Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly

I am reflecting back on a few weeks ago when we all had the opportunity to watch LDS General Conference and hear the messages that our Prophet and Apostles had for all of us.

We have a new friend, Marco. He is from Peru and he is amazing. He was learning about the church about a year ago from the other missionaries that were here, and we saw his name on one of their old lists and we decided to give him a call. He said that he wanted to meet with us and we saw him about a month ago for the first time. He was really open to learning about the church and about the Book of Mormon. He has been coming to all of the activities and coming to church on Sundays, and we're really excited to see what's going to happen with him. He has so much desire to learn more and it has been so fun to see his testimony grow little by little each time we see him. I know he wants to follow Jesus Christ. We talk to him about baptism and about how he could feel such peace and happiness in his life, and about how he could have a complete remission of his sins and start over and enter into this new path of the Lord. He was able to come to General Conference and absolutely loved it and was so inspired by the messages he heard. He has a lot of really good questions, so please keep him in your prayers, as we are going to keep working with him and will keep you all posted on how he's doing.

I learned a lot of things from General Conference. I know that these are Men of God who are inspired to share their revelations with us, and that if we listen to the things that they teach us and tell us, we can find out for ourselves how to become better disciples of Jesus Christ. We can know how we can be happier in this life and how we can follow God's plan. As you read some of the quotes and concepts I learned below, I invite all of you to think about your life and think about the things that you could improve on and change. I invite you to re-watch or read some of the conference talks. I received so many answers to my questions and I know that you all can receive answers as well.

Do we lack the courage to change?

We don't need to be perfect, but we need to be good at getting better. Simple obedience brings the spirit into our lives. God’s ultimate purpose is our progress.

Let your light shine. Let that light burn within you, and light the path for others.

Be an example of the believers. In word and conversation. Speak with love, kindness and tolerance.

People need to feel that spirit that draws them to you. People need to recognize that light in your eyes.

Faith and doubt cannot co-exist in the same heart and in the same mind … at the same time. One will always win.

Be pure … clean in body, mind and spirit. Don't pollute it. Be worthy. Purity will bring peace of mind.

Blessed are the pure in heart.

The world is moving farther and farther away from God. We WILL stand out. We are in a very dark world. He is MY light and MY salvation … WHO SHALL I FEAR?! Don't let it dim for one second. For one moment. For one situation. Hold a precious flame and ignite others.

"45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." (D&C 121:45-46)

Having the spirit makes things that are good more attractive and temptation less compelling.

It is a CONSTANT INFLUENCE.

Never deliberately fly into a thunder storm.

We need to think, "If I make this choice, what is the WORST thing that could happen?"

If you never to a drink, you'll NEVER become an alcoholic

If you're there for the Lord, He will be there for you.

When you earn more, save more. Pay tithing first.

Seek out scholarships. Get your education. It will prepare you for life.

Knowledge does away with darkness and doubt. Knowledge brings power.

Dating: Learn everything about them. Compatible goals. Temple, parenting, the Lord, serving others, families. See them under stress and anger. None of us marry perfection.

Be patient; wait upon the Lord. Take counsel from Him.

If you are prepared, ye shall not fear.

I raised my kids on faith.

Be worthy to hold a temple recommend ALWAYS.

Go about doing good.

If you want my counsel, be prepared to take it. Prayerfully select mentors. Don't take advice from random peers. Reach up, not across. Go forward, not backward.

The power is in you. You have your agency. Just be obedient and follow the Spirit.

Spend time alone. Where do I want to be in a year? Two years? What do I need to do to get there?

Look at your life from a higher plane, and I promise the gospel will be easier for you.

Start where you are. Our weaknesses turn us to Christ. Covenants are the passports to Exaltation.

Listening to bad music, reading bad books, watching bad movies … weakens us! Turn it off, Rip it up, Throw it out and Slam the door!

You escape by accepting the beauty of the Atonement

Be Virtuous! When something is pure, you just can't help but want that.

Scripture power, Prayer power, Temple power, Prophet power …

To shine with the beauty of holiness, we must repent daily.

“The divine nature within us ignites our desires to reach out to others and prompts us to act." -Rosemary M. Wixom

Are we making our discipleship too complicated?

Be a peacemaker.

3 steps to righteousness: 1)Self-control ... it’s like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets 2)Wholesome modest appearance, 3)Honoring the Sabbath.

What lack I yet? Stop complaining. Count blessings instead of challenges. He doesn't tell us all the things we need to improve at once. We would get discouraged. He does it at our speed.

God will take you as you are. All you need is willing heart, a desire to believe and trust in God. If we only look at ourselves through our mortal eyes, we won't be good enough. We want exaltation, it is life eternal that we receive the fullness of his glory.

We need to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today.

My dear sisters, both young and not so young, I have felt a great anxiety as I have prepared this talk. As Alma the Younger expressed, “I wish from the inmost part of my heart … that ye would … call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, … that ye may be lifted up at the last day.”

