The Art of Losing Self

The Lord calls out... “Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want you!!! All of you!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to kill it! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

As I “Give up [my]self... [I]will find [my] real self. Lose [my] life... [I] will save it. Submit to death, death of [my]ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of [my]whole body and in the end submit with ever fiber of [my]being... [I]will find eternal life. [As I] Keep back nothing. Nothing that [I]have not given away will be really [mine]. Nothing in [me]that has not died will ever be raised from the dead...  [As I] look for Christ and [I]will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”  
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

-Alicia

Light

We're studying the Book of Mormon as a ward family again this summer.  It's pretty awesome the way it works:  We all read the same pages together each day so we can be pondering the same verses. We share what we learn on our ward Facebook page and unify ourselves in heart and mind.  I loved doing this last year and am very excited to be doing it again!

I love the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon.  I've read it over twenty something times and it never grows old to me.  The first time I read it was my Jr. year in high school.  (I keep thinking it was my Sr. year but it must have been my Jr. year because the friend of mine who challenged me to read was a grade above me and he was a Sr.) Anyway, it doesn't really matter when, the fact is - It was an amazing experience!

A couple of days ago, I was thinking about the power that comes into our lives when we sincerely study the scriptures and plant them deep within our hearts.  I thought back on where it began for me.

Before I ever read the Book of Mormon on my own, we had family scripture study on a somewhat regular basis.  It was more of a contentious time, a "shut-up-sit-down" environment if you know what I mean.  The spirit was difficult to feel.  My dad was so strict and incredibly controlling, smacking us if we didn't sit still.  It was very wrong the way he went about it.  I look back though and even amidst the memory of it being rigid, forceful, and frustrating, I'm glad my parents at least tried to read on those occasions.  They've definitely learned to loosen up since then and I'm proud of them for that.

One of the best decisions I ever made was to enroll in Seminary.  I took it from 9th grade until 12th.  My 9th grade seminary teacher constantly encouraged us to study the scriptures for ourselves.  I admit, the idea of reading the entire Book of Mormon from cover to cover seemed daunting to me at that age and, like I said, I never did read it that way until my Jr. year.  But my freshman seminary teacher was inspired and suggested I try a study-by-topic method.  "Pick a topic in the Topical Guide" he said "And go through all those verses with that word and study them."  I liked the method of study he suggested and decided to give it a try.

The topic I chose was "light."  I took my set of scriptures, searched the word light in the Topical Guide and combed through highlighting and studying all the scriptures I could find related to it.  It was a wonderful experience!  After that, I often bore testimony of this method, sharing with others my experience studying light and encouraging my friends to do the same with their own topic.

I think it's so fitting that light is what I chose because since then, the scriptures truly have been a "lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)

Never any day have I needed to walk in darkness because I have had this light of truth to guide me.  I know that if ever there is confusion, a loss of direction, a sense of not really knowing where to go or what to do, we can receive direct, clear, and distinct answers through the power of prayer and deliberate, intentional, scripture study (both ancient and modern.)  I have witnessed it for myself time and time again.  It is a tested, tried, and proved method for revelation.  We can know of things to come and also be content with not knowing the timing or the details.  The Word is God, it is Light and Truth.  And when the Word is received and applied, it brings REST and peace of mind... no matter the test, no matter the circumstances.  This fixes my mind, heart, body, and soul on Truth.  This is faith in action!  This brings peace.

"Rest... is the mind at leisure from itself.  It is the perfect poise of the soul; the absolute adjustment of the inward man to the stress of all outward things; the preparedness against every emergency; the stability of assured convictions; the eternal calm of an invulnerable faith; the repose of a heart set deep in God.  It is the mood of the man who says, with Browning, 'God's in His Heaven, all's well with the world.'" - Henry Drummond

-Alicia

Daily Determines Destiny

Like Nephi, "I do not know the meaning of all things" but I do know that God "loves His children" and that He has blessed us with the ability to commune with Him through constant prayer.  "The scriptures are laid before [us]" (Alma 30:44) and we have the words of living prophets to guide us. As we seek, we will find, I know this!  If we seek light and truth, the Lord will guide us to light and truth.  (D&C 88:40-41)

The key is to be spiritually minded:

