- Moral cleanliness: The Lord has provided a compass to direct your path towards the covenantal promises. You’ve been given a wonderful counsellor to mediate the disputations of the heart. Visualize the ancient temple in Jerusalem and allow Christ to cleanse the temple grounds and remove anything abominable to the Lord. If you have focused on worldly things, you have polluted your mind and body, even when there were no harmful intentions. Worldly focus creates pride, anger, greed, envy, lust, gluttony and slothfulness. If you feel repenteth, then surrender your worldly thoughts to Christ so He may cleanse them. Surrender the fruits of the adversary’s tree. Shake away the reflections that are oppositional to God and surrender to the Lord’s power, wisdom and tender mercy. Ask God to conquer your weaknesses and cleanse that which is unclean before Him.
- Purity your motives: Do you seek God for personal gain or do you seek God because you want to know Him so you can better follow Him? God knows that you might begin with intentions to receive personal gain, but along the way your heart will fall in love with Him. No matter your motive, continue onward and the path will take you upward.
- Dedicate your home: Your home is a sacred space for your family to become a Zion people. Make time for your family. Pray for direction; dedicate your home, family, and body to the Lord.
- Come unto Christ as a little child: Focus on the evidence of God’s fruits in your life and you will remember your divinity so you may once again feel the Lord’s tender mercy. See yourself as a little child seeking the Father and willing to abide by His commandments which leads to everlasting joy. “Submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19)
Step 5 - The Bread of Life
“He that eateth of this bread shall live forever.” (John 6:58)
God placed us in the world as innocent children, completely free of original sin, while still facing natural consequences. Those who choose to serve the Lord, also choose to follow God’s wisdom and authority in all things. Commandments are guidelines to living God’s ways and thus receiving blessings, but the Lord knows we still need an atonement in order to be redeemed as children of God. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was accepted and foreordained to free mankind from sin with the shedding of His innocent blood. Christ takes our impurities upon Himself and covers us with His name so our purity can be restored if we repent. This symbolizes the passover, where the blood of an innocent lamb is placed over the doorway so the destroying angel passes over. The symbolism is described as a mother bird wrapping her wings around her babies to protect them from dangerous predators. This is the gift of the atonement.
Jesus Christ prepared each of the apostles and cleansed their physical bodies by washing their feet. Christ also knows Peter will deny Him and Judas will betray Him, but He still washes both their feet; portraying His service on behalf of the righteous and the sinners. Then He offered to restore their internal purity with the sacramental ordinance at the last supper. The sacrament is a living ordinance which renews your baptismal covenants every week, thus altering a cyclical partnership between sin and baptism. Therefore, baptism is offered once, but the sacramental ordinance offers continual forgiveness for daily sins which reignites an infinite atonement.
The sacrament offers the blessings of the atonement through all generations in time and throughout all the world, so we may receive the miracles of God’s atoning sacrifice every week. The sacramental bread represents the life of Christ and we bear witness that Christ lives through each of us. The sacramental water represents the shedding of His blood to offer you freedom from bondage or torment of spirit. Through the blood of the Lamb, we are made clean because He is clean. The sacrament invites you to partake of His flesh and blood, to become one with God and renew baptismal covenants. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” (John 6:56) When you repent and obey the commandments, you are blessed with the companionship of God’s Holy Spirit to dwell within you! The sacramental blessing doesn’t change the bread and water to become the literal flesh and blood of Christ; you are transformed to reflect Christ through the sacramental ordinance. The miracle is that through each of us, the Lord can continue His ministry upon the earth and multiply blessings to all mankind throughout all generations of time.
Jesus Christ prepared each of the apostles and cleansed their physical bodies by washing their feet. Christ also knows Peter will deny Him and Judas will betray Him, but He still washes both their feet; portraying His service on behalf of the righteous and the sinners. Then He offered to restore their internal purity with the sacramental ordinance at the last supper. The sacrament is a living ordinance which renews your baptismal covenants every week, thus altering a cyclical partnership between sin and baptism. Therefore, baptism is offered once, but the sacramental ordinance offers continual forgiveness for daily sins which reignites an infinite atonement.
