Exemplary Behavior

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How many times have we let others  rule our emotions? Do we allow it to happen often?

In an October 2006 Conference talk, And Nothing Shall Offend Them, Elder David A. Bednar commented:

"When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.

"In the grand division of all of God’s creations, there are things to act and things to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:13–14). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of moral agency, the capacity for independent action and choice. Endowed with agency, you and I are agents, and we primarily are to act and not just be acted upon. To believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation."

It took me a long time and all the strength that I had to figure this out for myself. The desire to talk back or give an insult for an insult is too strong. To let go of the 'natural man' in us takes courage, determination and a strong desire to become a better person for yourself, your loved ones and especially the Lord.

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To see the Neighborhood News for Friday, 26 August, please click here.

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Listen to the Spirit

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Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation

D&C 8:2–3



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As members of the Church, we've been given the blessing of the Holy Ghost. And we want to receive our own personal instruction. But how do we do that?
 
In his talk Teaching and Learning by the Spirit, Ensign, March 1997, Elder Dallin H. Oaks is giving us a few pointers on how to recognize promptings:
 

"The teachings of the Spirit often come as feelings. That fact is of the utmost importance, yet some misunderstand what it means. I have met persons who told me they have never had a witness from the Holy Ghost because they have never felt their bosom 'burn within' them.

"What does a 'burning in the bosom' mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word 'burning' in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works.

"Truly, the still, small voice is just that, 'still' and 'small.'

Elder Oaks also goes on to quote:

“The language of peace, as spoken by the Lord, embraces a sense of quiet confidence, comfort, and warmth. It is gentle and calm, amiable and sweet; it is temperate and kind; it is orderly and identified by happiness, joy, and feelings of love” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, The Holy Ghost [1989], 14)."

I recently went to the temple with my husband and son. Our boy is going on a mission soon, and he was receiving his endowments. The extended family was there, and when we made it to the celestial room, I was full of joy. It was a beautiful feeling, to think that we'll have that joy (and more) after we cross the veil. I said that to our company, and one of them got closer to me and said that she wished she could feel anything. Are we like that some times? We don't listen to the promptings, and then we say that the Lord doesn't answer our prayers.
 
I believe that He does answer, we just have to keep working on our reception.
 
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What's Your Story?

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Story time! Today I'm sharing a Native American tale.

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How Raven Made the Tides

(Tsimshian Pacific Northwest)

A long time ago, the old people say, the tide did not come in or go out.

The ocean would stay very high up on the shore for a long time and the clams and the seaweed and other good things to eat would be hidden under the deep water. The people were often hungry.

“This is not the way it should be,” said Raven. Then he put on his blanket of black feathers and flew along the coast, following the line of the tide. At last he came to the house of a very old woman who was the one who held the tide-line in her hand. As long as she held onto it the tide would stay high. Raven walked into the old woman’s house. There she sat, the tide-line held firmly in her hand.

Raven sat down across from her.

“Ah,” he said, “Those clams were good to eat.”

“What clams?” said the old woman.

But Raven did not answer her. Instead he patted his stomach and said,

"Ah, it was so easy to pick them up that I have eaten as much as I can eat."

"That can’t be so,” said the old woman, trying to look past Raven to see out her door, but Raven blocked the entrance. So she stood up and leaned past him to look out. Then Raven pushed her so that she fell through the door, and as she fell he threw dust into her eyes so that she was blinded. She let go of the tide-line then and the tide rushed out, leaving all kinds of clams and crabs and other good things to eat exposed.

Raven went out and began to gather clams. He gathered as much as he could carry and ate until he could eat no more. All along the beach others were gathering the good food and thanking the raven for what he had done. Finally he came back to the place where the old woman still was.

“Raven,” she said, “I know it is you. Heal my eyes so that I can see again.”

“I will heal you,” Raven said, “but only if you promise to let go of the tide-line twice a day. The people cannot wait so long to gather food from the beaches.”

