“
It
is important that we do feel safe in prayer. It is one of Father in
Heaven's most potent and early Gifts to ALL His children. Satan does
try everything to get us not to pray. You remember my analogy of
prayer being like mailing a letter. It is a federal offense to tamper
with the mail. When we pray using HF's name at the beginning, it is
like addressing an envelope. When we close in JC's name it is like
sealing it up & stamping it. It is against God's laws to be hurt
by prayer. We are only blessed through prayer” .-Gaylinn’72 email
today. -SATURDAY
3/25/17 Hey Brandon, I just had them hand cancel your last stamp at
the PO. That is two days in a row I sent you a postcard. Remember how
I tell you to put a check mark to/at how far you get so you know
where to continue reading the next time? Well don’t feel pressure.
Save them for gloomy times when you need to explore/ adventure/
expand into a world different than your own! @ As I prayed to
discover why I was feeling so grumpy after FS yesterday I realized it
might be because I had thought you might not be reading my postcards
and I was doing them for nothing. Wasted. What a sad thought. It had
really affected me. Please tell me how to keep you happy with your
mail. If you feel overloaded and can’t waste your time then tell
me. I heard from you twice last summer but that is not enough to
reassure me. This is a huge investment of time for me. And I know you
do not feel worthy of it. But that is not the question. You don’t
need to feel worthy, you only need to feel appreciative, grateful,
enjoyment, expanded, interested, entertained, uplifted, spiritually
nourished, knowledged, loved, or considered by what I write. If that
is happening then f a n t a s t i c ! If you feel to any degree
overwhelmed, overloaded, bored let me know. Don’t try to keep from
hurting my feelings. I have children who don’t communicate. I can
live with that. But if they don’t like hearing from me then I can
save my breath. @ Yesterday I wrote you how some years ago Camille
left me insecure and questioning about my local church leaders
because of her stories. I did not resolve that issue in your
postcard. You may remember that my brother Adrian helped me
understand that those stories are evidence of her abuse and not of
what really is. So my fragile trust in local church leaders and even
society at large was increased after that. People are inherently
good. Addictions and so on may bring out the dishonesty and
unkindness but inside these are those who chose to follow Christ and
take the chance and trust in him in the premortal existence. These
bodies are our glory. They are our reward for daring to trust JC &
HF. We love them and they love us. So we can’t lose. All we
experience will be for our gain and benefit. Now there may be one in
a million who gain the Savior’s face and then deny and defy. They
will not benefit. They will have power even over Satan because they
have bodies and he does not. They will be sons of Perdition and Satan
is Perdition. So what are our chances of being that one in a million?
Especially if we don’t want to! Zero. Our chances are zero. Because
we will not deny and defy nor will we see his face and know him in
this life. So we are safe. We get to choose how much glory we can
handle in the next life. Telestial: We like to murder and steal and
deceive. Terrestrial: We don’t like to murder, steal and deceive.
Celestial: We love what God loves. We have learned to be like him.
Exaltation: We are sealed as families and live true to those
covenants. @ That doesn’t sound too hard does it? @ Guess what the
most often repeated commandment is in the scriptures? _____ Yep I
expect you to guess! As I told you I was appalled that Hope would
declare that JC had tons of friends in opposition to black Mary
having said he was the most persecuted of any man who ever lived on
the earth. Remember when Christ asked his apostles, Will you go away
too? They were his twelve loyal supporters who he waited a year of
his 3 year ministry before choosing/ to choose. We only have 3 months
of his ministry accounted for. In sadness and rejection he asked,
will ye go away also? Those apostles never understood he was going to
be crucified and resurrected. It was not until after the fact that
they believed. Nevertheless, he loved them and they loved him. Can
you keep from loving someone who loves you? If it is a girl, then yes
you can. But that is not the Savior’s love. The love between girls
and boys is not the Savior’s love. His love is deeper. His love is
charity. His love is nurturing. His love is all encompassing. Have
you ever imagined his loving arms around you and the pure safety and
confidence and wholeness he offers? No offense. No standoffishness,
no rejection, no holding back, just pure acceptance and
encouragement. Beautiful isn’t it. Are we kept from feeling that?
