Just Because The Lord Asks Us To Do Something, Doesn't Mean It Will Be Easy

I was reading my scriptures the other day and learned a very interesting lesson: just because the Lord asks us to do something, doesn't mean it will be easy.

I started the Book of Mormon over last week and began reading the familiar first few chapters of 1 Nephi. Having read these chapters probably close to one hundred times, I assumed I wouldn't be getting anything more from them than I usually did. I was only three and a half chapters into 1 Nephi when I realized I was totally wrong!

[Quick insert: This time around, I decided I was going to read along with "Your Study of The Book of Mormon Made Easier" by David J. Ridges. This book is amazing. I definitely recommend including this in your personal study of the Book of Mormon. In it, he asks questions that made me wonder why exactly the Lord would require Nephi to go through some of the things that he did. For example, some of the trials he experienced helped his mother, Sariah, to learn a lesson that she wouldn't be able to otherwise. This concept and perspective I hadn't thought of before reading along with this book.]

We know that in 3 Nephi, Nephi and his brothers are commanded by the Lord, through Lehi, to go back to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates. Lehi's popular response in verse seven shows us just how valiant Nephi is: "...I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commendeth them." I don't know about you, but reading this verse made me think that since the Lord had commended it of Nephi, it would be easy for him to carry it out.

Obviously, it wasn't. They had to travel the 180 - 200 miles back to Jerusalem to obtain these records. They left behind their Mother and Father for probably close to two months. Laman and Lemuel murmured nearly every step of the way. In 1 Nephi 3: 29 we know that Laman and Lemuel "smote" Nephi and Sam, before an Angel appeared unto them. Not only that, but they tried three different times to get a hold of these records, failing the first two times because Laban wouldn't give the plates to any of them. And in the end, we know that Nephi was commanded to take the life of Laban in order for His will to be accomplished (1 Nephi 4:17-19).

I'm sure that Nephi (or his brothers) weren't expecting any of these things to happen as they assisted in carrying out the desires of the Lord - I know that I wouldn't have! Naturally I would assume that since I was following the Lord's commandments and faithfully doing all that He's asked of me, everything would magically fall into place and work out perfectly. In "The Book of Mormon Made Easier", I underlined the following: "We forget sometimes that life is a 'schooling' provided for our growth and development, and that if every time we went on the Lord's errand, things were to go perfectly well because of the Lord's blessings, we would be deprived of much our education... sturdy and lasting growth does not come from constant ease."

Would Nephi and his brothers have learned the same valuable lessons had they not had to travel the long (and probably dangerous) journey back to Jerusalem? What about the constant complaining from Laman and Lemuel - would Sam and Nephi have benefited from not having them tag along? Maybe. But they also might have skipped out on obtaining some possible lessons on patience and forgiveness. And Laban. What if Laban easily gave the plates to them so that they could merrily be on their way back home to their parents? I guess we'll honestly never truly know in this lifetime, but I like to think that because of the afflictions and the trials and the complaining and the waiting... all of it was worth it.

Elder Robert D. Hales said, "...the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences... . Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His son... we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, 'all these things shall [be for our] experience, and... [our] good' (D&C 122:7)". [Why Do We Have Trials?]

We come to this earth to gain the experience of having a body so that we can become like our Father in Heaven. While here, we're constantly being hit by the fiery darts of the Adversary and his helpers. We succumb to the natural man. We fall down and scratch our knees from time to time, and sometimes we even let go of that rod of iron completely. It's easy to become discouraged when we look at all of our shortcomings. Realizing how far from perfection we are can seem daunting and may even make us feel hopeless. Our list of "Things I'm Bad At" seems to get bigger and bigger as we age and eventually it's really easy to just throw our hands up in the air and give it all up.

But I want you to think back on all of the trials you've experienced or maybe are even currently experiencing. Think of the struggles that you might face daily. Ask yourself what you've learned from them? What have you overcome? What attributes have you gained? How have you been able to help someone because of what you've been through? How has feeling the aching pain and loneliness brought you closer to Christ? I don't believe it's ever easy to see the reasons why we're going through something until it's over, but I do believe that there is always something beautiful that comes from the hard times in life. It often requires a lot of time and healing, but they do turn into some of our most beautiful blessings.

