By Alan on Jun 09 in Blog tagged avoid, beloved Son, bondage, bought, calling and election, charity, children of God, corruption, death, dilligently, escape, evil, false prophets, false teachers, favored, flesh and blood, glory, Godliness, going to heaven, government, grace, happiness, He Is coming, heaven, House of the Lord, ignorance, in the world, Jesus Christ, judgement, just, keys, kingdom of God, knowing, knowledge, labor, liberty, light, lusts, made sure, messiah, mist of darkness, more sure word, parable, patience, perfect, Plan of Salvation, pleasures, punishments, reward, right direction, right path, right place, right thing, riot, savior, servants, tares, temperance, temptation, the Lord, unbelief, uncleanness, unrighteousness, vanity, ways, wheat, Word of God, work of God | No Comments

Are You In The Right Place?

Doing The Right Thing?

Going In The Right Direction?

Are You On The Right Path?

It’s nice to know that there is a heaven.
What’s really nice, is to know you’re going there!

 We each must escape the corruption that is in the world.

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  2 Peter 1:4

Though it may be hard and filled with much temptation, this is the purpose and why we came to this world to choose the way we should live, go the way we should go, and to conquer the enemy of all unrighteousness.

“And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.”  Moroni 9:6

God’s Plan of Happiness was to gain a body of flesh and blood and know both good and evil, and to choose between the two.  We are to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He hast sent.  Jesus came to show us the way and to rescue us from our mistakes. After the test, comes the glory.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”  1 Peter 5:10

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”  2 Peter 1: 8

“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  2 Peter 1:6

 We must always remember and remind ourselves who we are!  

We are children of God.

“For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.”
2 Nephi 1:4

“But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.”
2 Nephi 1:10

“O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord. But behold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever.”  2 Nephi 1:19

Through study and prayer and in choosing good versus evil, He will let us know that we are in the right place.  But, we must have charity, which is to give up selfishness.  As we all will come to ‘the end of the road’, this is a “to do list” in the work of God.

“Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.”  2 Peter 1:14

“ For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.”  2 Peter 1:16-19

The “more sure word” means, ‘to see the Savior’.  The Savior sometimes taught with parables.

• As we learn the truths of the gospel, what do you think it means to see with our eyes and hear with our ears?

• Why do you think light will be taken away from us if we are unwilling to receive greater light?

• Think about what you need to do to receive more gospel light.

Study the parable of the sower.  In this parable, the Savior shows that the same gospel message produces different effects depending on how people receive it.

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, the wheat represents the righteous, or “the children of the Kingdom.”  The tares represent “the children of the wicked one.”

Think about:

• How can we remain faithful even though the “tares” are allowed to grow among the “wheat”?

• Why is the word of God unable to grow in people “whose hearts are full of iniquity”?

• Why do tribulation and persecution lead some to set aside the word of God?

• In what ways might “the care of this world” and “the deceitfulness of riches” choke the word within us?

• How can we ensure that our “ground” is good when the word is planted in us?

• What can parents do to help children prepare their hearts to receive the word?

Here are THE KEYS:

1.  Knowledge

2. Having your ‘Calling and Election’ made sure

“Righteous followers of Christ can become numbered among the elect who gain the assurance of exaltation. This calling and election begins with repentance and baptism. It becomes complete when they “press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end” (2 Ne. 31:19–20). The scriptures call this process making our calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:4–11; D&C 131:5–6).

3. Knowing you are going to heaven

And here are things TO AVOID:

- “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”  2 Peter 2:1

- “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of  truth shall be evil spoken of.”  2 Peter 2:2

- “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”  2 Peter 2:3

- “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they,selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”  2 Peter 2:10

- “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.”  2 Peter 2:12

- “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 2 Peter 2:13

- ” Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children.”  2 Peter 2: 14

- “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the  lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean  escaped from them who live in error.”  2 Peter 2:18

- “These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

- “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”  2 Peter 2:19

Here are the PUNISHMENTS:

- “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.  2 Peter 2:9

- “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.”  2 Peter 2:12

- “ And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you”  2 Peter 2:13

- “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children.”  2 Peter 2:14

- “These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.”  2 Peter 2:17

- “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”  2 Peter 2:19

THE PHILOSOPHIES OF THE WORLD: 

TO MAKE THINGS LOOK NORMAL!

WARNING:         DON’T DESPAIR!

HE IS COMING!