Nope. Satan would keep us from feeling that. But not God. Come
unto me. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Let Brandon and I be
part of your workforce, your witnesses, your helpers, God. We love
you and appreciate you and trust you. Thank you for your words,
scriptures, testimonies, witnesses, prophecies, guiding commandments,
love, care, hope, light and life. Thank you for your plan. Thank you
for letting us know your plan in this last dispensation of the
fullness of times of the earth. {As soon as we learn [and understand]
the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is
our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes
natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called
difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship
(Bible Dictionary: Prayer, p. 752). } Thank heavens we know that the
wickedness all around us is expected! If it were not, we would lose
hope. @ A minute ago I left a blank for you to answer a question.
_____ This next thing is going to sound weird but cool. Since Hope
had issues with “praying aloud or Satan could hear”, I decided to
research it again. I went through 5 pages of Google. No luck from lds
sources. I tried lds.org. No luck. I think it has been removed. I
told you that yesterday. But what an opportunity to learn about what
prayer is! I am going to print off a 45 minute devotional and comment
and share it with them. I started that night. Here is the first
column: The Power of Personal Prayer\Devotional Brigham Young
University-Hawaii\May 17, 2011\Elder Kevin W. Pearson\First Quorum of
the Seventy\I humbly invite the Holy Ghost to be with us as we
consider the principle of personal prayer. My objective is to
help each of us understand this powerful principle and the reality
that God really does hear and answer our prayers.\I wish to state at
the outset of our discussion that I have absolute evidence in my own
life that God is our loving Heavenly Father and does in fact hear and
answer our prayers. I have personal knowledge that this is
true. I am a witness of this reality. I will therefore
speak to you from personal knowledge and experience.\The divine
invitation to pray unto the Father in the name of Christ is the
single most mentioned commandment in all recorded scripture and is
the most basic form of personal worship. Yet, many of us
struggle in our attempts to make personal prayer meaningful and
revelatory. \How is it possible that Latter-day Saints, of all
people, struggle so much with something so basic and fundamental? I
am convinced that personal prayer is one of the most significant
challenges facing members of the Church, particularly youth and young
adults. Because they struggle with prayer, they struggle
spiritually. \I have always found the words of Nephi very
helpful:Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they
speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast
upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell
you all things what ye should do.\Wherefore, now after I have spoken
these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask
not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the
light, but must perish in the dark.\For behold, again I say unto you
that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it
will show unto you all things what ye should do. . . .\. . . It
grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye
would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would
know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to
pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.\But behold, I say unto
you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform
any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto
the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy
performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of
thy soul. (2 Nephi 32:3-5, 8-9.)\I bear solemn testimony to the truth
of that scripture. This is a divine pattern. If you will
study the scriptures every day, every day, every day, the Savior's
teachings will tell you all things what ye should do. You will have a
greater measure of the influence of the Holy Ghost. The
Holy Ghost will show you all things what ye should do. President
Packer often teaches that the Holy Ghost will never allow us to make
a mistake without first warning us. It will always teach us
that we must pray. So, when life gets dark and dreary,
don 't forget to pray. ( Did You Think to Pray? Hymns #140.)\Let 's
explore the principle of prayer by addressing three basic questions:
What is the principle of personal prayer?\Why is personal prayer