“I will do it,” said the old woman. Then Raven washed out her eyes and she could see again.

So it is that tide comes in and goes out every day because Raven made the old woman let go of the tide-line.

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Music to My Ears

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We all have that special song that's touched our hearts. There are the beautiful songs from Broadway plays, or a particular band that have made their mark in popular culture. And there are couple's songs -my parent's was 'Only You' by The Platters.

In his talk A Closer Look to Popular Music, Lex de Azevedo says:

"In each of our minds, certain kinds of music are tied deeply to our own experiences and emotions. Our favorite music has an intensely personal meaning to us. Memories of our childhood, first date, first love, youth conferences, prom night, testimony meetings, marriage, and old friends may all be tied to a certain kind of music in one way or another. Thus, when someone attacks our music, we may feel that they are also attacking our deepest, most treasured experiences.

"Music also has great power on our emotions. Music has been called the universal language because it speaks directly to our emotions. And our emotions and feelings influence our actions.

"Many people who listen to popular music claim that they never listen to the lyrics and that the messages never affect them. Research, however, shows that our brains are marvelously perceptive; they pick up almost any message within sight or sound, whether we consciously know it or not. Those subconsciously received messages may have as much an effect on us as the messages we consciously seek out.^"

 So, tell us what kind of music has most influenced you.

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To see the Neighborhood News for Friday, 15 July, please click here.

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Solutions for Sticky Situations

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Today's blog is a courtesy of Cami Checketts.

Book Donations for CAPSA and CFSC

When my boys are having a hard day I read them a funny book. When I'm feeling depressed I reach for a favorite novel. When we just need a break from reality we turn to books.

What if you were experiencing the toughest time of your life? Would you want to escape into a fantastic suspense or intriguing paranormal novel? Would you want to hold your child on your lap and laugh, cry, or teach them with a book?

CAPSA (Community Abuse Prevention Services Agency) and CFSC (Child and Family Support Center) help families through nightmarish experiences the rest of can't even imagine or understand.

The other night I sat thinking about the amazing people who run these agencies and wondering how I could help more. The families always need the basics: food, shelter, clothing, money. I know we all try to donate when we can. But it hit me that it would be very nice to provide these mothers, fathers, and children with books. Books might not be necessary for survival but they can comfort, teach, entertain, inspire, and bond.

How can you help?

Donate new or gently used books (they would appreciate children's, middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction and nonfiction) to one of these fabulous organizations or to your local family support or crisis center. If you want to donate to CFSC or CAPSA, email me camichecketts@yahoo.com. I can take the books in for you or give you the contact info you need.
Whether you donate to CFSC, CAPSA, or your local organization, post a comment on this blog and let us know how many books you donated. I'll add the number to the counter on the right.

Please help spread the word and share the number of donated books. I can't wait to see that number grow.

Thanks for caring about the children,
Cami

To go to Cami's website, click here.

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It's About Love

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“Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

The Family: A Proclamation to the World 

When we hear a single young woman (not necessarily a teen girl) becomes pregnant, we also find out that there are many voices that surround her, giving their opinions about what to do. That young woman feels pressure from differing views: raise the baby on her own, expect the father to be involved, give the baby up for adoption, or even to have an abortion.

What’s the LDS Church’s position? From a January 2008 Ensign article, Why Adoption? we have Rebecca M. Taylor’s view:

“A primary reason the Church supports adoption is that children who are adopted by temple-worthy Latter-day Saint couples can be sealed to their adoptive parents. The sealing ordinance is the capstone ordinance in the Church, and its blessings are present in this life as well as in the next. As President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) declared, children who are born in the covenant—and, by extension, those who are sealed to their parents in the temple—‘have claims upon the blessings of the gospel beyond what those not so born are entitled to receive. They may receive a greater guidance, a greater protection, a greater inspiration from the Spirit of the Lord; and then there is no power that can take them away from their parents.’

