Daily Devotionals

Truth Seekers

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“O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.” (2 Nephi 9:40)

In a social media world seeking truth can be difficult. There are so many opinions and it can be hard to figure out what the truth is. Ask a simple question in a parenting forum and you will be immediately inundated with vehement opinions on what you should be doing and how. And of course they will tell you that doing any differently makes you a terrible parent who is doing irreparable damage to your children. All this could be over something as simple and inconsequential as what shoes to buy for your newly walking toddler. We all know how dangerous it can be to get into a discussion on religion or politics in the social media realm!

While being overwhelmed with opinions at every turn, it can be difficult to find real truth. And sometimes, when we are confronted with hard facts and forced to see that a belief we have held and argued for may not be true after all, it can be extremely difficult to relent our position and admit where we were wrong.

Fortunately, when it comes to the gospel, we are not in it alone. While we try to apply what we know to be true from the scriptures and gospel teachings to the real-life situations we face every day we can call upon the Spirit. Sometimes what we find may make us uncomfortable or may challenge something we thought to be right, but the Spirit will always accompany and will speak peace to our hearts when we find the truth. If we are trying to do what is right, we need not fear the truth. It will only strengthen us. We can study, research and pray and the Spirit will reveal the truth to us.

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: What questions are you struggling with right now? Where can you look to find the truth? Where should you NOT look?

 

Daily Devotionals

He’s On My Side So I Can Stand Tall

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He’s On My Side So I Can Stand Tall

“I’ll stand tall! The Savior is beside me.
He’s always there to guide me.
I do not walk alone, I’ll stand tall!
His Spirit will direct me,
His loving arms protect me.
He’s on my side, so I can stand tall!”

“I’ll Stand Tall”
Words by Jan Pinborough
Music by Janice Kapp Perry

 

Today was our ward’s Primary program and as I watched 2 of my 3 sons belt these words out at full volume I couldn’t hold back my tears. My boys know this. They do not have any doubt that Christ is on their side. I hope they do not lose their pure faith in their Savior.

YOU do not walk alone. Your Savior walks beside you. No matter where you are, what you are doing, what you have done, what mistakes you have made or will make in the future—your Savior is with you. That is what the Atonement is all about. With His strength added to your own you can stand tall – physically and spiritually.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “We acknowledge that your path will at times be difficult. But I give you this promise in the name of the Lord: rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Savior, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you chose to trust the Atonement and its power to lift you up and give you strength.

‘My dear friends and brethren, no matter how many times you have slipped or fallen, rise up! Your destiny is a glorious one! Stand tall and walk in the light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! You are stronger than you realize. You are more capable than you can imagine. You can do it now!” (“You Can Do It Now!” General Conference, Priesthood Session, October 2013)

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Make a list of all those in your life who you feel are “on your side.” Be sure to put Christ at the top of your list. These are the people who you can rely on when things are hard.

Mindfulness Tip: Take a minute today to stand and breathe in a “Power Pose.” The superhero pose is a good one: Stand with your legs apart, hands on your hips and head held high. Notice how standing tall changes the way you feel.

For Further Study: If you have never heard the song referenced above, I highly recommend a listen.  You can find it here: https://www.lds.org/friend/2016/01/ill-stand-tall?lang=eng

Daily Devotionals

I Will Bless Thee Forever

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Quote/Scripture of focus “Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou has done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou has done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever…” Helaman 10:4-5

“God’s greatest reward goes to those who serve without expectation of reward. It goes to those who serve without fanfare; those who quietly go about seeking ways to help others; those who minister to others simply because they love God and God’s children” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Greatest Among You,” General Conference, April 2017).

I have seen examples of such service all my life. The former bishop who serves just as faithfully in his new nursery calling as he did as bishop. The high councilman turned primary teacher who spends just as much time planning his primary lesson as he did preparing his sacrament meeting talks. The visiting teacher who serves out of love, not to get her numbers met. The empty nester who came to my house and played trains with my 2 year old for hours so I could unpack my kitchen and take a nap when we moved into a new apartment with a 2 week old baby. The friend who showed up with a diet coke when I needed it the most. The brother who gave up his precious treasure to his little brother who was sad. The mother who serves her children with all of her heart.

We have examples like Nephi, son of Helaman, in the scriptures. We also have examples all around us of people who serve with “unwearyingness.” They serve and share the love of Christ with those around them because that is just who they are. They don’t know that we see them, and they don’t care who is watching. They aren’t doing it for us. They are doing it for Him—and so can we. As we do we will be “blessed forever” just as Nephi was.

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Think of a time when you served with “unwearyingness” and without expecting some reward for your service

Call to Action: Pray for opportunities to serve, then listen and act when the Spirit prompts you today. It doesn’t need to be some grand gesture to be meaningful. Let God direct you where He needs you today.