essential?\How can we make our personal prayers more effective and
meaningful?\1-What is the principle of personal prayer?\Soon after
Adam and Eve departed the Garden of Eden, they were commanded by an
angel to do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou
shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore
(Moses 5:8). Since that time, men have been commanded to
follow this divine pattern.\To pray is to speak with God, the Eternal
Father of our spirits, not at Him but with Him.@@ bps, pretty cool
already isn’t it? So were you right? Did you know? Ans: single most
mentioned commandment - I guess that is a good reason to learn more
about it isn’t it? @@2nd
ColumnTo
pray is to speak with God, the Eternal Father of our spirits, not at
Him but with Him. He loves each of us unconditionally and is full of
mercy and perfect understanding. He knows everything about us. He
knows what we need, even when we can only see what we want. He has
infinite power and capacity to sustain and guide us. He is always
willing to forgive us and to help us in all things, both temporal and
spiritual. \We can speak with Him vocally or by forming thoughts and
expressions in our minds and hearts. Personal prayers should be
solemn, sacred expressions of praise and gratitude; heartfelt
petitions for specific needs and desires; humble, contrite
confessions and requests for cleansing forgiveness; pleadings for
comfort, direction, and revelation. These expressions often cause us
to pour out our very souls to our loving Heavenly Father.\Prayer is
often a brief communication, but it can be an open and continuous
dialog all throughout the day and night. Yea, and 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 (Alma 34:27). This type of continuous prayer has been,
and continues to be, the pattern for revelation in my personal life
and ministry. This is beautifully captured by the hymn, I Need Thee
Every Hour (Hymns, #98).\I need thee ev'ry hour,\Most gracious
Lord.\No tender voice like thine\Can peace afford.\I need thee, oh, I
need thee;\Ev'ry hour I need thee!\Oh, bless me now, my Savior;\I
come to thee!\ Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and
the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each
other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to
secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already
willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for
them (Bible Dictionary: Prayer, p. 752-753).\Prayer is not a
negotiation process. It is an alignment process. We don 't move God
to our point of view. Prayer is less about changing our circumstances
and more about changing us. It is about seeking His will and asking
for His help to do what we need to do. When we align our will with
Heavenly Father 's will, answers and spiritual power will flow more
freely. Following this pattern allows us to pray with faith.\The
Savior repeatedly commanded that we must pray unto the Father in his
name. What does it mean to pray in the name of Christ?\ We pray in
Christ's name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the
wishes of Christ, when his words abide in us. We then ask for things
it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered
because they are not in Christ's name at all; they in no way
represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man's heart
(Bible Dictionary: Prayer, p. 753). 3rd
Column Prayers
that follow this pattern represent vain hope not faith.\Our personal
prayers are a barometer of our spiritual strength and an indicator of
our spiritual wellbeing. I have learned as a father, priesthood
leader, and mission president that listening carefully to another's
prayers can reveal much about their relationship with God.\What would
listening to your personal prayers reveal about you and your
relationship with Heavenly Father? When was the last time you
listened carefully to your own personal prayers to assess your own
spiritual wellbeing? Something to think about.\2-Why is personal
prayer essential?\In the divine plan of our Heavenly Father, physical
and spiritual separation from His presence are absolutely necessary.
Here on earth, we are fully exposed to the consequences of our own
choices and to the choices of others. We are also physically exposed
to the laws and forces of nature inherent to our mortal existence. We
are spiritually exposed to the power of Satan and the influence he
exerts through others. All these are purposeful and necessary
elements and conditions in the Father's plan.\It is our Heavenly
Father 's will that these human conditions in mortality be bridged by
prayer. However, our mortal existence is neither random cosmic chaos.
