By Alan on May 18 in Daily Inspiration tagged complete, emotional, house, mental, person, physical, spiritual | Comments Off

Everyone Is A House

Everyone is a house with four rooms:

a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual.

Many tend to live in one room most of the time.

But we must go into each room every day,

even if only to breathe in its air momentarily,

if we are to be a complete person

(An Old East Indian Proverb)

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“Organize yourselves;

prepare every needful thing,

and establish a house,

even a house of prayer,

a house of fasting,

a house of faith,

a house of learning,

a house of glory,

a house of order,

a house of God.”

Doctrine and Covenants 109:8

(A Scripture Given By Revelation)

Virl Osmond
For The Family

By Alan on Sep 01 in Blog tagged cell phones, digital phones, electricity, etc., financial, high speed internet, home and apartment, home automation, Internet, long distance, mental, natural gas, physical, SAVE MONEY, Security Systems, social, spiritual, Strengthen, television, The Family | Comments Off

Saving Money For The Family

Dear freinds and families,

I have been really trying to help “Strengthen The Family” in many various ways and posting them here at TheFamily.com in stories and articles that our staff feels will help those who are searching for solutions.

We have published several ways to strengthen families PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, SOCIALLY, and SPIRITUALLY and encouraged them to BE PREPARED.  We are excited to really be helping families FINANCIALLY!

We have found a GREAT WAY to help families SAVE MONEY on the TOP NAME BRAND SERVICES that they already use every day.  

I went on some social networks and invited a few people to save some money and IT COST THEM NOTHING!  For instance, just the last few days I saved a person $120.oo a month on her cell phone, another family $74.00 on their TV and DVR, and got a home on the east coast a Digital Box that is unlimited long distance and usage for only $29.99 a month and goes to 70 countries!  AND IT COST THEM NOTHING!  I have heard from those in England, France, and other countries as we are now in 23 Nations!

If you and your family would like to see if we can SAVE YOU MONEY, Click HERE: 

https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=mT5msyb6uQwRj3Dv680M5w

This LINK is also located at the top of http://thefamily.com on the red bar that says, “SAVE MONEY”.

If you would like to join our Osmond Network Team and MAKE SOME EXTRA MONEY by helping others the same way, there is a place on that link above to let me know!

We will review your response and get back to you if we can help save you money.

Alan Osmond
alan@thefamily.com
Publisher
http://thefamily.com 

By Alan on Aug 10 in Blog tagged darkness, enlighten, feeling, free, gift, God, Holy Ghost, light, Light of Christ, peace, power, prayer, prompting, promptings, pure joy, sensation, spirit, spiritual, still small, sun, truth, unspeakable, voice | 1 Comment

The Unspeakable Gift

LIGHT 

Have you ever thought about the amount of light and energy generated by our sun? The amount is almost beyond comprehension. Yet the heat and light that we receive come as a free gift from God.

The light from the sun breaks through space, bathing our planet as it encircles the sun with life-giving warmth and light. Without the sun, there could be no life on this planet; it would be forever barren, cold, and dark.

As the sun gives life and light to the earth, a spiritual light gives nourishment to our spirits. We call this the Light of Christ. The scriptures teach us that it “lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Thus, all mankind can enjoy its blessings. The Light of Christ is the divine influence that allows every man, woman, and child to distinguish between good and evil. It encourages all to choose the right, to seek eternal truth, and to learn again the truths that we knew in our premortal existence but have forgotten in mortality.

The Light of Christ should not be confused with the personage of the Holy Ghost, for the Light of Christ is not a personage at all. Its influence is preliminary to and preparatory to one’s receiving the Holy Ghost. The Light of Christ will lead the honest soul to “hearkeneth to the voice”.

The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, a separate and distinct member of the Godhead. He is a witness or testifier of the power of God, the divinity of Christ, and the truth of the restored gospel. Many throughout history in all nations have sought diligently to commune with the heavens and gain the light of gospel truth. They have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost confirm the truth of the gospel.

“There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. Had he not taken this … ordinance upon him, the Holy Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him.”

