“Now in the Winter of My Life”
cji
9/8/19
Now in the winter of my life, I have had in the past multiple
opportunities to express my love and appreciation for the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. I continue to draw closer to greater knowledge of Jesus Christ with
each day following its precepts and principles. Let us look at the second article of Faith which clarifies that we are
responsible for our own actions on Earth. That means we each need toss away the lack of self-compliancy
in our learning and living these precious Gospel truths. So, let us then have
more sense of His care, become more like our Savior. The topic of this
presentation- moving our individual Faith into sure knowledge.
We individually must thoroughly be seeking more holiness as we each walk
the path of discipleship. For those who are looking for trust through a
better understanding and most of all, more hope in our Savior, we have pledged
at baptism changing ourselves to know our Savior. Only we are responsible for
our own learning in these physical bodies, it is our individual choice alone.
Elder L. Tom Perry, Of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said- The teachings and concepts
of true doctrine are found in the Gospel of our Lord and Savior. False
teachings come from Satan, the father of all lies. His desire is to pervert and
alter revealed truths. Satan wants to deceive us so some of us will lose our
way along the journey back to our Heavenly home. So instead our faith can be
strengthened, more trust in his word can bring us more sense of his care.
Elder Perry compares Gospel truths taught and
build upon one another, much like the components of a cell phone- mutually
supporting one another. Identical to the elaborate supply chain that adds
components to his cell phone.
These pieces of doctrine supply us with keys
of the true doctrine. Each truth adds unique value to our understanding and
knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. True
doctrine comes Heaven bound from God, the source and foundation of all truths.
The teachings and concepts
of true doctrine are found in the Gospel. We are not looking for new
information alone, as a replacement, we are strengthening our faith. We become
in 2 Corinthians 5:17: a new creature- relying on our Savior, to change our
hearts, our views, our actions, and our very natures.
C.S. Lewis said,” We are what
we believe we are.” This converts our knowledge base- no longer just faith- we
adapt to a sure knowledge! If something is fact or truth it is knowledge and it
is from our Heavenly Father.
What is sure knowledge? Surety is security, a warrantee, a
great refuge for our soul. We develop confidence and become freed from doubts.
Gospel learning that strengthens our faith and leads to the miraculous
transformation does not happen overnight or at one time. Instead this change
grows and extends beyond the classroom into our hearts and home.
That is to believe God, we must connect to our part of that trust
relationship between Heavenly Father and ourselves. To preserve with all of our
heart, to show him we can harness time periods of our days for our sacred trust
to grow comparable to our Lord and Savior. We are here on Earth to know and
show we care about Him, to walk with Him.
The
scriptures teach us how to avoid false teachings. For example, in Paul’s letter
to Timothy we read: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
This
doctrine is to the Church like a cell phone battery. Back to Elder Perry and
his cell phone, when you remove the battery from your cell phone, it becomes
useless. So, a church in which true doctrine is no longer taught is
similarly despondent. It cannot guide us back to our Heavenly Father and our
Eternal home.
Caution here as followers of Christ: We cannot submit to
discouragement. Our individual job is to follow Christ’s path to have the
initiative to grow in faith, love, and do our part to gain knowledge. We have
been taught to apply the Holy Scriptures to our lives. Follow God and he will
work miracles through our efforts, to preserve in building our knowledge base
on Christ’s teachings.
Obedience and following Gospel precepts takes each of us from
faith alone, to climb the ladder of greater hope, through our own diligence,
through our own punctuality and through repletely searching gospel doctrine,
through developed order. We know that Faith
is not blind, instead that Faith is both far-sighted or wise and sharp-sighted.
Vision of hope helps us to move confidently in the direction we choose-
hopefully forward and upward.
Faith’s evidence rests
on confidence in that God which can see what we cannot. Again, our
individual faith rests on this trust relationship with the Godhead. We
must ask ourselves honestly-
Am I ardent in my faith
advancing in sacred knowledge? We alone elect to take consecrated devotion to develop our individual knowledge. We too can trust, when we each humbly and earnestly devote our
precious time and talents to daily study the Gospel. These laborious efforts
will produce a sure knowledge within/from our
expression of faith to our Savior.
