What is Your Favourite Scripture?

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a 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.”

~ 2 Nephi 31:20

This was the scripture that Sister Yong Yong shared with me on the last two Sunday of the month, 13 January during Relief Society Presidency organised Special Ministering Council Meeting on the 2nd hour of the Church.

I got to know that Alvin and I are her ministering couple on that Sunday as I asked Brother Adrian to check the directory list. I was thinking because Alvin is working at Johor and he can hardly come back and do the ministering work. I as his wife have to take up the work that the Elders Quorum Presidency entrusted us.

During the meeting I asked her, “What is your favourite scripture?” Sister Yong Yong replied, “There are so many… I need to see and choose.” Then, in the end of council meeting, she showed me the verse, and I wrote in down on a paper.

I did not give much thoughts about it, because at that point of time, I know that I need to know her better first if I want to do ministering work. I was thinking that I should prepare a journal for her, then I started to search the scripture picture over the internet and managed to do a descent one for her.

It was last Sunday that I was going to give her the little journal gift that I made to her, to encourage her to write journal, just a few lines or simple words each day to thank God for what have the Lord does in her daily lives.

And last Sunday I remembered that I encountered something spiritual to me, and I did write it down in the journal. The closing hymn at the Sacrament Meeting was Hymn 81 - Press Forward, Saints. It was exactly the hymn that I was humming in the car that morning.

During yesterday I had the tele-conversation with Sister E Chin, she ministered to me and she was telling me the same thing – to have faith and to have hope, and love God as how God have loves me, trying my best to do His work, and about reading the scriptures.

Last night before sleep, I had a thought of want to share this scripture with the children – 2 Nephi 31:20. As now I have change a little bit of the scripture study at night as I found out that we read a verse and ponder about it. The outcome is much more fruitful than we read the whole chapter of the Book of Mormon.

When I read it with my Gospel Library App then I only realized that it is as the Lord is talking to me. This simple scripture sum up it all for the things that the Lord wants me to know. At that moment I was really touched! It happened again I feel as it is the Spirit is whispering to me!

Sister Yong Yong was the first person who bring out the scripture 2 weeks ago when I was asking about her favourite scripture. Then, this scripture was in front of my eyes for 2 weeks but I did not notice to it.

Until this week I was really frustrated and feeling down, and the Lord is talking to me… asking me to press forward even though whatever circumstances I am in and facing now. The Lord even prepared me before hand to face the trial that I would face through Sister Yong Yong’s favourite scripture.

I shared with Sister Yong Yong in WhatsApp about what I have experienced this morning. I told her that instead I ministered her last Sunday when I encouraged her to write gratitude journal or personal journal or study journal, but eventually I was being the one who ministered by her.

Sister Yong Yong WhatsApp me : Sometimes it is through this kind of way that we strengthen each other in the Church. She is so glad that I did ask her about her favourite scripture, and the Lord through His ‘special’ way that I have been strengthened.

I am really touched and I know that Heavenly Father loves me very very much! He is always there for me and He wants me to know that.

A Peaceful Sabbath 20 Jan 2019

 

I feel glad and happy because today both Issac and Annabelle finally got their limited use temple recommend. This is to get ready them to go to the Hong Kong Temple end of March this year.

I had prepare the baked chicken chops, baked potatoes and baked broccoli with brown sauce, top with some egg green salads with roasted sesame dressing sauce.

We have our little family home evening and started to learn more about the New Testament and I get the children wrote some of their thoughts in the note.

It is a peaceful and joyful Sabbath when we focus on Jesus Christ.

What Seek Ye?

Due to I have spent most of my time reading the Book of Mormon for the last week, I did not give much study and attention to our Church newly installed gospel learning “Come, Follow Me”.

I feel fresh today as I joined the first Sunday School this year, the class was so edifying. In the class, our Sunday School teacher Brother Earnest asked a question to the members, “What is the one thing you would do today after you go back to home, which will draw you closer to Jesus Christ?”