The poet Emily Dickinson wrote:This world is not conclusion;\A sequel
stands beyond,\Invisible, as music,\But positive, as sound.\Prayer is
an essential and enabling spiritual link between God and man. Without
prayer, there is no possible return to the Father. Without prayer,
repentance, forgiveness and the cleansing power of the Atonement are
unattainable. Without prayer, sufficient faith to understand and keep
the commandments is impossible. Without prayer, the necessary
spiritual power to avoid temptation and overcome trials and adversity
would be unavailable. With the power of personal prayer, all things
are possible. That is the divine pattern.\Prayers enable personal
revelation and spiritual gifts through the Holy Ghost. It is the
spiritual channel made available to all of God's children giving us
constant access to our Eternal Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy
Ghost. So, when life gets dark and dreary, don 't forget to pray. (
Did You Think to Pray? Hymns #140.)\Prayer is powerful and compelling
evidence of the reality of God the Eternal Father. As soon as we
learn [and understand] the true relationship in which we stand toward
God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at
once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the
so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this
relationship (Bible Dictionary: Prayer, p. 752). \Understanding our
divine identity and the true nature of God are indispensable to
powerful personal prayer. Personal prayer is indispensable to
understanding God and our divine identity. I will forever be grateful
for Joseph Smith. Without the revealed knowledge and understanding of
the nature of God from the First Vision, the Book of Mormon, and the
Doctrine and Covenants, I never could have learned the power of
personal prayer. 4th
Column Without
prayer, I never could have received a testimony of the Restored
Gospel, the Book of Mormon, and the Prophet Joseph Smith. Nor would I
understand my own divine identity.\3-How can we make our personal
prayers more effective and meaningful?\President Packer often teaches
that, True doctrine understood changes attitudes and behavior. What
aspect of personal prayer, if better understood, would help your
personal prayers become more meaningful and revelatory?\We have
already identified several obstacles that prevent us from having
meaningful personal prayer: Misunderstanding or sometimes forgetting
our divine identity and the true nature of our Eternal Father in
Heaven.\ Misunderstanding the object of prayer and attempting to use
it to change Heavenly Father 's will or to negotiate what we
want.\Not correctly praying in the name of the Savior but rather out
of selfish and self-centered desires.\May I suggest three other
obstacles: a-Physical, mental, and emotional fatigue.\b-Disobedience,
personal unworthiness, and pride.\c-Lack of focus and purpose.\
a-Physical, mental, and emotional fatigue: Often our personal prayers
take place first thing in the morning before we are fully awake and
alert or late at night when we are too tired to pray effectively. Our
physical, mental, and emotional fatigue can prevent us from
meaningful prayer. Speaking at God is not the same as speaking with
Him. \Meaningful prayer requires effort. It is spiritual work
preceded by mental and spiritual preparation. If we don 't take the
time to humble ourselves and carefully consider that we are about to
call upon God the Eternal Father in the name of Christ, we will miss
the very essence of the divine pattern established to bless us.\May I
suggest finding a time and place where you can carefully ponder your
life and your needs. Reflect on your divine identity and relationship
to God. Strive to visualize Heavenly Father as you prepare to speak
with Him. Think of the Savior in whose name you will be praying.
Doing so will help you focus and prepare to pray with a humble and
grateful heart.\Schedule sufficient time to carefully and humbly
communicate the deepest desires of your heart with Heavenly Father.
Invite the Holy Ghost to help you know what to pray for. Praying
vocally helps me to focus my prayers and to listen to myself without
wandering mentally.\b-Disobedience, personal unworthiness, and pride:
Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy
confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the
priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.\The
Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion. (D&C 121:45-46.)\My
young friends, we cannot be confident in our Heavenly Father 's
presence if we are not morally clean. Pornography, sexual
transgressions, entertainment of any kind that mocks virtue, promotes
immorality, destroys our confidence in prayer, and prevents us from
spiritual promptings. Remember, however, Satan will be the only one
who tells you that you cannot or should not pray. The Holy Ghost
always encourages us to pray, even if we are struggling with
obedience and personal worthiness.\ c-Lack of focus and purpose:
Personal prayer is meant to be a revelatory process. 5th
Column We
need to be able to receive answers and knowledge through our prayers.
One reason we may not feel we are getting answers is because we are
not asking appropriate questions. Revelation generally comes in
response to a question. The process of revelation requires us to
search the scriptures, ponder them, and apply them to our lives. As
we do so, the Holy Ghost helps us form inspired questions. \Prayer is
a channel for addressing questions to Heavenly Father. Through the
Holy Ghost, our minds are enlightened with knowledge, understanding,
and promptings. These feelings and impressions are also confirmed in
our hearts. Often answers come in the form of peace or a settling
feeling of comfort and clarity. When we need to be warned, the Holy
Ghost will leave us feeling unsettled, uncomfortable, unsure, and
unclear. This is also an answer and is often referred to as a stupor
of thought. \Prayer is essential to the process of revelation.