Let us speak of others in
history who tested their stalwart faith, outside our religious beliefs, yet
this scientist took great courage living and using his enduring faith:
Johannes
Kepler, a German Astronomer, Mathematician, and Astrologer, born in 1571, best
known for his discovery of planetary motion. His data, painstakingly collected,
without the aid of a telescope, developed three scientific laws, which
described the motion of the planets across the sky. 1. The Law of Orbits: with the
Sun at one focus, how the Sun could affect the planets. 2. The Law of Areas; 3. The Law of Periods- position
of the planets in our solar system.
Johannes Kepler had zealous faith in his studies on his work of the motion of the planets across the sky. Mr. Kepler figured the error was in his calculations, not
in the Lord’s laws of science. Therefore, Johannes Kepler was able to discover
Halley’s Comet. What a leap of faith he took! I am trying to show you
that we too can make a leap of faith to gain abundant knowledge in our own
studies of the scriptures.
Returning to our church leaders, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of
Twelve, talk referenced using Christ’s Atonement to become more like our
Savior. He referenced for us to endure small conflicts as well as the greater
ones. OCTOBER 1997 |
“Again, our experiences surely do not approach those of Jesus, yet the
same principles and processes apply. His perfected
attributes
exemplify what can be much further developed by each of us.
Brothers and sisters, Christ paid such an enormous, enabling price for each
of
us! Will we not apply His Atonement in order to pay the much smaller price
required for our personal progress?
Being valiant in our testimony of Jesus, therefore, includes being valiant in our efforts to live more as He lived (see D&C 76:79).”
The Savior has given us examples to become like Him. We will each have
major tasks when improving our personal study. to achieve more patience. Focus
on principles that will bless your family. Therefore, we then can surely
identify with Him. Each of us you and I need sincere earnestness/ devotion to gain that sure knowledge for them to
apply
Spending a few minutes each day studying the scriptures can bless your
life. I am certain Elder Perry would say-Turn off your cell phone. Commit to
studying, find a way to remind yourself of your commitment and do your best to
follow through with this commitment.
Prepare your surroundings. Find a study time that works for you. Choose
that better part by making choices that lead to eternal life. Be patient with
yourself. seek for inspiring words or expressions to inspire and motivate you
from Conference talks. Ask questions as you study. Let the Spirit guide your
studies. Use music to invite the Spirit and learn doctrine
through our sacred hymns. Support one another in living the gospel.
Commit to live the gospel more fully Be ready always in our teaching and
learning- teaching moments at home come and go quickly. When
teaching another, keep your teaching simple. Liken the
scriptures to your life as you study.
Our faith can bring each of us unshakeable or sure knowledge one
day one precept at a time. We must be devoted to concentrate on one spiritual aspect at a
time to its conclusion while working on many. Brothers and Sisters I plead with
you, read your lessons and scriptures or scriptures and lessons. Ponder these
truths when moments come to do so as the Holy Ghost touches your heart.
“Growing
Faith Seed Buds into Knowledge Trees”
cji
9/8/19
Our mortal lives have a
mission
To move our spiritual faith
buds to sure knowledge trees
we need to be undertaking
construction in our faith everyday
working out and testing
eternal truths
Our necessity is to be praying
and studying
there is no time out in
mortality found
there are too many ways to
stumble
Therefore, we can be vigilant
seeking
never to be gratified with
life’s greys
seeking only pure white in
known truths
Accomplish our mission
one faith bud, on your Gospel
tree,
building, building faith
into study knowledge trees
growing your testimony of
Jesus, the Christ!
May you and I become blessed with the faith and steadfast confidence
needed, to be a living testimony of Gospel values, with the courage to be
recognized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, with humility to assist
in His work, as an expression of love for Heavenly Father and His children. I
testify of my words, taken from the prophets of old and today. Let us each feel
more strength to overcome, more hope in His words, more blessed and holy, more
Savior, like thee. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, our
Savior, and our Redeemer. Amen
Chuck Ingerson
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2019 – cji
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