Tag Archives: christlike

Setting Spiritual Goals for 2013

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I’m not usually one to set New Year’s resolutions. I don’t ever do it. It’s not that I don’t have goals or aspirations, but I just don’t feel the need to do that at the beginning of each new year. However, this year, I have been thinking a lot about spiritual resolutions and goals. We all make them don’t we? We all say, “I’m going to pray more.” Or, “I am going to read my scriptures everyday”, etc. If you are anything like me, you feel like there is always something you can do better when it comes to your … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Forbearance

Similar to forgiveness comes the word forbear. If you check the footnotes for Matthew 18:21-22, you will find a suggestion to check the Topical Guide for this intriguing word. I have to confess that, despite being well-read, I had only a tentative grasp on the word. With that in mind, I checked the dictionary, where I found several definitions of the word. The one that seemed to best suit our discussion was “to be tolerant or patient in the face of provocation.” As I went through the TG, I found that most of the scriptures related well to forgiveness, at … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Unquenchable Fire

As I studied a bit more in Matthew 3, I stumbled across John’s warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees (verse 12). As many prophets have warned, those trees which fail to bring forth good fruit will be cast into the fire. There are a variety of references to fire in the scriptures. Sometimes, the fire is used to refine; at others, it is described as torment for those who fail to follow Christ. The refiners fire is often brief, and purifies and strengthens us. Impurities are removed, and we come through it closer to our Savior. In our everyday lives, … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Quick to Forgive

The Relief Society and Elder’s Quorum lesson for the fourth Sunday of the month comes from the most recent General Conference issue of the Ensign. Each ward and branch, of course, will be different. On top of that, Miriam generally handles the summaries of the General Conference address. I, of course, don’t want to step on her toes and attempt to resummarize. Instead, I will be seeking out specific doctrinal issues that pertain to the talks and researching them in the scriptures. Although you may not be specifically studying that talk at this time, I hope that the thoughts and … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Casually But Not Devoutly

The final section in next Sunday’s Priesthood and Relief Society lesson deals with exaltation. After detailing the difference between immortality and eternal life, after describing the different degrees of glory and how they may be obtained, the quotes center on achieving exaltation. In short, they turn on the old ‘faith versus works’ argument. One of the things that greatly impressed me when I investigated the church was the direction the gospel takes that argument. To quote James in James 2:18, “I will shew thee my faith BY my works” (emphasis added). That is, once we have faith, we will prove … Continue reading →