 "Don’t let something you don’t fully understand unravel everything you do know. Be patient, cling to truth; understanding will come. Trials are like great mists of darkness that can blind our eyes and harden our hearts. Unless we are “continually holding fast” to the word of God and living it, we will become spiritually blinded rather than spiritually minded. Search the Book of Mormon and the words of the living prophets every day, every day, every day! It’s the key to spiritual survival and avoiding deception. Without it, we are spiritually lost." - Elder Kevin W. Pearson (April, 2015 General Conference -Stay By the Tree)

I don't know the meaning of all things.  But I do know that holding to, applying, seeking and studying the words of God must be part of "my every day" and if I do this, I will be guided right. I have been promised that never any day will I need to walk in darkness but will have the light of truth along my journey.  

That Light is available to anyone and everyone who seeks it:

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." -John 1:19

Lead kindly light!  I pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that understands the will of the Lord for me in my every day choices. - (Matthew 13:16)

"Our daily discipleship will determine our eternal destiny. Awaken unto God, cling to truth, keep your sacred temple covenants, and stay by the tree!" - Elder Kevin W. Pearson (April, 2015 General Conference -Stay By the Tree)

How grateful I am for a loving Father in Heaven who hears my constant prayers!  He knows my heart. 

-Alicia :)

The Essential Element of Faith

In my studies this morning I appreciated the scriptures Alma shares in his sermon to the Zoramites from the words of the prophet Zenos.

After the Prophet Alma gives his beautiful clear-cut sermon on faith, there were still many who did not understand his words.  He tells them that they "ought to search the scriptures" and that in their searching of the scriptures, they would find that the Prophets have taught them over and over again "to pray" not rambled muttering, but sincere and meaningful prayer.  Prayer is essential in making our hearts receptive to the word of the Lord.

Alma asks the bewildered crowd, "Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or worship?  For he said:

Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me.

Yea, O God, and thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me.

 And again, O God, when I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer.

 And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them.

 Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy congregations.

 Yea, and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out and have been despised by mine enemies; yea, thou didst hear my cries, and wast angry with mine enemies, and thou didst visit them in thine anger with speedy destruction.

And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.  - Alma 33:3-11

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It says six times in those few verses that God "did hear" or"will hear."  Then Alma asks the people, "Do you believe those scriptures?"  He's basically stating again, "It's faith, brothers and sisters, pure and simple faith!  That is the element you are missing! But you are not even willing to believe enough to pray sincerely about these things, to search it out, or to open your hearts just a little bit.

The Savior said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." - Mark 9:23

What an awesome promise! I know it's true!

As I read those verses in Alma 33 on prayer, a sense of gratitude washed over me for this simple and basic principle.  The sweetest part of my everyday is when I kneel to pray.  Like Zenos, I rejoice with all of my heart that wherever I go and wherever I am, I can pray and the Lord will hear me every single time!  I know this!

- Alicia

Secret Prayer

"There is an hour of peace and rest,

Unmarred by earthly care;

'Tis when before the Lord I go

And kneel in secret prayer.

May my heart be turned to pray,

Pray in secret day by day,

That this boon to mortals giv'n

May unite my soul with heav'n."

Text and music: Hans Henry Petersen, 1835-1909

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My song for the day!  :)
I will stand my ground where hope can be found!

Revelation RX

An old African-American spiritual has two lines of irrefutable truth:

"There is a Balm in Gilead,

To make the wounded whole."

We had a lesson in church a couple of weeks ago on revelation.  We read the definition in the Bible dictionary and there were two words that seemed to jump out at me, "prescribed course".

"The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation is the principle of salvation. It is the making known of divine truth by communication with the heavens and consists not only of revelation of the plan of salvation to the Lord’s prophets but also a confirmation in the hearts of the believers that the revelation to the prophets is true. It also consists of individual guidance for every person who seeks for it and follows the prescribed course of faith, repentance, and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The Holy Ghost is a revelator,” said Joseph Smith, and “no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations” (HC 6:58). Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion.

In the Lord’s Church the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve are prophets, seers, and revelators to the Church and to the world. In addition, every person may receive personal revelation for his own benefit. It is contrary to the laws of God for any person to receive revelation for those higher in authority (see D&C 28:2–8; 100:11; 107:91–92)." - Bible Dictionary "Revelation"

Just as a physician gives prescriptions in order for the patient to obtain certain results, our Father in heaven has given us a prescription, a rule or course of action to be followed, in order to receive personal revelation.

