Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Amazing Pearl of Great Price

Posted by 2DI4 at 9:53 PM

I've never really stopped to consider the creation story and all of its implications BUT I know how important it is or we wouldn't have it in the temple. Bro. Salmond talked about how we have four accounts-1 in Genesis, 1 in Moses, 1 in Abraham and then our account in the temple that is so sacred we don't discuss it outside the temple. This is one of the main reasons why I want to work there. Bro. Salmond said there are distinct differences that we can learn and consider. The Pearl of Great price is crammed with parenthetical statements that are significant. The scripture app doesn't include these. Instead everything runs together. They need to include the parentheses because the meaning completely changes. I'm going to buy a cheap large Pear of Great Price just for this class. In January he teaches the second part.

The main focus of our discussion tonight was on the principle repeated over and over again-so YES important!!!-All things are created spiritually before they are created physically. Spiritual creation just considered at a basic level is preparation. Adequate preparation is important. The spirit is ALWAYS central and MOST important BUT if you aren't prepared with something I don't think the spirit is going to support you or give you insight. If you are just this blank person who doesn't spend the time to learn the gospel, your ability to serve is limited. Of course our abilities are different and more may be demanded from me than someone else for the same result. Where much is given much is expected.

Talking about our creation spiritually and our identity made me think of intelligences-are these spirits? I don't think so-we existed eternally as intelligences SO what exactly is our spiritual creation? Did the Father and or the Son take our already existing intelligence and give it form and to what degree was that done? I waited until AFTER class to ask Bro. Salmond his thoughts. He said we would discuss a little of what I was talking about next week. I also wanted the reference for man's glory-his work is to keep the commandments and his glory is to bring one soul unto him. Bro. Salmond said many of the brethren have shared opinions but that there is no official statement on our intelligence or that part of us that exists eternally as far as the questions I posed. What I like about Bro. Salmond is he would know if there was one. Again he loved my questions.

He quoted liberally from Elder Bednar's October 2008 conference talk Pray Always.


 In a similar way, meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day—and precedes the temporal creation or the actual execution of the day. Just as the temporal creation was linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation, so meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other.
Consider this example. There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with Heavenly Father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone. For example, as we pray, we might:
  • • 
    Reflect on those occasions when we have spoken harshly or inappropriately to those we love the most.
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    Recognize that we know better than this, but we do not always act in accordance with what we know.
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    Express remorse for our weaknesses and for not putting off the natural man more earnestly.
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    Determine to pattern our life after the Savior more completely.
  • • 
    Plead for greater strength to do and to become better.
  • Such a prayer is a key part of the spiritual preparation for our day.
    During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance—even as Alma suggested: “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord” (Alma 37:36).
    We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.
    At the end of our day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And our evening prayer also is a preparation for meaningful morning prayer.
    Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to “pray always” (Luke 21:36; 3 Nephi 18:15, 18; D&C 31:12). Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His faithful children.
    So now my font is changed to the Ensign one. I love this specific instruction about how we can give and WHY we should have meaningful prayers.

 

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