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9

THE PROPHETS KNOW THE LORD.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”   2 Peter 2:1, 2,

FALSE PROPHETS!  

(That bought them.)

WE HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST!

CHOOSE:

THE LORD’S PROPHETS  

VERSUS

THE DEVIL’S PROPHETS    

BEAR WITNESS:   (sure word)

(May 17th, 1843.) “The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood.  It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”  D&C 131:5-6

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”  2 Peter 3:18

How do you get sealed up unto eternal life?

In the House Of The Lord

 For The Family

By Alan on Mar 10 in Daily Inspiration tagged bliss, happiness, life, Lord, thank, the ride | Comments Off

Life – A Perfect Bliss?

Bliss is an emotional state that is characterized by perfect happiness (feelings of enjoyment, pleasure, and satisfaction).

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal, is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed.  The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old time rail journey . . . delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and a thrilling burst of speed.

The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

Gordon B. Hinkley
For The Family

By Alan on Dec 27 in Blog tagged adversity, art, ceation, chance, choice, commandments, eternity, Family, gospel, happiness, joy, needs, ordinances, prophets, Temples | Comments Off

The Secret To Life Is Happiness

Our Heavenly Father desires that we find true, lasting happiness.

Our happiness is the design of all the blessings He gives us—gospel teachings, commandments, priesthood ordinances, family relationships, prophets, temples, the beauties of creation, and even the opportunity to experience adversity.

His plan for our salvation is often called “the great plan of happiness”.

He sent His Beloved Son to carry out the Atonement so we can be happy in this life and receive a fulness of joy in the eternities.

For The Family

By Alan on Sep 01 in Blog tagged act, acted upon, all men, all things, America, ancient promise, bad, blessings, commandments, constitution, covenants, creation, death, faith, founding, founding fathers, from God, from the beginning, God, good, gospel destiny, hand of the Lord, happiness, holiness, insensible, judgments, just, Keep Commandments, land of promise, latter-day, life, life and death, messiah, miracles, misery, New Israel, no creation, no God, no happiness, no law, no misery, no punishment, no righteousness, no sin, oaths, opposites, opposition, promises, restoration, righteousness, sense, so will God, The American Covenat, this nation, unbelief, vanish away, wickedness, works | Comments Off

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.

If not so, .. righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.

Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Have you ever wondered why similar spiritual feelings permeate your soul whether you are reading the prayerful words of the Hebrew military commander Joshua . . . or General Washington? Or why your eyes get equally misty, and your heart similarly joyous, whether you are singing Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing . . . or the The Star Spangled Banner? Yes, you know it is a “choice land” given by God, but have you ever considered that perhaps there is a deeper connection — even deeper than you ever imagined — between Heaven and America?

Open your eyes to this deeper connection and learn how and why ancient prophets — from Jacob (Israel), Joseph, Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah — foresaw the United States and knew of its divine ordination. Besides the advent of the Messiah, there were few things that almost all ancient prophets saw. America was one of them!

More astonishing, perhaps, is the idea that the fathers of this nation — from the Pilgrims to the revolutionaries, to the patriots of the Civil War — knew they had been seen by the ancients!

Why else did the early settlers insist they were the “New Israel?” Why was George Washington’s scripture of choice an Old Testament prophecy about the gospel destiny of America? Why did John Adams seek a “Restoration,” and why did Jefferson directly prophecy that it would occur shortly after his death and that it would land upon the foundation of the Constitution? Why (and how) did Abraham Lincoln, like a prophet of old, fulfill ancient and modern prophecy? And how did God prepare him for the work he accomplished. Learn why history has repeated itself in the founding of latter-day Israel, and why the Founding Fathers felt such a profound connection (in life and death) to “temple” worship?

These are but samples that reveal the true nature and purpose of America. Other evidences include symbolic images on our dollar bill, miracles in war, a prophet’s warning, a president’s prayer, scriptures with cryptic meaning hiding in plain sight — pieces, clues, words and symbols that actually fit perfectly together.  You may say, “How did I not see all this before?”

The key to assembling the pieces of unrest and in solving the puzzle, and to understanding the miracles that are found in an ancient promise from the God who created this nation is that there was and is The American Covenant.

For The Family 

By Alan on Aug 26 in Blog tagged become, destiny, God, happiness, identity, is, LDS, man, Mormon, Tad Callister, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Family, The Plan, woman | 1 Comment

Our Identity And Our Destiny

Elder Tad R. Callister Explains:

CLICK TO WATCH!

