#31: D is for Divine Nature

“There is something of divinity within each of you. You have such tremendous potential with that quality as a part of your inherited nature. Every one of you was endowed by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do good in the world. Train your minds and your hands that you may be equipped to serve well in the society of which you are a part. Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful, of being helpful. Refine within you the quality of mercy which comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited.

Some of you may feel that you are not as attractive and beautiful and glamorous as you would like to be. Rise above any such feelings, cultivate the light you have within you, and it will shine through as a radiant expression that will be seen by others.

You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others.

In summary, try a little harder to measure up to the divine within each of you. As Alma said, “Awake and arouse your faculties” (Alma 32:27).”

President Gordon B. Hinckley gave this inspired message several years ago. Even though he was speaking to the young women of the church, his message is to all. Each one of us is a child of God. YOU are a child of God! He loves you because you are His child. And just as in any other parent/child relationship you have inherited certain qualities from Him.

2 Peter 1:4 says

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”

We have been given so many unique gifts and traits because of our relationship to our Heavenly Father. We can discover what specific talents and qualities we have been given through sincere prayer and careful scripture study. And I hope that each of you will take the time to ask Heavenly Father what you have inherited from Him. He’s waiting to tell you and to help you expand your divine nature.

D is for Divine Nature

#16: Energy-efficient lighting

I flicked on the lightswitch in our bedroom the other day and it got me thinking...

We have those new energy-efficient lightbulbs that everyone's getting these days. You know the ones that take forever to actually get bright? I was thinking about how our testimonies are kinda like that. When we first gain a testimony of something, it's kind of like switching on the light. At first you notice a big difference because you've gone from total darkness to being able to see what's around you. But then, if you keep waiting the light gets brighter. Sometimes it happens so slowly that you don't really notice a change at first. But if you compare how much brighter it is from when you first turned the light on, you can definitely tell that the light is getting stronger.

Strangely enough, the scripture at the top of my blog has this same principle in it. (And I didn't even plan that!)  :)

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." -D&C 50:24

Take a minute and look at something you have a testimony of (prayer, scripture study, following the propeht, paying tithing, etc.) Think about when it first really clicked with you. Now look where you are. It's a lot brighter huh? The important thing to remember though is that you have to leave the electricity running through the lightbulb long enough to let it get bright. Just the same, you have to keep feeding and building your testimony if you expect it to get brighter and stronger.

#15: Embrace this day!

This blog isn't very original (as if the other ones are...) but I read an article that one of my sisters sent me (you can read the whole thing here) and it had some wonderful pointers on how to grow closer to the influence of the Holy Ghost and how to stay focused on the most important things in our lives. I wanted to share the author's thoughts with you in the hopes that they affect you as much as they affected me when I read them.

* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.

 

* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.

 

* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.

 

* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.

 

* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.

 

* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.

 

* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.

 

* When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.

 

* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.

 

* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.

 

* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.

 

* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.

 

* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.

 

* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.

 

* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.

* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.

I know that some (or most) of these bullet points are easier said than done but I felt the truthfulness of these statements when I read them and I know that acting on them will lead to greater happiness. Even if you can only pick one to focus on, let that one idea change you and bring you closer to the person God wants you to be. As it says above, "God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that He makes to us--everything will fall into its place."

#9: No half-hearted prayers, please

"Ye must pray always, and not faint" (2 Nephi 32:8-9)

Heard this one before? I've heard this scripture plenty of times in many lessons and there are many different ways that this one line could be interpreted based on an individual's circumstances. I've heard it explained that we should pray always and not give up; that we should pray always and our prayers will sustain us; these are all very nice and very applicable but I never felt that this scripture really spoke to me. Until it was explained to me in a whole different way.

Turns out there's a few different definitions of the word faint (I love looking up definitions if you can't tell by now). The definitions below made this scripture light up like a firework for me!

faint

/feɪnt/ adjective

1. lacking brightness, vividness, clearness, loudness, strength, etc.

2. feeble or slight

3. feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness

4. lacking courage; cowardly; timorous

"Pray always, and not faint"... it's almost like the Lord is saying "Pray, yes, but I don't want any half-hearted prayers. Give me the real thing. Really talk to me."

Now it makes sense. The Lord is giving us specific instructions on how to get the most out of our prayers. We can pray all day long but if our prayers aren't clear, loud, strong, and heartfelt, what are we really going to get out of it?  Not nearly as much as if we really talk to Heavenly Father. He wants the real thing. A real conversation with us.

Let us pray always...and not faint!