This is a liberating concept to me because in all my numerous weaknesses and shortcomings, the Lord still promises that I can commune with Him.  It's "prescription" not "perfection" that brings the results.

I believe the Lord desires to answer me in those things I have fasted prayed earnestly about.  He wants me to continue to seek for the meaning of those puzzle pieces in my life.  I sat there with my scriptures in my hand and read the words "prescribed course" over and over again.  I said a prayer in my heart, "Lord, as I have searched out these answers, I know I have followed the 'prescribed course' with all the sincerity of my heart! And in doing so, I was guided to specific scriptures and talks that applied perfectly and..." Before I could begin to ask all my questions again, the sweet assurance of the spirit almost interrupted me and said, "...and you received personal revelation. You can lay it down Alicia that you've received your answer."

I'm so thankful for the power of prayer, for scriptures, and for the comforting influence of the Spirit in my life. They are medicine to my soul! I do not need to know the end from the beginning.  I just need to follow the prescribed course one day at a time; love, serve, give, pray, study, apply, try, repent, forgive, and repeat.

 I trust my Physician.

Ere you left your room this morning,

Did you think to pray? …

When your soul was full of sorrow,

Balm of Gilead did you borrow

At the gates of day?

"And my soul hungered and I kneeled down before my Maker and I cried unto Him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto Him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens."

"I cried unto Him continually, for He had said unto me: 'Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that yea shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it."  - (Enos 1:4,15)

-Alicia

Beautiful Heartache

I truly believe that through Christ "I can do all things."  I was given a blessing when I was 16 where I was told that I would "be tested" in this life, that I would have some heartaches and would need the comforting influence of the scriptures, the teachings of Christ and of God, [my] Eternal Father, to strengthen [me] that [I] may pass through these trials as Job did, with flying colors and with comfort."

So many times I have read those words, "you will have some heartaches" and have assumed they would come in the form of a difficult home environment, accidents, or illness... you know, "trials!"  For some reason I've always associated "heartache" to be the kind of pain one would never wish for, the kind one would want removed from from their life.  I never imagined anything that could hurt so bad would be something I'd actually pray to keep.

Job was tested in ways I cannot even begin to comprehend. Nevertheless, he did not sacrifice his integrity.  I love that word "integrity!"  It is another way of saying Job remained true no matter the circumstance, no matter the cost and always praised the name of the Lord.

This blessing given to me in my teenage years promises that in such tests "[I] will conquest them and [I] will not sacrifice [my] integrity".  I seek to make certain that is fulfilled.

 Job endured countless "heartaches" the pain of which I cannot comprehend.  But look at what incredible faith it produced!  Ultimately, that is what I want... faith like Job!  The Lord was His ultimate source for strength and through Him he was able to "endure all things" without sinning or charging God foolishly. -  Job 1:22

 The promises given to me have held true. "The influence of the scriptures, the teachings of Christ and of God" truly have brought me comfort in such trials!!  I testify of their unfailing power. They have brought me solace and peace in all of my heartaches... including the ones I like to call "beautiful."

- Alicia 

.................

Every fear, every doubt, all the pain I went through
Was the price that I paid to see this view
Now that I'm here I would never trade
The grace that I feel and the faith that I find
Through the bittersweet tears and the sleepless nights
I used to pray He'd take it all away
But instead it became
A beautiful heartbreak

I never dreamed my heart would make it
And I thought about turning around
But Heaven has shown me miracles
I never would have seen from the ground
Now I take the rain with the sunshine
Cause there's one thing that I know
He picks up the pieces
Along each broken road

- Beautiful Heartbreak by, Hilary Weeks 

Alma 7:11  -  He Knows!

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire”  - Elder Orson F. Whitney

Puzzle Piece Perspective

My dad used to always counsel me, "You can't see the forest for the trees."  As a young teenager, I didn't understand what he meant by that.  Of course, it's obvious to me now, he meant I lacked perspective.

