How can we reconcile ourselves to the Will of the Lord?
How can we reconcile ourselves to God?
How can we reconcile ourselves to God?
In the Webster’s dictionary there are 2 definitions for “reconcile”
The first says, “to make ourselves consistent and compatible with something”
The second says, “to reestablish a close relationship to”
The first says, “to make ourselves consistent and compatible with something”
The second says, “to reestablish a close relationship to”
I want to talk about those two definitions as they apply to the opening question. How we can make ourselves consistent and compatible with the will of the Lord and how we can reestablish or strengthen our relationship with Him.
Starting with – How do we make ourselves consistent and compatible with the Lord?
Consistent – constantly, continually, regularly
Repentance – must do consistently if we hope to be reconciled to God.
Repentance – must do consistently if we hope to be reconciled to God.
Isaiah 1:18
Red dress and white tank top – Red from the dress rubs onto my tank top and turns it pink. Even after so much effort and work it still remains pink. No matter what mom magic is applied it never turns back white. So the concept in this scripture AMAZES me! That the Lord can turn us fully white again. Make us clean and pure.
Red dress and white tank top – Red from the dress rubs onto my tank top and turns it pink. Even after so much effort and work it still remains pink. No matter what mom magic is applied it never turns back white. So the concept in this scripture AMAZES me! That the Lord can turn us fully white again. Make us clean and pure.
Elder Maxwell quote – Repentance requires both turning away from evil and turning to God… full repentance involves a 180-degree turn, and without looking back! (Alma 5:12–13.) Initially, this turning reflects progress from telestial to terrestrial behavior, and later on to celestial behavior. There can be no real repentance without personal suffering and the passage of sufficient time for the needed cleansing and turning.
We have to realize repentance isn’t just a one time thing or just for large mistakes or transgressions. It’s like Elder Maxwell said it changes us from Telestial to Terrestrial and eventually to Celestial. That means it doesn’t just apply when we DO something wrong. It applies also to sins of omission – when we DON’T DO something we should. When we’ve neglected or aren’t consistently practicing something.
An example for me is my morning prayers. I super struggle with saying my morning prayers. It takes constant effort and reminders to turn away from that undesired behavior and turn myself more to the Lord.
Alma 34:32-34
Starts out talking about this life being the time to prepare. This life is a probationary state. We came here for two main reasons – to get a body and to be tested.
Starts out talking about this life being the time to prepare. This life is a probationary state. We came here for two main reasons – to get a body and to be tested.
I like how Probation was defined in the dictionary – a testing or trial period of a person’s conduct and character. What better way to test and try a person’s character and conduct than through hard and challenging experiences.
Life is the test. Challenges and trials we face are the questions. How are we answering them? What grade will we earn for our character and conduct?
Love the knowledge of a Probationary state – We were sent here for a reason. “Time to prepare to meet God” “day for us to perform our labors” Goes on the say, “not procrastinate day of repentance”
Now is the time to change. Repentance is an opportunity for progression and self-improvement. Why would we want to procrastinate it or put it off? Yes it’s hard and involves some suffering, but the end result is so much more beautiful. To go from scarlet to white as snow. Repentance is a gift. Are we using it to better ourselves and our lives?
How do we reconcile ourselves to the will of the Lord? Repent – continually try harder to turn our hearts and wills to God. Pick something each day or each week that can help us to do so. Use our probationary time here in this life to repent. Use repentance to prepare ourselves to meet God and better our lives.
Next definition of reconcile is reestablish a close relationship with. How can we strengthen our relationship with the Lord?
Mosiah 3:19
anyone you have close relationships with you call a friend – exact opposite is an enemy. How do we make sure we aren’t an enemy to God?
anyone you have close relationships with you call a friend – exact opposite is an enemy. How do we make sure we aren’t an enemy to God?
1. Yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.
2. Becometh a Saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord
3. Become as a little child – submissive, meek, humble, willing to submit to all things
Yield to the enticing of the Holy Spirit –D&C 11:12-14 – This scripture tells us what things the Spirit entices us to do. It helps us to do good.
