First, he will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife. Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual?”
I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, My Savior Jesus, and my wife, jill.
May I learn to love them all better and more perfectly!
I have often wondered if the devil or his angels can read… This post, however, was spawned by a comment that I heard while listening to a podcast from Book of Mormon Central, where Laman & Lemuel were referenced (Lehi’s oldest sons from the Book of Mormon—the first prophet spoken of and Nephi’s father, who wrote the first two books). It was said, that this podcaster couldn’t be sure, but that it was his belief that Laman and Lemuel were illiterate. I am not saying that this is true, but, if they are illiterate, wouldn’t it be most likely true of Satan’s minions? Why does it seem like nobody has ever warned against writing things in your journal or diary but it has been said again and again that you should not or be wary of saying things aloud that you wouldn’t want the devil to know about? Wouldn’t the same reasoning that would support the idea that Laman&Lemuel couldn’t read also go to support the idea that Satan’s minions can’t read? Those are my thoughts (some of them…),
JPS
In the Christmas song, "O Holy Night" there is a line that states, "Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth." I've been pondering that line for quite some time and would like to express some of my thoughts: * Did the soul not feel any worth before? He or she was a child of the Eternal Father, an immortal being, and thus, heir to divinity! How could it not have felt its worth until then? Well, to make a claim about one's divinity (and it's not just a casual relationship, but a child of God the Father!!!) is enough to shock anyone into feeling the worth of your soul! * Everyone's soul is of infinite worth because of Who made it--God the Father and Our Heavenly Mother, but imagine your Father's Well-Beloved-Son, the firstborn spirit child (so, that would make Him our--everyone born on this Earth and all Earth's created by Christ--Elder Brother!!!) sacrificing Himself--an eternal and infinite sacrifice, where "He bled from every poor as He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross" (see Russell M. Nelson's talk in the Sunday morning session if general conference called "The Correct Name of the Church"). All of this as He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity as the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and yet, with His stripes, we are healed (Mosiah 14:5)! * He did that for each and every one of His brothers and sisters. That is how very special you are to Him and to Our Heavenly Father (that He would be willing to allow His firstborn in the flesh to sacrifice Himself and be sacrificed for His brothers and sisters)! * Imagine that... Your soul is so very, very, very special and of infinite worth!
JPS
What is it about filthiness or uncleanliness that God or the Holy Ghost can’t abide? And what is it, about choosing sin that makes one unclean? Here are my thoughts… To sin is to act contrary to the will of God but what makes that a sin? Jesus Christ was the only perfect person to live on this Earth, and perfect = clean and able to stand in God’s presence—so inasmuch as I choose to act contrary to that perfection, I am sinning and the laws of Justice demand that I either follow that perfect example or have to pay! That’s just the way it is and always has always been! To act contrary to that example is to sin and to be unclean or filthy and the reason why is because the demands of Justice require that… but why is that the only satisfiable payment or form of universal currency? Because of the Atonement and the demands of Justice created by the intelligences of the universe require to be satisfied. You can’t fight a tidal wave, right? JPS
In the Book of Mormon, we read, from the little brother of Nephi (the first writer in the book and the first prophet), Jacob, in the second book of Nephi, chapter nine, verse five, “Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.”
“O How Great the Plan of Our God!" Pres. Uchtdorf 10/16 'It seems to be human nature: as we become more familiar with something, even something miraculous and awe-inspiring, we lose our sense of awe and treat it as commonplace.' And the Jews thought Jesus so commonplace, that they murdered their God and their Christ!!!
Helaman 14:15 “For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.”
2 Nephi 9:5 “Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.”
2 Nephi 10:3 “Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ--for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name--should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him--for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.” That he might perform the resurrection and that the gift of resurrection might be passed onto all men, that all might be raised to the Father and judged of Christ’s Atonement.
JPS
I am incredibly thankful that my wife married me, despite knowing that our life would be extra-challenging because of my disabilities and that she still looks to me to make astounding successes that continue to exasperate onlookers or even my own family! I am thankful for my family--my wife, Jill, my sons, Addison, Quentin, Calvin, and my daughter, Samantha! I am thankful for my parents and the person that they raised me to become and for helping me continue to be that person even now! I am thankful for Stephanie for being a stalwart giant in helping me and Addison after our car accident in April of 2001 and being my advocate in retaining all that the crash could have and should have left me with! I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for this life, for my spirit, my body, the intelligence that He raised and tutored before this life and continues to now, curing this life!
... Pride. The great sermon by Ezra Taft Benson, "Beware of Pride" explains that pride is nothing less than enmity. In the end, pride is enmity towards God. It manifests itself, though, in so many different forms. According to President Benson's talk, pride, looked-at only negatively, can be outright cocky--lifted-up in pride because of some achievement that you have accomplished or status you've obtained, an overabundance in confidence in oneself--looking down on others who haven't achieved such a status. Or, it can be the pride of looking up and thinking that others are most definitely looking down on you or the position you are in. I hate money. I am happy to be as poor as we are... All I know, is that in trying to work-it-out in my mind, my wife is confused over what I think and what I believe, and now, at least for right now, she is a little irritated with me and what I might think. I hate that... JPS
So, the question is: should I ask our Heavenly Father for everything you need? We are commanded to do, just that in Alma 7:23, which reads as follows:
And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
Well, maybe I don’t even know what I should pray for—not even sure what it is that I need... Luckily, we are told in Romans 8:26 what we should do: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.“
So, to truly ask in faith, you may be concerned that you may ask for things you ought not to ask. You don’t want to ask for things for which one should not ask; like I said...
In Luke chapter 18, says, we read:
1 And he spake a parable unto them, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Joseph Smith, speaking of that parable, said, “Weary the Lord till he blesses you”!
Weary the Lord until he blesses you... Weary the Lord!
JPS
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