I don't know how much I cared whether or not I had correct perspective back then, but now I hunger and thirst for it... I pray for it! I desire with all my heart to see clearly.  I want to see with the Spirit and not with my own eyes. - Jacob 4:13

I'm so thankful for prayer.  What an amazing listener our Father in Heaven is, I have so much to learn about that wonderful quality!  Prayer is my healing balm, my lifeline, my connection to my Truest Friend.  (Some may speculate in the ability to communicate with heaven but I've had too many experiences in my life that confirm the validity of prayer and I cannot deny it.)  My questions need answers, my soul needs direction, my hurt needs healing, my eyes need vision, my heart needs changing, and I know He is mighty to bless me with all of this and more.

The Savior taught: “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Ne. 18:20). “Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing” (D&C 19:38).

The Apostle James encourages, “The … fervent prayer of a righteous [person] availeth much” (James 5:16). 

What does fervent mean?  It means intense, sincere, impassioned, and heartfelt.  Have you had prayers like that, so intense that you feel as if the very flesh of your heart is being torn? I have.  It may not sound pleasant to some but I honestly cherish such moments in prayer only because I know I'm in the safest possible place to be so raw and exposed.

In the scriptures we are commanded to "pray always." How is this done? Alma 34:27 teaches us to keep our prayers in our hearts, “When you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.” 

Prayer is the key that unlocks the door of revelation.

President Boyd K. Packer counseled, "Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with 'Thy will be done'" (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10).

In direct answer to my prayers yesterday, I was led straight to a talk from conference all about perspective.  Interesting that my Heavenly Father would give me the same counsel my earthly father gave me so many years ago.  I guess I still have a lot of growing up to do.

The story of my life is like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.  Through prayer I have laid all the pieces across the table.  I graciously thank my loving Father in Heaven for the exciting opportunity of putting together this picture of my life with Him.  He watches over me and gives me help as I ask.  There's an amazing sense of satisfaction when I find pieces that snap perfectly into place, knowing just how and why they relate, revealing more of the bigger picture.

Then I have this group of other pieces; I know they are part of the puzzle, I've held them, examined them closely, and searched for their appropriate position.  I can see the colors and style of cut match with the overall puzzle. I know they belong in the big picture somehow, so I hang on to them. Sometimes I gaze at them for hours...  for the life of me, I cannot see how they can even be possible. I want to find their place!  Like a child, I grow frustrated and discouraged and cry out to my Father, "I don't want to deal with these pieces anymore! I don't know where they belong!"
He lovingly tells me, "Then don't try to make them fit right now, Alicia, and don't quit or throw these ones away either.   Keep putting together the pieces you do understand and one by one, over time, you will see exactly how these other ones belong in your life and you will know right where they go. Be patient."
This brought me comfort.  I pray for patience.

In this same talk Elder Rafael E. Pino shares a story about the raw marble and how the sculptor sees the finished piece:
"As the sculptor was chiseling a block of marble, a boy came every day and watched shyly. When the figure of David emerged and appeared from that stone, complete for all the world to admire, the boy asked Michelangelo, ‘How did you know he was in there?"

This was also what I needed to hear and caused me to recall the lyrics to my Masterpiece, the song I played over and over and memorized into my heart so many years ago.

I love how personal my Father in Heaven is.  I love and cherish the power of prayer.  I thank Him for His devotion to such an impatient soul.  He gently guides and lovingly listens.  He has provided me with His words through scripture, through His servants, and through the Spirit of revelation.  What an invaluable truth!

-Alicia

By the Spirit of Revelation

(This talk never grows old to me.    Sometimes I doubt that which I felt was revelation... not because I doubt God.... but because I doubt myself.  I am aware of my weaknesses and it's easy to feel after receiving a very clear answer through fasting and prayer that it was all in my head.  I truly need this encouragement as I continue to seek revelation in my life.  These are the parts of Elder Holland's talk that encouraged me most today.)

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"I... believe that the adversary and his pinched, calculating little minions try to oppose [our revelation] experiences and then try to darken them after they happen. But that is not the way of the gospel. That is not the way of a Latter-day Saint who claims as the fundamental fact of the Restoration the spirit of revelation. Fighting through darkness and despair and pleading for the light is what opened this dispensation. It is what keeps it going, and it is what will keep you going. With Paul, I say to all of you:

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” 

"With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now."

"Like Moses in that vision, there may come after the fact some competing doubts and confusion, but it will pale when you measure it against the real thing. Remember the real thing. Remember how urgently you have needed help in earlier times and you got it. The Red Sea will open to the honest seeker of revelation."

