More Spiritual Insight

I have not always been very good at Visiting Teaching, as you could ask some of my companions from the past. I am trying to be better.
This past week my companion and I went out, and I had the opportunity to do the lesson. I am so grateful that I did, as it gave me the opportunity to review the talks from General Conference, which of course I used for VT, but I was also able to use it this week with my Sunday School class.

I told the ladies who we visit, I am not sure if it is that I am getting older and appreciate conference more, or if it was just so dang good this time, I truly enjoyed listening and learned so much.
I thought I would share some thought from what I learned and taught, from the different talks, yes more then one talk, I was unable to just choose one.

For me, conference was a lot about being prepared as hard times are to come. I started off with Elaine Daltons (link) talk and her quote "In the strength of the Lord, I can do all things." She goes on about temples and virtue.
What a great reminder that, it is only through the Lord that we can do all things. As I read her talk, it made me think about Temples and how we can go to the temple and find peace, but also we need to make our homes like the temple, were we can retreat to our homes when times are hard, and have that peace.

Elder Godoy, (link) his talk on Testimonies was excellent. I loved how he said "Great events are not a guarantee that our testimony will be strong." We are NOT guaranteed a strong testimony. A testimony is something that has to be worked on, on a daily basis.

“But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe [and I think that was my case as an investigator], let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words” (Alma 32:27).

If we just start with a particle of faith or desire to know, the Lord will bless us with a true knowledge and a strong testimony of the his gospel.

Elder Aidukaitis (link)talked about the Book of Mormon. Here is a quote from him that I loved.

“. . . Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts . . . the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God”

I love that he reminds each of us, if we prayerfully read the BOM, not just read it, we will have a stronger desire to be obedient and have a stronger testimony of the Savior.

Elder Cook (link) was the last talk that I quoted from.

...he gained comfort and then reassurance. Our prayers are that way when we go to our Father in Heaven. We know He cares for us in our time of need.

What a great reminder that our Heavenly Father loves and cares for us, and also is there to comfort us in our time of need, IF only we will seek him in prayer.

there will be lean years and plentiful years.²⁰ The Lord expects us to be prepared for many of the challenges that come. He proclaims, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”

How true is this today. How many times have we been told to get prepared. From talking with one of my dear friends a while ago, I was reminded that when we are told to be prepared, how much more that means then just our food storage. We must also be spiritually prepared. We never know when our testimonies are going to be challenged. It might be that we become ill and are unable to attend our church meetings, it might be through people we come in contact with who fight against the church and our beliefs. If we are not prepared spiritually, how will our testimonies withstand the trials.

“Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

The Lord knows each of us personally, he knows what we are feeling and going through. We have been promised with the blessing, that if we are prepared, and are obedient to the comandments, we do not need to fear, as the Lord will helps us with whatever we may face.