Christ: Our Ultimate Advocate

Some thoughts from seminary yesterday. :)

"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him-- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou was well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5

How do you feel about Jesus Christ being your Advocate and not only pleading your cause but paying the penalty for your sins?

Verse three really struck me because it said that Christ IS our Advocate and He IS pleading for us. It is powerful for me to know that He is constantly pleading our case, asking the Father for our forgiveness. He is always there for us, and He is ever-forgiving. I am so touched by that. 

What do you feel the Savior wants you to do to more fully come unto Him and accept Him as your Advocate?

He wants me to come unto Him through my thoughts and actions. I need to keep my thoughts clean and pure, and constantly repent of my sins. We all make mistakes, because we are all human. That is what happens. What we need to do is embrace the Atonement and fill our lives with Christ's grace. I am so grateful for His love for me!

Ever smiling,

JS

Dare To Be Truly Beautiful

It isn’t just about cosmetics or clothing. What makes a young woman truly attractive comes from her heart. ~Lynn G. Robbins

As a part of seminary this morning, I learned about the importance of dressing modestly and forsaking the lusts of the world. Pornography is a really dangerous thing! I can lead to so many problems and massively damages you and others.

"Young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying [the problem of pornography] by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you." ~Dallin H. Oaks

It is important to dress modestly. The way we dress will often reflect who we are. Do we want others to see us as people who will throw away our values just to satisfy worldly lusts? Or do we want others to see us as confident individuals who stand firm in their beliefs and will not lower their standards? If we choose now to keep high standards of modest dress, we will better protect ourselves from the temptations of lust.

Thomas S. Monson said, "You can dress attractively without being immodest. Within the Lord's guidelines, there is room for you to be lively, vibrant, and beautiful both in your dress and your actions." We should always choose to dress modestly and avoid the lusts of the world.

One of my friends commented on a post I wrote on Google Plus about modesty. He said, "Really girls, we do notice. That quote by Elder Oaks is so true. What's worse, depending on how bad it is, any friendship that exists will suffer, because we feel terrible about thinking of you that way, but we also can't forget. Living, breathing girl friends, carefully guarding their standards are the best therapy I know of for recovering from a porn addiction. You can be the brightest light in a struggling guy's life. Please don't let yourself become  just another damaging influence. You're worth more than that."

Choose to be modest, even if dressing modestly means dressing differently than "the style" now. You really are worth more than that! Dare to be truly beautiful. :)

Ever smiling,
JS

Knock And It Shall Be Opened

As I was studying in Doctrine and Covenants this morning, I read a familiar scripture that is repeated a lot throughout most of the books of scripture.

"Ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you." (Doct. & Cov. 49:26)

Normally, I just skim over that kind of verse because it is said so often that I feel like I don't need to read it anymore (as I basically have it memorized). But this time, as I read it, a thought struck me. This could very easily pertain to missionary work. I paused and pondered on the verse.

"Knock and it shall be opened unto you." What if that was referring to missionaries knocking on doors? If we ask in faith for God to lead us to the right places, to someone who needs us, the door will be opened to us and we will be accepted by the right people.

We need to fear as we strive to be the faithful missionaries that follow God's plan in calling His people to Zion, for He will open the doors for us!

Keep smiling,
JS :)

Your Prayers Limit Temptation

"Be the kind of [person] that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, 'Oh, crap, s/he's up!'" ~Unknown

One of the first steps to being this kind of person is to pray! Your prayers have incredible effects on your life. You have the power to conquer Satan! Use it wisely--say your prayers. Talk to Heavenly Father. He will listen. If you have a sincere heart, He will answer your prayers, and you will be protected against the "fiery darts of the wicked" (see Ephesians 6:16, Doct. & Cov. 27:17).

Keep smiling,
JS

The Beauty Of The Gospel

These are some words that came to my mind as I answered questions for seminary today. It is incredible what can happen to us when we follow the Spirit's promptings--and just listen.