The Lord calls the gift of the Holy Ghost “the unspeakable gift.” It is the source of testimony and spiritual gifts. It enlightens minds, fills our souls with joy, teaches us all things, and brings forgotten knowledge to our remembrance. The Holy Ghost also “will show unto us all things what we should do.”

It is the greatest guarantor of inward peace in our unstable world.

How great a blessing it is to have the ministering influence of a member of the Godhead.” Think of what this means, the ability and the right to receive the ministrations of a member of the Godhead, to commune with infinite wisdom, infinite knowledge, and infinite power!

As with all gifts, this gift must be received and accepted to be enjoyed. Scriptures warn us that the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. The Holy Ghost will warn us of danger, and it will inspire us to help others in need.  We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.”

I once had the opportunity to tour a large cave. While there, the guide turned off the lights for a moment to demonstrate what it was like to be in total darkness. It was an amazing experience. I put my hand an inch from my eyes and could not see it. It was frightening in a way. I was relieved when the lights were turned back on.

As light penetrates the darkness and makes physical things visible, so does the Holy Ghost penetrate the spiritual darkness that surrounds us and make plainly visible spiritual things that once were hidden. The Apostle Paul taught that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Some are distracted by the things of the world that block out the influence of the Holy Ghost, preventing them from recognizing spiritual promptings. This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit.

Some are spiritually deadened and past feeling because of their choices to commit sin. Others simply hover in spiritual complacency with no desire to rise above themselves and commune with the Infinite.

If they would open their hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light. Their eyes would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable. They could know for themselves things of the Spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexpressible joy.

More than ever before we need to keep the spirit of the Lord and it will lead us right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach you what to do and where to go. Keep hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it.

Do we turn away the still, small voice? Do we do things that offend the Holy Ghost? Do we allow influences into our homes that drive the Spirit from our homes? The type of entertainment that we permit into our homes will certainly have an impact on the power of the Holy Ghost. Much of the entertainment of the world is offensive to the Holy Ghost. Surely we should not watch movies or television shows that are filled with violence, vulgar language, and immorality.

I invite you to ponder individually in a humble and prayerful manner and ask yourself: “Do I have the Spirit in my life? Am I happy? Am I doing anything in my life that is offensive to the Spirit and preventing the Holy Ghost from being my constant companion?” Have the courage to repent, if needed, and again enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Do we enjoy the influence of the Holy Ghost in our homes? Are we doing anything as a family that is offensive to the Spirit? Can we more effectively invite the Holy Ghost into our homes?

Our homes need to be more Christ-centered.

We should spend less time in the pursuit of pleasure. We should lower the noise level in our homes so that the noise of the world will not overpower the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. One of our greatest goals as parents should be to enjoy the power and influence of the Holy Ghost in our homes. We should pray and study the scriptures. We could sing the hymns to invite the Holy Ghost into our home. Regular family home evening together will also help.

In these perilous times, we need this unspeakable gift in our lives. We need not live in fear of the future. We have every reason to rejoice and little reason to fear. If we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we will be safe, whatever the future holds. We will be shown what to do.

We can distinguish the gift of the Holy Ghost from all other spirits, for “it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God.”

A friend of mine once told me about his experience in coming to know and understand the gift of the Holy Ghost. He had prayed often and longed to know the truth.

Although he felt at peace with his beliefs, he had never received the certain knowledge for which he hungered. He had reconciled himself to the fact that he might be one of those who would have to walk through this life relying upon the faith of others.

One morning, while pondering the scriptures, he felt something surge through his body from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. “I was immersed in a feeling of such intense love and pure joy,” he explained. “I cannot describe the measure of what I felt at that time other than to say I was enveloped in joy so profound there was no room in me for any other sensation.”

I urge you with all the tenderness of my heart—do not resist the truth any longer. Give place in your hearts to this heavenly light. Have faith, repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you too shall receive this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.

If we would open our hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light.

Our Heavenly Father lives! Jesus is the Christ!