“Fred Riley, commissioner of LDS Family Services, says that although adoption is rarely discussed in Church meetings, it is a profound gospel principle. He points out that when the prophet Elijah restored the sealing keys, these keys encompassed adoption. And one of the ways in which Jesus Christ is our Father is through adoption, for we become His sons and His daughters when we are adopted into the family of Christ.”

Despite the emotional pain that’s involved in adoption, one thing is certain: it is about love.

The love of that giving birth mother, willing to give up her precious newborn to give the baby what’s needed-a family. And the love of brand new parents, willing to bring to that new bundle all that they have, including a temple sealing.

That’s true love.

As always we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday 6 June, click here.

Learn to Be Tactful

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Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matthew 15:11 

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On occasion we open our mouths out of turn or say something which may surprise or offend people.

In Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s renowned talk ‘The Tongue of Angels,’ he says:

“Husbands, you have been entrusted with the most sacred gift God can give you—a wife, a daughter of God, the mother of your children who has voluntarily given herself to you for love and joyful companionship. … Today, I speak against verbal and emotional abuse of anyone against anyone, but especially of husbands against wives. Brethren, these things ought not to be.

“In that same spirit we speak to the sisters as well, for the sin of verbal abuse knows no gender. Wives, what of the unbridled tongue in your mouth, of the power for good or ill in your words? … Sisters, there is no place in that magnificent spirit of yours for acerbic or abrasive expression of any kind, including gossip or backbiting or catty remarks.

“May I expand this counsel to make it a full family matter. … Be constructive in your comments to a child—always. Never tell them, even in whimsy, that they are fat or dumb or lazy or homely. Praise each child individually for what that child is, and help him or her escape our culture’s obsession with comparing, competing, and never feeling we are 'enough.'

“In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.”

If we are in the process of perfecting ourselves, training (or muzzling) our tongues may be something we should work at.

We welcome your comments, wish you a great weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 27 May, click here.

Find Your Talents

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has plenty of websites for us to be edified. One of them is LDS Youth, in which you can find articles, testimonies, videos, music and more. The Church has revamped the site and if you have teens at home, take a look.

The following video was taken from that site. Enjoy.

We welcome your comments, wish you a great weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 13 May, click here.

Tips for You

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Since we’re talking about ‘tips’ today, I found tips for an array of different topics.

Wheat Storage Tips

Plastic trash bags should not be used to store wheat. According to reports, some chemical residues migrate from this type of plastic into the wheat. If you’ve already stored in this manner, probably you do not need to discard the wheat; simply transfer it to other appropriate containers.—ClaytonS. Huber, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Brigham Young University.

Moving Day Tips

Because our family has moved 12 times in 16 years of marriage, I have greatly appreciated service rendered by Church members during our various moves. Here are some suggestions for helping make someone’s moving day go smoothly.

·         Help pack.

·         Provide food.

·         Offer child care.

·         Help load trucks.

·         Clean Up.

·         Address sleeping needs.

·         Welcome move-ins.—Lydie Strasburg, Warner Robins, Georgia

Tips forTalks

Every now and then, you’re going to be asked to speak in a Church meeting. It’s inevitable. But do you feel a bit uncomfortable about your ability to prepare and present interesting talks? Following are several simple steps that can help you prepare for a successful experience.

·         Select a subject.

·         Identify your purpose.

·         Research the subject.

·         Organize your material simply and logically.

·         Introduce the subject with a scripture, story, example, question, or other attention-getting method.

·         State the purpose of your remarks.

·         Develop each idea that supports your purpose with an analogy, illustration, or explanation.

·         Conclude by repeating the point simply and directly.

Practice your presentation. Get someone to listen to you, or practice in front of a mirror. As you rehearse, anticipate the reactions of the congregation.

Are there any tips you’d like to share with us? We’re always looking for good writers who’d like to share with the rest of us. It may be you.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday 27 April, click here.