Inspired questions bring greater focus, purpose, and meaning to our
prayers. If you want to receive more personal revelation through your
prayers, you may want to think about what questions you are
asking.\May I share a personal experience that helped me learn many
of these principles. Nearly nineteen years ago, our fifth son
Benjamin was born. The day he was born, my parents left to begin
serving a mission in Oakland, California. They left somewhat
reluctantly because they had been called to serve as a mission office
couple. Of all the possible assignments for missionary couples, they
were not the least bit interested in working in a mission office. But
they decided to accept the call and serve.\My professional career was
exciting and promising. I was working for a growing, dynamic company.
I had an important calling in our ward. Life was challenging and
exciting. I was on top of my little world. Three months later, the
world changed abruptly. \My wife had been increasingly concerned
about Benjamin 's eyes. She sensed that something wasn't right. On
Thanksgiving Day, we became alarmed to discover Benjamin did not
appear to have sight in one eye. We immediately consulted a close
friend and retinal specialist in our ward. He confirmed our concerns
and three days later diagnosed Benjamin 's condition as retinal
blastoma, a rare form of cancer of the eye. The news was devastating.
\Over the next ten days, a team of people helped us canvas the entire
world to identify and locate the most preeminent medical experts on
this rare condition. We found two, one of which was located in San
Francisco, California. It became clear why my parents had been called
to serve a mission in nearby Oakland. They would be close by to help
in the difficult months ahead. My Heavenly Father knew that long
before I did.\A week later, Benjamin was to have the first of many
surgical treatments. Prior to the operation we met with the surgeon.
I explained to him that we believed in the power of prayer. I told
him about priesthood blessings and that Benjamin has been blessed
that he would be healed. With complete confidence, I told the doctor
we believed that when he got into the operation he would find that
Benjamin 's eye would be healed and not need to be removed. 6th
Column Our
entire family and many ward members were fasting and praying for our
son, and we had great faith.\His reply stunned me. Leaning forward,
he defiantly responded: Mr. Pearson, I am a surgeon and an expert on
your son's condition. I do not operate on faith or prayers or any of
your other religious practices. When I get into the operating room, I
am going to confirm that your son needs to have his eye removed. And
when I do, we are either going to immediately move forward and take
it out or we are not going in at all. But there isn't going to be any
more prayers or any more waiting around for miracles. Do you
understand me? \An hour later, he returned to the nursing station and
confirmed that Benjamin's eye had been destroyed by the tumor cells
and that his other eye also had several serious tumors that needed
immediate treatment. This was the worst possible scenario. We were
devastated. I was speechless. He returned to the operating room, and
we returned to my anxious parents in the waiting area. Completely
overcome with grief and disbelief, I walked out of the hospital into
the dark damp San Francisco morning and began to walk and weep
bitterly.\I had done everything I had been taught to do. We had
prayed and received a strong impression to select this doctor. We had
fasted and prayed and felt certain that our infant son would be
healed through faith and through the power of the priesthood. The
outcome could not have been worse. There had been no blessing, and
clearly the Lord had not intervened. Our faith it seems had been no
more than vain hope. My faith was shattered. I began to question
everything I had ever believed. As I walked, I felt betrayed and
angry. I was overcome with pain.\I am not proud of the conversation I
had with Heavenly Father as I walked and wept that morning. After a
time, I got a hold of myself emotionally. I remember the words of a
children's Primary song coming into my mind. Heavenly Father, are you
really there? And do you hear and answer every child's prayer?
