Category: Quotes

Purpose of prayer

In Ether 1 of the Book of Mormon it says that the prophet prayed for his family and friends who were refugees looking for a home. The Lord had compassion and told him to prepare to go to a choice land “…because this long time ye have cried unto me.” (Ether 1:43)

So, does this mean that all we need to do to get what we want is to pray long enough and hard enough?

I don’t think this is how things work. Jesus taught in the parable of the unjust judge that a corrupt official will show mercy just to be rid of someone who asks and asks for something, but God is surely better than that. (Luke 18:1-8)

I don’t think that the brother of Jared wearied the Lord or wore him down with requests so he finally said, fine, have what you want. I think this story illustrates how prayer makes us ready to receive the huge blessings that the Lord already has waiting for us.

In other words, prayer doesn’t chip away at the Lord’s iron will to withhold blessings. Rather, prayer chips away at our own wills and our pride, and helps prepare us to level up in understanding and joy.

After all, we pray to a God who knows our needs before they are spoken. (Matthew 6:33) So, prayer isn’t about informing Him of needs, but connecting with Him.

Please don’t let your prayers sound like a shopping list. The Lord’s perspective transcends your mortal wisdom.

President Russell M Nelson

Prayer is the vehicle for us to understand that God is there. He gets us. He will bless us in ways that will ultimately help us return to Him, and often that means He doesn’t remove every pain right away.

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses- yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen!

President Russell M Nelson

Pray to have eyes to see God’s hand in your life and in the world around you. Ask him to tell you if He is really there-if He knows you. Ask him how He feels about you. And then listen.

President Russell M Nelson

I pray for an evolving list of people by name, but I have changed how I pray for them. I used to kind of whine and beg. Okay, I still do that sometimes. But, more and more, prayer has become the moment in the day where I can tell God that I trust Him with these precious people and that I trust His wisdom and His power to help. Sometimes during prayer I will quote a scripture of praise. This has been a helpful shift in how I approach my Father in Heaven in prayer.

A reason to celebrate every day

This is the poinsettia that I bought in early December. I have never had one last this beautifully for this long!

I like to use the phrase, “Every day is Christmas” when I think about my blessings. Recently, I found this great quote,

As a child…[I] thought Christmas came once a year. “As an adult, I now realize that it is Christmas every day. Because of the benevolence of our Heavenly Father and our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, we are the recipients of a continuous flow of heavenly gifts—every day. Heavenly gifts too numerous to mention.”

Kevin R Duncan, Christmas devotional 2017

Children Preach, Part 2

This is a continuation of my notes of really heartfelt messages from children’s sacrament meeting presentations that I have attended this fall.

Reflecting on what she learned from reading Daniel in the Old Testament, “I know that Heavenly Father will help us when we face troubles of our own. He gives strength through hard things. He will keep us safe. I am thankful for the example Daniel is to us. (girl, age 10)

After telling the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale, this boy said, “That’s why I like the story of Jonah though; he teaches us how hard it can be when we have to own up to our mistakes and face the consequences. But he also teaches us that through repentance we can be forgiven.” (boy, age 10)

“My favorite name of the Savior is a Shadow by Day and a Pillar by Night because the Savior is there to keep us protected and lead us with his light. (boy, age 9)

My favorite name of the Savior is Light because Jesus is the biggest light in my life! He is a light for me when I am scared. When you’re in the dark you get scared, but when you are in the light you are going to be fine! (girl, age 9)

Spoken with clarity and confidence, this tiny boy had these words memorized, “Jesus Christ came to earth to live as a mortal man. He suffered and died for us. His suffering is called the Atonement. Jesus was resurrected and came to life again. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can live forever with Heavenly Father.” (boy, age 6)

This boy showed his maturity in gospel knowledge by saying, “We believe that Heavenly Father will continue to teach us and reveal many important things through our prophet. I can also receive personal revelation and learn much about Heavenly Father’s plan for me. I am thankful for President Nelson who receives revelation for our Church. And I am thankful for the restoration of the Gospel.” (boy, around age 9)

“I think the gathering of Israel and the Second Coming [are] important because I want to see Jesus again. I think He will visit all the neighborhoods and will knock on everybody’s door and say “Hi” to them. Because I believe in Jesus, I want to do what He would do. He would help those in need. I wanted to help those in need, so I worked to raise money to help people in need at the Road House.” (boy, age 10)

“The Eleventh article of Faith is talking about religious freedom…I am thankful I could choose to be baptized. I know not everyone in the world has the chance to worship any way they want. It is a blessing to have the freedom to believe and act according to my beliefs.” (boy, age 10)

A tiny little girl recited this from memory, “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; Indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul–We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things (with her arms extended and moving in a circular motion, as if to show “many things”), and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” (girl, just barely age 5)

“Whenever I am having a bad day, I can always sing one of the Primary songs to feel better. My faith has grown by understanding each of the Thirteen Articles of Faith and how they make me become closer to Jesus Christ.” (boy, age 11)

Children preach

At church, it is children’s sacrament meeting presentation season. Basically, this means that one Sunday a year, our sacrament meeting talks and music are supplied by children. Last Sunday, I attended two meetings where children sang and gave talks to the adults in their congregations.

Here are some quotes that I felt were especially precious and from the heart. (This post will be updated as I gather more during my visits during the next month.)

