"If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death
or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would
we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What
forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear? If we would do those
things then, why not now?"--Dallin H. Oaks, 2004
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J. Richard Clark in the October Conference, 1980 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated:
....the greatest test for any generation is how it responds to the voice of the prophets. Our
prophets have admonished us to --
- Increase our personal righteousness
- Live within our means and get out of debt
- Produce, can, and store enough food, clothing, and where possible fuel for one year.
This straightforward counsel has not been followed by all of you. Some have believed and complied;
others have waited until they could be sure the storm clouds were really gathering; and still others
have rejected the counsel.
....People respond only to what they are prepared to believe.
“We don’t know when or how earthquakes will hit us. They likely won’t be literal shakings of the earth, as happened in Peru, but rather quakes of temptations, sin, or trials, such as unemployment or serious sickness. Today is the time to prepare for when that type of quake comes. Today is the time to prepare - not during the crisis. What are we doing today to engraven in our souls the gospel principles that will uphold us in times of adversity?”
---Walter F. Gonzalez, October 2007
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Marion G. Romney in the April 1981 Ensign church magazine for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints stated:
If we will discuss these truths (personal and family preparedness) in our family councils and make
a plan to do all in our power to live these principles, we shall all enjoy the promise of the Lord,
“If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30)
Someone proposed a serious question to me a few years ago by asking, “What is the most important
item to have stored in your year’s supply?” My response was seriously given - “personal righteousness.”
Personal and family preparedness....must include proper attitudes, a willingness to forego
luxuries, prayerful consideration of all major purchases, and learning to live within our means.
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WHERE TO BEGIN for spiritual preparedness?.........Repent, Study, and Pray.
How can you stay spiritually strong?
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How does Satan try to influence you?
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PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
Armour - see Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18 and Ephesians 6:11-17
Excerpt from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute Manual
“Take upon you my whole armour”
Elder Harold B. Lee explained the meaning of the symbolism of this passage:
“We have the four parts of the body that...[are] the most vulnerable to the powers of darkness.
- The loins, typifying virtue, chastity.
- The heart typifying our conduct.
- Our feet, our goals or objectives in life.
- Our head - our thoughts.
We should have our loins girt about with truth, knowledge of things as they are, things as they
were and things as they are to come. [Doctrine and Covenants 93:24]... Our loins shall be girt
about with truth; the prophet said.
And the heart, what kind of a breastplate shall protect our conduct in life? We shall have over
our hearts a breastplate of righteousness. Well, having learned truth we have a measure by which
we can judge between right and wrong and so our conduct will always be gauged by that thing which
we know to be true. Our breastplate to cover our conduct shall be the breastplate of righteousness.
By what shall we protect our feet, or by what shall we gauge our objectives or our goals in life? ...
Your feet should be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. [Ephesians 6:15]
How fortunate are you if in your childhood in the home of your father and mother you were taught
the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ, the son of the living God, the meaning of baptism and
what you gain by the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Fortunate is the child who
has been taught to pray and who has been given those steps to take on through life. Feet shod with
the preparation of the gospel of peace!
And then finally the helmet of salvation...What is salvation? Salvation is to be saved. Saved from
what? Saved from death and saved from sin...
The Apostle Paul had his armoured man holding in his hand a shield and on his other hand a
sword, which were the weapons of those days. That shield was the shield of faith and the word
was the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. I can’t think of any more powerful weapons
than faith and a knowledge of the scriptures in the which are contained the Word of God. One so
armoured and one so prepared with those weapons is prepared to go out against the enemy that is
more to be feared than the enemies of the light...the daylight that we can see are the enemies
that strike in the darkness of the night that we can’t see with our eyes. (Feet Shod With the
Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year
[Provo, Utah 9 Nov. 1954], pp. 3-7)
| helmet |
Helmet of salvation
Salvation is to be saved -
Saved from sin and saved from death |
(head) thoughts |
| breastplate |
Breastplate of righteousness |
(heart) conduct |
| loins |
Loins girt up with truth |
Virtue, chastity |
| feet |
Preparation of the gospel of peace |
Goals or objectives
Walk in righteousness |
| shield |
Shield of faith |
faith |
| sword |
Sword of the spirit |
Knowledge of the scriptures - the Word of God |
Doctrine and Covenants 2 Nephi 1:23-24 it says:
“Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound
(get away from Satan) and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust. Rebel no more.”