Mindfulness Tip: Stop. Breathe. Feel. Listen.

Daily Devotionals

Lean Not unto Thine Own Understanding

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“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“In English the word lean has a connotation of physically listing or moving to one side. When we physically lean toward one side or another, we move off center, we are out of balance, and we tip. When we spiritually lean to our own understanding, we lean away from our Savior. If we lean, we are not centered; we are not balanced; we are not focused on Christ.” (Bonnie H. Cordon, “Trust in the Lord and Lean Not.” April 2017)

We lean away from Christ when we doubt. We lean away from Christ when we are afraid. Sometimes we are afraid of what others will think of us. We are afraid we won’t get the answers we seek, or that the answer we get will be something we don’t like. We don’t lean into Christ and trust Him to catch us and lead us in the path that is best for us, even if it requires some discomfort along the way.

Have you ever participated in a trust fall exercise? It can be terrifying, particularly if you are falling into the arms of a person or group of people who you don’t fully trust. What if Christ were the one catching you? Would you trust him to physically catch you as you fall? I can promise you He will catch you spiritually just as fully.

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: When do you find yourself leaning away from Christ? What are you afraid of?

Call to Action: Practice leaning into Christ today. Imagine falling backwards into His arms. Every time you start to feel afraid or like you are leaning on your OWN understanding, visualize that fall and Him catching you in His arms.

Mindfulness Tip: Pause for 1 minute every hour to check in on your thoughts, feelings and sensations. What is your body telling you? What is the Spirit telling you?

 

Daily Devotionals

My Soul Delighteth in Plainness

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“…Wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying. For my soul delighteth in plainness…” (2 Nephi 31:2-3)

Nephi had incredible amounts of knowledge. He had been shown visions, been given greater knowledge and understanding than we can comprehend. He knew some of the great mysteries of God, and yet, he tells us that his “soul delighteth in plainness.” The simple truths of the gospel of Christ were where he placed his focus.

We have a tendency to get lost in the complex. Satan loves to confuse us and lead us down rabbit holes until we can’t even remember where we started. Thinking about the “what ifs” of this life can make us think that the gospel and faithful living is much more complicated than it really is. Really it boils down to the two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:36) and “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self” (Matthew 22:39).

The mimimalist movement has us throwing out all of our stuff so we can simplify our lives. There is something very peaceful and satisfying in getting rid of clutter and paring down to just the essentials and the things that make us truly happy. Let’s apply that to our minds, to our spirits. Let’s minimize the “shoulds” and the “what ifs” and the millions of issues we worry about every day and just keep it plain and simple. Love Christ. Try to be like Him. Love God. Love One another. Let the rest go.

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Is there an issue or a commandment you are having a hard time with right now? How can you apply these 2 great commandments to find a solution?

 

Mindfulness Tip: A great article on minimalism and mindfulness and how they work together: http://simplelionheartlife.com/minimalism-and-mindfulness/

Daily Devotionals

Christ Is The Way

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“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name. And whoso knocketh, to him will he open…”        (2 Nephi 9:41-42)

My son loves to play baseball. We have spent the last several months trying out for various competitive teams to find the team that will be the best fit for him and for our family. There are so many factors to consider: cost, intensity, coaching styles, friends on the team, team culture, opportunities for playing different positions etc. I often wish that I could just see the answer and that the right choice would be clear and simple. But rarely in life and hardly ever in parenting is the path clear and simple.

Sometimes the gospel can seem complicated. There are so many commandments! So many good things we should be doing and not enough time to do them all. It can seem overwhelming and impossible at times. But the bottom line is there is just one path. One gate. One way to enter the kingdom and live with our Father in Heaven again, and that is through Jesus Christ. Benjamin De Hoyos said in a conference address in April 2011, “It does not matter our circumstances, trials, or challenges that might surround us; an understanding of the doctrine of Christ and His Atonement will be the source of our strength and peace—yes, brothers and sisters, that internal tranquility that is born of the Spirit and which the Lord gives to His faithful Saints.” (“Called to Be Saints.”)

Everything else aside, He is the way. Knowing Him and building a relationship with Him is all that matters. If we are striving to do that and working to keep communication with Him, everything will fall into place. He is eagerly waiting to open the gate for us. All we have to do is knock and He will pour His love upon us. It really is that simple.

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: How can you strengthen your relationship with Christ today?

Call to Action: During your meditation/mindfulness practice today, imagine yourself at the proverbial door with Christ on the other side. Knock, and visualize Him opening the door and embracing you.