Taken from a talk given by:

JOSEPH B. WIRTHLIN

Joe Ollivetti
For The Family

By Alan on Feb 06 in Blog tagged able but unwilling, additional food, be prepared, be self sustaining, church, clothing, counseling, dependent, depression, disappointment, dole, embarrassment, failure, fuel, God, government, handout, help themselves, idleness, material needs, not shift from themselfves, own families, own inspiration, own labors, own support, prayer, psychologists, self-help, self-reliance, self-respect, solving emotional problems, spiritual, stress, The Lord's Way, welfare program, work hard | Comments Off

Solving Emotional Problem’s – The Lord’s Own Way.

Families need to be self-sustaining to the full extent of their own powers. They should not voluntarily shift from themselves the burden of their own support. So long as they can, under the inspiration of the Almighty God and with their own labors, they will supply themselves with the necessities of life.

They should take care of their own material needs and then contribute to the welfare of those who cannot provide for themselves.

If a family is unable to sustain themselves, then they are to call upon their own fanilies, and then upon their Church, in that order, and not upon the government at all.

When families are able but unwilling to take care of themselves, then according to the Lord, “the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer.” (D&C 42:42)

The simple rule has been to take care of one’s self. This couplet of truth has been something of a model:

“Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

The primary purpose of one’s beliefs and church is to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of ‘the Church’ is to help people help themselves.”

Occasionally some families are attracted to their Church because of the welfare program. They see material security.

Our answer to them is: “Yes, join the Church for that reason. We can use all of the help we can get. You will be called upon continually to bless and assist others.”

It is a self-help system, not a quick handout system. It requires a careful inventory of all personal and family resources, all of which must be committed before anything is added from the outside.

It is not an unkind or an unfeeling church leader who requires a member to work to the fullest extent he can for what he receives from Church welfare.

There should not be the slightest embarrassment for any member family to be assisted by the Church. Provided, that is that he has contributed all that they can. To care for people on any other basis is to do them more harm than good.

The principle of self-reliance or personal independence is fundamental to the happy life. In too many places, in too many ways, families are getting away from it.

The same principle self-reliance and being prepared has application to the spiritual and to the emotional.

Families have been counseled to store additional food, clothing, and, if possible, fuel at home for times of need.  Can we not see that the same principle applies to inspiration and revelation, the solving of problems, to counsel, and to guidance?

If families do not do seek for their our own inspiration and revelation for solving problems, they are quite as threatened spiritually as they should be were they to assume that the Church or Government should supply all material needs.

Unless families use care, they are on the verge of doing to themselves emotionally (and, therefore, spiritually) what they have been working so hard for generations to avoid materially.

Some families seem to be developing an epidemic of “counselitis” which drains spiritual strength from the Church and family counseling agencies much like the common cold drains more strength out of humanity than any other disease.

That, some may assume, is not serious. It is very serious!

There are many chronic cases families who endlessly seek counsel and advice but do not follow the counsel that is given.  The greatest therapy is to show them how to help themselves, and more than that, how to help others.

If families lose their emotional and spiritual independence, their self-reliance, they can be weakened quite as much, perhaps even more, than when they become dependent materially.

If they are not careful, they can lose the power of individual inspiration by going to others before they seek personal revelation.

The Lord has said, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.  But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.  But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.” (D&C 9:7–9.)

Spiritual independence and self-reliance is a sustaining power within families. If others step in to help too quickly, they rob the families of how they can get personal revelation for themselves. How will families know there is a God? How can they get answers to prayers? How can they know for sure for themselves?

Families should follow proper channels in solving problems.

It is not unusual for some to “shop around” to get advice from friends and neighbors, from every direction, and then choose what they think is the best of it. That is a mistake.

Some want to start with psychologists, with professional counselors, or to go directly to church leaders to begin with.

Their problems may need that kind of attention but only after every personal, and family, and every local resource has been exhausted.

When families have used all of their own resources there should be no embarrassment in receiving welfare assistance.

That principle holds true with emotional assistance as well.

There may be a time when deep-seated emotional problems need more than can be given by the family or church leader.

Be very careful seeking for professional help. There are some spiritually destructive techniques used in the field of counseling. Do not let your family be subject to these things. Solve your problems first, the Lord’s way. It is seldom as easy to put something back together as it is to take it apart.