The world around us is loud and busy and hurried. We need to take time to be still. The scriptures refer to the Holy Ghost as a still, small voice. We need to be still so we can hear His still, small voice. We have to pay attention to how it feels so we can recognize it in our lives. It feels different for all of us. Think about how it feels for you and remember that for in the future. So you can follow the promptings of the spirit.
The world around us is loud and busy and hurried. We need to take time to be still. The scriptures refer to the Holy Ghost as a still, small voice. We need to be still so we can hear His still, small voice. We have to pay attention to how it feels so we can recognize it in our lives. It feels different for all of us. Think about how it feels for you and remember that for in the future. So you can follow the promptings of the spirit.
Becometh a saint through the Atonement –
Only through Christ that we can strengthen our relationship with the Father. As RS PRES of my student ward last year in my setting apart meeting, my Bishop counseled me to more fully apply the Atonement to my life. It was something I really had to think hard about and try to do.
How can we better apply the Atonement in our lives?
Sacrament – The sacrament prayers say – willing to take Christ’s name upon us, always remember Him, and keep His commandments – need to make a conscious effort to do these things throughout the week.
Only through Christ that we can strengthen our relationship with the Father. As RS PRES of my student ward last year in my setting apart meeting, my Bishop counseled me to more fully apply the Atonement to my life. It was something I really had to think hard about and try to do.
How can we better apply the Atonement in our lives?
Sacrament – The sacrament prayers say – willing to take Christ’s name upon us, always remember Him, and keep His commandments – need to make a conscious effort to do these things throughout the week.
Take His name – Kassie high school example – Her senior year was my first year at the school. Even after she left I was “Kassie’s sister” – teacher’s expected me to live at the same level and be a person of as high a caliber as Kassie. Peers expected me to treat them with kindness and be a positive example. Finally I realized it was a compliment. Same way with Christ. If we are taking His name upon us, we are acting the way He would act, living as He would live. That other’s might look at us and say that’s Christ’s sister or brother. When people look at us, do they see Christ?
Always remember Him – interesting scripture Helaman 12:2-3 – how true is it that we remember the Lord more often in our trials and hard times than in the good times. When things are all working out and going great the Lord has to find ways to humble us to bring us back to Him. ALWAYS remember Him. In the good and bad. In the good remember Him with an outpouring of more gratitude and praise. In the bad remember Him by exercising more faith, patience and humility.
Become as a little child – submissive, meek, humble, willing to submit to all things
We don’t know why we face the challenges and struggles and hard times – but trust in the Lord. Trust that He knows why. That He is our friend and our Father and everything we go through He does for our growth and benefit
We don’t know why we face the challenges and struggles and hard times – but trust in the Lord. Trust that He knows why. That He is our friend and our Father and everything we go through He does for our growth and benefit
In my Humanities class at BYU this past year we read a book entitled Candide – It’s kind of a Job story, Candide is a man who loses everything he has. At one point in the book a man says to him, “Why are you even still trying? You have nothing left to live for.”
Candide replies, “Troubles are just the shadows in a beautiful picture.”
Think about paintings. Without shadows a picture is flat and dull and lifeless. Troubles and challenges in our life are what make the painting of our lives beautiful, gives it depth and meaning.
We need to be as a little child, as a child would trust it’s parents, trust the Lord that He knows better than we do. Trust that He is painting our lives into a masterpiece.
Candide replies, “Troubles are just the shadows in a beautiful picture.”
Think about paintings. Without shadows a picture is flat and dull and lifeless. Troubles and challenges in our life are what make the painting of our lives beautiful, gives it depth and meaning.
We need to be as a little child, as a child would trust it’s parents, trust the Lord that He knows better than we do. Trust that He is painting our lives into a masterpiece.
We can reconcile ourselves more fully to God by making our behaviors consistent and compatible with His will and by reestablishing or strengthening our relationship with Him. As we do that we will find that we are happier and we will be able to know more fully that He is always with us.
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