Because you clearly haven't been listening to mine or maybe you just
don't really care about me and my son. (A Child's Prayer, Children's
Songbook, #12.)\In that moment, a tender mercy came. In my mind and
heart, I felt these words: Kevin, he is my son too. The clarity of
the prompting was unmistakable. I realized in that moment that I had
not understood the purpose of prayer at all. I had assumed that, just
because I had a righteous cause, I could use the priesthood and
fasting and prayer to change the will of God.\For the first time in
my life, I fully realized that I was not in charge. I knew that I
needed to submit to Heavenly Father 's will. I couldn't have what I
wanted when and how I wanted it just because I was keeping the
commandments. The purpose of prayer was not to tell Heavenly Father
what to do, rather to find out what He would have me do and learn. I
needed to align my will with His.\That moment has made a deep and
profound impact on my life. We would face another six years of
serious challenges as we battled our little son 's condition to save
his other eye and his life. 7th
Column
But
I now knew that Heavenly Father was aware and in charge. And no
matter how things ultimately worked out, He had heard and answered my
prayer. Of that there was no longer any doubt.\My young brothers and
sisters, I leave you with my witness that God is our loving Heavenly
Father. I have come to know through this experience and countless
others since that He does in fact hear and answer every child's
prayer. I have learned that there is great power in personal prayer.
I have learned to accept answers that are contrary to what I want,
trusting that Heavenly Father knows what I need. I have learned that
my children are His children and He loves them more than I possibly
can. Through prayer, I have received forgiveness and comfort,
direction and revelation.\I plead with you to pray always and to be
believing. As you continue to learn and understand the divine
principle of personal prayer as the Savior taught it, prayer will
become a source of great spiritual power and revelation in your life.
Of this I bear personal witness, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.~
~ V~Dear Hope n Mary, Thurs.3/24/17 Were you offended by me tonight?
I apologize. I had no intention of offending you. {synonyms: intent,
intentionality, deliberateness, design, calculation, meaning;
premeditation, forethought, preplanning; malice aforethought\"he
managed, without intention, to upset me"} It is now after
midnight: 12:42am and our lesson/interaction stimulated me. [@ or \=
new paragraph. I can't stand wasting space.] Let me start by saying I
admire those who attend Thursday night BoM class. WE come to learn
and be spiritually uplifted. It blesses my life. @ My parents were
serious criminals, child abusers and deceivers. They used the Church
as a facade for the nefarious deeds. I have 6 siblings. It has been
extremely difficult for us to stay in the church our parents defiled.
I have two brothers that are atheist and 3 sisters and one brother
who super struggle with a HF that would allow what He allowed in our
family. @ So deceit/ DECEIT has been a bugaboo for me my whole adult
life. You would not believe how 5/10 virgins/ saints have been
deceived! I have been one of those deceived ones at times. Ouch. So
instead of hashing over common talks and scriptures about prayer
let's try a new one. @ General Conference talks are shorter than
devotional addresses. So there can be lots more in a devotional
address. This one was listed when I searched:”Satan hear our
prayers” on lds.org.\First I googled: “Don't pray aloud. Satan
may hear our prayer.” but nothing from LDS came up in the first 5
pages of hits.\Second I went to lds.org. I heard a talk something in
the 90's about this so I researched it last year. It had bothered me
for years. What was the truth? The reason I could say that it is a
false concept is because I have had to prove it to myself. @This talk
is 6.5 columns long. I am going to comment at the end of each column
and before you read my comments I would invite you to do the same.
That way we can share what we learn together. Before we start how
would would you answer these three questions? 1What is the principle
of personal prayer?\2 Why is personal prayer essential?\3 How can we
make our personal prayers more effective and meaningful?\1st
Column:
p-The divine invitation to pray unto the Father in the name of Christ
is the single most mentioned commandment in all recorded scripture
2nd
Column:
(Moses 5:8)- not in bible.\ p-Personal prayers should be solemn- Mine
are often NOT. I laugh and even wave hello at times.\ p-These
expressions often cause us to pour out our very souls-this I do do.\
p-it can be an open and continuous dialog all throughout the day and
night-I haven't tried this one yet.\p-This type of continuous prayer
has been, and continues to be, the pattern for revelation in my
personal life and ministry. -cool, what a good man!\It is an
alignment process.- I think I understand this.\Following this pattern
allows us to pray with faith. Helaman's sons Nephi and Lehi were told
this.\ p-when our mind is the mind of Christ-deep stuff!\p-Many
prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ's name at
all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the
selfishness of man's heart- how dare he! 3rd
Column:p-listening
carefully to another's prayers can reveal much about their
relationship with God.-love it, cool idea!\[2 Why is personal prayer
essential?v- it is how we worship and show HF we love and follow him.
