Trial

I realized that trial does not mean something bad is going on in your life. Trial means your faith is being put to the test, or something is being put to the test. It has nothing to do with what is going on externally in our world. The only way it correlates to the world is how something in the world might trigger an inner trying of our faith. Someone can have a tragic thing in life happen and that is merely where we see the faith come to fruition or not. Faith is built in the everyday life and apparent in times of trial, which do not even have to be triggered by anything external. These thoughts come from James 1:2-4. Interestingly these are the verses that proceed the verses that encouraged Joseph's first vision. Joseph was tempted in the first vision, and trials continued flowing all his life thereafter. But we only saw the great strength that had be manifest.

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into temptation. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." _James 5:2-4

My favorite part of this verse is the end where it states that if you let faith work patience in you, you will not want anything and you will be "entire". Right now in my life I have huge tendencies to fill incomplete in life-negative, ungrateful, bitter, sad, jealous, slothful, etc. This feeling of incompletion can only be fulfilled through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

My new motto is...No Bad Thoughts. I used a motto similar to this last year at school, to not think any bad thoughts of others. And it was life changing! And made life beautiful, and let so much love into my life. I knew the next step up was to not think any bad thoughts, but thought of what an impossibility that would be for me. Now that I have accomplished my first motto, I know I can do the second. It will help turn around my negative attitude. I need an attitude change, this I know for sure. And I'm not gonna sit around and wait for something to change around me, because even if it does, my attitude won't change with it. I have to clean the inner vessel first.

January 8, 2011. "our Very Survival" by David R. Duncan

1. obey the prophets-its the only sure way to happiness.

2. The prophets speaking to me is basically God speaking to me.

3. Living prophet more vital to us than the written works.

4. The prophet doesnt have to say "thus sayeth the Lord" to give us instruction.

What has the prophet(s) insturcted me to do?

Get a good education; be financially frugal and smart; focus on what is most important and that is those around me; strengthen home and family by working on my relationships with others especially those in my family; temple marriage; be spiritually clean; fear God more than man