Repentance and Covenants

Teachings of the Presidents: Joseph Fielding Smith, Chapter 5: Faith and Repentance

"Early in his service as an Apostle, he said: “I have considered that it has been my mission, having been so impressed, I think, by the Spirit of the Lord in my travels in the stakes of Zion, to say unto the people that now is the day of repentance and to call upon the Latter-day Saints to remember their covenants, the promises they have made with the Lord, to keep his commandments, and follow the teachings and the instructions of the elders of Israel—the prophets of God—as they have been recorded in these holy scriptures."

Tonight while studying, two things impressed me from this quote.

First--Repentance

I find myself regularly pleading with the Lord for guidance and direction and help and miracles and everything else my family and I need.  However, I'm not nearly as quick to remember to repent. Which, in reality, I need repentance more than the rest of the things on my list.

Second--Remember their Covenants

Call upon the Saints to remember their covenants, the promises they have made with the Lord.   

Sacrament: Now that I am attending church in English again.  Hearing the sacrament prayers has been special.  I know what the sacrament prayers words are and what they mean since I've been listening to them my whole life.  But I developed an appreciation and amazement for the simple power in words.  Hearing the sacrament prayer in Spanish for 5 years, I am definitely familiar with the key words and am able to connect the meanings.  But hearing the words in your fluent language again has had a comforting, familiar feeling of coming home. And as I listen and understand each and every one of those words, I am thankful for the layers of meaning that continue to open up to me.   One key element of the ordinance of the Sacrament in renewing our covenants that we made at baptism through Repentance and recommitting ourselves to follow the Savior.  Preparation to partake of the Sacrament is best done through repentance. 

Temple:  There have been so many very big changes in my life over the last 6 months that I haven't been to the temple in a couple months.  I know I need to go and I really want to go, but finding time and a sitter, and just getting there has been my excuse for not going.  I recognize the areas within myself that need the peace and patience that comes through the temple.  By attending the temple, we are able to remember all the promises we have made to the Lord.  A covenant is a two way promise and we are not only reminded of our responsibilities in the promises we have made, but we are also reminded of the blessings that are Promised to us through our obedience to the covenant. 

Unseen Blessings

Last week I got in the car to take my kids to school to find I had a dead battery.  After a few failed jumps, it was clear it was either the battery or the alternator.  Both of which were going to cost money and neither of which were good timing financially.  After some serious stewing about the situation, which wasn't productive.  I had my mechanic check the battery to see what the problem was.  It was definitely a dead battery and the new was was going to definitely be cheaper than an alternator, though still an unexpected expense.  However, he informed me that my dead battery was the factory installed battery meaning it was 13 years old.

It was very inconvenient for my battery to die, however, I realized at that moment how the Lord had blessed me all these years to keep that battery going well beyond when it should have died.  The Lord is sometimes blessing us in ways that we won't see until years down the road.  It humbles me to think of all the other ways that my Heavenly Father may be blessing me and my family in ways that I can not see.

By Small and Simple Means

I have been trying to seek answers to my prayers through getting up early in the morning and studying the scriptures and General Conference talks.  I was having a hard time though because my 3 year old usually ends up next to me in bed sometime in the early morning (between 2 am and 6 am).  So I went to my Heavenly Father explaining my situation and that I really did want to be diligent about getting up and studying.  So as I was sitting in my car at a stop light I causally asked him, "Ok, but how early do you want me to get up?"  After asking the question I focused my eyes on the road in front of me to turn my attention back to driving and I saw the first few letters of the license plate in front of me.

5AM......

There was my answer.  

3 Ways to Find Truth

Tonight I am studying the talk "If Ye Lack Wisdom" by BY ELDER MARCOS A. AIDUKAITIS from LDS General Conference.  I noticed a list that he shared in his talk.

We Can Find Truth in Three ways:

1. Observing it's fruits, "By their Fruits ye shall know them."
2. "We can find truth by experimenting on the word ourselves."
3. Revelation.  "Doctrine and Covenants section 8 teaches that revelation is knowledge--"knowledge of whatsoever things [we] ask in faith, with and honest heart, believing that [we] shall receive."

Tonight

A couple of months ago I moved and began attending a new ward.  It has been a bigger adjustment than I expected because I had been in my previous stake for over 13 years.   Tonight was the first Stake Relief Society Activity since I had moved.  I arrived and walked in a couple of minutes late to find everyone seated at tables and the Stake Relief Society President opening the meeting. I stood in the doorway for a minute as I looked around the room realizing I don't know anyone and because I didn't know anyone the few open seats didn't seem available to me because I didn't know anyone at the table.  Quickly as I assessed the situation I found my self wanting to just turn around and leave, and was about to act on my thought when I saw a hand waving at me pointing to the seat next to her.  It was a lady I had met twice before at church and I welcomed the familiar face and went and sat down.  The speaker at the meeting delivered a great message that was very filling for me spiritually and I was grateful that I had stayed.   I am grateful for a sister that showed me friendship tonight.