Blessed For Trying

This week we reviewed some statements from Elder Holland from the last General Conference-
First we showed the picture that he showed--it is intended to illustrate what often happens to us when we have heard something that has inspired us to make a change to do something better... Tomorrow comes and all the problems of our daily lives can quickly weaken our resolve.

Elder Holland said
"First of all, if in the days ahead you not only see limitations in those around you but also find elements in your own life that don’t yet measure up to the messages you have heard this weekend, please don’t be cast down in spirit and don’t give up. The gospel, the Church, and these wonderful semiannual gatherings are intended to give hope and inspiration. They are not intended to discourage you.Only the adversary, the enemy of us all, would try to convince us that the ideals outlined in general conference are depressing and unrealistic, that people don’t really improve, that no one really progresses."

"When there was a controversy in the early Church regarding who was entitled to heaven’s blessings and who wasn’t, the Lord declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Verily I say unto you, [the gifts of God]are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep … my commandments, and [for them] that seeketh so to do." (so the Lord will not only bless those who keep his commandments, but also those who seeketh or are trying to do so)

"... the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like Alma, “O Jesus, … have mercy on me.”7 He will help you get back up. He will help you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going.Soon enough you will have the success you seek."

"[Then] whatsoever you desire of me [in] righteousness, … yous hall receive.”8
"I love that doctrine! It says again and again that we are going to be blessed for our desire to do good, even as we actually strive to be so."

One final thought from Elder Holland "President George Q. Cannon once taught: “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]. … He will [always] stand by us.""

We will be blessed for our efforts and for our desires for doing what's right.

New Jerusalem

During discussion the previous week the New Jerusalem came up in some of our conversation, so this week we reviewed a few scriptures about the New Jerusalem--

D&C 45:66 "And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;"

D&C 133:56 "And the graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever." 
Resurrected saints will be there--it's not clear what they will be doing, but I suspect they will be helping with the establishment of Zion.

D&C 84:2-4 (gives us the location) "2  Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.
3  Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.
4  Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation."

One of my favorites D&C 45:70  "And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand."While the rest of the world is in commotion, the inhabitants of New Jerusalem will be at peace.

An interesting related side note is that the early settlers of America believed that they were coming to this new land to build a New Jerusalem. The Puritan settlers in New England expected their community to be "a type and emblem of New Jerusalem" (The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, page 23).

Trust in the Lord

There are times when we don't understand some aspect of the Gospel, and there are those who let such things become a stumbling block that leads to falling away.

Without knowing the topic--Callie shared her favorite scripture which is Proverbs 3:5-6 
"5 ¶Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."   

We can see the pattern repeat over and over as people loose their faith because they lean unto their own understanding and fail to recognize that God's ways are not our ways and that He knows the end from the beginning. Elder Uchtdorf said "my dear friends—please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 When someone gives up our faith because of some questions or doubts, they loose a great deal and often don't spend the time to realize what all is being given up. Jesus said in Mathew 13:21 "21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." He understood in our day and His that people would be offended by Him and His word.

If we Trust in the Lord, He will give us additional understanding and bring greater blessings as we follow His promptings.