Heavenly Father LOVES US.
Just ponder that for a moment, would you? Really just stop and give it a moment to sink in.
Our Father in heaven does not give us commandments or advice that are not of importance. He teaches us for our uplifting, for our growth and development, and if we will follow His counsel it will prepare us to go back into His presence.
—George Albert Smith
Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom.
(Source: youngfrankenteen)
Well I guess now I can check getting retweeted by the church off the ol' bucket list...
- Mormon.org: How can we learn to love people in spite of their faults and shortcomings? #LDS #Mormon
- Me: @MORMONorg I try to see in everyone what my Heavenly Father sees in them. Their potential is enough.
- Mormon.org: *retweets*
- Me:
- Me:
- Me:
- Me:
- Me: ... o.O
- Me: ... *dies*
I know Heavenly Father answers prayers.
That moment when you’re having an absolutely awful day and you look up and see the clouds and you just know that Heavenly Father is there.
All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.
Until We Have Faces (from The Exponent)
I love the way this article made me think about prayer and communication with my Heavenly Father. It puts some things in perspective. I’d recommend checking it out.
My thoughts:
We are typically taught that our prayers should follow certain patterns (which sometimes feels contradictory to that warning against “vain repetitions”), addressing Heavenly Father with the highest degree of respect shown with what may seem to some to be overly formal language. In my private prayers I often forego this language in addition to deviating from the “‘Dear Heavenly Father,’ giving of thanks, asking for something, closing in Christ’s name” pattern.
I feel like making these suggested patterns into strict rules of prayer detracts from my relationship with Him. It makes Him seem more distant, like some formidable figure I must approach with caution, more like a medieval king than like a dad. I show respect to my earthly father though I don’t use such formal language or any specific pattern when we talk. In 3 Nephi 20:1, Christ teaches us that we should never cease to pray in our hearts. For me, this means keeping the lines of communication constantly open. Sometimes I just send up a sentence or two of thanks or of asking when I’m busy at work and in turn sometimes revelation strikes me in the most unexpected moments.
At times I’ve questioned my practices of prayer. I say more standard prayers out loud when asked during church gatherings, when I begin and end my day, and before meals. But I’ve still wondered whether I should be more reverent throughout the day. Over time I’ve realized that this is MY relationship with my heavenly Father and no one else’s. Each relationship is special, sacred, and vastly different. This is my voice.
“Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and Beloved Son of God.”
I hear this sentence pretty frequently. And to be honest, it bothers me. If you think about the words—or at least when I think about the words—it seems very anti-doctrinal.
Seeking answers, I turned to dictionary.com (because I’m a big English nerd).
- Begotten is defined as being the past participle of beget, which is defined: “(especially of a male parent) to procreate or generate (offspring).”
- Beloved is defined as being an adjective meaning “greatly loved; dear to the heart.”
But we are taught that we are literally children of our Heavenly Father. The reason he even sent Christ to be crucified to atone for our sins was because he loved us, his children, enough to want us to be able to be redeemed for our sins this way so that we could return to live with him.
If that’s not the case, then there are major holes everywhere in our doctrine. Yet I know the church is true. I know I have a relationship with my loving Heavenly Father.
I understand that the message behind this sentence is that Jesus Christ is the savior. I know that he was perfect and died for all of our sins. I understand that while he is our brother (and he is often referred to in this way) he’s not exactly the same as the rest of us.
But why are the words phrased like that?
I’m going to ask the Institute director about it tomorrow and perhaps the online missionaries as well.
What do you think?
Can we prove that the Church is true?
No. I don’t think so. Don’t get me wrong—I know with all of my heart and soul that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that any person who seeks the truth with a sincere heart and real intent [Moroni 10:5] can know for themselves the truth of this church through the witness of the Holy Spirit.
But we aren’t going to have concrete scientific or other proof that will convince every living person without a doubt, beyond possibility of argument, that the church is true, without them having to read, pray, ponder, and find out for themselves.
Why? Because then there would be no faith. Belief in Heavenly Father, Christ, or any other teaching of the church (or any other Christian sect or any other religion, for that matter), would simply become another chapter in history and science books. It wouldn’t be faith or religion at all.
Faith is too important for that. “And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” (Ether 12:6)