It helps us know what we want and are working for.\3 How can we make
our personal prayers more effective and meaningful? v-Write them down
and record what portions are answered.] p-Here on earth, we are fully
exposed to the consequences of our own choices and to the choices of
others-v powerful! That paragraph was absolutely marvelous in my
opinion! p-However, our mortal existence is neither random cosmic
chaos.-v I had to look this up and see if that is really what he
said. It is. I'm confused by it. ED-But positive, as sound.-v you
can't see sound but it is still there! p-Without prayer, there is no
possible return to the Father.- pointed! p-Without prayer, sufficient
faith to understand and keep the commandments is impossible. -more
pointed! p- made available to all of God's children- Mary prayed even
before she was a member of the church. It still worked. p-It is the
spiritual channel made available to all of God's children giving us
constant access to our Eternal Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy
Ghost. V-so if I want the promise of the sacrament prayers I have to
pray first? Yep! That they may always have his spirit to be with
them. p-Prayer is powerful and compelling evidence of the reality of
God the Eternal Father. v- it really is! p-. . .forgetting this
relationship v- I had to send that paragraph to bps, my Purgatory
Correctional Facility pen pal. 4th
Column:
p-Often our personal prayers take place first thing in the morning
before we are fully awake and alert or late at night when we are too
tired to pray effectively. v-true. So don't make those your only
prayers! p- suggest finding a time and place where you can carefully
ponder your life and your needs v-Before I start reading is good for
me. No hurry, no rush, pressures are done, I am about to relax. I am
comfortable and laying on my bed. P-Praying vocally helps me to focus
my prayers and to listen to myself without wandering mentally.-key.
p- Pornography, sexual transgressions, entertainment of any kind that
mocks virtue, promotes immorality, destroys our confidence in prayer,
and prevents us from spiritual promptings. Remember, however, Satan
will be the only one who tells you that you cannot or should not
pray. V-can you watch a show that uses “God” or “oh my God”
as an exclamation? In Spanish they say “Dios mio”. Oops! 5th
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p-
Personal prayer is meant to be a revelatory process. We need to be
able to receive answers and knowledge through our prayers v- have you
disagreed with anything he has said so far? I disagree with this one.
It is a revelatory process only occasionally for me!!! p-When we need
to be warned, the Holy Ghost will leave us feeling unsettled,
uncomfortable, unsure, and unclear. This is also an answer and is
often referred to as a stupor of thought. V-I feel this regularly.
Probably daily! But I have been emotionally damaged, traumatized as a
child. As I left FamilySearch yesterday I was feeling grumpy. I
started praying and reliving and rethinking what had gone on. I
prayed as I drove home. I prayed again before I started reading. I
arrived at the source. I was worried my efforts were being wasted.
That was not the HG. That was my personal internal damage, my red
button, my trigger from the past that had risen to haunt me again. p-
May I share a personal experience that helped me learn many of these
principles. V-he learned many prayer principles from one, ONE
personal experience. You can bet it was a weighty experience! p- not
the least bit interested-candid! p-I was on top of my little
world.-cute and humble. p-canvas the entire world p- I told him about
priesthood blessings-tender. 6th
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p-We were devastated. I was speechless. v- the suspense is
unbearable! p-My faith was shattered. p-Kevin, he is my son too.
V-tears p-For the first time in my life, I fully realized that I was
not in charge. I knew that I needed to submit to Heavenly Father 's
will. v- darn, I hate how that works! Tease. p-I couldn't have what I
wanted when and how I wanted it just because I was keeping the
commandments. v- spoiled child syndrome becomes obvious when he puts
it that way. :) 7th
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p-But
I now knew that Heavenly Father was aware and in charge. p-And no
matter how things ultimately worked out, He had heard and answered my
prayer. p- experience and countless others v-over and over these
truths play out. p-I have learned to accept answers that are contrary
to what I want, trusting that Heavenly Father knows what I need. I
have learned that my children are His children and He loves them more
than I possibly can. V-conclusion: That was as rewarding as I can
imagine! Thank you for this opportunity. God bless you. Vern @[update 4/5/17 Wednesday, So I made 6 copies for my class and they didn't show up! Luckily, Janice visited afterwards and when the topic turned to Mary and Hope I gave her one. So one down 5 to go.]