So why would the Lord ask us to do something if we might potentially stumble and fall down while we're doing it? Why would His will be for us to fall short and to struggle? I think we focus too much on the "why's" and it blinds us from seeing our potential. We get stuck in the moment and we fail to see just how close we are to the light at the end of the tunnel.

I don't believe that He has a desire to see us topple and fall. However, I do believe that He desires to see us rise. And the only way for us to do any rising is if we do some falling.

So, yes. The Lord is going to ask us to do some amazing things. And we will do them. And we'll be tremendously blessed for our efforts. As we're doing those things that the Lord has asked of us, we'll see trials. We'll find flaws we didn't know we had. We'll learn lessons we thought we already knew. And we'll grow muscles that we didn't even know we had. It will be hard. We'll find ourselves discouraged and we might even lay hopelessly on our beds thinking that we'll never accomplish what has been asked of us. We'll ask a bunch of "why's" and we'll say a lot of pleading prayers.

We're going to do a whole lot of falling - because that's inevitable. But we can also do a whole lot of rising.

Reading the words of Nephi helped me to realize that I'm not alone. Even if he didn't go through the things we will go through or face the things we will face, he still knew what it was like to feel hopeless and discouraged even when he was on the Lord's errand. It's up to us whether we'll get up, dust ourselves off, and continue on or not.

As Al Carraway says, "God is for us, so it doesn't matter who is against us." With Him, all things are possible. As we rely on the strength of our God, we can do all that He has asked of us, even if it involves learning a few lessons along the way that will require us to act on the faith that we have. "...But just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the world, He will find you. He will rescue you. He will lift you up and place you on His shoulders. He will carry you home." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "He Will Place You on His Shoulders and carry You Home"

There are a lot of things in life that are difficult. But that's the thing that makes it worth it in the end. If today you're feeling like you can't take another step, or if you don't have the strength to stand because you've already fallen, turn to the Savior. Let His light in and let it strengthen you. We can't get through this life alone, but we can get through it if we have Him by our side. And the only way to have Him by our side, is if we let Him be there.

This life will be worth it, if we live it well. I believe in that.

Keeping It Simple

A few weeks ago I began reading the scriptures with my eleven year old brother in addition to my own personal study. We began at the very beginning (a very good place to start) of the Book of Mormon and set a goal to read at least one chapter a night. At first I thought we'd be able to read way more than one chapter in the time we had allotted ourselves but I quickly found that we probably didn't have enough time.

I sat across the table from my brother and looked at his puzzled face as he read. I said, "Dallin. Do you get what you just read?" He quickly skimmed over the past two verses before looking up at me with lost eyes. I laughed as I began explaining what we had been reading but before I could even finish my thoughts, his face lit up and his eyes widened. "OH! You mean..." and he began applying the verses of scripture to his own personal life. "Right?" He asked.

Actually... RIGHT! I was surprised at what I heard spouting from his mouth; he said things that I hadn't even thought of having read those verses of scriptures countless times. His answer seemed to be so simple, yet it made perfect sense. Dallin and I finished reading the chapter and we were off to bed.

This encounter with my brother made me think of the word "simplify" from Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk It Works Wonderfully  (October 2015 General Conference).

"This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime - even an eternity - of study and discovery to fully understand it...

"...But sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God's truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly."

I'll admit I've done this before. I often make the gospel more difficult than it ought to be; I'll think too hard or question too deeply and it never does me one speck of good. In fact, it usually makes me frustrated and I'll "decide" to take a break from the scriptures or from praying for a little while (I promise this won't do you any good, either).

