LDS Gem Archives, November 2008
Young Single Adult Gems - 28 November 2008
Knowing the Truth and Sacrificing for the Lord
"Our ancestors, along with many other faithful Saints, sacrificed everything because of their testimonies and faith in Jesus Christ. They knew that the gospel had been restored to the earth once more and that they were led by a prophet of God. They knew that the Book of Mormon was true and understood its message and witness. They knew that through the restoration of priesthood keys, families could be sealed together for eternity through holy priesthood ordinances available only in a temple. They knew that temple work was the key to the salvation and exaltation of the human family. They knew the importance of this work, and they were willing to give all that they had in order to provide a house acceptable to the Lord wherein this holy work could be performed. They sacrificed everything so that past and future generations would have access to the eternal blessings of the temple."
Topics: Temple Work
Family Gems - 28 November 2008
Greatest Joys in Life Come from Family Relations
“I am at a stage in my life when, because of great distances, I cannot come to know well grandchildren and, in time, great-grandchildren. There are also people who have never had the opportunity for marriage and parenthood who have the same yearning as I do to somehow be close to family. Because of the restoration of the knowledge of eternal families, we are more hopeful and more kindly in all our family relations. The greatest joys in this life center in families, as they will in the worlds to come. I am so grateful for the assurance I have that if we are faithful, the same sociality which we enjoy here in this life will be forever with us in the world to come, in eternal glory (see D&C 130:2).”
Topics: Parenthood
Daily Gems - 28 November 2008
Enhancing the Sacred Role of the Holy Ghost
"If we [increase our spiritual] effort and quench not the Spirit, our inner being is quickened. As we persevere, eternal life awaits us. Thus, we dare not quench the Spirit through disobedience or neglect. Rather, let us 'live in the Spirit' (Galatians 5:25), enhancing the sacred and essential role of the Holy Ghost in our individual lives. I testify that as we truly seek the Spirit, we shall benefit more fully from the quiet, but essential, workings of the Holy Ghost."
Topics: Spirituality, Holy Ghost
Church History Gems - 28 November 2008
Joseph Smith's Perseverance
"What course will we set in the future? What will be our compass in the midst of the storms of life? What will be our anchor to keep us from drifting off the course that will lead us to eternal life?
"I turn for answers to these questions to the lives of the Prophet Joseph Smith; his mother, Lucy Mack Smith; and other valiant men and women who laid the foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Joseph Smith's name is very dear to all faithful Latter-day Saints. His name is especially dear to me and my family because we are blessed to claim his older brother Hyrum as our forefather.
". . . As we face our own trials in future years, we must always remember Joseph Smith's perseverance in the face of incredible hardships and opposition to bring forth the restored Church of Jesus Christ."
Topics: Faith, Opposition
Youth Gems - 27 November 2008
Men, Women, and Covenants
"Every man and woman who is willing to serve the Lord and can qualify for a temple recommend makes covenants of obedience and sacrifice. Each is endowed 'with power from on high' (see D&C 95:8).
"Every elder and sister who receives a mission call is set apart to do the Lord's work, and each is given authority to preach the gospel of Christ.
"A man and a woman who enter into the full partnership of a covenant temple marriage share equally in the blessings of that covenant if they are faithful (see D&C 131:1-2). The Lord has said that their covenant will be in force after this life, and together they are promised power and exaltation (see D&C 132:19-20)."
Topics: Ordinances, Covenants, Temple Work
Church History Gems - 26 November 2008
Most Unusual Man
"As we look at Brigham Young and reflect upon the inspiration and direction that came to that most unusual man, we recall how he was able to fill the tragic void caused by the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, how he stepped in and was able under inspiration and revelation to guide and direct the closing of Nauvoo and the planning of the trip west. We remember the continued work there at that time on the Nauvoo Temple and the way that was organized to move forward, with the wagon trains crossing the West and into the Salt Lake Valley into what would become the Zion where they could worship and teach and preach and build the meetinghouses and all that would be needed for this civilization and for this culture that we have, to expand and grow here.