PRAY ALWAYS
 2 Nephi 32:8-9 in The Book of Mormon it states:
“For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye
must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.
But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform
any thing unto the lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ,
that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.”
3 Nephi 18:15 in The Book of Mormon it states:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted bythe
devil, and ye be led away captive by him.”
Doctrine and Covenants 31:12 it states:
“Pray always, lest ye enter into temptation and lose your reward.”
ANCHOR
Keep Jesus Christ at the center of your life and an anchor for your decisions s o that you are able
to stay on the straight and narrow path to exaltation.
Ether 12:4 in The Book of Mormon it states:
“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place
at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which
would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”
1 Nephi 15:24 in The Book of Mormon it states:
“And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God,
and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery
darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.”
In order to have Jesus as your anchor, you must know Him and his teachings.
READ THE SCRIPTURES
The scriptures will help you be Spiritually Prepared for any trial.
Here is an exercise using your scriptures;
| King Benjamin’s counsel- The Book of Mormon - Mosiah chapters 2-5 |
Teachings of Jesus Christ to the people in ancient America -
The Book of Mormon -
3 Nephi chapters 11-18 |
Teachings of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem -
New Testament |
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 The following is an activity that can be done as a family.
1. Put a piece of material with a piece of batting behind the material then stitch it to
look like a quilt. Attach a small quilt in the center of the 5X7 picture that states:
Cut the paper or cardstock to fit in a 5X7 picture frame opening.
or
2. paste a picture of Christ in the center and then paste pictures of each member of the family around Christ
or
3. paste a picture of your family that is wrapped up in a quilt
MY QUILT
As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.
Before us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles. An Angel sat before each of
us, sewing our quilt squares together into the tapestry of each life. But as my angel took each
piece of cloth off my pile, I noticed how ragged each of my squares was, filled with giant holes.
Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations
I was faced with in everyday life, and hardships that I endured -- the largest holes of all.
I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the
other tapestries was filled with rich color and bright hues. I gazed upon my own life and was
disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty,
like binding air.
Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of
truth. The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been.
My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame.
I hadn’t had such fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of
illness, death, weakness, guilt, and doubt, trials that took from my world, as I knew it. I had to
start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the
strength to pick up and begin again. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully,
each time offering it up in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the gaze of those who
judged me. So I spent many nights in prayer, asking for help and guidance.
And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it. I rose and slowly
lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.
An awe filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes, and
I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes creating an image, the face of Christ.
The Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, “Every time you gave over your life
to Me, it became My life, My hardships, My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped
aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.”
May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through.
THE REFINERS FIRE (Malachi)
A group of women were studying the book of Malachi.
As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three
which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement
meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered
to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the
group at their next Bible study.
That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment
to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for
her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the
fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one
needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames
were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought
about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought about the
verse, that He “sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there
in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the
silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time
it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long
in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How
do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “Oh that is easy - when I see my image
in it.”
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that you are
in God’s hand. He has His eye on you. He will not let you be destroyed,
and He will keep holding you and watching you until He sees His image in you.
DIRECTONS TO OUR FATHER’S HOUSE
Make a Right onto Believeth Blvd.
Keep straight and go through the green light, which is Jesus Christ.
There, you must turn onto the Bridge of Faith, which is over troubled waters.
When you get off the bridge, make a Right turn onto Keep Straight.
You are on the King’s Highway - Heaven bound.
Keep going for three miles: One for the Father, One for the Son, and one for the Holy Ghost.
Then exit off onto Grace Blvd.
From there, make a Right turn on Gospel Lane.
Keep Straight and then make another Right on Prayer Road
As you go on your way, Yield Not to the traffic on Temptation Ave.
Also, avoid Sin Street because it is a DEAD END.
Pass up Envy Drive, and Hate Avenue.
Also, pass Hypocrisy Street, Gossiping Lane and Backbiting Blvd.
However, you have to go down Long-suffering Lane, Persecution Blvd. and Trials and Tribulations Ave.
But that’s all right, because VICTORY STREET is straight ahead!
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