I would like to add, however, that having questions is not a bad thing. Questions are what help us gain knowledge. "The Lord has sent knowledge to the earth, even of the weighty questions of eternity, the most precious of all knowledge. He wants us to have all the additional light and knowledge we can accept and live." [Happy Like Jesus by D. Kelly Ogden, p. 30, emphasis added] This is when we take President Uchtdorf's advice and "simplify [our] approach to discipleship. Focus on the basic doctrines, principles, and applications of the gospel."

This moment with my brother made me realize that perhaps I was taking too deep of an approach to my scripture study. And maybe even not a deep enough approach. Since then, I've taken a step back and listened more intently as he's explained the scriptures and how he views them. Sometimes he doesn't understand what he's reading and sometimes the words that come out of his mouth make absolutely no sense at all. But there are moments where the light clicks on and I know that he's gathering up things to add to his bank of knowledge. And the best part about reading scriptures with him is that I've learned far more than I ever imagined.

Always remember to keep the gospel simple. Because that's just what it is: simple. By keeping it that way we protect our love of the gospel and help it grow and thrive. The doctrine and the principles of the Church has never changed, nor will it. But it's when we begin to question and wonder that we cover up the simple, but beautiful truth of the gospel.

* * *

Moses 3:19
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (emphasis added)

Scripture Study Support Group

The older you get, the more decisions you have to make; Where do I want to go to school? Do I even want to go to school? What should I study? Should I go on a mission? Should I get married? Should I move? They're frustrating questions. At least for me, I sit around waiting for some grand and amazing answer from heaven. Usually nothing ever happens.

I've learned that the Lord trusts His children to make their own decisions. We have our agency... we need to use it! Nothing will ever happen... we will never progress... if we don't get up and do something - and the Lord will stop us if that 'something' isn't right.

A little while ago, I sat in sacrament meeting at Church with my family. The deacons were passing around the bread and water as I sat reading from my scriptures. After a few minutes, I noticed I wasn't paying any attention to what I was reading, because I was so focused on trying to figure out what direction I wanted to take in my life - so I decided to pull up a conference talk, because I knew I could focus easier reading that instead. I randomly clicked on October 2011 and began reading the first talk my eyes gravitated towards: "Personal Revelation and Testimony" by Barbara Thompson.

Underneath the title was a small quote from the talk: "If we diligently keep the commandments and ask in faith, answers will come in the Lord's own way and in His time."

By now I was intrigued. I began reading the talk. Once I was done, I had the thought that I needed to be better at reading the Book of Mormon and strive to gain a stronger testimony of scripture study so that I could try and receive personal revelation through my study of the scriptures.

That night, I sat at my small kitchen table, opened my scriptures and began to read. A few months earlier, I had come across a pin on Pinterest that said "How to Never Miss a Day of Scripture Reading". Excitedly, I clicked on it, but then quickly exited out because I knew that the idea would never work for me.

The writer of the blog post instructed us to find people that would be part of a "support group". Each day, after studying our scriptures, each member would report to the group and share something they liked or learned.

I sort of laughed and thought: "All of my friends are basically perfect readers. If I ask them to do this with me, they'll just know how much of a struggle it is for me." So I didn't ask anybody.

The months passed and my scripture study was still pretty spotty. Some nights it would be really effective and great! and then other nights... it... wasn't.... effective.... or great.....

So, again, as I sat at my small kitchen table reading my scriptures, the thought popped into my head that I should pull up that same blog post and invite a few friends to join me. I decided I would text one friend. Her response came as a surprise to me. "Like a support group?? Sure!"

Sweet! That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.... so I proceeded to invite more friends and family members. Each person I asked, joined my little group. Their responses ranged from "I'd love to!" to "Why didn't you ask me sooner?! This is exactly what I need."

It's now been just over a week and I can already tell the difference it's made for me. Each day I get excited to read in my scriptures and find what I'm going to share with my friends and family. I love getting the text messages from them and learning! Already I've learned so much! I've been able to think differently about the scriptures than I ever have before. Slowly but surely, I'm finding a deep love for them... and I love it!

I'm so thankful I got over my ridiculous fear that everyone was more perfect than Cambri and didn't struggle with reading their scriptures... because I know that my life has been certainly blessed because of the words, knowledge and sweet testimonies of my dear friends and family.