"Think of the inspiration that came to the prophet Brigham Young for those people not to just build up a big city in Salt Lake, but to move out into these other settlements. He had the genius to have people go out and look for the valleys and the areas away from Salt Lake City where the pioneers who would pour into this valley could go and settle and make their homes and build cities and communities and build their personalities and their characters and develop the talents that would be theirs. So rather than having a large city in Salt Lake, under his leadership some 360 communities were developed out in Wyoming and Nevada and Arizona and southern Idaho as well as in Utah."
Young Single Adult Gems - 26 November 2008
Finding Answers through the Scriptures
"Satan would diminish your faith and dilute your priesthood power to work mighty miracles, but a loving Heavenly Father has provided you with providential protection--the gift of the Holy Ghost. In the first chapter of the Book of Mormon we learn that as Lehi read the scriptures 'he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord' (1 Ne. 1:8-12). Nephi later promises us that as we 'feast upon the words of Christ . . . the words of Christ will tell [us] all things what [we] should do' (2 Ne. 32:3).
"You may be facing decisions regarding a mission, your future career, and, eventually, marriage. As you read the scriptures and pray for direction, you may not actually see the answer in the form of printed words on the page, but as you read you will receive distinct impressions, and promptings, and, as promised, the Holy Ghost 'will show unto you all things what ye should do' (2 Ne. 32:5)."
Topics: Holy Ghost, Scripture
Daily Gems - 26 November 2008
A Greater Richness in Life
"I bear testimony that God lives. His love is infinite and eternal. It extends to all of His children. Because He loves us, He has provided prophets and apostles to guide us in our time. He has given us the Holy Ghost, who teaches, comforts, and inspires.
"He has given us His scriptures. And I am grateful beyond description that He has given to each of us a heart capable of experiencing the pure love of Christ.
"I pray that our hearts may be filled with that love and that we may reach out to our Heavenly Father and to others with new vision and new faith. I testify that as we do so, we will discover a greater richness in life."
Topics: Testimony
Daily Gems - 25 November 2008
Learning as Missionaries Do
"Along with studying the scriptures, missionaries study Preach My Gospel every day. They learn principles and skills, and they apply them. They especially learn how to use the guidance of the Spirit in their work. If we want to learn as missionaries do, we too must carefully study Preach My Gospel and observe the missionaries in their daily work."
Topics: Scripture, Holy Ghost
Youth Gems - 25 November 2008
The Blessings of the Priesthood Are Available to Men and Women Equally
"I hope our granddaughters and grandsons grow up knowing that they are not and have never been third-party observers of the priesthood. The blessings of the priesthood, which 'are available to men and women alike' (Dallin H. Oaks, "Priesthood Authority in the Family and the Church," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 26), are woven in and through and around their lives. Each of them is blessed by sacred ordinances, and each of them can enjoy the blessings of spiritual gifts by virtue of the priesthood."
Topics: Melchizedek Priesthood
Daily Gems - 24 November 2008
Genuine Love for the Lord
"When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self sacrifice and service. Yes, those who go home teaching out of duty, for example, may fulfill their obligation. But those who home teach out of genuine love for the Lord and for their fellowman will likely approach that task with a very different attitude."
Topics: Obedience
Family Gems - 24 November 2008
We Must Build a Foundation of Faith in the Family
“Wise men have provided a legacy of learning from the past. We must hand down to future generations a foundation of faith in the family.”
Topics: Family
Young Single Adult Gems - 24 November 2008
Turning to Christ for Peace
“Jesus was also a being of flesh and spirit, but He yielded not to temptation see Mosiah 15:5. We can turn to Him as we seek unity and peace within, because He understands. He understands the struggle, and He also understands how to win the struggle….Most importantly, may we look to Jesus to help restore the inner unity of our soul when we have succumbed to sin and destroyed our peace”
Topics: Jesus Christ
Church History Gems - 24 November 2008
A Great and Noble Heritage
"We are blessed with a great and noble heritage that offers a pathway to truth that veers dramatically from the so-called ways of the world. We need to remind ourselves about the value of our heritage so we do not underestimate its worth. I challenge the many Saints who are hiding in the corners to stand tall and proclaim loudly the treasured teachings of our common heritage, not with a spirit of pride or boasting but with a spirit of confidence and conviction.
"Something about which I am most proud is how our forefathers, through their faith in God and their industry and perseverance, turned places that nobody wanted into beautiful cities."
