It seemed like a simple question........

When the High Councilman phone and ask me to speak at church, I hesitated, and thought hmmmmmm things are not going great are we sure we want to do this.......but my conscience got the better of me and this is what happened and I said "Yes I will speak with you what would you like to me to speak on?" I would just like you to answer this question.....WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO GET TO KNOW CHRIST BETTER IN YOUR LIFE?

What a question....….mmmmm I put up my Christmas tree……

What a question... it made me think of Alma chapter 5 did you know that are 50 question in Alma chapter 5 I found this out while Sara was making me do my Personal progress Virtue 3……

Prepare to be worthy to enter the temple and to participate in temple ordinances. Read Alma chapter 5. Make a list of the questions Alma asks. Answer the questions for yourself, and make a list of the things you can and will do to prepare yourself to be pure and worthy to enter the temple and receive all the blessings our Heavenly Father has promised His beloved daughters.

The questions that this one question reminded me are found in Vs 14-16 in Alma 5

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

Can you imagine it? Can you think it? Can you think about the voice of the Lord saying "Come unto me ye blessed, for behold your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

Henry Ford said

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t you are right”

So one the first things I do to know Christ better in my life is think about him. I think of Him, and I talk to Him, sometimes that is done on my knees and sometimes not. I have conversations with Christ.  I ASK him questions. I have focused a lot on Ask this past year because it is the YW/YM theme for 2017 it goes along with the scripture found in James 1:5-6

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shallbe given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed

The older I get the more wisdom I am lacking…..and the more I ask of God.

But lets not forget the how, for this is another way to get to know Christ and that is to ask in FAITH, nothing wavering……

We must remember in Alma 32:21

21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

I do not have a perfect knowledge of Christ or of all things but I can have a perfect faith and hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

I was witness to an incredible example of this, on Monday. I went to a funeral. Now considering my husband’s line of work I know you are all thinking “shocker”. But this was a very difficult and personal funeral to attend, it was for the death of a 19 month old little girl named Madison. This sweet tough little thing most likely spent more of her 19 months in hospital than she did at home. And I knew I was “walking on holy ground” When the Father, and grandmother of this precious daughter of God sang this song together, I will just read the words to you.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

As I have been asking questions to get to know Christ better in my life, I have also been working on a suggestion giving by President Russell M. Nelson in his April 2017 General Conference talk

‘Drawing the power of Jesus Christ into our lives.”He says…

Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works.I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.

I gave that challenge because I had already accepted it myself. I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”

I couldn’t resist, if such a study could make President Nelson a different man than what could it do for me? I also believe in what Elder Richard G. Scott said, “If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want Him to talk to you, read your scriptures.”

I want to add my testimony to what Joseph Smith wrote in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon,“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

I am excited to once again take up President Nelson’s suggestion to take on a deeper study of the Book of Mormon and what my life would be like without it. I quote from his most recent conference talk….

“My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.

Whenever I hear anyone, including myself, say, “I know the Book of Mormon is true,” I want to exclaim, “That’s nice, but it is not enough!” We need to feel, deep in “the inmost part” of our hearts, that the Book of Mormon is unequivocally the word of God. We must feel it so deeply that we would never want to live even one day without it.”

Brothers and Sisters I want to know Christ better I want to make better decisions every day. I want to receive answers to my questions and direction for my life. I want to be immunized against the evils of our day including pornography and other mind numbing addictions. I truly want these things if you too want these things than we will study and ponder the Book of Mormon daily.

I believe if you want to know someone better go visit them…. Go to their house.  Elder Richard G Scott’s General conference address in April 2009 truly change my life… more specifically this quote.

“Because I love you, I am going to speak to you heart to heart, 

without mincing words. I have seen that many times individuals have made great sacrifices to go to a distant temple. But when a temple is built close by, within a short time, many do not visit it regularly. I have a suggestion: When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your  circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan. This pattern will 
guarantee that those who live in the shadow of a temple will be as blessed as are those who plan far ahead and make a long trip to the temple.

Fourteen years ago I decided to attend the temple and complete an ordinance at least once a week. When I am traveling I make up the missed visits in order to achieve that objective. I have kept that resolve, and it has changed my life profoundly. I strive to participate in all the different ordinances available in the  temple. I encourage you to establish your own goal of how frequently you will avail yourself of the ordinances offered in our operating temples.

 What is there that is more important than attending and participating 

in the ordinances of the temple? What activity could have a greater

 impact and provide more joy and profound happiness for a couple 

than worshipping together in the temple?”

I truly remember sitting on my parent’s couch listening to him say those words and having the distinct impression “that if Elder Richard G. Scott could do it than surely you could at least try.” I have tried and have been so severely blessed by doing so. I have had remarkable spiritual experiences well doing all the different ordinances in the temple. These experiences have helped me get to know Christ better in my life.

A few weeks ago some of you might remember me bearing my testimony…it wasn’t pretty….kind of like today…..But President Nunn also bore his testimony that day and offered this scripture found in Moroni 6:5  "And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls."

This reminded me of another Scripture found in 3 Nephi 18:22  “And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;”

I actually attending two funerals this week, but the other funeral was for a friend’s father. It was held in a United Church in Lethbridge. We were welcomed in and seating graciously. As I sat in the sanctuary during the funeral I could feel the spirit. I could feel Jesus Christ’s love for all the people there it was amazing and overwhelming. I am trying to get to know Christ better in my life by trying to love people like Christ loved them.

I wish they were all here today so I could testify of Christ’s love for them. I wish some of our neighbours that aren’t here today, were here so I could tell them how much Christ loves them.

I truly love this quote by Elder Devn Corish given in his conference address October 2016 “Sometimes when we attend church, we become discouraged even 

by sincere invitations to improve ourselves. We think silently, “I can’t do all these things” or “I will never be as good as all these people.” …

Please, my beloved brothers and sisters, we must stop comparing 

ourselves to others. We torture ourselves needlessly by competing 

and comparing. We falsely judge our self worth by the things we do or don’t have and by the opinions of others. If we must compare, let us compare how we  were in the past to how we are today and even to how we want to be in the future. The only opinion of us that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks of us. Please sincerely ask Him what He thinks of you. He will love and correct but never discourage us; that is Satan’s  trick.

Let me be direct and clear. The answers to the questions “Am I good enough?” and “Will I make it?” are “Yes! You are going to be good enough” and “Yes, you are going to make it as long as you keep repenting and do not rationalize or rebel.” The God of heaven is not a heartless referee looking for any excuse to throw us out of the game. He is our perfectly loving Father, who yearns more than anything else to have all of His children come back home and live with Him as families forever. He truly gave His Only Begotten Son that we might not perish but have everlasting life! Please believe, and please take hope and comfort from, this eternal truth. Our Heavenly Father intends for us to make it! That is His work and His glory.

I love the way President Gordon B. Hinckley used to teach this principle. I heard him say on several occasions, “Brothers and sisters, all the Lord expects of us is to try, but you have to really try!”

“Really trying” means doing the best we can, recognizing where we need to improve, and then trying again. By repeatedly doing this, we come  closer and closer to the Lord, we feel His Spirit more and more,and we receive more of His grace, or help."

And I believe that is what I doing to get to know Christ in my life. I am REALLY TRYING brothers and sisters and I hope you are too.

xoxoxo
Barb