Pride Is the Opposition of Humility

The opposite of humanity is pride, which is condemned in the scriptures. To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God or in His servants. It also means to put the things of the world above the things of God.

How Can I Recognize Pride in Myself?

1 Nephi 15:7-11

7 And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

If we harden our hearts and do not look to the Lord, then we will struggle to understand spiritual truth. If we do not harden our hearts and we ask the Lord in faith and keep His commandments, then we will receive answers, understanding, greater revelation and guidance from Him.

 

1 Nephi 16:1-3

1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.

2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.

3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.

Declare truth is an effort to help us turn our hearts to God. Those who offend the Spirit through wickedness often take offense when given inspired correction or chastisement.

 

2 Timothy 3:1-4

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Some of the perils or full of danger or risk Paul said Timothy and we would experience or witness in our lives. All these characteristics are derived from being prideful.

Proverbs 13:10

10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

 

Proverbs 15:10

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

 

Proverbs 28:25

25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.

 

Prideful people take honour to themselves rather than giving God the glory. Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than other people. Pride usually results in feelings of anger and hatred, and it is a great stumbling block.

The Gospel Media credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

What Blessings Come When We Humbled Ourselves?

“When you humbly trust Him and acknowledge His power and mercy, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good.”

“You are confident that you can do whatever the Lord requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His chosen servants and follow their counsel.”

“Humility will help you as you strive to be obedient, to work hard, and serve selflessly.”

The followings are the scriptures and passages that related to the blessings that we would receive when we humbled ourselves:

Alma 32:1-16

1 And it came to pass that they did go forth, and began to preach the word of God unto the people, entering into their synagogues, and into their houses; yea, and even they did preach the word in their streets.

2 And it came to pass that after much labour among them, they began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel—

3 Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their brethren as dross; therefore they were poor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart.

4 Now, as Alma was teaching and speaking unto the people upon the hill Onidah, there came a great multitude unto him, who were those of whom we have been speaking, of whom were poor in heart, because of their poverty as to the things of the world.

5 And they came unto Alma; and the one who was the foremost among them said unto him: Behold, what shall these my brethren do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea, and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us out of our synagogues which we have laboured abundantly to build with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our exceeding poverty; and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do?

6 And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word.

7 Therefore he did say no more to the other multitude; but he stretched forth his hand, and cried unto those whom he beheld, who were truly penitent, and said unto them:

8 I behold that ye are lowly in heart; and if so, blessed are ye.

9 Behold thy brother hath said, What shall we do?—for we are cast out of our synagogues, that we cannot worship our God.

10 Behold I say unto you, do ye suppose that ye cannot worship God save it be in your synagogues only?

11 And moreover, I would ask, do ye suppose that ye must not worship God only once in a week?

12 I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble.

13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

14 And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?

15 Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.

16 Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

Humility prepares us to receive the word of God. Humility and a willingness to receive the word of God are essential in the process of receiving and strengthening a testimony because the humbling experience could lead us to repentance and salvation.

Alma also taught that choosing to be humble is better than being compelled to be humble.

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) described ways that we could humble ourselves and avoid the trials that sometimes accompany being compelled to be humble:

“We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are (see D&C 38:24; 81:5; 84:106).

“We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement (see Jacob 4:10; Helaman 15:3; D&C 63:55; 101:4–5; 108:1; 124:61, 84; 136:31; Proverbs 9:8).

“We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us (see 3 Nephi 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10).

“We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service (see Mosiah 2:16–17).

“We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others (see Alma 4:19; 31:5; 48:20).

“We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.

“We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God (see D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49).

“We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives (see 3 Nephi 11:11; 13:33; Moroni 10:32)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 6; or Ensign, May 1989, 6–7).

 

Ether 12:27

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

If we come unto Jesus Christ, then he will show us our weakness. Some things we can do to come unto Jesus Christ include we can pray, fast, repent, study the scriptures, participate in temple worship, serve others, and seek to develop Christlike attributes.

