Offering Comfort

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“For when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men”

2 Nephi 33:1

We sometimes wonder how it feels to really ‘hear’ the voice of the Holy Ghost. President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve gave us an ideal understanding of that moment in his 1991 talk ‘How Does the Spirit Speak to Us? He said:

“We do not have the words—even the scriptures do not have the words—which perfectly describe the Spirit. The scriptures usually use the word voice. That does not exactly fit—it does, but it doesn’t. These very delicate, fine spiritual communications are not seen with our eyes nor heard with our ears; it is a voice that one feels more than hears.

When we experience a spiritual communication, we are wont to say within ourselves, “This is it. Now I understand.” That is what is meant by those words in the revelations. Nephi explained it this way:

“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3)"

A spiritual communication should be a very important part of our day. It should be something we actively pursue. We came from Heavenly parents, it’s in us to be able to find that communication that saves spiritually.

As always we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday 9 May, click here.

Personal Touch

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

In our Personal Touch interview for this week, Rebecca Cressman interviews Richard J. Allen who is the author of New Testament Who's Who, an encyclopedia-like portrayal of every person found in the New Testament. Gleaned from a lifetime of intensive study and instruction, the book is a resource giving historical context, personal descriptions, and explanations on how each individual's story contributes to the larger message of the Bible. Richard Allen is a husband, father, teacher, and writer. He has served on several high councils, in several stake presidencies, and as a bishop. Richard¹s teaching assignments in the Church have included service as a full-time missionary, instructor in various priesthood quorums, Gospel Doctrine teacher, and stake institute director. He has served as a faculty member at both Brigham Young University and the Johns Hopkins University. Richard has coauthored many articles, manuals and books and has served on a number of national educational boards. He and his wife, Carol Lynn Hansen Allen, have four children and five grandchildren.

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Procrastination is the thief of time.

~Edward Young

I like that quote. It’s short, but right to the point. How many of us allow procrastination to rob us of something special? It could be a hug, a loved one’s kiss, a missed opportunity.

I like this definition that came from E. Marvin J. Ashton: “Straightway is a power word. Straightway is an action word. It means immediately, without delay or hesitation. It means at once. Also, it is associated with having no curve or turn—a straight course, track, or path. Procrastination would be the very opposite of straightway. To procrastinate is to put off intentionally and habitually something that should be done. Procrastination is unproductive delay.” (Source: here)

Every year, at the start of the New Year, my husband and I make a spring cleaning schedule. We start in January because it’s a daunting task and we just do one room a week. We don’t want to hurt ourselves in the process, you know. :o)

It’s something we don’t like doing, but somebody has to, and there’s no way around it. This year, most of the house is being done for us by strangers: we’re going through a remodel. I was looking at our bedroom walls the other day and realized why we’ve cleaned them all these years. Because of the dust involved, they’re filthy.

President Eyring has said: "However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation. Procrastination and inconsistency are its mortal enemies." ("Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 38)

I believe there are many things in life we may not want to do right away. We have to decide what’s important, and set priorities for ourselves and our families.

If you’d like to share, please post it in the comments section.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 10 January, please click here.

Personal Touch

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

In our Personal Touch with Rebecca Cressman segment, she interviews Trent Howell. He and his family believe that every family should spend more time together playing games. Like most families, Trent and his wife try to find balance among all the activities pulling family members in different directions. By making it a priority to sit down and play games together, they're able to reconnect with one another in a fun way that strengthens everyone involved. And to encourage other families around the world to enjoy the benefits of spending more face-to-face time with their families, they created The Board Game Family, where they review card and board games. But unlike other reviewers, the reviews come mostly from the children. It's the kids that describe in the video reviews why they like to play the game. So check out
http://www.theboardgamefamily.com/ to see what games might be good for your family's game table.

Have you ever read the scriptures looking for more than solace or an answer to a spiritual question? How about enjoying them, as part of a ‘feast’ to the soul? Annette Lyon brings to us “Feasting on the Word,” and she mentions the feast that Aslan (from the C.S. Lewis books) had prepared for his friends, which is reminiscent of the feast the Lord has promised all of us. She says: “In the scriptures, we have a glorious feast provided for us. Do we see and taste little more than damp hay and turnips?” I think we should see the scriptures as something more than just a guide for our lives. They’re an invitation to something better: a feast fit for kings and queens. Let’s enjoy them as such. Annette blogs at ‘Out of the Best Books,’ and her latest book Band of Sisters is out in bookstores now.

If we believe what we read in the scriptures, and have a good relationship with Heavenly Father, we’ll have a testimony that prayers are answered. C. S. Bezas, from ‘Bella Online,’ wrote her article “Find Rest in the Word of God.” She tells us the following: “…when we truly seek Him we grow in confidence--absolute awareness--that the Lord hears us.” She mentions the words in the book of Alma (Book of Mormon) where the word of God is likened to a seed, and how we should let it grow and allow it to influence our lives. Since we mentioned feasts before, remember what Jesus said: "...he that cometh to me shall never hunger..."John 6:35). Let’s have the desire to go to Him of our own free will and choice.

Just before summer is completely gone, how about making a delicious slushy with the fruits available out there? From ‘CraziBeautifulWomen,’ we have contributor’s Laura “Strawberry Watermelon Slush.” All you need is some seedless watermelon, fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon, and ice. Make it for your next family night or get together.


To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 30 August, please click here.