The last part of the 13th Article of Faith reads, “ . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
As we use our free agency to choose what we will view, read, or listen to we would do well to adhere to this standard to help us make appropriate choices. After all, what goes in, must come out. Whatever we fill our minds with, runs out our mouth.
Movies
When I was a young teen, the movie Saturday Night Fever came out. I was so excited to watch it because I loved dancing and I thought John Travolta was hot. My grandmother agreed to take me. The Sunday before we planned to see it, I can remember a statement from President Kimball that was read over the pulpit. The letter specifically counseled us to not view R-rated movies. I was sure President Kimball had written that letter specifically to me to prevent me from viewing Saturday Night Fever and I wasn’t very happy.
My grandmother and I went to see the movie anyway. I remember leaving the theater and feeling bad. My conscience was pricked because I’d deliberately disobeyed counsel that was meant to protect me from vulgarity and profane language. I learned a valuable lesson that day. I should always listen to the prophet and I should seek to fill my mind with that which is lovely and praiseworthy.
Since that time I've heard many argue the fact that an R-rating is arbitrary and we should view whatever movies we wish to. While I’m not going to dictate to others what they should and should not watch, I can only say that I’ve learned it’s important to fill my mind with good things, especially in an ever-increasingly evil world where obscenity is commonplace.
Books
My older kids have all been assigned questionable books to read in their English classes. With the abundance of good books to read, it’s always amazing to me that teachers will choose books with the worst kind of language and with inappropriate themes.
I do not advocate book burning, but rather a commitment to following the counsel in the 13h Article of Faith. If we apply this standard to whatever we read, whether it’s books, magazines, newspapers, or content on the internet, we will find our spirits lifted and our minds enhanced.
Music
I grew up with the Bee Gees and nothing motivates me to clean house more than turning on my disco music. I can remember adults, at the time, claiming that all disco music was evil. I admit, some of the lyrics were inappropriate, even trashy, but not all of the music was bad. As a teenager, I certainly wasn’t going to listen to hymns or classical music every day, but learning to apply the standard set forth in the 13th Article of Faith helped me to make better decisions about the music I listened to.
Joseph Smith taught, “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.” As we choose from all that is available to fill our minds, we should apply the standard set forth in the 13th Article of Faith and teach others to do so as well.
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Showing posts with label 13th Article of Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 13th Article of Faith. Show all posts
Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Hope and Endurance
To continue with the 13th Article of Faith, “ . . . indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things . . .”
Hope is as crucial a part of the gospel as are faith and charity. “And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works” (Alma 7:24). Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, gives us hope. None of us will escape tragedy. No matter how faithfully we live our lives, we will still experience trials and tribulations. We cannot pick and choose our trials, only how we will react to them. It’s through our faith and hope that we can endure our trials
Imagine losing a loved one and having no hope of reuniting with him or her after this life. I know of two women who lost their husbands. One woman had hope of seeing her husband again. She continued to live her life, finding joy and serving the Lord. The other woman had no hope of ever seeing her husband again. She drifted aimlessly and succumbed to depression. After a few years, she died of a broken heart. Without hope of a life after death, it would be impossible to face losing those we love.
If we choose to endure our trials with faith and hope, we will receive all that the Father has.
“Wherefore, ye must press forward with steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2nd Nephi 31:20).
This part of the 13th Article of Faith is especially poignant when we consider the environment in which the early saints lived. Amidst unbelievable persecution, the early saints still believed and still had hope. Joseph Smith, who first penned the Articles of Faith, endured many trials, beginning with the reaction to his sacred experience in the grove when God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to him. Joseph Smith was tarred, feathered, beaten, arrested on false charges, and finally murdered. He is a shining example of one who suffered so much, yet clung to hope, and never forsook his faith.
Of course, the ultimate example of suffering and endurance is the Savior. He was the Son of God. He did not have to suffer or endure anything, yet he chose to do so. He deserved respect and reverence, but received ridicule and scorn instead. People spit in his face, mocked his claim of divinity, and finally hung him on a cross. The Savior endured his trials with grace. He loved those that belittled him. He laid down his life for the very people that crucified him.
Having hope allows us to deal with our trials and endure to the end.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. Welcome to the yourLDSneighborhood newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Hope is as crucial a part of the gospel as are faith and charity. “And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works” (Alma 7:24). Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, gives us hope. None of us will escape tragedy. No matter how faithfully we live our lives, we will still experience trials and tribulations. We cannot pick and choose our trials, only how we will react to them. It’s through our faith and hope that we can endure our trials
Imagine losing a loved one and having no hope of reuniting with him or her after this life. I know of two women who lost their husbands. One woman had hope of seeing her husband again. She continued to live her life, finding joy and serving the Lord. The other woman had no hope of ever seeing her husband again. She drifted aimlessly and succumbed to depression. After a few years, she died of a broken heart. Without hope of a life after death, it would be impossible to face losing those we love.
If we choose to endure our trials with faith and hope, we will receive all that the Father has.