If your son or daughter needs counseling, it should be the parents  responsibility first, and the church’s second.

If your son or daughter needs recreation, parents should provide it first, and the church second.

If your son or daughter needs correction, that should be the parents  responsibility first, and the church or government second.

If parents are failing as a father or mother, they should be helped first, and their children second.

Do not be too quick to give up your job as parents in raising your  children.

Do not be too quick to go outside the family for counsel to solve all of the problems.

We live in a day when the world stresses on every hand the philosophy of instant gratification. We seem to demand instant everything, including instant solutions to our problems.

Families are indoctrinated that somehow they should always be instantly emotionally comfortable. When that is not so, some families become anxious—and all too frequently seek relief from counseling, from analysis, and even from medication.

It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal.

The scriptures record, “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^weakness. I ^give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^grace is sufficient for all men that ^humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^weak things become strong unto them.” Ether 12: 27

If families have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.

There is great purpose in our struggle in life.

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” 2 Ne. 31: 20

Alan Osmond
For The Family

Adapted from a talk by Elder Boyd K. Packer

SIGN UP for The Family NEWSLETTER – It’s FREE!

By Alan on Apr 10 in Blog tagged anger management, control others, controlled response, emotion, expressions, irritations, love, mad, offended, righteous anger, selfishness, spiritual, uncontrolled | 1 Comment

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“Get out of my room! And don’t come back!” shouts a teenager to her younger sister.

“I hate you, and I don’t want to play with you!” one little boy says to another.

A parent hisses through gritted teeth, “I’ve had enough of your talking back!”

Expressions of anger and resentment like these occur all too frequently in some families. In fact, they occur so often that some parents have resigned themselves to thinking that contention is just part of rearing children.

It is true that there is a rare time and place for the expression of righteous anger—the Lord himself has expressed indignation and anger when the circumstances warranted such reactions. Righteous anger is a controlled response to an unrighteous situation, however, not the kind of emotional outbursts most of us are all too familiar with. It is this uncontrolled, emotion-charged anger—and the attendant contention that arises out of it.

Irritations and frustrations will occur in our homes, but frequent angerand contention do not persist where the gospel of Jesus Christ is practiced. A unified effort by both children and parents can bring into the home a spirit of love that can defuse anger and establish peace, respect, and trust.

In many ways, expressions of unrighteous anger have their roots in selfishness. Those who respond with anger when they are frustrated or annoyed are saying, in effect, that their feelings and opinions are more important than those of others. If circumstances or the actions of others do not coincide with what they think should be, such individuals are offended and become angry.

In the same way, selfish people sometimes use anger as a way to control others. With many, it is the preferred means of manipulating people, especially their children. By raising their voices and acting mad, they make others give in to them. Unfortunately, as parents use this tactic with their children, the children adopt anger as the way to respond to anything they cannot control. A pattern of anger is established and passed from parents to children generation after generation until, somehow, the cycle is broken.

Seen in its true light, anger is a problem whose only real, long-term solution is spiritual. According to the Nephite prophets, “There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.” (4 Ne. 1:15; italics added.)

When we are motivated by love, rather than by selfishness, we will not let anger influence our relationships with each other.

As a family, you might want to ask yourselves the following questions about the nature of anger:

1. Can we agree that being angry is a choice we make, not a response that can’t be controlled?

2. How can our family make a united effort to abandon anger, to give it up like other bad habits?
3. Can we ask for help during family and individual prayers to have better feelings for one another so that feelings of love and respect can replace contention and anger?

Kirk Matson
For The Family

By Alan on Mar 17 in Blog tagged abortions, Billy Graham, call evil good, direction, forgiveness, Freedom, guidance, Heavenly Father, laziness, One Nation under God, pornography, Prayer for our Nation, spiritual, unborn, values | Comments Off

BILLY  GRAHAM   –  Current  Age: 90
Truth from a man the media has never been able to throw dirt on!

THIS  MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW  OF WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!