“Daniel [from the Old Testament] teaches me to surround myself with friends who are brave and obedient.” -boy, about age 7

Speaking of Joseph who was sold into Egypt, “As you have faith and turn to God, you and others [around you] will be blessed.” -girl, age 11

From a girl whose parents divorced recently, “All bad things can become a victory through the Lord.” -girl, age 10

After quoting John 3:16, a girl said, “There have been some times in my life when I have worried about not being enough like Christ, and making too many mistakes, but then I remember that mistakes are how we learn, and how we improve in our lives.” -girl, age 11

With tears, a girl expressed, “When my great-grandma passed away this summer I was having a hard time. Every day before I went to bed I prayed I wouldn’t be sad. Every day I did that, I felt a little better.” -girl, around age 9

“When I show my gratitude in prayer my heart is filled with more gratitude and I feel those blessings more.” -boy, age 10 or 11.

Looking back

There are years that ask questions and there are years that answer.

Zora Neale Hurston

I have thought about this quote a lot this week. At first, I agreed with it, but changed my mind. I don’t think our lives show up as one thing one year and another thing the next. Life is more nuanced than that. Yes, some answers are better seen after the experience, but I want to say that answers are always in the works.

I think it’s our tendency to generalize about time. I might say I had a bad day, when really, the bad stuff lasted a few minutes. We might have a tendency to say the past few years have been uncertain, but when I look at what I have learned during this time of really tough experiences, can I really say I have lived without answers? No! These years of poor health, deaths, and uncertainty have given me extra life experience and many answers in a consolidated time. Looking back, I am able to see more accurately that answers were always descending, helpers were prepared to do their thing, and clarity came, one adjustment at a time.

Deuteronomy

I thought of this quote by William Tyndale as I studied Deuteronomy this week.

This is a book worthy to be read in day and night and never to be out of hands. For it is the most excellent of all the books of Moses. It is also easy and light and a very pure gospel that is to wete [know], a preaching of faith and love: deducing the love to God out of faith, and the love of man’s neighbor out of love to God.”

William Tyndale

Some of my favorite words from Deuteronomy:

“Fear not, neither be discouraged.” (Deut. 1:21)

“God so nigh” (Deut. 4:7)

“Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)

“Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice.” (Deut. 4:36)

“Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deut. 6:5)

“Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…talk of them…in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deut. 6:7)

“Love ye therefore the stranger.” (Deut. 10:19)

“Open thine hand wide unto [thy poor brother].” (Deut. 15:7-8)

“Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee.” (Deut 26:11)

“Choose life…for he is thy life.” (Deut. 29:19-20)

“But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deut. 30:14)

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deut. 31:6)

“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help.” (Deut. 33:29)

Do you have a favorite passage from your study? If you like, you can share in the comments or send me a message. I love to swap favorite scriptures.

Making Progress

These are screenshots that illustrate some of my personal goals. The above screenshot is from the Gospel Library app. I am working to electronically mark my favorite quotes from church leaders at the last general conference, tagging quotes so can search them by topic. I began by reading a talk each day, starting sometime in January and ending last week. I marked favorite passages as I read. Now, each day I go back through the marked passages and add some topic tags. It is a drop by drop kind of project.

The next image is a screenshot from the Family Tree app, showing that my short, set appointments each Thursday to work on family history are yielding results. In two months, I have been able to contribute more than any year recorded here.

It is not my intention to brag, but to illustrate how tiny daily and weekly efforts are making a difference in my life!

Favorite minutes of the day

I know if you read these posts, you have seen that I have slowly become more intentional about gratitude. In 2021, I decided to graduate from a haphazard weekly gratitude list to a daily journal. My friend Janine shared this profound quote about gratitude,

…rather than make a list of things, don’t forget to thank God. Gratitude to God — and an indebtedness to Him — is far more meaningful and impactful than simply gratitude alone. In other words, counting your blessings without recognizing their source will not give you true happiness… It’s not about showing off what one has or counting things. It’s about recognizing the source and paying it forward.

Mary Richards

I don’t know how to say it without it sounding cliché, but those minutes of writing down God’s tender mercies are the best minutes of my day. I usually write things down from the previous day when I am alone in the morning. The routine simplicity of this doesn’t make it any less profound. With my little lists, I am learning to see God’s work in my life, and I look forward to it each morning. Sometimes I am surprised by the delight.

When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.

Alma 37:37

Gifts from my children

We all enjoy giving and receiving presents. But there is a difference between presents and gifts. True gifts may be part of ourselves– giving of the heart and mind– and therefore more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store.

James E. Faust
I played In the Bleak Midwinter in church. This is a screenshot from the YouTube broadcast.
Here you can kind of see Daniel, whose accompaniment was vital and beautiful.

I have been touched by many gifts this Christmas. Paige made drawings of Daniel and Tim at age three to complete my little collection of drawings of our children. Daniel may not consider this as part of his already generous gift and precious letter to me, but his piano accompaniment of the piece I played in church was a beautiful gift. Tim hand wrote long letters to each of us and made sure I had a gift from him under the tree, even though he wasn’t with us this year. Mark gave me a CD of music that he doesn’t enjoy himself, and was my companion for so many errands for Christmas giving. His service and company was so important to me this year.

It isn’t always possible to do something meaningful, but I know when I give “of my heart and mind,” the Spirit of Christmas fills my soul.

Today Paige and Michael celebrate their anniversary. Their presence in our lives is a gift and blessing.

photo by Rachel Angela Photography