Line upon line

Thanks for this prompt, dad. Since getting married I've been trying to be really good at being patient with myself and patient with finding balance. For years I've been good at saying my personal prayers and really studying my scriptures - somehow all these years of habit meant nothing and I was happy if I even read my scriptures once a week. I am a little proud of myself that I didn't let this eat me up inside, I had to consciously remind myself that I had to again learn to walk before I ran and that the balance of couple spiritual stuff and personal spiritual stuff would come.
As I read this talk I really felt like my time of patience with this thing was up and that my grace period was over. Basically, time to get my spiritual act together! So my story isn't anything grand at all, just a course correction and nudge to be who the Lord expects me to be. I really have a testimony that the Lord is patient with us and I feel that He was patient with me as I adjusted to being married, but I was beginning to waste the blood of His Son. Everything is line upon line and precept upon precept and I feel like with reading this I received and answer that it was time to move up to the next line and be responsible for higher things.

I think all of you know about Felix. He is my co-worker, great friend and one of those people who should be Mormon. I am working to change the wording of that last fact from ‘should be’ to ‘is a’. I have shared all the missionary lessons with him and have frequent gospel conversations (just on my own, he wasn’t interested in meeting the full-time missionaries). He is intrigued intellectually and interested because it is something important to me, which I am grateful for. 

One way I used to share the gospel was to give him a copy of my Sunday school lesson outlines. We would discuss the content, my teaching style and he would share related scriptures. I stopped sharing at some point, though. Why? Because of laziness (had to make sure the outline had complete thoughts, no shorthand), because I didn't want to appear as a show off, because I worried that he felt burdened by obligation. And I wondered if efforts were really bringing forth fruit. After reading Dad’s question I re-thought all these reasons for stopping. I decided the reasons I gave were either lame or assumptions and should not be what motivates my actions. What did I do? I sent Felix my last outline, studied his input, and had a conversation. Even if he does not come closer to becoming a member of our faith, these conversations will bring both of us closer to our Savior, which is fruit. 

This story ended up being an example of doing what the Lord expected of me, then wasting His Blood, then using His atonement to repent and once again do what the Lord would want me to do. Dad, thanks for asking the question that prompted me to change my actions.

january topic

I am moved by Elder Holland's talk in the last conference...It is on conversion, and the question, "are we doing what the Lord wants/expects"?
    Please read the article, and give an example of a choice you have recently made where you had to think..."is this what the Lord bought with His blood".  I of course assume you will all give good examples, and not how you wasted the Blood.
   My example comes from our visit to Yellowstone last Sept.  We were out looking for wolves...sort of a chilling, time consuming, "are you kidding me...we waited 2 hours for that?" type experience. Many people were at the spot....we were engaging in pleasant conversations, such as "where are you from, why are you here, and where are you going next."  Anyway, a couple were talking about being from back east...and how they were going to xyz next, and they would have a layover in Salt Lake City for one day.  They asked the group in general..."what is there to do in SLC for one night?"   No one was answering...but I felt a couple of others there were indeed members of the church (I do not know this for fact...it just makes the story better) So, never being one who could be confused as opinionless, I said..."If you only have one night.afternoon, you should go to Temple Square...it is beautiful and you will see so many interesting things...I really like it"  So these travellers said they would do it.
   The jist of my story is I stood up and encouraged someone to do something I know will have an impact on them. I have faith that people who visit the Square will be affected by the spirit.

   Please give examples where you have recently said or done the right thing (and no, "I went to church today" doesn't cut it)

    If you can not think of a thing, then maybe that is a lesson enough to you...you can pledge to get out of your fishing boat now.

Love Dad