 (Excuse the commercial.)

The Plan of Happiness.
For The Family 

By Alan on Jul 31 in Blog tagged appreciate, enough, funeral, good things, happiness, I wish you enough, in life, joys, loss, possess, rain, satisfy, sustain, wanting, wish, your love | Comments Off

I Wish You Enough

Recently I overheard a elderly couple in their last moments together at the airport with their daughter. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father  said, 'I love you, and I wish you enough.'

The daughter replied,'Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you and Mon enough, too.' They kissed and the daughter left.

The Couple walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see they wanted and needed to cry.

I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but they welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?' 'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?' 'We are old, and she lives so far away. We have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for one of our funerals,' he said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough..' May I ask what that means?' The elderly man began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone...' He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more. 'When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.’

Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory. . . 

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

The couple again began to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE....

To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH!!!

Joseph Ollivetti
For The Family 

By Alan on Jun 12 in Blog tagged Alan Osmond, constitution, divinity, eternal life, faith, Freedom, God, happiness, in God we trust, integrity, nation, one nation, principles, religion, testimony, these teachings, Under God | 1 Comment

One Nation Under God

By Alan on May 05 in Blog tagged an attitude, commandments, creation, design of all blessings, enduring joys, family relationships, gospel teachings, happiness, hard work spiritual growth, Jesus Christ, joy, lasting, live the gospel. wholesome activities, meaningful service, miserable or happy, not wickedness, strong, Temples, temporary, the great plan of happiness, true and lasting, work | Comments Off

Happiness Is An Attitude.

We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same.

By Alan on Mar 29 in Blog tagged Elder L. Tom Perry, faithfulness, happiness, holiness, Joseph Smith, object and design of our existence, path of virtue, positive things, right and wrong, things good church members do, things we just don't do, You Can't Do Wrong When You Do Right | Comments Off

You Can’t Do Wrong When You Do Right

“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God”.  Joseph Smith

We live today in a world so full of choices. Television offers both the good and the bad. Bookstores are full of publications offering the right and the wrong. Very few movies are worthy of seeing because of the profanity, violence, and immorality that fill them. Advertising is full of enticements to lead us to violate the body with stimulants. Some music, with its monotonous rhythms, beats illicit thoughts into our heads.

Consider some wise counsel:

“Now may I make a recommendation? Develop discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time and time again. You need only to decide some things once. How great a blessing it is to be free of agonizing over and over again regarding a temptation. To do such is time-consuming and very risky.

Likewise, my dear young friends, the positive things you will want to accomplish need be decided upon only once—like going on a mission and living worthily in order to get married in the temple—and then all other decisions related to these goals can fall into line. Otherwise, each consideration is risky, and each equivocation may result in error. There are some things good church going  members do and other things we just don’t do. The sooner you take a stand, the taller you will be!”  Spencer W. Kimball

We are at a time in the world’s history when Satan is marshalling all his forces to lead the people off the strait and narrow path. Fortunately, most Christian are clear about who it is that they will serve. Like Joshua of old, they proclaim, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

I hope and pray that you great young people will have the courage to consistently choose the right! Moreover, I suggest that each of you find or create reminders to help you and your loved ones choose the right when a choice is placed before you. There is power in a white dress hanging in the closet if we associate them with our desires for purity and righteousness. Even more important than physical reminders is to have the conviction deep down in our hearts to live the kind of life that will cause us to make the right choices, not only for peace and happiness in the world right now, but also for peace and happiness eternally.

I promise you that you will receive everlasting happiness if you consistently choose to do what is right.

“Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you.”  
Moses 6: 33

By Alan on Mar 15 in Blog tagged "hmmm", "uh huh", admiration, agree to disagree, air grievances, anger, arguments, avoid conflict, being defensive, being selfish, calm yourself, comments, communication, compromise, conflict, conflicts, contempt, criticism, denying responsibility, disagreeing, distance, divorce, emotions, fight, fights, fragile, get really mad, happiness, I see, insults, interactiong, jogging, laughter, listen, making excuses, marriage, marriage is positive, name calling, paying compliments, peacemaking, relationship, repairing the damage, resolve, shouting matches, smiling, talking things out, touching, trust, validationg, volatile, what makes marriage work, wisdom | Comments Off

What Makes Marriage Work?

It’s how you resolve conflict that matters most.