I know the scriptures are true. I know they are the word of God - And I'm so thankful I have been blessed to be part of a family where I was taught that scripture study is important. Words can't express how truly grateful I am for all the time, hard work and persecution that has gone forth in producing the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon. I know that by reading our scriptures, we will have an increased understanding of this Gospel and Christ's Atoning sacrifice. We will be blessed with the strength we need in order to move forward in our lives in confidence. We will be truly happy,



Here are some of our texts....

"...so I decided to start reading in the book 'Small and Simple Things' by Marjorie Pay Hinckley. I've read parts of it before but I want to read it all the way through because she has some great insights. Anyways, one that I liked tonight was this one: 'Just be one more voice to say that God lives and that this is His work. That will bring satisfaction.' I may not have the strongest testimony - it definitely needs a lot of work... also it reminded me of what we talked about tonight [at institute] about joining with others to declare truth. if we add our voice to others it will grow louder. It's like a crowd of people - the more people you get together the louder it gets."

"I read something in 2 Nephi 5 that I really liked. '... they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me... ' (verse 25). This is only part of it, but it reminded me that we should not wait for trials and challenges to come in our lives to turn to the Lord. He is there always, and we should always rely on Him during both the good and happy times as well as the bad and difficult times. He is the source of our greatest joy and the provider of peace, strength, and comfort to aid us in enduring the storms that come during this mortal life."

"Today I read in 3 Nephi 28 and it talks about the three disciples that are on the earth till judgement day. I liked verses 38-40... I like these verses because it shows that God really is more powerful that Satan and that if we are faithful, good things will happen for us in our lives."

"2 Nephi 1:5 'But, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me....' I liked this verse because it says notwithstanding our affliction. We can't just be promised a 'land of promise' without being prepared for it. we need to work for it and be changed and perfected in our afflictions before we can find out promised and covenanted lands. There is faith AND work involved. Faith is a principle of ACTION and POWER, if we have faith through our trials (meaning working at it... I know, no one likes to work :P) we will find a choice and promised land that the Lord has prepared for us, we just need to prepare ourselves first. :)"

"So, today was 2 Nephi 2:2 and 24, so it's Lehi talked to sweet little Jacob and he says this, 'thou knowest the greatness of God, and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.' And then in 24 it says 'all things do happen for a reason because Heavenly Father knows what we need INFINITELY more than we do. We know basically nothing compared to Him! Which is deeply humbling in and of itself, but I love the word consecrate because I looked it up in the dictionary and it says 'to make sacred or to dedicate to some service.' Our afflictions are to help make our lives more in line with our Heavenly Father's plan for us, for our gain... and what will we gain if we endure to the end?? EVERYTHING that heavenly Father has and wants for us. So next time you're going through something rough, just remember that one day, you'[ll have and be the person Heavenly Father knew you could be, you just might need a little nudging ;)."

"2 Nephi 7:7-8 'For the Lord God will help me... the Lord is near.' These verses are simple but they brought me a lot of peace and light during this time. I came to realize that once my Savior becomes my best friend and I constantly rely on Him, the void I feel... will be so much more filled. The Lord has called me to be a missionary, and this is what I need to focus on right now. But likened to anyone, the Savior is and always should be our best friend. He is the most true friend we will ever have. He is always there, He will always be there, and He will never leave. I know I say this all the time, but I truly do know He is always near. And He is here to help and heal me. I can find refuge in Him. Especially in hard and lonely moments, He is there to pick me up when I fall and help me put the pieces back together and heal my heart."

"I didn't read a whole lot yesterday in the scriptures but I was planning a lesson for that evening about the Word of Wisdom and how exercising is something that we need to make part of our daily lives. I found out that we do need to make sure we're not doing drugs or smoking or drinking what we're not supposed to (the basics) but also that we should be taking care of our body more by making sure it stays healthy. So yesterday we went for a walk together (to get ice cream but still) and I went to the gym and after going to the gym I had a lot more energy to do the things I needed to."