The first thought came to my mind was, “I am going to have Family Home Evening this evening.” That was the answer that I given to Brother Earnest. He explained that there are so many blessings that Heavenly Father wants to give us, unless we do what we suppose to do.

This was the same thing that Sister E Chin and Sister Chelsea counselled me last 2 months ago. I learned then. That is why I am trying to do whatever which will invite the Spirit into our home again.

After dinner we gathered together at the living room and having our family evening for the proper one and we learned together about the lesson that we have today – We Are Responsible for Our Own Learning.

“What seek ye?” Jesus asked His disciples (John 1:38). You might ask yourself the same question - for what you find in the New Testament this year will greatly depend on what you seek. “Seek, and ye shall find” is the Savior’s promise (Matthew 7:7).

When I firstly joined the Church, my desire to read the Book of Mormon was so strong and I want to gain a testimony about it. Then after 4 years, I think it is time for me to read the New Testament, because I do not know much about Jesus despite the stories that I used to teach the children but I did not really sit down and read the New Testament itself, even though I have been baptised in His Church.

That is why I seek to know more about Jesus Christ, learn of Him and seek to know more about His attributes. Out of many, I want to learn more compassionate and more kindness.

Besides that, I desire to make my home a holy place, to invite the Spirit come to my home. How to do that? By doing the simple things that we are to do.

Other than my spiritual and home, I seek for a breakthrough or change of heart and attitude in my career so that I can make built up my residual income this year.

To truly learn from the Savior, I must accept His invitation, “Come, follow me.”

What we all must learn – is that being a disciple means giving our whole souls to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We progress in our discipleship as we identify what we lack, change, and seek to more fully follow Them.

Learning from the Savior starts when we strive to understand what He taught. For example, how does your understanding of forgiveness deepen as you explore the following?

a. The Savior’s teachings (see Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35)

• Savior teaches that if we forgive whoever that have offended us, Heavenly Father will also forgive us; If we do not forgive whoever that have offended us, the same as Heavenly Father will not forgive us as well.

b. An example from His life (see Luke 23:33-34)

• Jesus prayed and He asked Heavenly Father to forgive the soldiers who crucified Him because they did not know He was the Savior.

c. However, learning is not complete until we follow the Savior by living what He taught. How can you be more forgiving?

• Try to think about why the other person might have done what he did.
• Think of something good about the other person.
• Pray for help to forgive when It is hard.
• Don’t keep being angry at the person.

I am responsible for my own learning

What does it mean to take responsibility for your own learning? Look for possible answers in Elder Bednar’s statement and in the following scriptures: John 7:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; James 1:5-6,22;2:17; 1 Nephi 10:17-19; 2 Nephi 4:15; Alma 32:27; and Doctrine and Covenants 18:18;58:26-28;88:118. What do you feel inspired to do to be more active in leaning the gospel?

• To take responsibility for your own learning meaning we should take our own initiative in learning.
• A true learner exercising agency by acting in accordance with correct principles open our heart to the Holy Ghost and invites His teaching, testifying power, and confirming witness. It requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception.
• I feel inspired to

I need to know the truth for myself

How do we gain and nurture our own testimonies? Write down your thoughts as you ponder the following scriptures: Luke 11:9-13; john 5:39; John 7:14-17; Acts 17:10-12; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11; and Alma 5:45-46.

• We gain and nurture our own testimonies with prayer, search the scriptures diligently and open our heart to the Holy Ghost and Holy Ghost will teach us what we want to know for ourselves.

What should I do when I have questions?

1. Seek understanding through divinely appointed sources.
2. Act in faith.
3. Keep an eternal perspective.

The Parable of the Sower

Finally we talked about the parable of the sower, and what can we do to cultivate “good ground” in our home? A good living environment that we can learn the gospel together.

How we can make our home more gospel centred and make our home a holy place?

And, here are some of our lists that we can think of and we want to tick off at least one of the them each week!