Tag Archives: obedience

Obedience – the Stories of Samson and Joshua

Samson is one of the heroes of the Bible. He made a covenant with God that he would abide by the commandments, and as a token of this covenant, he promised God that he would never cut his hair. He grew to be mighty and strong, and everyone wondered what was the power behind his strength. A beautiful and cunning woman named Delilah managed to get him to confess that his strength came from his hair, and she caused a servant to come in and cut his hair while he slept. His strength was taken from him, and he ended … Continue reading →

Visiting Teaching Message: Practicing Holiness

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The second section of the Visiting Teaching message on practicing holiness truly touched my heart. Although there were several things that touched me in both quotes, I felt myself truly respond to Bonnie Parkin’s admonition that “holiness is a product of covenant living.” Throughout our spiritual walk with the church, we make covenants. First, we covenant when we are baptized to serve Christ and try to be like Him. Then we renew that covenant every Sunday when we take the sacrament; we restate our willingness to keep His commandments. When we go through the temple, we make several covenants, and … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “Whosoever Killeth You…”

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As I reviewed the Gospel Doctrine lesson for this week, the second half of John 16:2 stood out to me. Here, Jesus tells His disciples that “whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” Given that today is the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, these words took on a special significance to me. Of course, Joseph was not the only person in the restored church who died because of his faith. Early church history is filled with a number of Saints who gave their lives because of their faith. One story that stood out … Continue reading →

Visiting Teaching Message: Becoming Holy

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This month’s visiting teaching message focuses on how we can become instruments in the Lord’s hands by practicing holiness. Today, I would like to examine what, exactly, holiness is. The bible dictionary notes that holy items were those “set apart for a sacred purpose.” The same can be said for people. Like many items in the temple, we, too, have a sacred purpose – to do His work and to return to Him. We were sent here to be tested. We have a choice of whether to be common and worldly, or to be different, to be set apart. The … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Do As I Have Done To You

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In John 13:1-17, the Savior shows His love for His disciples by washing their feet, an act of service. He then teaches them, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” The Lord is teaching His disciples service, yet again. Reading this, it occurred to me that the Savior washed the feet of the disciples just before He left their presence. Logic dictates that He would spend those last few hours reminding them of what was most important – and He taught them again of love and service. He showed them … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Going Without

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The prophets have taught us increasingly to avoid debt. As we struggle through this modern world, that may be hard to comprehend. For many families – especially young families – it seems hard to go through life on a small paycheck. But the sad reality for most Americans is that, as their paychecks increase, so does their spending. Right now, our nation has a negative savings rate. As a country, we are spending more than we are saving. President Kimball urges us to “live within (our) means and not beyond them.” What does it mean to live within your means? … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Faith to Move Mountains

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We often hear about having enough faith to move mountains. But as I listened to a song on the radio today, I gained a different perspective on the subject. Generally, we think of the relocation as a sudden, earth-shattering event, but the song gives another look. Christ tells us in Matthew 21:21 that “If ye have faith and doubt not…if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” The image this creates is of the mountain crumbling into the sea by its own accord, or by the power … Continue reading →

God’s Blueprint For Life

Since we are now saved by grace and by what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross, are the Ten Commandments irrelevant? I believe we can learn a lot from God’s blueprint for life. Exodus 20:1-17 1. God prefaces His commandment not to have other gods, verse 3 by reminding the Israelites of who He is and what He has done for them in the past. Given their spectacular rescue from Egypt, the Israelites had reason enough for them to trust and worship God. We also have ample reason to trust God and worship Him. It is good … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Render to Caeser the Things Which Are Caeser’s

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When the Pharisees sought to lay a trap for Jesus, they asked Him whether they should pay taxes to the Romans. If He said yes, they would claim that He supported the much-hated Romans who domineered the nation; if He said no, they could report Him to the authorities as stirring up rebellion. Christ replied instead that we should “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” In the course of the lesson He taught, Jesus displayed a Roman penny, which bore the head of Caesar upon it. He used this … Continue reading →

Seven Steps Towards a Stronger Relationship with the Lord.

What can we learn from the Old Testament and God’s relationship with His people,Israel? Exodus 19:1-25. 1. In the third month after they set out from Egypt, Israel reaches the desert of Sinai and camps at the foot of the mountain. Verses 1-2. It is often when we are in the harsh situations, which feel like a desert, that God meets with us. 2. Moses goes up the mountain. The Lord tells Moses exactly what he is to say to the people of Israel, verse 3. God is always clear about what He tells His people. At times he speaks … Continue reading →