“Wherefore, ye must press forward with steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2nd Nephi 31:20).
This part of the 13th Article of Faith is especially poignant when we consider the environment in which the early saints lived. Amidst unbelievable persecution, the early saints still believed and still had hope. Joseph Smith, who first penned the Articles of Faith, endured many trials, beginning with the reaction to his sacred experience in the grove when God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to him. Joseph Smith was tarred, feathered, beaten, arrested on false charges, and finally murdered. He is a shining example of one who suffered so much, yet clung to hope, and never forsook his faith.
Of course, the ultimate example of suffering and endurance is the Savior. He was the Son of God. He did not have to suffer or endure anything, yet he chose to do so. He deserved respect and reverence, but received ridicule and scorn instead. People spit in his face, mocked his claim of divinity, and finally hung him on a cross. The Savior endured his trials with grace. He loved those that belittled him. He laid down his life for the very people that crucified him.
Having hope allows us to deal with our trials and endure to the end.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. Welcome to the yourLDSneighborhood newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Doing Good
“We believe in . . . doing good to all men.” (13th Article of Faith).
As members of the LDS Church, we believe that we should follow the command by the Savior, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35).
Love is the best motivator. When we love others, we seek to serve them and to do good. When I was younger and would hear people say in church, “I just love all of you so much,” I’d think to myself, “How can that person love me? He doesn’t even know me.” As I’ve aged, both physically and spiritually, I’ve come to realize that it is possible to love my fellowman without actually knowing each person. When I try to help others, I am showing my love for the Savior.
When we love others, we “ . . . are willing to mourn with those that mourn, yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort . . .” (Mosiah 18:9). A friend of mine recently lost her teenage son. When I heard the news, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. I imagined how I would feel if I lost one of my children and I spent the following days thinking about her and her family. I tried to figure out how to serve her and let her know of my love and concern. Since my sister is much closer to her, I volunteered to watch my nieces and nephews so my sister could travel and be there in person to comfort her. As I thought about this tragedy, I felt this scripture come to pass because I felt that, along with his mother, I was mourning the loss of this young man.
I remember well watching the news when the Twin Towers fell. I remember the aching I felt inside for all of the families directly affected by this enormous tragedy. I did not know any of the victims personally, but I still felt such sorrow. I cried tears of grief with them and prayed for them.
We believe in doing good to all men, regardless of whether or not they deserve it. This can be especially true when we donate to charities or give to others. When we were traveling back from Arizona one night, we stopped at a gas station. A very drunk Native American man approached the vehicle while my husband was inside a convenience store helping some of the kids with a potty break. The gentleman slurred as he spoke and told me how he had no money. As he looked around our van and saw some Cheetos on the floor he said, “I ain’t got no chips.” I quickly handed him the bag. When he then said, “I ain’t got no woman, either,” I apologized and told him I couldn’t help him with that problem, but would gladly give him more chips.
Doing good to all men means we try to help one another. We see a need and we serve. We try to be kind and generous with our time and our resources. We show respect and try to empathize with those around us. When we do our best to help our fellowman, we are doing good and we are showing the Lord that we are his disciples. If we are truly trying to become like the Savior, we will be anxiously engaged in a good cause and looking for opportunities to do good to those around us.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. Welcome to the yourLDSneighborhood newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
As members of the LDS Church, we believe that we should follow the command by the Savior, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35).
Love is the best motivator. When we love others, we seek to serve them and to do good. When I was younger and would hear people say in church, “I just love all of you so much,” I’d think to myself, “How can that person love me? He doesn’t even know me.” As I’ve aged, both physically and spiritually, I’ve come to realize that it is possible to love my fellowman without actually knowing each person. When I try to help others, I am showing my love for the Savior.
When we love others, we “ . . . are willing to mourn with those that mourn, yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort . . .” (Mosiah 18:9). A friend of mine recently lost her teenage son. When I heard the news, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. I imagined how I would feel if I lost one of my children and I spent the following days thinking about her and her family. I tried to figure out how to serve her and let her know of my love and concern. Since my sister is much closer to her, I volunteered to watch my nieces and nephews so my sister could travel and be there in person to comfort her. As I thought about this tragedy, I felt this scripture come to pass because I felt that, along with his mother, I was mourning the loss of this young man.
I remember well watching the news when the Twin Towers fell. I remember the aching I felt inside for all of the families directly affected by this enormous tragedy. I did not know any of the victims personally, but I still felt such sorrow. I cried tears of grief with them and prayed for them.
We believe in doing good to all men, regardless of whether or not they deserve it. This can be especially true when we donate to charities or give to others. When we were traveling back from Arizona one night, we stopped at a gas station. A very drunk Native American man approached the vehicle while my husband was inside a convenience store helping some of the kids with a potty break. The gentleman slurred as he spoke and told me how he had no money. As he looked around our van and saw some Cheetos on the floor he said, “I ain’t got no chips.” I quickly handed him the bag. When he then said, “I ain’t got no woman, either,” I apologized and told him I couldn’t help him with that problem, but would gladly give him more chips.