The Lord gives us weaknesses to help us humble that we may draw upon His grace. If we humble ourselves and exercise faith in the Lord, then he will take weak things become strong unto us.

The application of the principle taught in Ether 12:27 as followings:

1. Recognize a weakness I feel I have
2. A way I can humble myself
3. A way I can exercise faith in Jesus Christ so I can receive His help, or grace, to overcome the weakness I have listed.

D&C 12:8

8 And no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.

The characteristics the Lord require of those who want to assist in His work includes being humble, full of love, having faith, hope and charity and being temperate in all things. I can learn to developing all these characteristics in my life.

 

D&C 67:10

10 And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual.

If we strip ourselves of jealousy and fear, humble ourselves, and continue in patience, we will be able to abide the presence of God.

 

D&C 112:10

10 Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.

If we are humble, the Lord will lead us and give us answers to our prayers.

 

D&C 136:32-33

32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;

33 For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.

If we humble ourselves and call upon God, then the Spirit will enlighten us.

 

Matthew 23:12

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Jesus taught the people that, if we seek to exalt ourselves above others, we will be abased. Abased means to be lowered or humiliated or to become less respected. Jesus also taught that, if we are humble and serve others, the Lord will exalt us. The phrase “shall be exalted” implies that the Lord will lift us up, help us become more like Him, and grant us exaltation in the celestial kingdom.

From this verse of scripture teach me that being humble can help me overcome hypocrisy and I need to try to serve others and do not seek recognition instead of the other way round would help me become more like Jesus Christ.

Thus, set a goal to serve daily would be a way how I can learn more about this attribute of Jesus Christ and write about these experience in the journal.

The Gospel Media credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

What Does It Mean to be Humble?

After I had identify the attribute I wish to develop, I did some research over the church website and Preach My Gospel manual. After much findings from the past few days, I quite surprise of the definition or my lack off and poor understanding of ‘Humility’ - the word itself.

“Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgement of my constant need for His divine help. To be humble is to recognize gratefully our dependence on the Lord – to understand that we have constant need for His support.”

No wonder the Lord wants me to learn this attribute, which He inspired Issac to tell me that. I have to admit that, most of the time I am not quite submissive to the will of the Lord. It can be seen through my calling as I do not obviously fulfilling what I had been called as the Relief Society President of the branch. Even though I prayed for my heart to be opened and learn to be more charitable to serve, but still, my progress was slow.

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar,” said Elder Neal A Maxwell (1926-2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The many other things we ‘give’ … are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we ae really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!”

Having humility means that we present to our Heavenly Father and the Savior “a broken heart and a contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:20). It is so true and that is when we use our agency to choose to submit to Heavenly Father and our Savior willingly.

There are some scripture references that I studied passages of the scripture that teach about what is humility and related general conferences by the prophets and apostles.

 

What does it means to be Humble?

2 Nephi 9:28-29

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

The pit falls of learning with the wrong attitude Jacob said were dangers of thinking we are wise than a parent, our bishop or branch president, the prophet, or our Heavenly Father.

Trusting in our own learning lead individuals to distance ourselves from Jesus Christ. Thus, I need to be more obedient in listening to the counsel of God or the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

The following statement from President Gordon B. Hinckley, and underline the blessings that can come from learning:

“You face great challenges that lie ahead. You are moving into a world of fierce competition. You must get all of the education you can. The Lord has instructed us concerning the importance of education. It will qualify you for greater opportunities. It will equip you to do something worthwhile in the great world of opportunity that lies ahead. If you can go to college and that is your wish, then do it. If you have no desire to attend college, then go to a vocational or business school to sharpen your skills and increase your capacity”

(“Converts and Young Men,” Ensign, May 1997, 49–50).

 

Mosiah 4:11-12

11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

If we remember God’s greatness, humble ourselves, pray daily, and stand steadfastly in the faith, then we will be filled with God’s love, retain a remission of our sins, and grow in knowledge. If we humble ourselves before God and strive to develop Christlike Attributes, we can retain a remission of our sins.