SUNDAY,
Randalin Hilton was my organist today. She arrived and wanted to
change the opening hymn. She said this new one is particularly
difficult to play. That worked perfectly fine for me. I love singing
Alleluia and you get to sing it 5 times for each of the 4 verses. It
has copyright restrictions and can’t be viewed from our lds hymnal
on the internet. I had to go elsewhere to copy the lyrics. I wasn’t
planning on posting them but since they were not available I decided
they are more precious than I thought! The 4th verse captured me
today. Springtime!
#62
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us
sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden
beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
Refrain
O
praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou
rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven
along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise
rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
Refrain
Thou
flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to
hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and
bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
Refrain
Dear
mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O
praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee
grow,
Let them His glory also show.
You
may remember I told Dave dogpound that I was pleased that the
offended had called again. He couldn’t understand that. Why would
you be pleased to have someone complaining again? Because it means
they really care. And I really care too! And I was sincere. He left
shaking his head. What tools does Dave dogcatcher have at his
disposal? Since he has broken teeth and a chew circle in his rear
pocket I suspect he is pretty low class. Would anyone like the job of
being a dog catcher? Would anyone be your friend? He said Amber
Hansen was swearing at the secretary about him not doing his job. Was
that just a tool he uses or was that the truth? I suspect a bit of
exaggeration goes a long way with most culprits. What would he think
of my story? Would he be shocked and amazed? I suspect so. I am
shocked and amazed myself. Where did I get the courage from to
investigate like I have? Personally I believe HF knew how important
it was to me and he gave me the courage and the honey. You catch more
flies with honey/Livesavers than you do with vinegar. What is the
most important thing I have learned from this experience? The most
shocking/ surprising thing I have learned is how receptive and
friendly my neighbors were when I asked them if my dog was causing
them problems. I suspect that because Hansen’s cans were
free-standing they were easy for Molly to knock over. Now that they
are against a wall they will be more easily supported. I suspect that
even gusts of wind tipped them over at times. I know I picked up
Bruce Randall’s trash once after a windstorm. I have a broken PVC
pipe leading to my 8 grapevines. I have a goal of repairing it this
week after living with it for 2 years. It is in the same place I put
the 4x4 crates, on end, to fill the gap/ hole between my chain link
and Stauffer’s red block fence. Sure enough Molly has tried to dig
her way out! But she was not successful. Good job Vern! Even though
the Hansen’s have not contacted me as I put the rest of their trash
in the garbage I found a torn up Medical bill for Amber Hansen. Yep,
it was their trash. @TUESDAY4/18/17
I was working on a broken sprinkler pipe yesterday and left the back
yard open. At 1am I started feeling nervous about it being trash
collection on Tuesday and all the cans being on the street with Molly
free. I hopped on my bike and road to Hansen's. 1 am in the morning.
Nope Molly had not been there. I plugged my doggy door and went to
sleep in peace. @ Next I will include the rest of RGS talk on truth
and the universe: subatomic and clusters of galaxies. At BoM class
Janice said scientists are atheists and never give God credit. I took
exeption. I suggested she check out the testimony of Einstein. Ilene
said, Oh, that would be interesting. I had listened to this talk by
RGS the day before and I just couldn't accept that scientists are the
bad guys. It is just another way of seeking truth. Elder Scott says
they get closer and closer and may never reach absolute truth, but in
our world we are not very good at accepting Enoch's revelations nor
Moses' revelations through the prophet JS. I really like when he
said that God has allowed man, lead man to the truths which we have
so far.