Doing good to all men means we try to help one another. We see a need and we serve. We try to be kind and generous with our time and our resources. We show respect and try to empathize with those around us. When we do our best to help our fellowman, we are doing good and we are showing the Lord that we are his disciples. If we are truly trying to become like the Savior, we will be anxiously engaged in a good cause and looking for opportunities to do good to those around us.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. Welcome to the yourLDSneighborhood newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Benevolent
The 13th Article of Faith continues with, “We believe in being . . . benevolent . . . .”
Benevolent can be defined as being charitable, helping others, expressing kindly feelings or goodwill, and something that’s intended for benefits instead of profit.
When we moved my daughter up to Provo, we were unloading boxes from our big van. I took in some boxes to her apartment and when I returned to the van, I saw several young men and women all helping us unload things. I remarked that all the years doing service projects at church had made these young people ready and willing to pitch in.
Recently, our high school added a service requirement for graduation. All students are now required to render at least 20 hours of service in the community in order to graduate. To me, this addition to graduation requirements signals a concern that our youth are not involved in enough charitable service. In speaking with my daughter’s adviser, though, the adviser commented that she wasn’t at all worried about my daughter meeting the requirement because she was aware of all of the service that we do in the Church. Isn’t that a great way for the Church to be recognized?
Benevolent isn’t just a word to us in the LDS Church. We practice being benevolent by participating in service on a regular basis. In my community, we clean the highway twice a year. It’s amazing what people throw out their windows as they drive down the road. In Mutual, we regularly serve others by cleaning the cemetery, building ramps, painting, cleaning, and moving others. My husband and my son spent 10 hours one Saturday, moving two different families.
This week for our Mutual activity, we will be going to different houses in the area and doing a Service Scavenger Hunt. The girls will clean or do other service for a community member in exchange for points. At the end of the activity, we will add up the points and see who did the most service. It’s kind of a fun twist on service.
The Church has been involved in service projects for areas of the world affected by storms, hurricanes, fires, drought, and poverty. We regularly have humanitarian projects where we assemble school kits, newborn kits, and kits for homeless shelters. Local wards assemble the kits, send them to Church Headquarters and then the Church delivers them throughout the world. The Church is as visible as the Red Cross during times of disaster.
Once each month, usually the first Sunday of the month, we fast for two meals. We are encouraged to donate what we would’ve spent on those meals, or more if our circumstances allow it, to a Church fund called Fast Offering. These funds are then administered to people in our local communities who are in need. As members, we do not know who benefits from our donations, we only know that our donations go to help people within our own communities.
The Lord has blessed us with everything we have. None of it belongs to us. Learning to donate our time, talents, and finances to help others is a small way to show our gratitude to the Lord for His many blessings.
Benevolent can be defined as being charitable, helping others, expressing kindly feelings or goodwill, and something that’s intended for benefits instead of profit.
When we moved my daughter up to Provo, we were unloading boxes from our big van. I took in some boxes to her apartment and when I returned to the van, I saw several young men and women all helping us unload things. I remarked that all the years doing service projects at church had made these young people ready and willing to pitch in.
Recently, our high school added a service requirement for graduation. All students are now required to render at least 20 hours of service in the community in order to graduate. To me, this addition to graduation requirements signals a concern that our youth are not involved in enough charitable service. In speaking with my daughter’s adviser, though, the adviser commented that she wasn’t at all worried about my daughter meeting the requirement because she was aware of all of the service that we do in the Church. Isn’t that a great way for the Church to be recognized?
Benevolent isn’t just a word to us in the LDS Church. We practice being benevolent by participating in service on a regular basis. In my community, we clean the highway twice a year. It’s amazing what people throw out their windows as they drive down the road. In Mutual, we regularly serve others by cleaning the cemetery, building ramps, painting, cleaning, and moving others. My husband and my son spent 10 hours one Saturday, moving two different families.
This week for our Mutual activity, we will be going to different houses in the area and doing a Service Scavenger Hunt. The girls will clean or do other service for a community member in exchange for points. At the end of the activity, we will add up the points and see who did the most service. It’s kind of a fun twist on service.
The Church has been involved in service projects for areas of the world affected by storms, hurricanes, fires, drought, and poverty. We regularly have humanitarian projects where we assemble school kits, newborn kits, and kits for homeless shelters. Local wards assemble the kits, send them to Church Headquarters and then the Church delivers them throughout the world. The Church is as visible as the Red Cross during times of disaster.
Once each month, usually the first Sunday of the month, we fast for two meals. We are encouraged to donate what we would’ve spent on those meals, or more if our circumstances allow it, to a Church fund called Fast Offering. These funds are then administered to people in our local communities who are in need. As members, we do not know who benefits from our donations, we only know that our donations go to help people within our own communities.
The Lord has blessed us with everything we have. None of it belongs to us. Learning to donate our time, talents, and finances to help others is a small way to show our gratitude to the Lord for His many blessings.
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