"Oliver Cowdery, who missed the opportunity of a lifetime because he didn’t seize it in the lifetime of the opportunity, the Lord said, “You did not continue as you commenced.” Does that sound familiar to those who have been illuminated and then knuckled under to second thoughts and returning doubts?"

"After you have gotten the message, after you have paid the price to feel His love and hear the word of the Lord, go forward."

"If God has told you something is right, if something is indeed true for you, He will provide the way for you to accomplish it."

-Jeffrey R. Holland

Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence

Spiritual Awareness

I just finished reading the story of Alma and his bretheren. As I reflect back on these chapters I think of  Alma 17:2-3. I love the description of what united these friends in the Lord so deeply, "they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.  But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God."

1. They came to know truth and also understood it.  This implies they received it with both mind and heart.

2. They searched the scriptures diligently.  This includes the scripture that we call the "words of the living prophets".  D&C 68:4

3. They gave themselves to much fasting and much prayer.  Sincere prayer and fasting causes one to wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ  - Heleman 3:35

I believe these three steps were so interwoven into the hearts of these young men that they didn't have to remind themselves to do any of them.  Doing such was not a duty but a privilege, it was their sincere desire and they delighted in it!  Such habits and attitudes among them created a strong "spiritual awareness."  Regularly applying these things enabled them to have the spirit of revelation, to perceive and foresee that which is unseen by the natural man. And when they taught, it was more than words because "they taught with power and authority of God."

In the various roles I play in life, mother, sister, wife, friend, teacher, student, etc. many things clamor for my time and attention.  It can be difficult to find balance or to know exactly where best to spend my energy.  I tell my children that my love is never divided among them, only multiplied.  But because we live in a sphere governed by minutes and hours, my time is divided among them.... So I pray for wisdom in how I use it.

I don't always know from day to day how I'm going to accomplish everything that requires my time and attention.  I just know that if I stick to these three basic things that Alma and his friends did, the Spirit will give me an awareness of that which matters most.  And usually those things which matters most are NOT the things that obtrusively ring in my ear.  Rather it is the quiet whisper that says, "Stop what you are doing for five minutes Alicia and just attentively listen to your child."  It's that nudge that says, "Walk to your next appointment instead of drive this time."  Or maybe the Spirit says "put down all your dinner preparations and greet your husband when he arrives home from work, just hug him for three or four uninterrupted minutes."

I really think in today's complicated world we underestimate "the small and simple things."  I don't know if it's balance we need so much of, as if God expects us to juggle everything thrown at us like circus performers.  I believe it's wisdom we need more of, more spiritual awareness to guide us to those things that matter most.  Ezra Taft Benson taught this wonderful truth, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." - Thomas S. Monson

- Alicia

"Let them be for signs, and for seasons"

"And I, God, said: Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years" - Moses 2:14

If we are "not watching" we may begin to deny the existence of God.  We may begin to doubt in His power, promises, and His love.
"And if that servant is not found watching, he will say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming" JST Luke 12:54

It is interesting that in these last days, during these "signs and seasons" the night sky is often veiled to us and it seems as if the "lights in the heavens" have gone out.  But on the other hand, we also live in a time where with the right tools we can actually see the stars better than any other people who have lived on the earth ever could.

Several weeks ago, we had the opportunity to pull out my husband's telescope with some friends of ours.  We could see Venus, Mars, and the cloud bands on Jupiter as well as its moons.  We saw The Orion Nebula and The Seven Sisters.  We could also see the craters of our own moon with enough clarity that you could see the shadows they cast and their depth.  It was AMAZING!

I love that we have this "parable in the sky".
We might ask ourselves? "What are two main things that prevent us from seeing the stars on a dark clear night?"  I propose that they are the same things that prevent us from seeing the "signs and seasons" the "glory of God" in these last days.

Pollution and Man-made Lights

1. Pollution- "Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity." - Mormon 8:31

2. Man-made lights-  "He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. - 2 Nephi 26:29

If these two things prevent us from seeing the stars, the signs in the heavens, and the glory of God, is it possible that these two things might also prevent us from seeing the worth and beauty in others?  How do we have the "eyes to see" what are the "tools" we are given?