It is important to understand and remember God’s power, goodness, and love because that I will always have a grateful heart for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all that I am enjoying now. It reminds me of that I will have to rely on Them in my mortality journey here on earth no matter how hard and challenges that it may be.

 

Alma 5:26-29

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

Alma gave the saints a spiritual cardiogram to evaluate the status of our spiritual well beings of the condition I would like to be in now. If the answers of each questions range from always, almost always, usually, sometimes and seldom, if ever, I can just put as the followings:

For verse 27: I can only say I sometimes keeping myself blameless before God.  If I was called to die at this time, within myself, that I have been only sometimes sufficiently humble. That my garment seldom, if ever been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ.

For verse 28, I sometimes stripped of pride.

For verse 29, I sometimes stripped of envy.

This exercise clearly is taking account of where I am in my personal conversion process and help me recognise what are the aspects of my live that may require repentance and efforts to improve.

 

Alma 26:12

12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

As we prepare and humble ourselves, the Lord strengthens us and use us as an instrument in His hand to accomplished His work during our missions on earth.

 

Matthew 26:39

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Even though Jesus Christ asked for a different way to accomplish the Father’s purpose, He submitted His will to the Father’s will to accomplish the Atonement. I can learn to be submissive to my Father in Heaven about Jesus from His willingness to submit to Heavenly Father’s will even though it mean He would endure intense suffering and eventual death. 

“Humility is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; It is a sign of spiritual strength. It is an indication that we know where our true strength lies. We can be both humble and fearless. We can be both humble and courageous.”

To be frank, repentance is the one that I seldom do. Issac was right in a way that I need to learn more about humble and humility.

The following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson that shows how people who have had a change of heart want to live:

“When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed. …

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature. …

“Men [and women] changed for Christ will be captained by Christ. Like Paul they will be asking, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6.) …

“Their will is swallowed up in His will. (See John 5:30.)

“They do always those things that please the Lord. (See John 8:29.)

“Not only would they die for the Lord, but more important they want to live for Him.

“Enter their homes, and the pictures on their walls, the books on their shelves, the music in the air, their words and acts reveal them as Christians.

“They stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places. (See Mosiah 18:9.)

“They have Christ on their minds, as they look unto Him in every thought. (See D&C 6:36.)

“They have Christ in their hearts as their affections are placed on Him forever. (See Alma 37:36.)

“Almost every week they partake of the sacrament and witness anew to their Eternal Father that they are willing to take upon them the name of His Son, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. (See Moro. 4:3.)”

(“Born of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 5–7).

The Gospel Media credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

Humility?

After I had completed the Attribute Activity, obviously I am lacking in every one of the Christlike Attributes and still, I do not know which attribute to focus and work on.

I was discussing with Issac this Christlike Attributes Journal that I need to work on in the car during we went out to buy our dinner yesterday. There was something that happened after Alvin came back home. He was furious about we did not clean enough the home, I did not iron his working shirts, and angry that what were we doing the whole day. All in all, it was not a good day even though it was a Saturday.

I was so upset, during dinner Alvin talked about that he does not yet have a proper meal from morning till late evening. And when he came back and he saw all the things he needs to do in the house, then he was so pissed off. Alvin just looked into Issac’s eyes and said that even his girlfriend also would message him if he had already taken his lunch.

I poured out my frustration to both children after Alvin finished his dinner and went back to the bedroom, leaving the three of us at the dining table. I was eventually able to cool off and calm down my emotion when Annabelle said something about Heavenly Father in her teary eyes. I was sort of amazed that I was able to hear she was using the word ‘Heavenly Father’ from her mouth to console me!

After both children and I had our dinner and competed for our household chores of washing dishes, vacuuming, and wiping the floor, I asked Issac a question about what Christlike Attribute that I should choose to develop further in my Institute project.

Issac suggested I go for ‘Humility’.

I was like, “Why? Why Humility? Am I not humble enough? Especially in front of your dad? I am so ‘small’ and ‘tiny’ and I consider myself being a humble person for my whole life! And now want me to learn ‘Humility’?”

