Mormon Lives Matter

In the temple when we are listening to the instructions as part of the endowment (aka gift of sacred power), the person tells us to: consider yourselves to be like Adam and Eve. I always wondered why that was so important. Here's something that was extremely helpful!  "We first learn the temple’s teachings about marriage in the story of Adam and Eve—the primal story of the temple. A friend once asked me, “If Christ is at the center of the gospel and the temple, why doesn’t the temple endowment teach the story of Christ’s life? What’s all this about Adam and Eve?”     I have come to feel that the life of Christ is the story of giving the Atonement. The story of Adam and Eve is the story of receiving the Atonement, amid the sometimes-formidable oppositions of mortality.     Adam and Eve were the first people to receive the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They were also the first parents to know the love a new child brings, the soul-stretching sacrifices of raising a c...

Me: Two statements by the Joseph Smith that appear contradictory, in fact, highlight the focal point of helping people come to Christ on both sides of the veil.  David Bednar: The lessons Joseph Smith learned from Moroni influenced every aspect of his ministry. For example, at a solemn assembly held in the Kirtland Temple on April 6, 1837, the Prophet declared, “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”     Almost precisely seven years later, on April 7, 1844, Joseph Smith delivered a sermon known today as the King Follett Discourse. He declared in that address, “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.”     But how can preaching the gospel and seeking after our dead both be the single greatest duty and responsibility God has placed upon us? I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith was emphasizing in both statements the fundamental truth that ...

Developing a Personal Relationship with the Savior George W. Pace Weds, 7/28/2021 I was tired from staying up late today, working very hard (calls, selling, invoicing, follow up calls, pricing, customer services, monitoring CTM calls, texts, labeling CTM calls, monitoring jobber Texts, rescheduling etc, doing the workout (235 lbs sumo deadlift & leg day). I decided to list to a Classic BYU Speech and at first was bored listening to this one:  https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/george-w-pace/developing-personal-relationship-savior/ But an urging, my conscience and the holy ghost told me to keep listening, because I needed to hear this. (After moving the Cardenas, 4.5 hrs sweating my butt off, cleaning the kitchen, mowing the lawn, just was exhausting). I was feeling depressed and mentally, spiritually drained. I was feeling some resentment toward the Cardenas that they rarely come to 2nd hr and don't seem engaged in the 'wrestle' with Christ. I don't want to feel that re...

FANOS is a great framework for intimate conversations. Especially between spouses, accountability partners and sponsors and even prayers and meditations. I wish I would have learned this acronym years ago. What are you FEELING?  Express AFFIRMATIONS/APPRECIATION. What do you NEED? Take OWNERSHIP.  Are you SOBER? Detailed definition:  F eelings: Share with your partner a feeling you experienced today. A ffirmations/ A ppreciations : Affirm your partner for who he/she is and tell him/her something you appreciate that he/she has done today. This is “you are _____” and “I appreciated it when you _____.” N eeds: State a need you currently have (not necessarily one that must be met by your partner). This could be a need you just recognized or one you have mentioned before that still has not been met. Don’t skip this one. Sometimes you may have to think for a minute before you can think of what you need you can share. O wnership: Take responsibility and apologize...

After tonight's recovery meeting, Cam asked me some questions about why I wasn't feeling connected to God. I want to feel like I want to pray and connect to God. I just don't want to. It's easily to be distracted with a RA Salvatore book, ps4 game, etc. I prayed on the way home with Dawson in the car. I felt the words when I was about to sit down to kneel and pray and that I would get comfort. And out of that prayer I wanted to pray for people in group and text people notes of gratitude. Thank you Cam, Mike, Austin, Renae, Dawson and God. 

Ken Wilber makes a great distinction in the book meeting the shadow. He says quote projection on the eagle level is very easily identified if a person or thing in the environment informs us, we probably aren't projecting, on the other hand, if it affects us, chances are that we are a victim of our own projections. And quote. If you truly understand this you will never see the world the same way again. Think about it this way. If someone walks by you and spits on the sidewalk and you notice but don't react, it probably isn't something you need to work on. But if you get upset and think, how could someone be so uncouth and disgusting?, then you are projecting.

You will need information, too, but in matters of great consequence it is not likely to come unless you want it urgently, faithfully, humbly. Moroni calls it seeking “with real intent” ( Moroni 10:4 ). If you can seek that way, and stay in that mode, not much that the adversary can counter with will dissuade you from a righteous path. You can hang on, whatever the assault and affliction, because you have paid the price to—figuratively, at least—see the face of God and live.