LDS Elevated

Join us at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square Monday through Saturday at 12:45 p.m. for a short, 15-minute daily inspirational service. A typical service will include a prayer, a short sermon, and two musical numbers. All are welcome. Learn more at the link in our description.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/events/templesquare/daily-worship-service

For 60 years, I have had a front-row seat to experience how my dear wife, Harriet, has confidently lived her life as a wife, mother, and grandmother. Even more importantly, she has courageously been a valiant disciple of Jesus Christ. I love her—and I know our Father in Heaven loves her.

My dear sisters, you hold a special place in our Father’s plan for the eternal happiness and well-being of His children. Whatever your place is in the sequence of life, you have an important role in the plan of salvation. And God has given you special spiritual gifts, promises, and blessings as daughters of the Creator of the universe.

Never underestimate the power of your example and influence for good as you serve in your families, communities, and Church callings. Let me assure you that the Lord knows you. He loves you. He will bless you for your dedication to Him and His children.

Don’t get distracted. Don’t get diverted. Don’t get discouraged.

Get focused. Get determined. Get tenacious. Look to the Tree. His light and His word will guide us when nothing else will.

Watch: Ukrainian Latter-day Saint shares precious food storage supplies with neighbor André Polonski is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently in Kharkov, Ukraine. And now more than ever, he is grateful for a living prophet and prophetic counsel. In more ways than one—especially now—it has been lifesaving.

When the accusers call you by your sin,

The son of God calls you by name.

When the accusers drag you into shame,

The son of God lifts your face,

When the accusers want nothing more than to see you fail,

The son of God will do anything to see you restored.

When the accusers start listing your worst faults,

The son of God is calling you to remember your design.

When the accusers start picking up the stones,

The son of God puts down his finger.

I don't know what He wrote,

But I do know this,

Whenever God puts His hands in dirt,

Something beautiful happens.

Whether it be the cosmic clay from which He first fashioned us, and breathed His life into our lungs,

Or grabbing a handful of mud and spit, so a blind man can see the glory of God.

He isn't afraid of our mess.

He doesn't shy from our dirt.

In fact,

He looks for opportunities to put His hands in it.

As His hands become dirty,

Our hearts become clean.

As His clothes become stained,

Our robes are washed white.

As His feet become filthy,

He would rather wash ours.

And as we are deserving of punishment,

He steps in.

When we finally look up and see His face,

He asks,

"Where are your accusers now?"

As loud as the voice of the accuser is,

May His blood still speak the better word.

Even if the accusing voice is my own.

When Christ Jesus enters the room,

There are no accusers now.

friend of mine.

emotional damage ✊

-😶

In February of 2000, the 100th million copy of the Book of Mormon was published. In the past 22 years, we’re nearing the 200th million mark. While this is a powerful statistic, even more powerful is how much more accessible this testament of Jesus Christ is becoming. The records of Jesus’ encounter with humanity are fundamental to our better understanding His life and His miracles and His involvement in our lives.

If you haven’t read the Book of Mormon in a bit, we encourage you to read from it today. If you have questions about the veracity, history, or necessity, choose a video from our playlist of the Book of Mormon. Link in bio:)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_VwunTjPjREQ_cJQ06A5wSv3bAEePyAJ

JUST IN: The First Presidency sent a letter of comfort to members of the Church in Tonga.

--- Considering all of this, how could it ever be possible that we of all people would not be excited about attending our Church worship services? Or get tired of reading the holy scriptures? I suppose this could be possible only if our hearts were past feeling to experience gratitude and awe for the sacred and sublime gifts God has granted us. Life-changing truths are before our eyes and at our fingertips, but sometimes we sleepwalk on the path of discipleship. Too often we let ourselves be distracted by the imperfections of our fellow members instead of following the example of our Master. We tread a path covered with diamonds, but we can scarcely distinguish them from ordinary pebbles.

--- We are surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and truth that I wonder if we truly appreciate what we have.

By Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Photo not mine.

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Sometimes our prayers are answered quickly with the outcome we hope for.

Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we hope for, yet with time we learn that God had greater blessings prepared for us than we initially anticipated.

As Neal A. Maxwell said, “Faith also includes trust in God’s timing.”

Why is it important to wait? Why do we have to trust in God's timing?

How could my hands not be trembling a little? And was that lady on the end of the bench going to feel the wobbling as I passed her the sacrament tray?

Anything this important that the Lord asks us to do will feel a little daunting, but “be strong and of a good courage…for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest”—even among the pews (Joshua 1: 9).

A new year always brings new opportunities to serve. Many young men will be blessing and passing the sacrament for the first time this month, a very nerve-wracking experience on the first try! Others may collect fast offerings for the first time, receive new callings, accept speaking invitations, and even get new missionary assignments.

In the Old Testament, after the death of Moses, the Lord asked Joshua to be the prophet AND to conquer the land of Canaan. Just think of that! Two very important, daunting tasks!

Likewise, every new year sends us into new lands in search of our inheritance. The Lord never wants you to feel afraid, but to place your trust in Him. However inadequate you may feel when trying something new and important this year, you have every reason to “be strong and of a good courage.”

God spoke directly to Joshua—and to you: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5).

Begin each new year, always and forever, as Joshua did: “Whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go“ (Joshua 1:16).

Together with Heavenly Father, we’ve got this.

Let's start this year with a heart full of love and forgiveness. As Alfred Kyungu said, "Let us forgive each other to obtain the forgiveness of the Father. Forgiveness sets us free."

ctto: photo not mine.

Always trust his plan.🥰

"We don’t have to be perfect today. We don’t have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can."

- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "One Step after Another," October 2001.

I’m sure many of you are setting aside time today to write down your resolutions for the coming year. May I make a few suggestions?

