Brightening My Light

Last week at stake conference, I had the privilege to sing alto in a special women's choir for the a cappella number "Lift Thine Eyes" from Mendelssohn's  Elijah . I had never heard it before, and I immediately fell in love with it the first time I listened to it. The message of the song is just as beautiful as the music: Lift thine eyes to the mountains, w hence cometh help. Thy help cometh from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He hath said thy foot shall not be moved. Thy keeper will never slumber. Lift thine eyes to the mountains, w hence cometh help.  To me, the words mean we can get help from the Savior at His temple, the mountain of the Lord. I also love the line, "Thy keeper will never slumber," a reminder that Christ is always there waiting for us to seek Him and rely on His strength and righteousness. We may fall asleep while praying, reading our scriptures, sitting in Church, or even attending the temple, but He is always aware ...

There's a difference between reading and studying the scriptures, and we're advised to do the latter. There are several resources available to help us search and understand the scriptures. Some of these are seminary and Institute manuals, the Church magazines, general conference talks, other LDS books, and even the dictionary. Yet, there is a second step we're supposed to take after studying the scriptures, and that is to ponder. This means to think about what we've read in order to make connections, discover personal application, and receive revelation. Here are three things you can do to take the time to ponder after reading. 1. Listen to Heavenly Music my favorite album Maintain the Spirit you've invited through scripture study by listening to uplifting music, such as that from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It will aid in keeping away distractions, both externally and internally, so you can focus on the words you've read and what they mean. I...

I recently read the parable of the Prodigal Son ( Luke 15:11-32 ) during my scripture study, and it reminded me of this talk from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland , in which he discusses the older brother. The Mormon Message video below shares excerpts from it. This talk by Elder Brent H. Nielson  from last April discusses the point of view of the waiting father. Both of these general conference talks remind us there is more to the story than just the wayward son and his return. Parables are often multifaceted, and the more we study all their facets, the better we understand the deeper meanings and applications. Discussion: How does studying the perspectives of the faithful brother and the father help us better understand the parable and its application in our lives?

ldsclipart.com The talk I gave today to introduce the Primary program. I didn't even have an outline for this one! I pondered over the topic yesterday and felt inspired as I spoke aloud to myself. I relied on the Spirit today to help me remember what I needed to say. I couldn't remember it all as I wrote this though, but this is it for the most part. The purposes of Primary are to: teach children who Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are teach children to love Them and to feel Their love help children develop feelings of self-worth and understand they are children of God give children positive church experiences teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to follow His example help children become familiar with the scriptures prepare the boys for priesthood responsibilities and the girls for Young Women Each year we're given a theme, along with monthly themes and weekly lessons that build upon the yearly theme. This year, the theme was "I Know My ...

Part 4 of the talk I gave at stake conference on Saturday, October 17. As with my previous talk, I used an outline, so this isn't word for word. We receive an abundance of blessings when we have the Spirit always with us. Elder Kim B. Clark promised: I know that if we will do these things, the Holy Ghost will come! . . . We increasingly will see all of our brothers and sisters the way God sees them . . . . We will hear the Savior’s voice in the scriptures, in the whisperings of the Spirit, and in the words of the living prophets. . . . We will see and understand ourselves and the world around us the way the Savior does. We will come to have what the Apostle Paul called “the mind of Christ.” I bear you my witness that through the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ will cut through the confusion, the pain, and the darkness. Whether it comes in a remarkable burst or in a gentle flow, that glorious spiritual power will infuse healing ...

lds.org Part 3 of the talk I gave in stake conference on Saturday, October 17. As with my previous talk, I used an outline, so this isn't word for word. After we've done everything to invite the Spirit into our lives, we need to know how to tell if he has come or given us the inspiration we seek. We can tell by the feelings we have, because   “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” ( Galatians 5:22–23 ). We also know that the Spirit  “leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously . . . . which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy” ( D&C 11:12–13 ). When it comes to personal revelation, President Eyring told us in general conference that prayer and scripture study help us become familiar with the voice of the Holy Ghost. In a CES devotional, Sister Linda K. Burton reminded us that learning to recognize the Spirit is like learning a new lan...

lds.org Part 2 of the talk I gave in stake conference on Saturday, October 17.  As with my previous talk, I used an outline, so this isn't word for word. You have probably seen the above photo of Jesus knocking on a door with no handle. The Holy Ghost works the same way. We have to let him in. That's why one person may say they didn't feel the Spirit and another may say they did although they were at the same sacrament meeting or other spiritual event. The first part of inviting the Spirit is creating an environment in which he can dwell. We do this by keeping the commandments and always remembering Christ, as said in the sacrament prayers ( Moroni 4:5 , D&C 20:77 ). Elder Bednar expressed the connection between gospel living and having the Spirit:  “Everything the Savior’s gospel teaches us to do and become is intended to bless us with the companionship of the Holy Ghost” ( Increase in Learning , p. 49). One of the ways we can tell if the gospel is working for ...