Research indicates you can get really mad or avoid conflict altogether. But the positivity must outweigh the negativity by five to one.

If you are worried about the future of your marriage or relationship, you have plenty of company. There’s no denying that this is a frightening time for couples. More than half of all first marriages end in divorce; 60 percent of second marriages fail. What makes the numbers even more disturbing is that no one seems to understand why our marriages have become so fragile.

In pursuit of the truth about what tears a marriage apart or binds it together, I have found that much of the conventional wisdom–even among marital therapists–is either misguided or dead wrong. For example, some marital patterns that even professionals often take as a sign of a problem–such as having intense fights or avoiding conflict altogether–I have found can signify highly successful adjustments that will keep a couple together. Fighting, when it airs grievances and complaints, can be one of the healthiest things a couple can do for their relationship.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned in my years of research into marital relationships–having interviewed and studied more than 200 couples over 20 years–it is that a lasting marriage results from a couple’s ability to resolve the conflicts that are inevitable in any relationship. Many couples tend to equate a low level of conflict with happiness and believe the claim “we never fight” is a sign of marital health. But I believe we grow in our relationships by reconciling our differences. That’s how we become more loving people and truly experience the fruits of marriage.

Although there are other dimensions that are telling about a union, the intensity of argument seems to bring out a marriage’s true colors. To classify a marriage, in my lab at the University of Washington in Seattle, I look at the frequency of fights, the facial expressions and physiological responses (such as pulse rate and amount of sweating) of both partners during their confrontations, as well as what they say to each other and in what tone of voice they interact verbally.

But there’s much more to a successful relationship than knowing how to fight well. Not all stable couples resolve conflicts in the same way, nor do they mean the same thing by “resolving” their conflict. In fact, I have found that there are three different styles of problem solving into which healthy marriages tend to settle:

o Validating. Couples compromise often and calmly work out their problems to mutual satisfaction as they arise.

o Volatile. Conflict erupts often, resulting in passionate disputes.

o Conflict-avoiding. Couples agree to disagree, rarely confronting their differences head-on.

Previously, many psychologists might have considered conflict-avoiding and volatile marriages to be destructive. But my research suggests that all three styles are equally stable and bode equally well for the marriage’s future.

“HEALTHY” MARRIAGE STYLES

One of the first things to go in a marriage is politeness. As laughter and validation disappear, criticism and pain well up. Your attempts to get communication back on track seem useless, and partners become lost in hostile and negative thoughts and feelings. Yet here’s the surprise: There are couples whose fights are as deafening as thunder yet who have long-lasting, happy relationships.

The following three newly married couples accurately illustrate the three distinct styles of marriage.

Bert and Betty, both 30, both came from families that weren’t very communicative, and they were determined to make communication a priority in their relationship. Although they squabbled occasionally, they usually addressed their differences before their anger boiled over. Rather than engaging in shouting matches, they dealt with their disagreements by having “conferences” in which each aired his or her perspective. Usually, they were able to arrive at a compromise.

Max 40, and Anita, 25, admitted that they quarreled far more than the average couple. They also tended to interrupt each other and defend their own point of view rather than listen to what their partner was expressing. Eventually, however, they would reach some sort of accord. Despite their frequent tension, however, they seemed to take much delight in each other.

Joe, 29, and Sheila, 27, said they thought alike about almost everything and felt “an instant comfort” from the start. Although they spent a good deal of time apart, they still enjoyed each other’s company and fought very rarely. When tension did arise, both considered solo jogging more helpful in soothing the waters than talking things out or arguing.

Not surprisingly, Bert and Betty were still happily married four years after I’d first interviewed them. However, so were Max and Anita, as well as Joe and Sheila.  Marriages like Bert and Betty’s, though, which emphasize communication and compromise, have long been held up as the ideal. Even when discussing a hot topic, they display a lot of ease and calm, and have a keen ability to listen to and understand each other’s emotions.

That’s why I call such couples “validators”: In the midst of disagreement they still let their partners know that they consider his or her emotions valid, even if they don’t agree with them. This expression of mutual respect tends to limit the number of arguments couples need to have.

 Anita and Max take a different approach to squabbling than do Bert and Betty, yet their marriage remained just as solid over time. How can people who seem to thrive on skirmishes live happily together? The truth is that not every couple who fights this frequently has a stable marriage. But we call those who do “volatile.” Such couples fight on a grand scale and have an even grander time making up.