Just Do it

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"Any excuse for non-performance, no matter how valid, weakens character." — Spencer W. Kimball

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President Kimball encouraged us to be active, to do what’s right, to keep journals, plant gardens, do missionary work, work on our genealogy, be faithful to our spouses, enjoy family life and respect each other.

There are so many activities we could be involved in, the list above I took from just one talk President Kimball gave back in May of 1978, ‘The True Way of Life and Salvation.'

All we need to do is make a decision about what we want to do with our lives and just go for it. If a prophet of the Lord in these last days tells us that we should plant a garden or keep a journal, shouldn’t we do it? There may be skeptics who probably think we don’t have to do everything is asked of us in the scriptures. Or that we may be given a few stripes and then we'll be saved in the Kingdom of Heaven with our Father.

I wonder how many of us are willing to gamble their eternal lives on an assumption.

We welcome your comments, wish you a great weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 14 April, click here.

Good Times

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I’m going to tell a tale today.

I’ve read this old Chinese tale with two different endings, so I’ll give you both, and comment on them.

"There once was a wealthy man, who lived in a nice, comfortable mansion with many rooms. The rich man had many children, who were the joy of his life. They wanted for nothing, since he’d provided for everything their hearts desired."

"One day, while he was away, the mansion caught fire. The children were inside, and didn’t realize the danger they were in. Just then their father showed up at the door, and called to them from outside, telling them that the house was on fire and pleading for them to come out or they could die. The children didn’t know what ‘fire’ or ‘die’ meant, so they went on playing.

First ending: they perished in the fire. In our society we act in the same way as this father, we give our children all that we possibly can, sometimes both parents working to have enough to pay the bills. We shelter our children from all that’s evil in the world in such way that they don’t know what or where the dangers are. Dying in the fire means that the things of the world will bring us some kind of death: physical or spiritual, all we have to do is watch the news.

Second ending: the father promised his children even more presents and they were finally lured out of the burning house. Do we do this to our children, promising or giving them plenty of material possessions? Most of the time children don’t need much to grow up physically, mentally and emotionally balanced.

Whichever way we want to see this tale, the father loved his children very much. Was he overindulgent or just loving?

We welcome your comments, wish you a sunny weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 1 April, click here.

Bare Necessities

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Two Seas

There are two seas in Palestine: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. They are both fed by the Jordan River. One thing we should realize is, the one receives and gives, and the other takes and keeps.

The Sea of Galilee flows on, while the Dead Sea is cursed with no way out.

One is filled with lush life, while the other destroys life.

What makes the difference between the two of them? Is not their source of water: the river Jordan empties in both of them. In the Sea of Galilee, for every drop that flows in, another one drops out. Not so with the Dead Sea, which keeps every drop emptied into it; it hoards every single drop.

In our lives, we have the potential for selfless giving or for selfish keeping. Our choices are spiritual life or death.

Please watch this video, and tell us what you think.

We hope you enjoy your weekend, and  remember to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 25 March, click here.

Green Delight

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We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest.”

President Monson

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has just updated their Family Home Evening site.

There you can find the Resource book, quick tips and ideas, lessons by topic, activities, videos, music, art work and tips for teaching a lesson.

There are also inspired accounts from people who’ve been doing their family night, and how it’s affected their lives.

The link is here. Make good use of it.

We hope you enjoy your weekend, and start shopping for garden bargains.

Remember to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 18 March, click here.

Sharing

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“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

Moroni 7:47

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I realized today that I wanted to quote someone who’s totally anonymous. Sometimes you find regular run-of-the-mill people who have a great outlook on life, and you just want to honor them.

There are these two cute twin sisters from Knoxville, TN. They run their non-profit soup kitchen, and they are the happiest, humblest people I have seen in a long time.