Tools to See the "Stars" Clearly

Tool #1 The Spirit - "The spirit sees things as they really are and as they really will be." - Jacob 4:13   If it is by the Spirit that we come to know God, shouldn't that be the same means by which we come to know one another?  I believe that when we earnestly seek the Spirit we will find God everywhere!

Tool #2 The Word of God - In Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life, it was the word of God "the iron rod" that led them to the fruit.  It guides individuals through the darkness, the confusion and lies.
-1 Nephi 15:23-24

Tool #3 Prayer and Fasting - This is the door to heaven.  "I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him. It helps to find a secluded place where our feelings can be vocally expressed as long and as intensely as necessary." - Richard G. Scott  
Fasting helps us have a vision outside ourselves, we offer up a sacrifice to show how much we care and what we are willing to suffer on another's behalf.  I believe that a person who cherishes and keeps the law of the fast, understands more fully the love of our Savior. 

Tool #4 Covenants - If prayer and fasting are the doorway to heaven then I believe that making and keeping sacred covenants are what holds that door open.  When we are serious about our covenants, when we honor them in word and deed, it is a demonstration of our love, testimony, and devotion to God and our fellow man. And because covenants go two ways, we can rest assure that the promises from our Father in Heaven are solid.  They give us hope and reason to press on, "they produce the faith necessary to persevere and to do all things that are expedient in the Lord. Our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ and keep His commandments requires a degree of faith, but as we honor our covenants, that faith expands. In the first place, the promised fruits of obedience become evident, which confirms our faith. Secondly, the Spirit communicates God’s pleasure, and we feel secure in His continued blessing and help. Thirdly, come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie" - D. Todd Christofferson (see Enos 1:6; Ether 3:12).

"The Lord Shall Guide Thee"

I believe God wants to reveal Himself to us, He wants the veil to be lifted and our eyes to be opened, to see the glory of His kingdom, the signs and wonders that sing out His name.  Prove Him through prayer, fasting, scriptures, and covenants and He will "open the windows of heaven" and the "stars will shine brighter than ever before", His spirit will be so abundant in your life that you'll be overwhelmed with "not room enough to receive it".

"In every part and portion of the revelations of God as given to the children of men, or to any individual in heaven or on earth, to understand them properly, a man needs the Spirit by which they were given—the Spirit that reveals such matters to the understanding, and makes them familiar to the mind.. ...we should all live so that the Spirit of revelation could dictate and write on the heart and tell us what we should do" - Brigham Young

-Alicia

Continuing and Confirming Revelation

Arriving home from church yesterday, I walked through the door and found myself greeted by the sweet sound of General Conference playing.  "Well, this is nice!" I said to my kids "Who decided to put this on?"
"I did," my oldest son said proudly.
In a spirit of congratulations I hugged him, "Way to lead, Bud! Way to lead!"
It's those moments that mean the most to me as a mother.
I gathered a few things together and then went right back out the door with my youngest to run a couple of errands.
When I returned I was pleased to hear the conference talks were still playing, I gathered my scriptures and made the attempt for some personal gospel study but soon found it completely futile trying to stay awake.
 It's extremely rare for me to ever take Sunday afternoon naps but the exhaustion from my experiences this past week hit me hard and I gave in to finding a little rest.

After about a half hour or so I awoke to the voice of Elder Eyring saying,
"Heavenly Father hears your prayers. He loves you. He knows your name. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and our Redeemer. He loves you beyond your ability to comprehend. God pours out revelation, through the Holy Ghost, on His children. He speaks to His prophet on the earth, who today is Thomas S. Monson. I witness that he holds and exercises all the keys of the priesthood on earth. As you listen in this conference to the words of those God has called to speak for Him, I pray that you will receive the confirming revelation you need to find your way on the journey home..."

Hearing this made me smile.  I love how the Lord always finds a way to tell me exactly what I need in just the right moments. I look forward to April Conference beginning this Saturday and continuing the following weekend.  Hearing the words of the Lord through His prophets is always a spiritual feast for me.  It fills my hungry soul, gives me greater vision, and strengthens me to have the faith to step out into the unknown.

Today, I thumbed through a stack of old Ensigns in an attempt to find the printed version of the talk from October's 2014 conference I heard yesterday.  The cover of the August issue 2013 caught my attention.  I thought we had thrown away all of our of 2013 issues because we only keep Ensigns for about 16 months but I was glad we had somehow held on to this one because featured on the front page were two talks on revelation.

