The Atonement in Our Everyday Lives

"President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, testified that we can apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ to remove our guilt: 'For some reason we think the Atonement of Christ applies only at the end of mortal life to redemption from the Fall, from spiritual death. It is much more than that. It is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life. When we are racked or harrowed up or tormented by guilt or burdened with grief, He can heal us. While we do not fully understand how the Atonement of Christ was made, we can experience ‘the peace of God, which passeth all understanding’ [Philippians 4:7]. . . .We all make mistakes. Sometimes we harm ourselves and seriously injure others in ways that we alone cannot repair. We break things that we alone cannot fix. It is then in our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help. The Lord said, ‘Behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent’ [D&C 19:16]. . . . “The Atonement has practical, personal, everyday value; apply it in your life. It can be activated with so simple a beginning as prayer. You will not thereafter be free from trouble and mistakes but can erase the guilt through repentance and be at peace” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2001, 28–29; or Ensign, May 2001, 23–24)." -Book of Mormon Institute Manual, pg. 207

This can lead us to a sincere appreciation of the Atonement in this life, not just at Judgment Day. Also, I truly begin that things always begin with prayer. When we are lost or have fallen, prayer is how we reach out and are able to be lifted up. At the front of my copy of the Book of Mormon I have written, "If you're lost, PRAY!" It is one of the most powerful gifts in our lives.

"Hope is the thing with feathers" -Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops – at all -

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet – never – in Extremity,

It asked a crumb – of me.

Books to Read

I'm been keeping little sticky notes in my mind of books I want to read someday, so I figured I would deposit them here...hopefully this list will get longer...

books
-The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
-The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
-Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
-Counseling with Our Councils by Elder M. Russell Ballard
-The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis...and basically everything by C.S. Lewis
-The Enoch Letters by Elder Neal A. Maxwell
-Visions of Glory by John Pontius
-Journey to the Veil by John Pontius
-The Miracle of Forgiveness by President Spencer W. Kimball

movies
-White Christmas
-The Cowboys

_______________________

Plus, I would like to keep a list of things to give to strengthen my future family. Here there are:

books
-The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
-Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
-Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
-Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
-Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

television
-The Andy Griffith Show
-...that's basically it

movies
-Tuesdays with Morrie
-Gandhi
-Chariots of Fire
-17 Miracles
-Ephraim's Rescue
-A Little Princess
-Unbroken
-all the classic Disney movies (Lion King, Hercules, Pocahontas, etc.)

talks
-Stay By the Tree by Elder Kevin W. Pearson
-Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
-Things as They Really Are by Elder David A. Bednar

songs
-lots of classical music
-lots of Mormon Tabernacle Choir
-At the Edge by Jonathan Elias
-David Tolk
-Paul Cardall
-EFY music
-The Lamb of God and Saints and Pioneers by Rob Gardner
-Gabriel's Oboe by Jenny Oaks Baker
-Jon Schmidt

hobbies and talents
-family history
-running
-gardening
-calligraphy
-spiritual creation and affirmations
-cooking
-piano
-singing
-tennis
-drawing

places
-Nauvoo. For sure. No doubt.
-Temple Square

traditions
-family Skype
-family dinners
-tender mercies
-board games

Scripture Power

"Your gospel study is most effective when you are taught by the Holy Ghost. Always begin your gospel study by praying for the Holy Ghost to help you learn. He will bring knowledge and conviction that will bless your life and allow you to bless the lives of others. Your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. Your desire to repent and improve will grow. This kind of study prepares you for service, offers solace, resolves problems, and gives you the strength to endure to the end." -Preach My Gospel, pg.

The scriptures are a very powerful way to help you do what is right. It is what helped me to come to Virginia. I remember one day needing courage to follow through with the prompting, and so I just opened the Book of Mormon and flipped randomly, page after page. Phrases like "blessed are they who will...hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved", "they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them", and even the warning stories of people who pridefully "depended upon their own strength" and "did walk after the desires of [their] own heart[s]"--these phrases gave me the courage and the perspective to act. I am so grateful for the scriptures. I feel like just reading them alone helps me to do what's right, even if I'm not aware of it. I know that they keep me on-track every day, remembering the things that matter most. They are the spiritual compass that helps me see where I may be getting off-course in my life so I can make course corrections. They are a spiritual measuring stick as I ask myself introspective questions. They invite the Spirit so that if there is more specific counsel just for me, I can hear it. They are my spiritual nourishment, and I will never stop reading them.

The Reality of Angels

From Elder Holland: “I am convinced that one of the profound themes of the Book of Mormon is the role and prevalence and central participation of angels in the gospel story. . . .One of the things that will become more important in our lives the longer we live is the reality of angels, their work and their ministry. I refer here not alone to the angel Moroni but also to those more personal ministering angels who are with us and around us, empowered to help us and who do exactly that (see 3 Ne. 7:18; Moro. 7:29–32, 37; D&C 107:20). . . .I believe we need to speak of and believe in and bear testimony of the ministry of angels more than we sometimes do. They constitute one of God’s great methods of witnessing through the veil, and no document in all this world teaches that principle so clearly and so powerfully as does the Book of Mormon” (“For a Wise Purpose,” Ensign, Jan. 1996, 16–17)." -Book of Mormon Institute Manual, pg. 195

This is such a comforting thought, such a good affirmation to tell myself in hard times. There are angels all around us to bear us up through our hardest times, just as they comforted and strengthened the Savior during the Atonement. I have SO many angels on this side of the veil, and I believe that there are more than I know on the other side. I also believe that those angels who are given charge over us are loved ones we know who have passed on. And I believe that angels are given special charge over children. :) One of my goals is to be an angel for the loved ones in my life. My mama is definitely my angel, and an angel to everyone around her. She is one of the purest, happiest, most selfless women I know, taking me by the heart and the hand since I was a toddler--and she will continue to for eternity!

"Obedience always involves self-discipline." -President Kimball

I have been praying for help to be more valiant, and my prayer was answered last night at a fireside when I was thumbing through my scriptures. Deep in the heart of my Topical Guide was this quote! It was exactly what I needed. It was empowering to me because it reminded me that I'm in the driver's seat.

"Self-control, self-mastery, can be substituted for the dominion of sin, and the sinner can move by his own agency toward God rather than under the control of sin toward Satan...What is needed is self-discipline. Can we imagine the angels or the gods not being in control of themselves in any particular? The question is of course ludicrous. Equally ridiculous is the idea that any of us can rise to the eternal heights without disciplining ourselves and being disciplined by the circumstances of life...Obedience always involves self-discipline. So does repentance, which is the way to annul the effects of a previous lack of obedience in one's life. The dividends from both obedience and repentance amply repay the effort." -President Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness

Also, I had a few other great insights this weekend and I don't want to lose them!

-I got to go to the temple this weekend and I was reminded that I need to focus all my efforts on building His kingdom. If I'm not building His kingdom, I'm building my own, and it will all come to naught. I know that His kingdom will only get bigger!

-In church yesterday an idea stood out to me: as we remember Him always, we will have His Spirit to be with us. So, maybe that means that the things we do that bring the Spirit are a form of remembering Him.

-The wise man and the foolish man: one built his house upon the Rock, the other did not. I like to think that both of them had a blueprint for how to build a strong home, but only one followed through. It made me think of the counsel I receive today: do I just hear it, or do I apply it?

Becoming

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 41; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32). -Book of Mormon Institute Manual