You know? I want the Lord's strength. I've been praying for His help to overcome my weaknesses. And I feel it.
Goodness and badness are both subject to the snowball effect. The more you fill your life with good things, the less room there is for the bad. And the more you fill your life with bad (or even just useless things) the less room there is for the bad.
The first decision any strong man in this day and age must make is to not while his life away on entertainment. For me, the internet is a major distraction. Facebook, video games, and music all distract me from my true potential and purpose.
I am a son of God. I was sent here to gain a body and to learn to control it. (Remember THAT when the natural man tries to kick in.) I was sent here in order to build a family. The Lord is preparing me for that, but I need His strength.
We're going to make a list of scriptures here about how the Lord can empower and strengthen us.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
~~1st Nephi 14:14~~
Notice, we gain power by being saints and also by being a covenant people. If we are faithful to our covenants, we shall be "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."
I followed the link to Righteousness and was pleasantly surprised to begin reading about "the mission of the Latter-Day Saints."
The mission of the Saints is to redeem the dead and in them all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This is why our temple building and operating is a great source of strength. The Lord gives us strength when we are earnestly engaged in his work. And so, we earnestly engage.
The mission of the Saints is to be a light unto the world. This is why we refuse to lower our moral standards of purity and instead stick to the high and lonely citadel of chastity, honesty, and goodness. This is why we fight political battles when we need to in order to be the leaven of a rapidly declining society.
The mission of the Saints is to preach the gospel. This is why we train up young men and women, armed with testimonies, and send them out across the globe to the homes of the humble and pure in heart. This is why we save money for senior missions and why we open our mouths to our neighbors and friends.
The mission of the Saints is to aid the poor and distressed. Honestly, I'm not doing so well at this one. What more can I do?
As long as we are engaged in these activities and keep ourselves "unspotted from the world," we may be confident that the Lord's strength will abide with us.
And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb, and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be."
~~1st Nephi 13:37~~
I have never made that connection before: If we want the Lord's strength, we had better be doing the Lord's work!
So, from these two scriptures (1 Nephi 14:14 and 1 Nephi 13:37) I can make the following inferences about Spiritual Power.
1. We gain Spiritual Power from keeping our covenants. Going to the temple, partaking of the sacrament, fulfilling our priesthood obligations, etc, etc.
2. We gain Spiritual Power from doing the Lord's work. Family history work, caring for the poor and needy, spreading the gospel, anything else that helps move forward the Work of Salvation.
The Lord WANTS to bless you, but His supreme fairness does not allow Him to bless people according to his whims. He cannot send extraordinary blessings if you are seeking for them halfheartedly. The Lord is no respecter of persons, and so He invented a mechanism whereby those who put forth more effort gain more blessings and vice versa.
Goodness and badness are both subject to the snowball effect. The more you fill your life with good things, the less room there is for the bad. And the more you fill your life with bad (or even just useless things) the less room there is for the bad.
The first decision any strong man in this day and age must make is to not while his life away on entertainment. For me, the internet is a major distraction. Facebook, video games, and music all distract me from my true potential and purpose.
I am a son of God. I was sent here to gain a body and to learn to control it. (Remember THAT when the natural man tries to kick in.) I was sent here in order to build a family. The Lord is preparing me for that, but I need His strength.
We're going to make a list of scriptures here about how the Lord can empower and strengthen us.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
~~1st Nephi 14:14~~
Notice, we gain power by being saints and also by being a covenant people. If we are faithful to our covenants, we shall be "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."
I followed the link to Righteousness and was pleasantly surprised to begin reading about "the mission of the Latter-Day Saints."
The mission of the Saints is to redeem the dead and in them all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This is why our temple building and operating is a great source of strength. The Lord gives us strength when we are earnestly engaged in his work. And so, we earnestly engage.
The mission of the Saints is to be a light unto the world. This is why we refuse to lower our moral standards of purity and instead stick to the high and lonely citadel of chastity, honesty, and goodness. This is why we fight political battles when we need to in order to be the leaven of a rapidly declining society.
The mission of the Saints is to preach the gospel. This is why we train up young men and women, armed with testimonies, and send them out across the globe to the homes of the humble and pure in heart. This is why we save money for senior missions and why we open our mouths to our neighbors and friends.
The mission of the Saints is to aid the poor and distressed. Honestly, I'm not doing so well at this one. What more can I do?
As long as we are engaged in these activities and keep ourselves "unspotted from the world," we may be confident that the Lord's strength will abide with us.
And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb, and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be."
~~1st Nephi 13:37~~
I have never made that connection before: If we want the Lord's strength, we had better be doing the Lord's work!
So, from these two scriptures (1 Nephi 14:14 and 1 Nephi 13:37) I can make the following inferences about Spiritual Power.
1. We gain Spiritual Power from keeping our covenants. Going to the temple, partaking of the sacrament, fulfilling our priesthood obligations, etc, etc.
2. We gain Spiritual Power from doing the Lord's work. Family history work, caring for the poor and needy, spreading the gospel, anything else that helps move forward the Work of Salvation.
The Lord WANTS to bless you, but His supreme fairness does not allow Him to bless people according to his whims. He cannot send extraordinary blessings if you are seeking for them halfheartedly. The Lord is no respecter of persons, and so He invented a mechanism whereby those who put forth more effort gain more blessings and vice versa.
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