David Journal

Tag: October 2008

  • Until We Meet Again

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    David
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    May we be good citizens in whatever country we live in, and good neighbors in our communities.Eternal exile from God may be the most searing anguish – so Eternal life with God is the most precious gift of God. Remember to whom we pray – remember in whose name we pray – and let us…

  • The Test

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    David
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    The latter-day saints of 1849 chose patriotism and loyalty as the theme for their celebration on July 24, 1849 – 2 years after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley and 5 years after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. They chose that theme because they believed in the legitimacy of government. The young men carried the…

  • Testimony as a Process

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    David
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    “I could not think of anything remarkable in my experience of gaining a testimony.”Sometimes we think that to have a testimony we have to have a powerful experience. Sometimes we think that to have a testimony of the Church, we need some great, powerful experience, or a single event which would erase any doubts that…

  • Gospel Teaching – Our Most Important Calling

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    David
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    Gospel TeachingAnyone can teach once they have been taught some fundamental principles and have been shown how to do it. Three principles of Gospel teaching: Love students and call them by name. Teach from the scriptures. Encourage the pondering of gospel truths. pondering requires our hearts as well as our heads. President Boyd K. Packer…

  • Celestial Marriage

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    David
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    Wise shoppers study their options thoroughly, others hunt for bargains only to find later that their choices did not last – finally, there are those who simply steal what they want. The same patterns hold in marital selection. Temple marriage with covenants of fidelity kept throughout life can endure beyond death. Even if marriage is…

  • Welcome to Conference

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    David
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    3 temples dedicated in the last 6 months, each preceded by cultural events.5 new Temples announced including one in the Kansas City area and Rome, Italy. (Rome really got a reaction. Personally, I wonder where in the Kansas City Area, it could be Independence.) Five new temples will be built in the following locations: Calgary,…

  • Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship

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    David
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    Christian CourageIt is natural to wish to defend ourselves, but Christ showed the truth that silence in the face of criticism is often better. That forces our actions to defend us from the criticisms.Some situations are like a cactus, that can only hurt us. We must learn to avoid those rather than attempting to navigate…

  • “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time”

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    David
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    When we go to our Father in Heaven in prayer to tell Him about our hard times, we may receive comfort and assurance. Without opposition we could do no good. Trials are natural. Some trials are tailored for our own growth and development. The incident I just recounted, while a difficult travel situation, was brief,…

  • Returning Home

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    David
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    This is the invitation that we extend to all those who have strayed and to those who have not received the gospel previously. Through the years our family has lived in different countries, and in each one of them we were able to find within the Church the same feeling of warmth from members in…

  • Our Hearts Knit as One

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    David
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    Principles of UnityBeing of one heart and one mind.It started as a discussion about what was true and became an argument about who was right.The gift of unity from our Heavenly Father cannot be given to us as individuals. We must achieve unity as groups (e.g. families, communities)Speak well of each other.The Atonement brings the…