They were showcased on a TV show last week. The person that was the center of the episode was looking for organizations or people that she could make a donation to. Two of the people she met were Helen Ashe and Ellen Turner. One said of the other: “She’s 5 minutes older than me, but I’m 50 pounds heavier!” Laughs all around. Great sense of humor, and an incredible love for their fellow beings.

When asked about their philosophy, Helen said:

“Our Daddy taught us three truths:

1- There’s but one father, and that’s the Heavenly Father

2- There’s but one race, and that’s the human race

3- Not to take the last piece of bread from the table, because someone may come at us hungry.

Isn’t that simple and deep at the same time? I just loved their genuine zest for life.

They run The Love Kitchen. Pay them a visit and let me know what you think.

Let me share this scripture with you:

“But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.” Moroni 7:13

I think the sisters are inspired to do good, and they’ve been doing it continually since 1984.

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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 11 March, please click here.

Inspiration

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I liked this so much I thought I’d share it here with all of you. Justine, at Segullah posted it. It's cute:

THE DODGE

-I comes into the bedroom crying.

-I: “-J hit me!”

Justine: “Why’d she hit you?”

-I: “Just because I wouldn’t answer her question! I wouldn’t answer her so she whacked me! It’s not fair! She needs a punishment, right?”

Justine: “So, what’s -J going to say if we ask her?”

-I: “I don’t know. I just wouldn’t answer her mean, nasty question, so she hit me!”

Justine: “What did -J ask you?”

Long pause.

Justine: “-I, what did -J ask you?”

-I: “Well, she asked me why I spit at her.”



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Lifesavers

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What’s a life saver?

Def: life•sav•er rescuer: a provider or source of greatly needed help

If we get sick, we have need of something that will make us feel better. If we have the blues, we need something to help us get back to normal.

There’s always something that will be a life saver for us. It could be something as ordinary as a comfort food (macaroni and cheese, anyone?), or a habit (reading scriptures maybe).

In 1986 Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard wrote Bread and Milk. In her article, she’s talking about her first time having a fast, and the experience of eating bread afterwards. In her own words:

"It was a simple meal, an ordinary meal, a meal that I had had every Sunday night for as long as I could remember. But it tasted different that night. I distinctly remember the yeasty smell of the bread and the way the cool milk felt inside my mouth. I’ve never had a meal quite like it since.

That meal started to teach me about the bread and milk of living. It started to teach me about the richness of ordinary things. I found that really enjoying life could be as simple as being able to savor an ordinary meal."

What are some things that you consider lifesavers? Please send us a comment.

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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 25 February, please click here.

Do What's Right

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When we are presented with choices, there are always at least two sides to a story, and we have to choose which side we’re going to be on.

Today’s newsletter is about doing what’s right. Sometimes the choices are not that critical, like what socks am I going to wear today, or what’s for dinner. Reason and good judgment should tell you what to wear to work and what’s better suited for tonight’s dinner.

Other times, the choices we make define who we are. I’m sure you recall Prop8 and how the church came to the forefront of that battle. And I’m sure you remember how divided our members were about that issue.

I’d like to bring to your attention two situations that happened just this week in California.

Elder Oaks spoke about religious freedom last Saturday. This is what he had to say:

"Along with many others, I see a serious threat to the freedom of religion in the current assertion of a 'civil right' of homosexuals to be free from religious preaching against their relationships. Religious leaders of various denominations affirm and preach that sexual relations should only occur between a man and a woman joined together in marriage. One would think that the preaching of such a doctrinal belief would be protected by the constitutional guarantee of the free exercise of religion, to say nothing of the guarantee of free speech. However, we are beginning to see worldwide indications that this may not be so."

The other news belonged to an LDS missionary who just happened to witness an accident, sprang to action and saved lives.

"They're giving me too much credit," said Johnson, 19, of Aloha, Ore., who serves as a Spanish-speaking missionary in the California San Bernardino Mission and is five months into his two-year call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

My question is, do we make our own choices and decide who we’re going to be, or do we let others make it for us? Do we go along with other people’s opinions (as misguided as they may be) just to have it ‘easy,’ or do we make a stand and send a clear message to everyone around as to who we are and what we believe?