Daily Devotionals

Room to Grow

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“Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breast; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.” (Alma 32:28)

Faith isn’t a perfect knowledge of things. Sometimes faith isn’t even a seed. Sometimes faith is just making a little space where a seed could possibly be planted. Sometimes we place so much pressure on ourselves to have a great, strong, perfect faith in all things and then we are hard on ourselves, or we give up, when that faith doesn’t seem big enough or strong enough. Then we tell ourselves that, because our faith isn’t strong enough, our plant is just a blade of grass next to our neighbor’s mighty oak, and that, therefore, we must not be good enough. This is the trap that Satan wants us to be in. God doesn’t operate that way. He accepts our offerings no matter how small and insignificant they may seem to us. God is interested in our intent, not our production value. All he asks is that we make a little space for faith to grow. Then when the seed is planted, that we nurture it. Little by little, over time, that seed will grow and become stronger. It will stand the test of time because we have given it a start and let it take root within us.

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Without passing any judgement on yourself, evaluate your testimony in this moment. How strong is your faith? What does it need to grow right now? Are you in the “make a little hole where the seed can fall” stage? Is your plant in desperate need of some water? Is it stuck in a dark hall closet in need of sunshine? How can you nurture your faith today?

Mindfulness Tip: Visualize a place in your heart where you can plant a seed of faith. Imagine breathing into that space and opening it up with each breath.

Daily Devotionals

In the Arms of His Love

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“But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Nephi 1:15)

The other night, I went into my son’s room. It was way past his bedtime and he was still awake. It had been a rough night. He had made some poor choices in the way he had been treating his family. There had been a lot of yelling and unkind words—not just from him. His parents had lost their patience with him as well. After taking a break from each other, I came in to him so we could talk it out. He was heartbroken and feeling discouraged and upset with himself for the mistakes he had made. As the tears fell and the negative self-talk came out of his mouth, all I could think to do was to scoop him up in my arms and tell him how much I loved him— that my life would be incomplete without him in it. As a mother there is nothing harder than watching your child suffer. All I wanted to do was take it all away and make everything all better for him. I think about how much love and compassion I felt for him as I wrapped my arms around him.

Our Savior loves us more than we can comprehend. He is eager to wrap His arms around us, hold us and comfort us when we are in pain—even, and especially when, that sorrow comes from mistakes we have made. He will ALWAYS be there to gather us up—again, and again and again. My mother’s love was big and warm and safe, but it pales in comparison to the love our Savior has for each of us and the empathy he can offer in his loving embrace.

Kathleen H. Hughes said, “I’m certain that each of you has felt, at one time or another, encircled in Christ’s arms. But if you are like me, there are times when you are fearful, when the stress and busyness of life seem to overwhelm you, when you feel adrift from the Spirit. Perhaps you even feel as though you have been abandoned. When I encounter those feelings, the best antidote is my memory of the moments when Christ’s peace has come to strengthen me. So tonight I invite you to remember with me what it is to feel the Lord’s love in your life and to feel encircled in His arms” (“Remembering the Lord’s Love,” General Relief Society Meeting, October 2006).

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Can you Remember a time when you were encircled in Christ’s arms? Describe it with as much detail as you can. Where were you? What did you see/hear/smell/feel?

Daily Devotionals

Rejoice, O My Heart

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“Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.  Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.” (2 Nephi 4:28-30)

At this time in Nephi’s life, things aren’t going well. His father has just passed away. Nephi had a great relationship with his father so I am certain this loss was painful for him. His father was also his spiritual leader and Nephi was now taking on that role for his family, which must have weighed heavily on him. As he began to act in that new role, his brothers, once again, became angry with him. At this time he just didn’t feel like rejoicing. So what did he do? He prayed. He asked for joy. He prayed for his heart to rejoice. He looked for the good and tried to be grateful for all he had, but when he still couldn’t muster up the strength to be joyful, he prayed for help.

We all go through times when our circumstances don’t leave a lot of room for joy. It is easy to look at our situation and see the list of reasons why we should be unhappy. Every day is filled with stressors and bad news. There is hurt all around us and life is hard! A lot of times we just don’t feel like rejoicing. And while it is definitely ok to feel sad, hurt, angry, or alone and we shouldn’t shy away from these “negative” emotions, we came to this earth, ultimately, to have joy and happiness. It is up to us to seek the good, find the joy, be grateful and when we are having a hard time getting there, ask for help. Our Father is waiting with open arms to carry us through the pain and help us find the joy.

 

Meditation and Journaling Prompt: How do you feel today? Do you feel like rejoicing? Why or why not?

 

Call to Action: Find something you can rejoice in today, no matter how small it is. Pray for help.
Mindfulness Tip: Check in with your emotions today. Do not judge them as good or bad, just notice them and let yourself feel them. As my grandmother once told me, “You get to feel how you feel!”