"Luke 15:20... This is in the story of the Prodigal son. How often do we not go back to our Father in Heaven because of shame or other fears??? We should be less reluctant and more like the Prodigal son who went back and who's father 'had compassion...and kissed him' this is the reaction our Father in Heaven will also have... and yet for me I am afraid to go back because what if I am the one person He doesn't do that for... I know that is not ht case but it's an incredibly strong tactic used by Satan to keep us from running to our Father who is waiting with open arms, filled with compassion just waiting for us and loving us until we come back."

"Mosiah 13:3-4... To me this means that our loving Heavenly Father won't take us when we are doing good in the world. He won't let bad things happen to us when we have a greater purpose to fulfill here on this earth."

"I read 2 Nephi 2 and in verse 7 it states 'Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto ALL those who have a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit'; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered." It's amazing to think that all it takes is a broken heart and a contrite spirit to receive such incredible blessings. It seems so simple (but it's definitely not). The part that I found interesting is where it says 'unto none else can the ends of the law be answered' so the only way to receive the blessings of the Atonement is with those two things. A broken heart and a contrite spirit."

"So I was reading in 2 Nephi 3 and it's Lehi's son Joseph talking about a 'seer' who will come from their loins who will be like Moses and his name shall be like unto his own (Joseph) and of course he is talking about Joseph Smith who would one day restore the gospel to the earth. And that got me thinking, how weird would it have been for Joseph Smith to translate that and realize that it was about himself... or did he even realize anything as he was translating?? Kind of a crazy think to think about."

"My scriptural insight tonight goes with D&C 84:46. It talks about how the Spirit will guide you the more that you listen to it."

"Mine was Moronihah. He was attacked by the lamanites but showed compassion and released all of the prisoners. contrast that will Coriantumr who sought after power... once he conquered one city, it wasn't enough so he had to have more. seeking after power and greed leads to destruction. Whereas a true leader has compassion and is kind."

"Tonight I read from 2 Nephi 9. A phrase from verse 10 jumped out at me. 'O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way...' I have seen it time and time again in my own life, but he Lord always provides a way for us. Whether it's a trial He's asked us to endure, a needed change in our lives, or an unexpected decision about work or schooling based on a prompting... He ALWAYS provides a way. sometimes it seems impossible to see, but it's always there. This doesn't always mean the path is clearly marked or laid out. Sometimes the Lord leaves the decisions up to us because He trust us. A way is always prepared for you and whatever He asks of you, even if the road ahead seems impossible or improbable. We are never left alone during these times because He is with us every step of the way. How grateful I am to know that i have a loving Heavenly father who wants the best for me and who I can talk to at anytime - He is only a prayer away."

"... [I] was reading in 1 Nephi 21:16... Christ will ALWAYS remember us, I mean how could you ever forget someone that you suffered and died for, yeah probably not likely. So if we feel like the Lord has forgotten you... maybe it's because WE have our walls up..."

"I was reading in Helaman chapter 5 tonight, and I was reading the first couple of verses that lead up to verse 12 and I like how Helaman tells his sons to keep the commandments of God and go out and tell the people of God's words, that they should do what is good and not evil, they should do things not in boast but things that lay up themselves a treasure in heaven which is eternal and not fadeth away and they will have the precious gift of eternal life. And then verse 12 how he talks about keeping a strong foundation that will stand tall against Satan."

"I was reading in Mosiah 2:41 and I love how it's just straight to the point of it you keep God's commandments and hold our faithful till the end you will be blessed in a state of never ending happiness and eternal life!"

"Tonight I read 3 Nephi 10 and one of the verses I really liked was verse 12... and it goes on to say how they were not buried, drowned, crushed, etc. I'm really glad to have this gospel in my life and the chance to learn that it is true. I know that our Heavenly father won't deceive us and that He will always be there for us, allowing us to use His Atonement so that we can return to live with Him again."