I watch the show ‘Lie to Me,’ and to me the fact that people can make assumptions on behavior based on facial expressions is fascinating. In one episode the main character, Dr. Lightman, said that popular people are popular because they don’t really stand for anything (I’m not quoting verbatim here). He called them 'facile' (easy).

Are we like that? Do we want to be popular more than the blessings promised to us from above?

Sometimes, choosing a side will make us unpopular. I hope we’re strong enough to deal with that.

As always we welcome your comments.

Don't forget to take advantage of our Free Download Friday, here.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 11 February, please click here.

Surprising Sweetness

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“A true Mormon home is one in which if Christ should chance to enter, he would be pleased to linger and to rest.” Pres. David O. McKay



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When I saw today’s newsletter I realized that I should mention families. I thought Cindy Beck’s story was so sweet, it took me back 15 or 16 years ago, when my boy was just a toddler. The feeling I had while I read it was exquisite and unforgettable.

I can only say that our families are, right now at these perilous times, our most precious treasures. Our commitment should be to the raising and watching over those special spirits that the Lord has sent our way.

Here’s an excerpt from a talk given by President Thomas S. Monson:

“The family, as we have traditionally known it, is such a refuge of safety. 'The home is the basis of a righteous life and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions.' Actually, a home is much more than a house. A house is built of lumber, brick, and stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect. A house can be a home, and a home can be a heaven when it shelters a family. When true values and basic virtues undergird the families of society, hope will conquer despair, and faith will triumph over doubt.”

We should be doing all that’s in our power to do what the General Authorities have been counseling us to do for years: family prayer, family night, scripture study, and anything else that you think will keep us safe. We need to recommit ourselves daily to keep our families safe.

Don't forget to take advantage of our Free Download Friday, here.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 4 February, please click here.

Get Involved

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In the 1971 Ensign, George Durrant wrote the following:

“Parents who harbor a dream for their children’s destiny know that the Lord’s family home evening program is like a gift from heaven. It is not something that we have to do. It is something that we get to do.

“Most parents have similar aspirations for their children. Why then have some parents made home evenings part of family life while others have not? Is family home evening, for some, just another burden added to an already overburdened life? Do some fathers feel that they aren’t equipped educationally or spiritually to teach their children? Have some tried and been discouraged by the restless or the rowdy resistance of their children?”  Source

A few years ago I read an article in the Ensign that changed my perspective on this subject. Haven’t you ever felt like ‘great, it’s Monday again. What to do’?

In this article, the author said that her outlook on Family Home Evening had changed when she realized that it was her own personal calling, one that she wasn’t going to get released from any time soon. So she started planning and preparing her lessons just like the ones for Primary. It made the whole experience with her family a lot better.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 28 January, please click here.

Big Plans

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I thought about what message I wanted to send on today’s blog, and decided on finding quotes on obedience. Here they are:

"As parents and adult leaders of youth, we cannot expect our young people to take to heart the things the prophet says to them if we show a complacent attitude toward his counsel in our own lives." M. Russell Ballard – source here.

"At the moment, these four guides—prayer, obedience to God's commandments, daily scripture study, and a commitment to follow the living prophet—may seem like small and simple things. Let me remind you of the scripture found in Alma: 'Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass' (Alma 37:6). When applied in our everyday lives, these four 'small and simple' guides from the book of Joshua will combine to provide the most powerful source of courage and strength there is: faith in our Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ." Anne M. Dibb – source here.

"The gospel is so very simple when we understand it properly. It is always right, it is always good, it is always uplifting. Obedience to gospel principles brings forth joy and happiness. Disobedience has a day of reckoning and will only bring forth heartache, misery, strife, and unhappiness." L. Tom Perry – source here.

"Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception—and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are." David A. Bednar – source here.

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