Topics: Faith
Young Single Adult Gems - 21 November 2008
Characteristics of Prophets
"It is vital to understand that, first, prophets are called of God and He testifies to the world of their calling. . . . Second, the role of prophets is to teach of Christ and testify of His divinity and His mission. . . . [And] the third characteristic of prophets is that their teachings are recorded and are taught by succeeding prophets and teachers to the inhabitants of the earth."
Family Gems - 21 November 2008
Righteous Family Traditions
Righteous Family Traditions Will Build a Strong Foundation for Children
“I would invite all of us to take a moment to reflect on the traditions in our lives and how they might be affecting our families. Our traditions of Sabbath day observance, family prayer, family scripture study, service and activity in the Church, as well as patterns of respect and loyalty in the home, will have a great effect on our children and on their future. If our parenting is based on the teachings of the scriptures and of the latter-day prophets, we cannot go wrong. If every time there is a challenge our hearts turn first and always to our Father in Heaven for direction, we will be in a safe place. If our children know where we stand and we always stand on the Lord’s side, we know we are where we need to be.
“Now, the important thing is that we consistently work to do these things. We will not be perfect at it, and our families will not always respond positively, but we will be building a strong foundation of righteous traditions that our children can depend on. They can hold to that foundation when things get difficult, and they can return to that foundation if they should stray for a period of time.”
Topics: Family
Daily Gems - 21 November 2008
A Gospel of Transformation
"The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.
"The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter. The Greek playwright Sophocles wrote: 'One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love' (Oedipus at Colonus, in The Oedipus Cycle, trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald [New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1949], 161 62).
"The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy. In the end, the development of such love is the true measure of success in life."
Topics: Love
Church History Gems - 21 November 2008
A Legacy of Total Dedication to the Gospel
"In the spring of 1848, my great-great-grandparents, Charles Stewart Miller and Mary McGowan Miller, who had joined the Church in their native Scotland, left their home in Rutherglen, Scotland, and journeyed to St. Louis, Missouri, with a group of Saints, arriving there in 1849. One of their 11 children, Margaret, would become my great-grandmother.
"While the family was in St. Louis working to earn enough money to complete their journey to the Salt Lake Valley, a plague of cholera swept through the area, leaving death and heartache in its wake. The Miller family was hard hit. In the space of two weeks, four of the family members succumbed. The first, on June 22, 1849, was 18-year-old William. Five days later Mary McGowan Miller, my great-great-grandmother and the mother of the family, died. Two days afterward, 15-year-old Archibald passed away, and five days after his death, my great-great-grandfather, Charles Stewart Miller, father of the family, succumbed. The children who survived were left orphans, including my great-grandmother Margaret, who was 13 years old at the time.
"Because of so many deaths in the area, there were no caskets available, at any price, in which to bury the deceased family members. The older surviving boys dismantled the family's oxen pens in order to make caskets for the family members who had passed away.
"Little is recorded of the heartache and struggles of the nine remaining Miller children as they continued to work and save for that journey their parents and brothers would never make. We know that they left St. Louis in the spring of 1850 with four oxen and one wagon, arriving finally in the Salt Lake Valley that same year.
"Others of my ancestors faced similar hardships. Through it all, however, their testimonies remained steadfast and firm. From all of them I received a legacy of total dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of these faithful souls, I stand before you today."
Topics: Pioneers
Youth Gems - 20 November 2008
Priesthood and Spiritual Gifts
"The priesthood is intricately woven into who we are and have ever been. As sons and daughters of God, we each have unique responsibilities and roles, and through the blessings of the priesthood, we are all given equal partnership, gifts, and blessings."
Topics: Melchizedek Priesthood
Daily Gems - 20 November 2008
Eternal Life the Greatest of All Gifts
"The scriptures teach us that once we have received the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, our task then is to 'endure to the end' (2 Nephi 31:20). . . .
"Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our life, is a fundamental requirement for salvation in the kingdom of God. This belief distinguishes Latter day Saints from many other Christian denominations that teach that salvation is given to all who simply believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord clearly declared, 'If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God' (D&C 14:7)."
Topics: Enduring to the End, Obedience
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