"Revelation is a reality.  It comes in the Lord's way and according to the Lord's timetable...  I have noted that most revelation to the children of God comes when they are on the move, not when they are sitting back in their habitations waiting for the Lord to tell them the first step to take."- Dallin H. Oaks

"As we repeatedly respond to the Light of Christ and train ourselves to 'lay hold upon every good thing' (Moroni 7:19), we increase our sensitivity to the things of the Spirit and enhance our ability to receive messages from our eternal home... We must each find and then guard a time each day to remember these words of the Lord: 'All flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God' (D&C 101:16) A segment of time when we can be still, quiet, and removed from our busyness will help recenter us, refocus our priorities , and bring us back into a position to receive and feel the messages our Heavenly Father wishes to send us." - Elder Patrick Kearon

Coming across such articles two days in a row confirms solidly to me that the Lord is aware of my heart.  He hears my prayers and desires to be open to personal revelation, to truly have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that understands His will for me in my life's journey.  I testify that He delights to prove to us His faithfulness.  As we sincerely seek Him first in life He promises, "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." - Malachi 3:10

"Not room enough to receive it" is a perfect description because I have felt Him bless my life like a flood. I am completely overwhelmed by His goodness!

This song is one of my favorites and brings me to tears.  I love to listen to it when I go running and watch the sun rise over the crest of the mountains.  I have never seen the music video for it until today.  It's a perfect video though because it makes this overwhelming feeling even more poignant as I ponder upon my experiences this past week at the United Nations and the friendships I made among the beautiful women of Africa: the Congo, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and others. My heart is so full.  God is so very good.

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not 

open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, 

that there shall not be room enough to receive it." 

- Malachi 3:10

Overwhelmed

by, Big Daddy Weave

-Alicia

Revelation - "Lifting of the Veil"

 The root of the Greek word apokalupsis, translated ‘revelation,’ is kalu, meaning ‘a veil or covering.’  The prefix apo is a preposition meaning ‘from, away from.’  The suffix -psis denotes action or process.  Apokalupsis therefore means the action or process of taking away the veil.

Revelation = "Lifting of the Veil"  What a thought provoking concept!

I have spent much focus in my studies on the doctrine of revelation these last couple of weeks.  I desire more than anything to be guided by the Spirit in my life... but because I am mortal I have weaknesses, and I can be a little slow in recognizing exactly what the Lord is trying to reveal to me.

Have you ever prayed about something and received an answer but over the course of a few days looked back in disbelief and said to yourself, "It can't be true, it was just my own thoughts"?  It's in moments like these that I feel the desire to pray, fast, study God's word, and seek the Spirit even more diligently as Alma did.  He recognized inspiration from the Lord from following this pattern to such an extent that he knew it!  He boldly testified, "They are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God.  Behold I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself.  And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." - Alma 5:46

I have seen this pattern of "prayer, fasting, study of God's word, and seeking the Spirit" work in my own life and can testify of its validity.  When it is of the Lord, I have also noticed that I will receive multiple witnesses confirming its truth from several different sources; a conference talk, a sermon in sacrament meeting, verses I come across in my scripture study, and of course the peaceful calm of the Spirit.

Just recently, I have "given [myself] to much fasting and prayer" about a direction in my life I feel the Lord is taking me but seeking to know most sincerely if it is truly the Lord reveling it to me or if it's my own desires. I have read scriptures that have given me the answer before but I am slow sometimes and need a 3rd or 4th witness.   I asked Him to forgive me for asking one more time and prayed that He would show me one more scripture to confirm that this was truly a revelation from Him.  I opened my Bible, thumbed through the pages and the first verse my eyes fell on were these, "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."  - Matthew 10:20
I just don't see things like that as a coincidence.  This was a direct answer to me.

The Lord wants to reveal things to us!  Look at the intense faith the brother of Jared had.  It was so great that "he could not be kept from beholding within the veil" and "he saw Jesus" - Ether 3:18,19
I believe that if we could truly see how powerful faith is, it would almost frighten us. "It is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister" - Moroni 7:37

 "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson

We are literal children of God, children of the Light. "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." -Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
I love that we have direct access to our Heavenly Home through prayer, through Jesus Christ, and that with full faith we can see what the Lord desires to show us.