"Man I just love the scriptures!! I have personally experienced that when you come to the scriptures with a question in mind, the Lord answers your question through His words. It really is beautiful. A verse that stuck out to me in my reading tonight was in 2 Nephi 9:29.... As I thought about this some more I realized no matter how much we feel we are learning, we still need to always stay and remain humble. We depend on the Lord God for everything and He will continue to bless us with knowledge as long as we continue to follow Him, be obedient, and be humble. It is also important to remember this life is a life of learning and that we will never reach a point where we know all that we need to know. I'm so grateful for a Father in heaven who is patient with me and helps me learn and relearn and learn and relearn every single day."

"....Read about Gadianton robbers. They are bad people :). [I] liked this verse, 'Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax strong in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ.' Reminds me that praying is one of the most important ways to come unto Christ."

"...I read my scriptures and didn't find anything in particular that stuck out to me but I really liked what I read in 'Amazed by Grace' by Sheri Dew. It's talking about how both men and women who are endowed have access to Priesthood power and it says 'though women are not ordained to offices in the priesthood, in the temple they are endowed with Priesthood power and with knowledge of how to use that power'. I think it is so cool that even though it is the mans responsibility to carry the Priesthood, we as women can have the same exact access to that same power."

"Tonight I read about the word of wisdom. And I really like the purpose that section 89 gives for the word of wisdom. The reason for the word of wisdom is to protect us from the intents of others including Satan. Elder Packer explains this 'if someone 'under the influence' (of harmful substance) can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings? As valuable as the Word of Wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically.' I have though this so much lately. And I agree with him 100%...."

"Tonight I read in 2 Nephi 11. I came across verse 7..... This is so true. I mean, we don't get to pick when the second coming happens or when we get answers or how we get answers. It all will come in His time and in His way. Don't ever doubt for a second though that He can't hear you or that He isn't listening to you. he loves you and He cares about you and He won't ever let you down."

"Tonight I read in 2 Nephi 13:8... The scriptures often talk about what God takes away from them when the people do something wrong and what He gives to them when they are righteous and it is the same for us to some extend. There are consequences for us just like there was for them. In this day and age we think we can do anything and we'll be fine and get away with it. But He sees all and will be there at judgement day. he knows all and we can't get away with things without having the consequence following."

"Mosiah 4:27... I have a quote in my scriptures from Elder Neal A. Maxwell from the 1994 June ensign. He says: 'Happily, the Lord really does increase the capacity of the diligent... however He knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and comprehending, and He will not give us more than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise.' I truly believe that - the Lord will not give us anything we don't have the strength to handle. He will help us learn and grow so that we're prepared to handle the things He'll inevitably send our way, but He will not let us suffer through something we wouldn't be able to get through with His help, too. This brings me so much comfort - knowing that I can do anything that comes my way... because He will not let me fail if I stick by His side."

"Okay, I'm reading in PMG (Preach My Gospel), chapter six about developing Christ-like attributes and I just really loved this quote 'Doubt and fear are opposed to faith. your faith will increase through diligent study , prayer, dedicated service and obedience to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the commandments.' I like it because I have heard that fear is the opposite of faith, but never doubt. And not only that, it says 'opposed'. When I think of opposed I think of someone trying to break through a wall, it's not gonna happen. If we have doubts they are only going to go away if we have faith and act. Act to study, pray, serve and obey, and then our faith becomes strong and it brings power along with it."

"...My reading tonight was Alma 32. In the first several verses it just talks about being humbled over and over and about how it can be good to be humbled by your 'afflictions' but how much better ist is to be humbled by your choice. in the repetitiveness I decided to see what was associated with 'being humble' and the things that stuck out to me were 'teachable' 'meek' and 'poor in spirit' and I know that I am pretty much none of those. that was good for me to recognize..."

"Mormon 1:13-14... If we knowingly rebel against God all of our ties will be cut off. We have to know that we can repent and use the atonement that He so lovingly gave to us. The atonement is a powerful and a wonderful gift. It has many uses in our lives. We can't just live life like there's no tomorrow we have to remember that we have eternity and all of it to suffer or to be happy. God makes all the difference."