The Best Is Yet to Be

BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

From a Brigham Young University devotional
address given on January 13, 2009.
For the full text of the address in English,
 visithttp://speeches.byu.edu.

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Look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future 

"...you can remember just enough to avoid repeating the mistake, but then put the rest of it all on the dung heap Paul spoke of to the Philippians. Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. That is the thing Lot’s wife didn’t get—and neither did Laman and Lemuel and a host of others in the scriptures.

This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year—and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The poet Robert Browning wrote:

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in his hand

Who saith, “A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!” ²

Some of you may wonder: Is there any future for me? What does a new year or a new semester, a new major or a new romance, a new job or a new home hold for me? Will I be safe? Will life be sound? Can I trust in the Lord and in the future? Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to stay in the past?

To all such of every generation, I call out, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11).

Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow, and forever. That is a New Year’s resolution I ask you to keep."

Finding hope and faith in this life of turmoil can be a weighty task. I testify to you that there are great things in store for those who endure.

I testify to you of our Savior's love.  He knows our names, and he knows our trails.

Have faith, have hope, have charity and this year will be filled with the tender mercies of our Lord.

I know it is true for me, and true for you.

Hope, Faith and Charity by James C. Christensen    

http://www.swoyersart.com/james_christensen/faith.htm

Mother and Child

Mother Mary

and the 

Christ Child

Matthew Chapter 1: Verse 21

 21 And she shall bring forth a son, 

and thou shalt call his name JESUS: 

for he shall  save his people from their sins.

“And the ransomed of Yahweh shall return and come to Zion with singing … 

they shall obtain joy and gladness, 

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:9-11)

  “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low:  and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”  Isaiah 40:4-5

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

“And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”  Isaiah 60:3

Hallelujah! 

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

The kingdom of this world

Is become the kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ, and of His Christ;

And He shall reign for ever and ever,

For ever and ever, forever and ever,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,

Hallelujah! 

xoxoxo

d

Charity Never Faileth

My favorite chapter in the New Testament.
To be like him.....
my hearts desire.


Corinthians

Chapter 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and 
of angels, and have not charity, I am become as 
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand 
all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have 
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity,
I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed 
the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, 
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 ¶ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; 
charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, 
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 beareth all things, believeth all things, 
hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 ¶ Charity never faileth: 
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; 
whether there be tongues, they shall cease; 
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, 
then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, 
I understood as a child, I thought as a child: 
but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly, 
but then face to face: now I know in part; 
but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; 
but the greatest of these is charity.


I am grateful for my Savior.
His birth, his life, his death....
the sacrifices he has made for
me.
I hope and pray to have Charity,
to be like
our Savior.

Be as the Savior Sees Us

Having the Vision to Do

BY ELDER O. VINCENT HALECK

Of the Seventy

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If we are to prosper rather than perish, we must gain a vision of ourselves as the Savior sees us.

We experience hard things in our lives that can sometimes diminish our vision and faith to do the things we should. We become so busy that we often feel overwhelmed and unable to do any more. While each of us is different, I humbly submit that we must focus our vision on the Savior and His teachings. What did He see in Peter, James, and John and the other Apostles that prompted Him to act to invite them to follow Him? Like His vision of them, the Savior has a great vision of who we can become. It will take the same faith and courage the first Apostles had in order for us to refocus on the things that matter most in bringing lasting happiness and great joy.

I bear you my witness of the Savior and His desire for us to return to Him. To do that, we must have the faith to do—to follow Him and become like Him. Throughout various times of our lives, He holds out His hand and invites us:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29–30).

Just as the Savior saw great potential in His early disciples, He also sees the same in us. Let us see ourselves as the Savior sees us.

Now Thank We All Our God

Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom his earth rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.

 Oh, may our bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever-joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us,
And keep us in his love,
And guide us day and night,
And free us from all ills,
Protect us by his might.

Text: Martin Rinkhart, 1586–1649;

 trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1829–1878

Music: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662

In Trial and Sickness

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.


2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.


3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.


4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou ^aanointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.


6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23

The Race of Life
BY PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON

April 2012

"Everywhere people are in a hurry. Jet-powered aircraft speed their precious human cargo across broad continents and vast oceans so that business meetings might be attended, obligations met, vacations enjoyed, or families visited. Roadways everywhere—including freeways, thruways, and motorways—carry millions of automobiles, occupied by more millions of people, in a seemingly endless stream and for a multitude of reasons as we rush about the business of each day.

In this fast-paced life, do we ever pause for moments of meditation—even thoughts of timeless truths?

When compared to eternal verities, most of the questions and concerns of daily living are really rather trivial. What should we have for dinner? What color should we paint the living room? Should we sign Johnny up for soccer? These questions and countless others like them lose their significance when times of crisis arise, when loved ones are hurt or injured, when sickness enters the house of good health, when life’s candle dims and darkness threatens. Our thoughts become focused, and we are easily able to determine what is really important and what is merely trivial."

"Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal voyage without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him guidance to ensure our safe return. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice; and I do not overlook the holy scriptures, which contain the word of the Lord and the words of the prophets—provided to us to help us successfully cross the finish line."

The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd; no want shall I know.
I feed in green pastures; safe-folded I rest.
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

Thru the valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear.
Thy rod shall defend me, thy staff be my stay.
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.

In the midst of affliction my table is spread.
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er.
With perfume and oil thou anointest my head.
Oh, what shall I ask of thy providence more?
Oh, what shall I ask of thy providence more?

Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854; based on Psalm 23

Music: Thomas Koschat, 1845–1914