I am so thankful to know emphatically that I have a loving Father in Heaven who not only hears my prayers but is involved in the smallest details of my life.  He wants to "lift the veil" from our eyes, He wants us to see His face and recognize His benevolent and guiding hand.

-Alicia

Our First Language

In the Bible Dictionary under "God" it states that God can only be known by revelation. What is revelation?  Simply stated, it is communication with our Father in Heaven through the Holy Ghost.

How we are able to converse with God fascinates me, this concept that we can communicate in a spiritual way with One who we do not physically see or hear is magnificent!  He even knows our hearts without us saying a single word. We can feel His influence beyond the boundaries of space and time, enlightening our minds and speaking peace to our souls. This "spiritual language" makes sense to me though because as His sons and daughters, it truly is our first language, the language of angels. (see 2 Nephi 32:3)

So, here's my question...

If we can draw closer to and come to know our Father in Heaven through the means of this "higher communication", through the power of the Holy Ghost,  is it possible we can come to know our brothers and sisters here on earth the same way?  I believe that it is not only possible but Divinely expected for us to do so.

This brings new meaning to the scripture that God "created all things... spiritually" before he created them naturally. (Moses 3:5)

Just some thoughts I've been having...

-Alicia

"As you appropriately seek for and apply unto the spirit of revelation, I promise you will “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5; 2 Nephi 12:5). Sometimes the spirit of revelation will operate immediately and intensely, other times subtly and gradually, and often so delicately you may not even consciously recognize it. But regardless of the pattern whereby this blessing is received, the light it provides will illuminate and enlarge your soul, enlighten your understanding (see Alma 5:7; 32:28), and direct and protect you and your family." - Elder David A. Bednar

"Rejoice Evermore"

I love experiences where you pour your whole soul and heart out in prayer and then go to the scriptures and find words that speak directly to you.  Yesterday in family scripture study, both my husband and I took a few minutes to bear testimony of this principle.

I treasure my sacred moments with the Lord, where I can pray out loud and hold nothing back from Him.  He hears me and He knows everything in my heart.

I'm almost finished with "Increase in Learning" the first book of a three part series by, David A. Bednar.  If there is one thing I desire more to learn than anything else, it is to have a greater measure of the Spirit in my life.  I want eyes to see clearly and to be able to discern between truth and error every minute of every day.  It's easy for me to pray about but harder to apply.  I am thankful that I have a merciful Heavenly Father who is patient with me in my weakness.

After some pretty soulful prayers yesterday, I opened my book by Elder Bednar and saw he had listed several scriptures in the context of his writing.  I took a few minutes to look up each scripture and through that process came across some that I truly needed to hear!

"Fear not [Alicia], let your heart be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;  Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament - the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.  Therefore, He giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted [or will be afflicted] shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord"  - D&C 98:1-3

Then in cross-reference, I read these scriptures:

"Blessed be the Lord, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.  The Lord is my strength and my shield: my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him." - Psalms 28:6-7

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say on the Lord." - Psalms 27:14

I resolve today to rejoice and give thanks in all things. I truly have SO MUCH to be thankful for.  What a wonderful, wonderful life I have right here and NOW.  I am so richly blessed!   I know my prayers are heard.  I trust that "[My] God doth undertake to guide [my] future as he has [my] past. [My] hope, [my] confidence let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last." - Be Still My Soul 

I want to focus on the present moments and not let the little opportunities I have with my husband and my children to pass me by.  And with each moment I'm given here and now, I want to make the kinds of choices that better prepare me for what lies ahead, even though I can't see what that means for me.  Ultimately, I am preparing to meet my Savior when He returns to earth or when I leave this life - I want to be ready, I want to live by the Spirit and have my lamp full and trimmed, adorned for Him by the choices I've made and all I've treasured in my heart upon this journey.

-Alicia

"Everything we hope to accomplish in the future, how we prepare for the responsibilities that will ultimately be ours, is really a function of what we do today. Though some things about the future will always seem uncertain, the future is not entirely a mystery. To a great extent the future is shaped by the accumulation of all our daily activities and disciplined efforts." - Craig C. Christensen
"Tomorrow is Today"