Yesterday was stake conference.
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This occurs twice a yr. It is a time to Strengthen faith and testimony, provide gospel instruction, and conduct stake(a stake is a geographical area made up of 8-12 separate congregations) business.
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Our
stake president, President Cooprider, shared with us the focus that the
first presidency wanted to have. It is found in Doctrine and Covenants
90:24.
24 Search adiligently, bpray always, and be believing, and call things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the dcovenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.
During my personal study this morning I decided to take a deeper look into what this verse is all about. Here is what I found.
There are three things that the Lord is wanting us to do:
Search diligently,Pray always,and be believing.
President
Cooprider spoke about how there are a few things that there are a few
ways that we can diligently search. Search in the scriptures:Search to
find personal revelation and to strengthen our own testimonies with
knowledge. Then there was the missionary way to look at is as diligently
search for people to share the Gospel with or people to serve (search
for the lost sheep).
We
must pray. Seeking the will of the Father. Expressing gratitude to Him
for the things that He has given to us. And talk with Him. He is our
Father.
The
final thing, be believing. Have faith. Trust in Heavenly Father and in
His power.He also mentioned that we need to have faith that He will work
through us. We need to believe that He can and that He will and that we
are capable of doing things for the Lord.
Heavenly
Father then gives us a promise, because He loves us and always wants to
bless us. "All things will work together for your good." With the
condition that we keep our covenants. We make covenants in this church.
Promises to God that we are going to do what He asks so that He can
bless us with something more. I find it interesting that with all the
covenants we are only being asked to do what Heavenly Father knows is
what we need so that we will feel comfortable in His presence. Romans 8:
28 says
28 And we know that all things work together for agood to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
I came across that passage in
Romans as I cross-referenced. Once again we have the promise that "all
things work together for good". I think about how there are some people
that I know (even some missionaries) that are doing these three things
and remembering the covenants that they made and their life doesn't seem
like it is working out for their good. It looks like it is hard and
that they have trial after trial hitting them. Skip to the end where it
says "according to His purpose." What is God's purpose? In Moses 1:39 we
read that
39 For behold, this is my awork and my bglory—to bring to pass the cimmortality and deternal elife of man.
If
His purpose is to bring about eternal life, then He is looking to
strengthen the weak, He is looking for the lost sheep, and He is looking
to do all the things that we covenant to do. So when we make those
covenants we join in the work. When we are about doing all these things
to help His purpose we find His promise. All things will work together
for your good. If we love God and we are trying to do His work He will
bless us.But why do we still have trials and hardships. To me that
doesn't sound like things are working out for good. Deuteronomy 23:5
might be able to help a little, it says
but the Lord thy God turned the acurse into a bblessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God cloved thee.
Notice
He doesn't say that the curse is taken away. I am reminded of the Book
of Mormon story about the Nephites who were under captivity. They would
pray to their God for help, for strength. We can find the answer that
was given them in Mosiah 20
14 And I will also ease the aburdens which
are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your
backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may
stand asbwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their cafflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord didastrengthen them that they could bear up their bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with cpatience to all the will of the Lord.
Heavenly Father wants to help
us and He will. He doesn't say that He will take away the burdens of
those who do what He says, but that He will help. He will be there to
strengthen us and help us to stand. It is when things get hard that we
tend to remember these three things that were mentioned above. Search
diligently, pray always, and be believing. I know that Heavenly Father
wants to bless us. He wants us to return to live with Him. But He also
knows that we have to learn so that we can be refined and feel
comfortable in His presence. I know that when we put our trust in Him,
all will work out for our good.
How
wonderful it is that we have a loving Heavenly Father. May you feel of
this love and always strive to live in a way that you can is my prayer.
Love always,
Hermana K. Brown
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