Issac replied, “No, I do not mean that you do not have it but I think you can learn more to be better in it. If you are more humble, humility will help you to be obedient, work more diligently, and be more charitable.”

I was quiet and think about what my son had told me about this. May be there is true and reasons why Issac asked me to do so. I reflect back. I indeed seldom pray and do reflections on my wrong doings nowadays.

Issac is growing to be more mature and glowing. I feel Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have groom Issac to be my light amid frustrations and sadness, to guide me spiritually. I love my priesthood holder, even though he is only an Aaronic priesthood holder. I know that God sends him to me to make me a better version of myself!

The Gospel Media credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

Institute Project: Christlike Attributes Journal

I have registered for Brother Brian Chan’s Institute class of Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel (REL 250) this semester. It is one of the four Cornerstone Courses of the Institute.

Unlike last semester, we will have a project for this 14 weeks study – Christlike Attributes Journal. We are asked to make at least one entry per week in a personal journal about our deliberate efforts to develop Christlike attributes. We will not be required to turn in our journal. Our journal can be keep anywhere that we comfortable. It can be a word document, Google Doc, a Notebook, Personal blog or even an App on our phone.

We can choose to work on one attribute for the entire duration of the course, or we may select select a number of different attributes. However, we are asked to focus on one attribute at a time, and spending at least a week on each one.

Each week, we will be asked in the Report Your Progress quiz if we have added an entry to our Christlike Attributes Journal. And, in each entry we are asked to explore one or both of the following questions:

• What experiences did you have as you developed your specific Christlike attribute?
• When did you realize that you did not act in a manner consistent with your specific Christlike attribute? What might you have done differently?

At the end of the course, instead of turning in our journal, we will submit to our teacher a brief writing assignment in which we describe what we have learned from keeping this journal.

I think that it is fair enough and sounds just right to have this project because this course we study about Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father invited us to ‘Hear Him’ when He introduce Jesus as His Son. Jesus Christ invites us to ‘Follow Him’.

The Savior is our perfect example and instructed us to become as He is in 3 Nephi 27:27, “… what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.” his Atonement enables us to become more like Him and Heavenly Father.

We can accept the invitation to follow Jesus Christ by becoming like Him. An important part of becoming like Jesus Christ is to learn about how He lived, behaved, and taught. One of the way is to develop His attributes.

So, now I need to choose which attribute I would like to work on? It is kind of difficult to choose because there are so many of Christlike Attributes and I know that I am very poor in every each of them!

After much researches done on the Church website and resources, I decided to use Chapter 6 in “Preach My Gospel” as a guide to further study and create a plan to more fully develop one Christlike attribute that I choose.

First of all, the first step is to complete the Attribute Activity and identify the attribute I most need or want to develop.

The Attribute Activity sheet credit to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

Let God Prevail

It was my intention to read and study President Nelson’s talks just before the upcoming General Conference which will be happening this weekend. And I planned this talk to be the last.

Let God Prevail

by President Russell M. Nelson

President Russell M. Nelson shared his experience studying the doctrine of the gathering of Israel for 36 years and has increased his knowledge. He explained his new insight of the word Israel.

“I learned that one of the Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.” Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. That concept stirs my soul!”

He recalled the crucial turning point in the life of Jacob. He explained that the inspiration he received and recalling Jacob's life can add meaning to our commitment to follow God and our role in the gathering of Israel.

President Russell M. Nelson told us that by choosing to let God prevail, the Hebraic interpretation of Israel can be of help to us in many ways. He emphasized several ways this interpretation can help us.

“The word willing is crucial to this interpretation of Israel. We all have our agency. We can choose to be of Israel, or not. We can choose to let God prevail in our lives, or not. We can choose to let God be the most powerful influence in our lives, or not.”

He showed us what will happen if we desire to let God prevail in our choices in life. He asked, how does the Lord feel when people let God prevail? And what is the Lord willing to do for Israel?