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‘Heavenly Father, we come  before you  today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.   We know Your Word  says, ‘Woe to those who  call evil good,’ but  that is exactly what we  have done.  We have  lost our spiritual  equilibrium and reversed our  values. We  have exploited the poor and  called it the  lottery. We have rewarded laziness  and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice.  We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.  We have coveted  our neighbor’s  possessions and called it ambition.  We havepolluted the air with profanity and pornography and  called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it  enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God,  and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.  Amen!’

With the Lord’s  help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called ‘One nation under God!’

‘One Nation Under God!

Marie Osmond
For The Family

By Alan on Feb 27 in Blog tagged cost, create, education, expense, Family, God, Plan of Life, price, school, spiritual, vacation, work priorities, worth it | 3 Comments

Can we afford the costs of raising children?  Can we work hard enough and save enough for our children’s futures as well as make sure they have fun while getting a good education?

Yes!  We can’t afford NOT TO! Our family, spouse, children and grandchildren are those that will be with us after we die.  It’s all a part of God’s plan of life.  Life is eternal.  Yes, we need to be frugal, work hard, study, pray, and be wise in all things keeping first those things that are worth it and most important.

Can we really afford a society in which we do not believe in the principle of work? Inflation has several causes, but any lasting cure must include increased productivity. Besides, work is a spiritual necessity, even if it is not an economic necessity, which it is.  Hand outs, with an “I deserve it attitude” will lead you down the wrong path.

Can we really afford a society in which the family, our most basic institution, is further diminished? Most of us revolt at the idea of having children raised by the state, but step by small step we are moving in that direction. If our society’s success depends on having a critical mass of citizens with a sense of fair play and justice, and with love and concern for others, where do citizens usually acquire those crucial virtues, if we acquire them at all? We usually acquire them first and best in the family. The family garden, as has been said, is still the best place to grow happy humans. Society already pays terrible costs for the products of tragically flawed families, but if our nation further undermines the average family, the costs will be catastrophic.

What we do with the family is going to determine what happens to our whole society.

The Family is God’s Plan Of Life.  Families are forever!

It was worth the cost to Jesus who sacrificed His life for us so that we might live again eternally as families!

Chuck Tate
For The Family

By Alan on Feb 26 in Blog tagged blessings, bodies, children, commandments, creation, eternal life, Family, flesh, God, man, marriage, ordained, physical, proclamation, revelation, sin, spiritual, The Plan of Life, the way, values, woman | 6 Comments

The Product Of Marriage Is The Family!  God’s Plan Of Life.

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We Believe that the Family Is Ordained of God between a man and a woman and that “The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).

The proclamation, a modern-day revelation, can encourage us to remember and explain what we believe.  It was then and is now a clarion call to protect and strengthen families and a stern warning in a world where declining values and misplaced priorities threaten to destroy society by undermining its basic unit.

The proclamation’s clear and simple language stands in stark contrast to the confused and convoluted notions of a society that cannot even agree on a definition of family, let alone supply the help and support parents and families need. You are familiar with such words from the proclamation as these:

• “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.”
• “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”
• “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children.”
• “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”
• “The disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

Does this make you think about why we are having so many calamities in our world today?  Can you see that we need to rescue The Family?

The family unit is fundamental not only to society and to the Church but also to our hope for eternal life.

We live in a day when there are people who want to lead us away from following Heavenly Father’s plan. One of the most important parts of that plan is that of having and belonging to families.  When war and disasters occur like 911, or even now in these days of  revolutions where many lives are being taken, stories and situations are tragic and poignant in many ways, but in all that we hear that touch the heart the most are the crying out for family: “Where is my mother?” “I can’t find my son.” “I’ve lost a sister.” These are hungry, frightened people who had lost everything and needed food, medical attention, and help of all kinds, but what they wanted and needed most was their families.

I believe the mission statement for mortality is to become like out heavenly parents and “to build an eternal family.” Here, in this life, on this earth, we strive to become part of God’s extended families with the ability to create and form our own part of those families. That is one of the reasons our Heavenly Father sent us here. Not everyone will find a companion and have a family in mortality, but everyone, regardless of individual circumstances, is a precious member of God’s family.

