Fulfilling Our Purposes

I have been thinking a lot lately about my purposes here on earth. Clearly, there are the most important purposes: building a family and living worthily to return to our Father, but I believe there are a few other purposes that each of us have. The Lord has given us specific talents, skills, and blessings for a reason, and as we closely identify those and prayerfully ask Him for help, He will enable us to become instruments in His hands.

The Topical Guide is where I go for guidance when I need insight on a gospel principle. Last night I was feeling a little down--comparing myself to some who are clearly fulfilling their purposes and feeling frustrated that I have been a little grumpy with my family lately (because, after all, how can I even think about other purposes if I am not giving my very best to my family?). Of course, the scriptures always bring that peace that I long for. The Lord has a beautiful way of teaching with His word so I feel motivated to do more and simultaneously forgiving of my own weaknesses.

The first thing I noticed about "Purpose" in the TG is the "see also" list. It includes Desire, End, and Will. So I headed off to look at "Desire" for a minute, and I love the teachings I found. Psalm 37:4 "he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" and D&C 18:38 "by their desires you shall know them." Then back to "purpose," and there is a beautiful scripture in D&C 76:3: "His purposes fail not."

After reading through these scriptures, I decided that the only way for me to understand my purpose is to understand the Lord's purpose for me. It is not about me. It is about Him. How would He like for me to serve Him with my life? If I listen to Him, He will tell me what my desires ought to be, and if I make His desires my desires (or His purpose my purpose), there is no way I can fail...because His purposes fail not.

This might seem like such a simple idea, but it answers every one of the questions I have been struggling with lately. Am I spending my time wisely? Should I try to do such and such? Am I going to fail big time at this? Should I plan to ________? The answers are simple. All I need to ask myself is, "Is this what the Lord desires for me right now?" If the answer is yes, then I go forth the best I can, and I don't need to fear failure. If the answer is no, then I stop.

It is such an exciting thought when I realize that the Lord is willing to bless me with His power. We all feel inadequate at times, but He is never inadequate. I am feeling much more motivated to fulfill my purposes because they are not mine alone.

Personal Goals:

(1) Seriously consider what the Lord would have me learn, do, become, etc.
(2) Plan each day so I am fulfilling those purposes...even if they do not seem grand at the time.
(3) Live with confidence...there is no reason to doubt myself if I am following what the Lord wants for me.

Worldwide Leadership Training 2008 Notes

I wanted to record some of the thoughts that stood out to me at this great meeting!

• Now is the time to raise a righteous posterity--as parents, we must be prepared.
• Within our families, we have the right to revelation from the Lord.
• The Proclamation on the Family has more revelation in it than we thought--this is a document worth careful study
• The words "we warn" are not often used by our church leaders (but it is included in the Proclamation)
• The only place the family can be protected is within the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• We need to help our young men and young women be prepared for married life.
• It is not called for for us to live in fear. We can live a happy life while we are guided by the Lord.
• The bearing and rearing of children is important and essential to God. We must use the gospel as a guide.
• When we have charity within our families, we bring heaven into the home
• In marriage, we leave our parents, cleave to one another, and become one. As we are looking to solve our problems, we ought to look first to one another.
• In choosing a companion, we ought to counsel our children to find someone they love, whom they can stand together with.
• Struggles when we are starting out are okay--they strengthen us. We will grow in love as we go through trials together.
• It is important that we do not judge others who are faithful and receiving revelation.
• We have children with faith--not because we have money. The way will be opened up as we walk by faith. Be wise in decisions--not reckless.
• Be willing to work and sacrifice--we can't expect to be applauded everytime we do what is right.
• Strengthen our families--FHE, family scripture study, family dinners..
• Pray specifically for those in need.
• One family sang "Love at Home" every week as their hymn for FHE. The children wanted to sing a different song. The father said, "When you learn lesson one, I'll teach you lesson two."
• We need to strengthen our extended families.
• As a mother, I can go to the temple for revelation.
• We need to rid ourselves of guilt. Are we too busy? Are we trying to do too much?
• In our homes, we want there to be a climate of nurturing, which means to help make grow.
• "I love my children with all my heart, but I can't love them with all my time." -Pearl S. Buck
• Teach children to work, teach them love, unselfishness, forgiveness
• There is a real lack of homemaking skills out in the world--people feel emotional homelessness.
• Baking and preparing good meals is worthwhile.
• Make a home environment that can best raise our children and lead them to exaltation.
• Housekeeping can be delegated, homemaking cannot. Homemaking can be done by both fathers and mothers.
• Purpose of ward activities is to strengthen the family--not to keep up with traditions.
• Sports, TV, extracurriculars should not take time away from the family.
• We don't always have to do more when we magnify our callings
• Reclaim the joy of the Sabbath
• Let's bring more of heaven into our homes.
• We might think other things are more exciting, but we will learn that nothing can take the place of home and family.

Personal Goals:

• I will remember that my focus is my family. It all comes down to the love we have for them.
• I will create a home that is heaven on earth.
• I will keep my schedule free as much as possible so I can spend time with my husband and children--teaching, working, and having a great time together.
• I will put more effort into my homemaking--what types of experiences we have together (great books to read, great meals to eat, fun outings...)
• I will reach out more to my extended family and allow us to be a strength to one another.

Miracles and Assurances

The world today is simply hard, but the words of Alma 58 have been unbelievably reassuring to me.

First, the armies of Helaman, Gid, and Teomner were in "difficult circumstances" for many months.

They did what most of us would hopefully think to do: "We did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us..."

They were hoping for a miracle and pleading for strength to protect their cities and their people, but their answer came quite differently than I would expect.

"The Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him."

I love that. I also love what they did with it: "We did take courage....we did go forth with all our might."

Personal Goals:

• I want to pour my whole soul out in prayer to God (no more quick prayers before I jump into bed). He deserves my best attention.
• I will trust in the assurances I receive. I will not fear or doubt Him because He has all power.
• I will take the faith and hope I receive as gifts from the Savior and go forth with all my might--taking courage in Him. Sometimes I want to just give up. It's hard to be optimistic all the time when things are falling apart around me, but when I continue to move forward, I have found that the Lord ALWAYS helps me. He is just so good.

The Ministry of Angels

This talk by Elder Holland is absolutely amazing. I read it three times yesterday and wanted to record the parts that inspired me the most.

"But God knew the challenges they [Adam and Eve] would face, and He certainly knew how lonely and troubled they would sometimes feel. So He watched over His mortal family constantly, heard their prayers always, and sent prophets to teach, counsel, and guide them. But in times of special need, He sent angels, divine messengers to bless His children, reassure them that heaven was always very close and that His help was always very near. "

"Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near."

"Often [their assignment] is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times."

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal."

"May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, . . . my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and “the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.”

Personal Goals:

• I never want to forget that God is very near, and
• I want to be aware of and worthy of the help of His angels.
• At some point I hope to have a perfect faith, but until then I will keep trying to increase the faith I do have.
• Since reading this article, I envision myself moving throughout my home and community flanked with angels. I picture them on my right, on my left, before me, and behind me.
• And then, in response to Elder Holland's request that we become more angelic, I try to fit in with the angels around me.
• Additionally, I am trying to recognize the people in my life who act as my angels: the woman who brings some warm, beautiful hand-me-downs to me right before the cold weather hits, the friend who calls just to see if I am all right, my husband who sends me to go take a nap when he knows I've absolutely had it for the day, my children who hug me and tell me they love me, my family who offers their love and support, the neighbor who does an unexpected kindness...there really are angels all around me, and when I realize this, I feel peace, comfort, and love--even in this rough world.