“With the Hebraic definition of Israel in mind, we find that the gathering of Israel takes on added meaning. The Lord is gathering those who are willing to let God prevail in their lives. The Lord is gathering those who will choose to let God be the most important influence in their lives.”

“Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?”

“If you are married to a companion who has broken his or her covenants, your willingness to let God prevail in your life will allow your covenants with God to remain intact. The Savior will heal your broken heart. The heavens will open as you seek to know how to move forward. You do not need to wander or wonder.”

“If you have sincere questions about the gospel or the Church, as you choose to let God prevail, you will be led to find and understand the absolute, eternal truths that will guide your life and help you stay firmly on the covenant path.”

“When you are faced with temptation—even if the temptation comes when you are exhausted or feeling alone or misunderstood—imagine the courage you can muster as you choose to let God prevail in your life and as you plead with Him to strengthen you.”

“When your greatest desire is to let God prevail, to be part of Israel, so many decisions become easier. So many issues become nonissues! You know how best to groom yourself. You know what to watch and read, where to spend your time, and with whom to associate. You know what you want to accomplish. You know the kind of person you really want to become.”

“Now, my dear brothers and sisters, it takes both faith and courage to let God prevail. It takes persistent, rigorous spiritual work to repent and to put off the natural man through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It takes consistent, daily effort to develop personal habits to study the gospel, to learn more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and to seek and respond to personal revelation.”

“During these perilous times of which the Apostle Paul prophesied, Satan is no longer even trying to hide his attacks on God’s plan. Emboldened evil abounds. Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, and to use our energy to help gather Israel.”

He closed his talk with an invitation to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. Following his promise and testimony.

Sometimes when I face my unique challenges, I tend to complain silently. Especially when I wrestled with my emotions. I asked the Lord of many whys. I realized that at that moment, I only think or care about what is happening and I was not able to clearly see God's will.

I also gain new insight from President Russell M. Nelson's talk. I now understand it more to let God prevail is my willingness to choose God to be the most powerful influence in my life. Thus, I want to practise my skill and better prepare myself to “hear Him” during the upcoming general conference.

I listed down my questions in mind, pray to look for the specific answers for my worries and concerns that trouble me at the moment. I want to hear and record down what answers from the Lord that He will send me through His servants during general conference.

• How can or what can I do to keep my body healthy and keep an physical exercise goal?
• How can I do better in my calling as Relief Society President?
• How can I being a better wife?
• How can I be a better cook and improve my cooking?
• How can I being a better mother for 2 teenage children?
• How can I manage my time between family, job, daily personal scripture study and my BYU-Pathway study?
• How can I increase my income?
• How can I improve my financial situations?

And, I am most eager to hear from the Lord speaks through His prophet and apostles. He may have other things that He wants to tell me. I am prepare to open to any messages that He may have for me.

“If you pray to Him and genuinely ask for help in hearing and recognizing His voice, He will help you find those messages meant for you during general conference.”

Embrace the Future with Faith

At the time of this writing, my mind is so blank and cannot think of anything else. My car had been involved in an accident this morning, during on my way to office. It was a rainy morning, from morning 8.00am till almost noon.

We were in the Maybank Puchong Jaya to open saving accounts for both Issac and Annabelle. It took us so long time from 9.30am till it is almost 11.30am then just done.

After I sent Alvin back to his office, then I sent both kids back home. Both Alvin and I were late to office. I cannot deny my eagerness that wanted to reach office as soon as possible, and what happened was after I cut into the lane and slowed down. The outcome is the back of my car had been banged by the car behind as the driver couldn't stop his car in time.

After the whole saga, the driver agreed to pay me RM350.00 for settlement, for the cost of making good and reinstate to of my car bumper. I am glad that I got the help and monies that I need for this accident.

Lately, my mind is cluttered with a lot of stuffs – my exercise goal that stopped, cooking and prepare bento for both kids to bring to school, my up-coming BYU-Pathway class that is going to start soon, my current salary that still not up and back to before Covid-19 pandemic time, my Come Follow Me programme that I should follow and study every week, my general conference talks that need to catch up before this coming Easter 2021 General Conference, my photos that need to be tidy up and digitalised, my blog that need to update, my calling that need to work on it more, and so many other things!