Marriage is a contract sealed on earth as well as in heaven.  When the promises and vows that are made in marriage are broken, they become as sins. The process of conceiving life isn’t secret; it is sacred and serious as it involves God’s spirit children who if not aborted, come down from heaven to dwell in those physical bodies.  Fulfilling God’s commandment to “multiply and replenish the earth that you might have joy”, has eternal blessings and consequences!

We are children of God and are in the process of becoming more like Him.

Everything was created spiritually before it was created physically.  God has a physical body and He desires all of His spirit children to progress and to have the opportunity to get a physical body and be married to an eternal partner for time and for all eternity in the House of the Lord, or Temple.  It is then and only then when the husband and wife should become creators of life and become just as He is.

Yes, like father like son.  Like mother like daughter.  ”Truth is reason, truth eternal, tells me I’ve a Mother there!”  We don’t know as much about our Heavenly Mother as we do about God, our Father, but I am sure that it is because she is so sacred that our Heavenly Father does not want her name to be taken in vain as is His.

Oh, I pray that we might remember or gain a glimpse in our hearts of our pre-existence lives before we came here and the promises that we made to follow Jesus, the God of this world, and continue to choose ‘The Way’ of eternal life that we might claim all that God has and dwell with him with our eternal families in the highest mansions in the heavens above.

Jesus will return again soon to live with us and to rule and reign for a thousand years with us on earth.  Then, will come the judgement day where we all will remember everything we have done and be judged according to our works; realizing the results of our test of life and those choices we freely made in this world.

God has told us that “all that I have is thine”.  May we live worthy enough to be able to receive the fullness of His blessings.  Which ever kingdom we may deserve, we will be happy.  To only be able to live lesser laws will restrict us from entering a higher kingdom and blessings.  Eternal marriage is in the highest.  Oh what joy it will be if we can be all that we can become and to live as immortal beings with eternal life… as we are “God’s work and His Glory”.

By Alan on Feb 14 in Blog tagged answers, caution, church, comfort, companion, confirmation, direction, dramatic, eternal, feelings, gifts, gyidance, heart, husband, Lord, love, nature, peace, pleading, pray, prayer, priesthood, revelation, seek, spirit, spiritual, warning, wife | Comments Off

May I take a moment to talk of some cautions that were taught to me regarding the gifts of the Spirit.

Too often people feel that answers to their prayers and their pleading for guidance and direction will be given in dramatic manifestations or through a direct voice giving specific directions from a heavenly host. My personal experience and my observation of the Brethren as they guide and direct the Church and solve problems has taught me that the answers come often times over an extended period of time with almost a natural solution whereby people take actions on the feelings of their hearts—which bring them peace and comfort—rather than through dramatic revelation.

Let me give you an example of how I learned this lesson. As a regional representative, I was traveling with President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) to a stake conference for the selection of a new stake president. We had been driving in a car for more than an hour discussing the Church and priesthood administration. For some reason, I asked a question that, at the moment I asked it, I realized was inappropriate.

The question I asked President Romney was “What is the most spiritual experience you have had as an Apostle of the Lord?” There was a pause. It seemed like an eternity. Then he said, “I believe what Joseph Smith and Brigham Young taught, that if we would keep our spiritual experiences to ourselves, many more spiritual experiences could be shared with us.”

It seemed like there was a long period of silence after that remark, and then he said to me, “I owe you a better answer.” Then he gave me great counsel. He said the greatest spiritual experiences of his life had been when he had been on assignment from the President of the Church or the President of the Quorum of the Twelve, as we were that day. He said: “We will interview 25 or 30 priesthood brethren, and there will be more than one who will be qualified to be the stake president. But after we have done all we can do, we will get on our knees and pray to our Heavenly Father. We will tell Him of our feelings of who the new stake president ought to be and the reasons why. We will tell Him of the needs of the stake at this time. Then He will give us a confirmation.”

It was interesting that he said “us,” because it was true on that occasion that as we knelt and prayed, we both were able to receive a confirmation.

