Wed. 2/21 @And so it goes; all sects, parties, and denominations acclaim a Christmolded to fit their diverse theological idiosyncrasies. And as we know, this very babble of voices crying out that salvation comes through Christ, according to this or that conflicting system, is itself one of the signs of the times.
Jesus foretold that in our day there would be false Christs and falseprophets, meaning that false religions bearing his name would arise, andthat false doctrines and false teachers would be everywhere.
Amid it all may we raise the one voice which echoes the mind and will and voice of the Lord. Our voice is one which testifies of a true and living Christ; it is one which says that the Lord Jesus has revealed himself and his gospel anew in modern times; it is a voice which invites all men to come to Him who died on Calvary, and to live his laws as he has given them to modern prophets. @ For years I have wondered where all the prophesied false Christs were. BRMcConkie’77 Just told me. I love it when I get/find answers.
@@@All of the virtues and appropriate use of these technologies notwithstanding, there are risks associated with them that, when drawn too close, can put us in a spiritual eclipse and potentially block the brightness and warmth of the gospel.
The use of social media, mobile apps, and games can be inordinately time-consuming and can reduce face-to-face interaction. This loss of personal conversation can affect marriages, take the place of valuable spiritual practices, and stifle the development of social skills, especially among youth.
Two additional risks related to social media are idealized reality and debilitating comparisons.
Many (if not most) of the pictures posted on social media tend to portray life at its very best—often unrealistically. We have all seen beautiful images of home decor, wonderful vacation spots, smiling selfies, elaborate food preparation, and seemingly unattainable body images.
Here, for example, is an image that you might see on someone’s social media account. However, it doesn’t quite capture the full picture of what is actually going on in real life.
Comparing our own seemingly average existence with others’ well-edited, perfectly crafted lives as represented on social media may leave us with feelings of discouragement, envy, and even failure.
One person who has shared numerous posts of her own said, perhaps only partly in jest, “What’s the point of being happy if you’re not going to post it?” DGRenlund’17 oct @@@ I have been candid about ward happenings on purpose. @@@
Repentance Is a Lifelong Pursuit
I have a friend who grew up in a less-active Latter-day Saint family. Whenhe was a young adult, he too “came to himself” and decided to prepare fora mission.
He became an excellent missionary. On his last day before returning home,the mission president interviewed him and asked him to bear histestimony. He did so, and after a tearful embrace, the president said,“Elder, you could forget or deny everything you have just testified of in amatter of months if you do not continue to do the things that built yourtestimony in the first place.”
My friend later told me that he has prayed and read the scriptures dailysince he returned from his mission. Being constantly “nourished by thegood word of God” has kept him “in the right way.”12
You who are preparing for full-time missions and you who are returning,take note! It is not enough just to gain a testimony; you have to maintain itand strengthen it. As every missionary knows, if you stop pedaling a bicycle,it will fall, and if you stop feeding your testimony, it will weaken. This sameprinciple applies to repentance—it is a lifelong pursuit, not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. @When the gas runs out the car stops. Same with our testimonies!
The Eternal Everyday
"Some misuse authenticity as a celebration of the natural man and qualities that are the opposite of humility, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and civility. We can celebrate our individual uniqueness as children of God without using authenticity as an excuse for un-Christlike behavior."