"Behold, I say unto you, my servants Ezra and Northrop, open ye your ears and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, whose word is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow, soul and spirit; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 For verily, verily, I say unto you that ye are called to lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump, to declare my gospel unto a crooked and perverse generation."  Doctrine and Covenants 33:1-2

1. What do you think it means to declare the gospel “as with the sound of a trump”?

The notes of a trumpet are clear, strong, and powerful. When we declare the gospel "with the sound of a trump", we declare it with power. If we are faithful, then the Holy Ghost will clearly manifest the truth of the gospel to those we teach. As we speak, we must teach with clarity, strength and power, declaring the gospel to others through the way we act, speak, and live.

2. In Ezra Thayre’s vision, when he played the trumpet, it produced the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Why do you think the sound was so beautiful?

The gospel itself is beautiful! The word beauty is defined as "the quality present in a thing or person 

that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind." The note that pierced the air as he blew into the horn must have filled him with joy as the power filled him. The beauty of that sound was from the power of it. We can feel God's power through things like this, when we fill our lives with beauty and joy.

Ever smiling,

JS

My Peace I Give Unto You

There is peace to be found in this world of turmoil and confusion. Sometimes it can be very hard to see the good in our lives when there are so many bad things going on around us. But there is always good to be found, whether it be a simple smile, or a service project, or even a beautiful, sunny day. God is with us always, whether we know it or not, and He will help us through our trials if we put our trust in His will!

Ever smiling,
JS

PS http://inspirationlamppost.com/peace.html

The Tender Mercies Of His Grace

As I was in my room pondering on some hard things that had been going on earlier today, I felt broken. For the longest time, I had been treated rudely and with disrespect verbally. I was really struggling with it, especially today. But each time it happened, I realized that I would forget the happening and continue loving that person.

It hit me especially hard today as I struggled with something that I needed support with. It was something that I was really conflicted about, and I didn't know how to handle the situation. Instead of giving me support in my confusion, the person spoke rudely and made it seem like my concerns for our spiritual welfare weren't important. 

So I locked myself into my room and prayed. I asked my Father how He was able to forgive so easily and continue loving. I was so hurt, and He forgives all damage done, no matter how serious the problem. I wanted to feel the love that He feels for everyone, to see things the way He sees them.

At that moment, He filled my soul with His love. He gave me the reason to see beyond weakness and He opened my eyes to the joy that He sees. He blessed me with incredible joy and love. His love for me, and for others, filled me, and at that moment, I knew that He would help me conquer my fears and my troubles. He wanted me to forgive. So I prayed for charity and forgiveness, and He blessed me with so much more than that!

These precious words are the results of that tender moment. As I wrote them, I was overwhelmed with His love. I was filled with the joy from heaven. When the pen connected with the paper, the words just flowed--like a song. The words became music, a song from the soul, a heavenly song from the heart. 

Tears falling down my face, I kneel down and I pray. Praying for God's tender mercy. Broken down, lost and forgotten, spat upon, abused. I beg for His forgiveness, I plead for His love.

The the light of His kindness, His tender Father's hand brings me into His warm embrace, wraps me in His love. The love that He feels for me is so real, and He shows me His tender mercy. 

Laughter and joy, a bright child's face, singing and dancing, winning the race. His sunshine warmed my soul, His grace redeemed my love. He rescued me, strengthened me, filled me with His light! He loves me, and knows me, knows me for who I am: a daughter of His, beloved. 

These are the gifts for His child--a Son of God, Redeemer, sent for us to die. To live again, and be again--our Saviour, our Christ.

They love me for who I am. They care for me and lead me through Their plan. The road is rough, but be not afraid. Stand tall, be true, and be His. A daughter of a living God, honest, faithful, true. Benevolent and virtuous!

Now He knows the way, and He shows the way, and His is the way--the way to truth and light! Be these things, trust in Him, and you will be filled with His light. Charity is all that you need. Just trust in Him, believe in Him, and the tender mercies of His grace will fall upon you and fill your soul.

He loves you, you are His, and He is yours.

Have a beautiful day, filled with the warmth of God's sunshine and love.

Ever smiling,

~JS