The sacrament offers the blessings of the atonement through all generations in time and throughout all the world, so we may receive the miracles of God’s atoning sacrifice every week. The sacramental bread represents the life of Christ and we bear witness that Christ lives through each of us. The sacramental water represents the shedding of His blood to offer you freedom from bondage or torment of spirit. Through the blood of the Lamb, we are made clean because He is clean. The sacrament invites you to partake of His flesh and blood, to become one with God and renew baptismal covenants. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” (John 6:56) When you repent and obey the commandments, you are blessed with the companionship of God’s Holy Spirit to dwell within you! The sacramental blessing doesn’t change the bread and water to become the literal flesh and blood of Christ; you are transformed to reflect Christ through the sacramental ordinance. The miracle is that through each of us, the Lord can continue His ministry upon the earth and multiply blessings to all mankind throughout all generations of time.
- Accept the Lord’s atonement: You could walk perfectly all the days of your life and still miss the mark. It is only through the atonement that ye shall be made perfect, but the Lord loves to see your effort. Visualize letting the Savior wash your feet and partake of the gift of forgiveness for your daily imperfections. The atonement was foreordained as infinite and eternal, but it’s also intimate. “As often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.” (Mosiah 26:30)
- The bread of life: This is a symbolic act of physically inviting Christ into your physical body to heal your “brokenness”. The bread is broken THEN blessed, just like the Savior whose body is broken on the cross, to bless each of us. He is broken then blessed, and so are you. The bread is not changed to become Jesus, you are changed through the atonement and when you’re ready to bear His image in your countenance, then you can use His name to do the Lord’s will.
- Living water: This is a symbolic act of physically and internally being cleansed by the blood of Christ, much like an internal baptism. Just as Christ washed the apostles feet, the water trickles down your throat to wash away impurity, cleansing from the inside out. With your Godly intuitive insight, visualize the water washing away all impurities within your mind, heart, spirit, and body. Partake of this internal baptism with living water to become transformed through Christ.
- Obedience in keeping the commandments: The atonement purifies your mind to comprehend revelation with clarity. Appreciate the Lord’s sacrifice by obeying the commandments so you can receive truth and light through revelation. Each week when you take the sacrament; repent, pray and receive revelation. “For by the water ye keep the commandments; by the spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.” (Moses 6:60)
- Revelation: Don’t limit your prayers to your tribulations, seek growth through understanding God’s wisdom within the scriptures. “The words I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Read John 6: 11, 26-63. Ask God to direct you to a scripture story where you can relate to their tribulations, followed by their conversion. I testify when you witness these miracles, your perspective will change and your heart will be converted likewise. There is more depth to the scriptures waiting to be unwrapped and revealed through the Spirit by those angelic ministers who serve the Lord. The realization of your potential hangs on the branches of your testimony.
Joy in Obedience
There will come a day that you will remember God’s glorious love and obedience to His will shall be your joy.
I was watching my baby chicks one day while they played in the chicken run for the first time. It’s designed to protect them in a safe space until they are big enough to roam freely around the garden. One of the smaller chicks managed to squeeze its way out, but quickly realized she was separated from her sisters and the food. She began struggling to get back in, but she was unsuccessful and needed my help. Can you relate to the baby chick? You can’t survive in the world alone and you cannot get back home without the mercy of your Savior. Can you relate to my compassion for the baby chick? Heavenly Father wants to help you, but He also wants you to learn from your mistakes. When you put your faith in His love for you and obey God’s wisdom, then you’ll have the strength to face any storm and remain unshaken.
The Lord hath said: “Thou art made in the heavens and from the dirt below. For I am in the heavens and in the dirt below. Do not seek the living amongst the dead, thou shalt find me in the stars shining so bright. For behold, I am with thee always. For ye shall behold my glory and know joy is everlasting. Seek me in thy suffering, thou shalt find me. Seek me in thy trials, for I am leading the way. I am the strength where ye stand. I am the light in thine eyes. I am the way, the truth and the light.”
