I wanted to transfer this post to this site, because I am suprised at how much this Sunday School Lesson has changed the way I look at things. I am also suprised at how often the topic of sanctification comes up not only in the scriptures but in talks and in the writings of general authorities. Just today I was reading the Ensign article by President Eyring and He spoke about unifying our families and the scriptures he quoted talked about sanctification. Interesting. Anyway I am not sure I am any closer to my change of heart, however I am more and more aware of it. Oh and by the way I did give up Grey's Anatomy...yay me!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Not to sound preachy but.....
This is a long post and I don't want to sound preachy here, but I learned something cool today in Sunday School and wanted to write it down before I forgot I learned it. We were talking about Enos, and I have always loved the story of Enos. I loved how he remembered the things that his father taught him, that they sunk deep into his heart and that his soul hungered to be filled with the things of the spirit. I loved that he spent all day and most of the night in sincere prayer, and I have always loved the verse where he hears the voice of the Lord telling him that his sins are forgiven because of his faith in Christ. However I learned today that I have only been reading this story on the surface. I really never wondered much about Enos and what type of a man he really was before he prayed until this morning when I was reading with my kids. I was trying to give them some background and realized that I must have considered Enos a sinner, someone who needed to repent of a lot of things to have to repent all day and all night. But as I was giving background to my kids, I was taught by the Spirit that Enos actually wasn't a sinner, but that he was a righteous man, a prophet, who still felt the need to repent.Anyway it was interesting today because in Sunday school when we learned about Enos our teacher spent a good deal of time on just this point and I really liked the things I learned about Enos and it gave me a great deal to think about in my own life. Anyway the teacher confirmed my earlier prompting, that Enos was actually a good man, a prophet, who was living a very righteous life. And then she began to talk about the principle of sanctification. In the beginning of the chapter it talks about the wrestle he had before he received a remission of his sins. I learned today that phrase "remission of sins" deals actually with the process of being sanctified. Enos wasn't praying to ask forgiveness because he hurt someone's feelings, or because he told a lie or any sin of comission, he was actually praying to know that he was guiltless of all of his sins and that he was sanctified and completely clean before God of everything. In so doing he was unwilling anymore to commit sins of comission. His repentance process would leave him with no more desire to sin. For me it took the story of Enos to a whole new level.It also of course made me think of my own life. I think that sometimes I think things like, being reborn, or sanctification is reserved for prophets and apostles. In fact Elder Christopherson talked about it in conference, which after learning the true story of Enos, really intrigued me as to the process he had probably been through to prepare him to be an Apostle. Anyway back to me. Anyway it just hit me today that sanctification is a gift to all of us, through the Atonement of Christ. It is a process, but it can happen just as it happened to Enos, if we are willing to sacrifice the things of the world. I liked Elder Christopherson's words, he said, "You may ask, Why doesn’t this mighty change happen more quickly with me? You should remember that the remarkable examples of King Benjamin’s people, Alma, and some others in scripture are just that—remarkable and not typical.2 For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality.At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy. He then closed his talk in gratitude that he had the rest of his life on earth to testify of Christ and to build the Kingdom.Anyways I know this is kind of deep for a blog, but I wanted to write it down for my own benefit. I just wondered how many blessing I'm missing out on because I am not quite ready yet to give up Grey's Anatomy. It seems pretty silly.

Back to School Blessings

Last night for family home evening, Shawn gave all of the kids blessings for their return to school. He also gave me one. I felt the spirit so strong during each of their blessings. I noticed that I especially felt it when he spoke truth. For example when he told Britta that her Heavenly Father knew her before she was born. Or when he told Emma that she was a daughter of God. And I especially felt it during Jackson's when Shawn blessed him with the things he needed in order to deal with the things that he struggles with.

I also loved the blessing that Shawn gave me. I needed some extra strength and guidance in my life right about now. I love Shawn, I am so thankful he is a worthy priesthood holder.

We are Women of God

I had the opportunity to teach Relief Society on Sunday. The talk a chose was one that Sheri Dew gave a few years ago about being a Woman of God. I love this talk and have read it several times over the past years. I chose it because I have been feeling a little down and a little off track. It is so easy to get sidetracked with the things of the world, and with being "busy" that sometimes I forget what is really important. This was a good reminder of that. One of the quotes I loved from her talk was this one:

" We no longer have the luxury of spending our energy on anything that does not lead us and our families to Christ. That is the litmus test for Relief Society, as well as for our lives. In the days ahead, a casual commitment to Christ will not carry us through."

The world is so evil now and the power of the adversary is so strong. It is all around us. He is not casual in his attempts to thwart our salvation, why are we so casual in ours?" Why am I so casual in mine especially with the stewardship I have over my family? This talk was a call to arms for me. Something all of us can be good at. We can all be Women of God. I can be a Woman of God. It doesn't take a perfect body or an outrageous ability to decorate my home or be crafty. All it take is a willing heart, humility, and the courage to act.

In her talk Sister Dew encouraged us to choose one thing that we can do today to be more like our Saviour, I am going to recommit to personal scripture study. I always feel the spirit when I read my scriptures and I love teaching them to my children. It is sometimes hard to find the time to do it during the day, but I seem to be able to find the time to do meaningless things. So that is my committment.

Sing Praises

When I was on my mission I read the story of the Brother of Jared and how he and his family built the boat shaped like a dish and were driven forth upon the sea towards the promised land. I thought about that story and how terrible the conditions must have been for those people and they were being tossed by the terrible tempests and fierce winds of the water. How they were encompassed about by water until they were cry unto the Lord and he brought them forth on top of the waters again. I can't imagine anything being more miserable. However the attitude of the Jaredites never ceases to amaze me. How despite the awfulness of their state they were singing praises to the Lord. After describing their trying circumstances it says in verse nine that they did sing praises unto the Lord all the day long, and when the night came they did not cease to praise the Lord. I figure that if the Jaredites can sing praises to the Lord in those lowly circumstances, I too can sing praises to the Lord in whatever circumstance I may be in. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for the things he has given me, I want to make a record of the things that show me he is working in my life and that give me the opportunity to praise him. Somethings may be trite, and some may be profound, yet the Lord is in all things that bring me joy.