I am unable to focus at one thing at a time. This week supposing that I should read President Nelson’s 2 most important talks last October 2020. My life seems like so messy! I feel it is because I do not feel security of the my future.

In the Women Session of General Conference, President Nelson lovingly reiterated the love that he and our Heavenly Father have for the women of this Church.

Embrace the Future with Faith

by President Russell M. Nelson

“How are we to deal with both the sober prophecies and the glorious pronouncements about our day? The Lord told us how with simple, but stunning, reassurance: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”

“If preparation is our key to embracing this dispensation and our future with faith, how can we best prepare?”

“For decades, the Lord’s prophets have urged us to store food, water, and financial reserves for a time of need. The current pandemic has reinforced the wisdom of that counsel. I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation.”

He continued to speak of spiritual preparation by referencing Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon.

Principle Number One: Create Places of Security

“…As turmoil rages around us, we need to create places where we are safe, both physically and spiritually. When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense.”

“Likewise, the stakes of Zion are “a refuge from the storm” because they are led by those who hold priesthood keys and exercise priesthood authority. As you continue to follow the counsel of those whom the Lord has authorized to guide you, you will feel greater safety.”

“The temple—the house of the Lord—is a place of security unlike any other. There, you sisters are endowed with priesthood power through the sacred priesthood covenants you make. There, your families are sealed for eternity. Even this year, when access to our temples has been seriously limited, your endowment has given you constant access to God’s power as you have honored your covenants with Him.”

“Simply said, a place of security is anywhere you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him. When the Holy Ghost is with you, you can teach truth, even when it runs counter to prevailing opinions. And you can ponder sincere questions about the gospel in an environment of revelation.”

“I invite you, my dear sisters, to create a home that is a place of security. And I renew my invitation for you to increase your understanding of priesthood power and of temple covenants and blessings. Having places of security to which you can retreat will help you embrace the future with faith.”

Principle Number Two: Prepare Your Mind to Be Faithful to God

“Just as the physical foundation of the Salt Lake Temple must be strong enough to withstand natural disasters, our spiritual foundations must be solid. Then, when metaphorical earthquakes rock our lives, we can stand “steadfast and immovable” because of our faith.”

“The Lord taught us how to increase our faith by seeking “learning, even by study and also by faith.” We strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ as we strive to keep His commandments and “always remember him.” Further, our faith increases every time we exercise our faith in Him. That is what learning by faith means.”

“…few things build faith more than does regular immersion in the Book of Mormon. No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most. The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide.”

“Of course, our ultimate security comes as we yoke ourselves to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! Life without God is a life filled with fear. Life with God is a life filled with peace. This is because spiritual blessings come to the faithful. Receiving personal revelation is one of the greatest of those blessings.”

“The Lord has promised that if we will ask, we may receive “revelation upon revelation.” I promise that as you increase your capacity to receive revelation, the Lord will bless you with increased direction for your life and with boundless gifts of the Spirit.”

Principle Number Three: Never Stop Preparing

“The adversary never stops attacking. So, we can never stop preparing! The more self-reliant we are—temporally, emotionally, and spiritually—the more prepared we are to thwart Satan’s relentless assaults.”

“I am not saying that the days ahead will be easy, but I promise you that the future will be glorious for those who are prepared and who continue to prepare to be instruments in the Lord’s hands.”

“My dear sisters, let us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith! Turbulent times are opportunities for us to thrive spiritually. They are times when our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times.”

“I promise that as we create places of security, prepare our minds to be faithful to God, and never stop preparing, God will bless us.”

Although this talk already 6 months ago, the counsels, invitations and promises that President Nelson extended are never expired and still in force if we keep on trying our best to do it!

It is just about time for me to prioritise and focus on what is truly important, and seek the best way to balance each one of the my needs according to His will.