First, resolve to strengthen your spiritual foundation. This may involve setting a specific time and place to study the scriptures, praying more often, making temple worship a bigger priority, and letting God prevail in all aspects of your life.

Second, resolve to be kind to others. When the Savior Jesus Christ visited the Americas, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, one of the first things He taught was the need to eliminate contention in our lives. So, please be compassionate, be understanding, be slow to judge, and be quick to forgive.

Third, resolve to be resolute. The Lord loves effort. The Lord loves consistency. The Lord loves steadfastness. While we surely will come up short from time to time, our persistent efforts to hear Him and follow the inspiration He gives us will help us to “wax strong in the Spirit” (Mosiah 18:26).

May God bless you, my dear friends, and may this be a wonderful year of purpose and possibilities for all of us.

"Face your doubts. Master your fears. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence'. Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

-Elder Holland

Happy new year everyone. 💜

“An old proverb says, ‘The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.’

“There is something wonderful and hopeful about the word now. There is something empowering about the fact that if we choose to decide now, we can move forward at this very moment.

“Now is the best time to start becoming the person we eventually want to be—not only 20 years from now but also for all eternity.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Have you ever heard anyone say "Be a Mary, not a Martha?" I feel a little bad honestly for Martha, I think she sort of gets a bad rap. In the 10th chapter of the book of Luke we read an account of a visit Jesus Christ makes to Martha's home. Mind you, the scripture does state that this is her home, and as such it would have been her duty to make sure that her guest felt welcome and was taken care of. So while her sister is sitting at Christ's feet listening to the Savior, Martha was bustling about getting things done. As the story goes, after Martha complains to the Savior that her sister isn't helping, Christ gently rebukes her and tells her that her sister, Mary, has "chosen the good part".

It seems pretty straight forward. Don't be a Martha. Don't get so caught up in the busy work you forget to include the Savior.

As I have pondered and studied this account, I felt the spirit teach me something new about Martha. Upon careful reading of the verses, I noticed a few words I had not really considered before. We are told that "Martha was cumbered about..."

Do you know what it means to be cumbered about? It means to be troubled.

Later, as Christ is gently (or so I imagine) responding to Martha he says "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things..." The footnote to "careful and troubled" is interpreted as worried.

What if we have Martha all wrong? What if Martha, like so many of us, was stressed about things going on in her personal life, or even in her community? I know when I personally get bogged down with life, I have to engage in an activity that expels my energy. I even sometimes get grumpy at those I love. When I keep my troubles and worries to myself, they tend to grow and fester.

When the Savior responds to Martha, telling her "but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." I don't feel like he is rebuking Martha for working or serving. Nor do I feel like he is comparing Martha to Mary in faithfulness. I think he is gently telling her to bring her worries to Him. He is letting her know that she does not have to be "cumbered" but that she can lay her troubles at his feet and find peace.

I feel like the Savior is trying to tell each of us the very same thing.

2021 has brought on some chaotic, stressful, and extremely hurtful times. Yet, through it all, the Savior is still reaching out to us, asking us to lay our burdens at his feet and trust him. We don't have to be troubled, but we can be trusting. My hope and prayer is that we will do just that. Trust that God is in control, and when we are feeling overburdened with life and the events surrounding us, we can leave them at the Saviors feet and know that he has experienced all we will feel, and therefore knows exactly how to help us feel the peace during the storm.

Alexia Wardell

2022 Youth Theme Album and Website Released Resources for the 2022 youth theme, including the music album “Trust in the Lord,” are now available on the 2022 youth theme website.

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"I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away, And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day. I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again." - Children's Song Book Hymn # 103

In the picture: Elder Varney baptizing Brother Kazarinov in an ice hole in Vladivostok, Russia.

Want to register for an online institute class this winter semester (January to April 2022)?

Any Young Adult ages 18 to 30 years old may register at:
https://icl.churchofjesuschrist.org

Just search Philippines Area in the map and click the "Show Online Classes" button.

BYU-Pathway students can register here:
https://path.byupathway.org/wise/InstituteRegistration

In the photo: Caloocan Stake Seminary and Institute Graduates Batch 2021

📸 StudiQ by Noel Maglaque

Does Talking about the Gospel Make You Nervous? How to talk about the gospel

“You can’t stop hope. We have to move forward.”

1 missionary’s call home after the Mexico armed robbery attack on his zone conference Last Friday, 70 missionaries in the Mexico Torreón Mission were attending a zone conference when two armed men burst into the meetinghouse, demanding they hand over their cell phones, tablets, and wallets. An official statement from the Church said missionaries have been removed from the area and.....

Is glass a liquid or a solid?

I was amazed to learn from a gaffer, a glass blower, that if you could look at glass through a microscope, you’d see the molecules of the glass are arranged irregularly, and that makes it a liquid.

But, you can also say that glass is solid just by looking at it.

Therefore, scientists decided it’s both and I think I love that.

I want to be glass.

I want to be so solid that people know that I am just by looking at me.

I want to be so transparent like glass so that instead of seeing me, they can see Christ through me.

I want to be liquid, easily flowing to wherever I am needed.

I want to be shapeable so that when the heat comes and the winds begin to blow, I can be transformed into whatever the Master is making me into.

I want to be glass.

And I want Him to be my Gaffer.

Home | ComeUntoChrist Welcome to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No matter your story, we welcome you to join us as we all try to be a little bit better, a little bit kinder, a little more helpful—because that’s what Jesus taught.

How do you maintain your faith when things don't work out like you had hoped for or planned?

President Nelson shared the following on his Twitter account yesterday:

"Contrary to the doubts of some, there really is such a thing as right and wrong. There really is absolute truth—eternal truth."
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