This is one of the best examples that I have had of what the gifts of the Spirit are and how they are manifest in our life’s work. Apply the principles taught by President Romney to understand that you can have discernment and confirmation of the concerns that confront you, such as choosing a companion or choosing a career that is best for you.

Isn’t it interesting that President Romney was sent to interview 25 or 30 men to choose one stake president rather than being told directly who it should be before his arrival? This is what the Lord means when He tells us to study it out in our own minds. Too often we want to be given answers to questions and problems that, if they were given in the manner we ask for them, would take away our agency and the blessings that come from reaching out to the Lord for answers and direction.

Some think it would be nice to have “spiritual fortune cookies” we could open to find the answers to life’s challenges. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a labeled jar we could reach into for our answers? But that is not the way it is meant to be.

I would like to express my love for my companion. I would not be what I am without her. I love her dearly. She has gifts of the Spirit. We study the scriptures together, and many of the concepts I teach have come because we have had companion study and prayer. That is why I am who I am, and I must acknowledge that.

Many of you young adults are in the process of choosing a companion, and you must go through a long process before you make your decision. You have spent years thinking about what qualities or attributes you would like your companion to have. But at the same time you must be working very hard to make yourself the type of person who will attract the companion you desire.

As you go through your dating and courting relationships, I would hope that you will assess the spiritual inclinations of the individuals you’re getting to know better. How is their testimony? How do they treat their parents? How do they treat their brothers and sisters? Do they respect authority? Do they love the Lord, His servants, and the scriptures? What plans do they have for their lives?

It isn’t enough if they are handsome or beautiful, if they are rich or poor, what kind of car they drive, what kind of clothes they wear, what kind of athletic ability they have, or what kind of intellect they are. You should be seeking to understand the gifts they have that will be eternal in nature.

BY ELDER ROBERT D. HALES

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

By Alan on Jan 17 in Blog tagged alan, and Protect, Andy Williams, bond, brothers, Donny, duty, Families. George, family life, Father, Fathers, God, gospel, Jay, Jesus, jimmy, law-abiding, love, Marie, Merrill, mother, needs, nurture, Osmond, Osmond Brothers, parents, playing, proclamation, provide for, quartet, righteousness, sacred, spiritual, strong, television, Tom, Virl, Wayne | 3 Comments

“Fathers are expected by God and His prophets not only to provide for their families but also to protect them…. M. Russell Ballard

“… On a day-to-day basis, fathers can and should help with the essential nurturing and bonding associated with feeding, playing, storytelling, loving and all the rest of the activities that make up family life.”

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That’s what my father did with us as we were growing up!

This is a picture of my father, George Osmond, at NBC Studios in Burbank just being playful with us after we finished rehearsing and taping an Andy Williams TV Show.  Left to right is me, Alan, Merrill with Wayne at the right.  Jay is in front.

We were a barbershop quartet singing in four part harmony that took a lot of work, practice, and rehearsing.  Our father was always there with us to protect, support, comfort and play with us.  We had a family of eight boys, Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy, and one sister, Marie Osmond.

In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Church leaders declared, “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.”

Parents can experience great joy by building a strong, loving home environment and teaching gospel principles, which can help their children lead righteous, happy, and productive lives. (See 3 John 1:4.)

Just like our Mother and Father have done, parents can teach their children formally during family home evening and other family gatherings, such as daily family prayer and scripture study or at mealtimes. Teaching opportunities also come in unplanned moments as parents and children spend time working and playing together. Whatever the setting, the Lord will guide parents as they prayerfully seek to rear their children in love and righteousness.

Family Night was why we learned to sing songs and the reason to learned a song every week, so we could sing in at
Family Night!  Why we sang to earn money was to be able to help the hearing impaired like our brothers Virl and Tom and to raise enough money to send them on missions as missionaries which we did.  And regarding prayer, we never performed a show without first gathering together in a circle and saying a prayer of thanks and asking the Lord for blessing us that someone in the audience might know our love for each other and for the gospel of Jesus Christ and have the desire to know more about our Church and The Family!

Alan Osmond
For The Family