Later, Mormon also testified that in Alma’s day, Korihor, the anti-Christ, “did preach … leading away the hearts of … many women.”

Sisters, Satan has raised a Korihor-like banner in our day with increasing success. What are some of his tools? Seductive romance novels, TV soap operas, married women and old boyfriends connecting on social media, and pornography. We must be so careful, dear sisters! We cannot play with Satan’s fiery darts and not get burned. I know of nothing that will qualify us for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as much as virtue.

When we are involved in watching, reading, or experiencing anything that is below our Heavenly Father’s standards, it weakens us. Regardless of our age, if what we look at, read, listen to, or choose to do does not meet the Lord’s standards in “For the Strength of Youth”, turn it off, rip it up, throw it out, and slam the door.

I loved this! We need that virtue and purity in all things. That is where we should be getting our confidence. Remember who you are and what you represent. You are a sacred child of our loving Heavenly Father. Don't forget it! Have a GREAT week!

Hermana Vance

Scripture Power

Hello, and how is everyone doing? I can’t believe it is the middle of October! I just love the Fall; it is DEFINITELY my favorite season, and I hope you are all enjoying it.

Last week we had Concilio! I love meeting with all of the missionaries from the mission and the opportunity to have this conference with all of them and talk about how we can improve things in the mission, how we can strengthen our testimonies, and how we can be better servants and representatives of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that President Dayton is so inspired and received revelation for each and every one of us.

Our friend, Yubelkis, from Nicaragua finally came to church! Yes! We have been trying to get her to come to church for about two months now, but every time she had something going on or she accidentally missed the bus or she had to work, etc. But she finally came, and she loved the feeling there was in the church and other things that she learned. We have taught her all of the lessons and she is so excited for her baptism on October 31^st! Please keep her in your prayers. 

This past week I went on an Intercambio in Girona with Hermana Gregory. I love Hermana Gregory! I actually lived with her on Valencia when she first came into the mission and was in training. It was so fun to see how much she has grown! I was able to do an exchange with her in her area and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of the people there. There truly is a special spirit in Girona and I just loved it! We went to a family home evening that night with a Uruguayan/Paraguayan family of 5 girls and 2 boys. They are all members of the church, but a few of the older siblings are a little inactive. We decided to talk about the importance of the scriptures. We had everyone imagine that they were flying in an airplane, but that all of a sudden, the engine went out and they were told from the pilot that the plane was going to crash in five minutes, and that there was nothing he could do. We gave each of them a piece of paper and set a timer and told them that for the next 5 minutes they all had to write their very last words. It could be to their family, friends, other loved ones, future generations … whoever they wanted, and this would be their very last words in this mortal life. Eventually the timer went off, the five minutes ran out; "the plane had crashed" and there were no survivors. News was spread about the accident, and we pretended to be the news crew and the search and rescue recovery team that came to check out the plane. We were saddened by the realization that everyone had died, and as we were looking around, we saw all of the pieces of paper throughout the entire crash site. We collected all of the pieces of paper and began to look at them. We started picking up some of the daughters' papers, the mother's paper and the father's paper, and read of some of their names and their final words. We acted indifferent to the things they had written, and said things such as, "Hmm … who is Perla? Don't know, don't care.", "Look, I found one here that was written by a Hermana Gregory? Oh well, it must not be that important.", "There are so many random papers here, I don't want them, I don't have time for this … what should we do, just toss them?". We began to crumble and rip some of their papers. As we did this, you could see the shock on their faces and the pain in the eyes, their hearts breaking. They all immediately started shouting out, "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! That's mine! That was very special and sacred to me, and you just act like it's nothing!?" or "WAIT, NO! People were supposed to read those! Those are my VERY last words! Letters to my loved ones, my testimony, my desires and dreams!"

At this moment, we stopped and began to explain. We explained that the scriptures are so very sacred and important; not only to God, but to the prophets and apostles who wrote them. We find that many times in the scriptures, especially in the Book of Mormon, the prophet's final words are written in the middle of a war or when they are close to their death. Don't you think their VERY last words have to be some of the most important things that they wanted people to hear and remember? We shared some examples that are found in the Book of Mormon. For example …

Last words of Enos:

"And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon bythe power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.

And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen." (Enos 1:26-27)

Last words of Moroni:

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen." (Moroni 10:32-34)

I know that the scriptures are the words of our Eternal Father in Heaven through his called prophets. They are like one big, giant love note from Him to all of us. What a blessing it is to be able to read a little bit from them each and every day. I invite you all to reflect on your own faith and where your testimony really lies. I cannot testify to you enough how vital and essential daily scripture study is in our lives. It has changed my life, and I know it will change your life. You will never lose your testimony if you are at least reading something … every day … I promise you. God loves you and can answer your prayers through His sacred words found in the scriptures.

Love,

Hermana Vance