December 10-16

Song: 

Talk: Light the world by John Parker

Another song of Christ  by Evie Clair

Dec 3-7 Four Gifts of the Savior

Song: The Greatest Gift

Talk: What Gifts has the Savior Given You?
1st Presidency Christmas Devotiona     President Russell M. Nelson


Ponder:
Indeed, our desires influence each of us in profound ways, not just here and now but beyond,” he said.
Desire is important in this season of gift giving, when we are particularly mindful of the desires of those whom we love, added President Nelson, inviting Latter-day Saints to also consider their own desires this Christmas season.
“What are your deepest desires? What do you really want to experience and accomplish in this life? Do you really want to become more and more like Jesus Christ? Do you really want to live with Heavenly Father and with your family forever and live as He lives?
“If you do, you will want to accept many gifts offered by the Lord to help you and me during our time of mortal probation.”

First, Jesus Christ gives the unlimited capacity to love.
Second, the Savior offers the ability to forgive. 
Third, the Savior gives the gift of repentance. 
Fourth, is the promise of life everlasting.

President Nelson said the four unique gifts will bring Latter-day Saints more and more joy as they accept them. “They were made possible,” he said, “because Jehovah condescended to come to earth as the baby Jesus. He was born of an immortal Father and a mortal mother. He was born in Bethlehem under the most humble of circumstances. His was the holy birth foreseen by prophets since the days of Adam. Jesus Christ is God’s transcendent gift—the gift of the Father to all of His children. That birth we joyfully celebrate each Christmas season.

Nov 19-25 The Carpenter's Son/ Lamb of God

Songs:

Talks:

November 12-18 Perfection

Song:      watch below or click here to view on youtube



Speech:    watch below or click here to view on BYU Idaho speeches


Resources to read and ponder:
Books:
Within Reach, by Robert Millet, former dean of religious education at BYU. Many Church members don’t feel that they personally are “celestial material” because perfection seems so far away. Brother Millet helps us see that we’re doing better than we think we are and that perfection really is within reach.

Odds Are, You’re Going to Be Exalted, by Alonzo Gaskill. Similarly, this book emphasizes that the Lord’s work is to exalt as many of His children as He can—and He definitely knows how to do His work. Of course, this doesn’t excuse us from following the commandments, and this book doesn’t take the “eat, drink, and be merry” approach, but it does provide comfort for when we are unsure, and evidence that heaven is attainable.

Weakness Is Not Sin, by Wendy Ulrich. Sister Ulrich helps us to see that limitations and inadequacies are not sins and do not keep us from being clean and worthy of the Spirit. As I’ve understood more about this concept, Ether 12:27 makes more sense. The Lord gives us weakness not so that we can repent but so that we can be humble. Weakness brings us to Him. Then He doesn’t remove our weak things; He makes them strong. If you can’t read the whole book, see her condensed version in the April 2015 Ensign: “It Isn’t a Sin to Be Weak.”

The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown. With a title like that, it took me a while to even begin reading the book. She outlines three gifts we are able to receive when we allow ourselves to be human, which she calls the three C’s: courage, connection, and compassion. This is a landmark book for anyone caught in the throes of perfectionism. If you don’t have time to read it, at least listen to her TED Talk where she explains how shame is the birthplace of perfectionism.

Conference Talks:
Russell M. Nelson, “Perfection Pending,” Ensign, Nov. 1995.

 Jeffrey R. Holland, “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” Ensign, Nov. 2017.

 J. Devn. Cornish, “Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?,” Ensign, Nov. 2016.

 Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Matter to Him,” Ensign, Nov. 2011.

 Joy D. Jones, “Value beyond Measure,” Ensign, Nov. 2017.

 Brian K. Ashton, “The Father,” Ensign, Nov. 2018.

 Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” Ensign, Nov. 2007

Novermber 4-11 Joy & Service

Song:

Talk:

The Best You

With all the great talks at General Conference to listen to and my busy days I've decided to focus on one song and one topic for October. Therefore, this post is for the entire month of October.

Song: Savior Redeemer of My Soul

click here for male voices

Lyrics
1. Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow’r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
2. Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.
3. O’errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.

Talk: The Best You by Diane Soelberg

Click here

So, in summary, and you don't have to be perfect in all of this right now, but use these as a guide to keep a steady course that will draw you more near to the Lord each day and become your best you:

Follow your dreams
With faith
With love and charity and
With gratitude
Don't settle--for anything
Expect the best from yourself
Be an example for others to follow
Do what you say you are going to do.  You don't have to do everything, but do what you say you will do. If you do the Lord's will, He won't let you fail.
Live close to the Spirit of the Lord
Defy Gravity--don't let anything or anyone get you down. Don't allow the evil one to influence your choices
Be service oriented
Believe in yourself--remember who you are
Work hard--be obedient--stand up for what you believe
Be kind, and tolerant of others
Philippians 2:3 reads, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."
Be Happy
Enjoy the handiwork of God in the universe and the beauties of nature
Look to the bright side of life
See the good in others, and learn to forgive--have eyes to see and a heart to understand
Associate and surround yourself with great people
Be humble
Love the Lord
Follow his admonition to "Come, Follow Me"
"Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men" (2 Nephi 31:20).

September 24-30 Honest & Humble

Songs: 
Honest:  click here for lyrics and music
Humble:click here for lyrics

Talk: click here for talk
Complete Honesty,Unselfish Humility by Neil L Andersen
Ponder:
Advances in science, medicine, manufacturing, transportation, and communication will continue throughout your lifetime. There will be variety in entertainment and innovation never imagined. These are your days, and it's a beautiful time to be alive.

However, in this time of prosperity and advancement, there are also real challenges. You live in a world that is sometimes divisive and contentious. Information is everywhere, and with it, a host of enticing voices attempts to pull you one way and then another. There is confusion and commotion, with many moving away from God and His commandments and away from the Savior. Think about these U.S. statistics:

Beliefs about God and Jesus     

Believe in God: my generation--81 percent; your generation--64 percent

Believe Jesus is God or the Son of God: my generation--74 percent; your generation--58 percent

Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: my generation--72 percent; your generation--55 percent

You hear and read on your mobile devices the exact words of those who shot the arrows at Samuel: "It is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come"--or that an angel would deliver the Book of Mormon to the Prophet Joseph.

You hear and read on your mobile devices modern-day Korihors saying or texting, "[You] that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things?"

Your days are a time of sifting in the Church. It will be very important for your eternal welfare that, as the Apostle Paul said, you are grounded, rooted, established, and settled in spiritual things.

There are great privileges, possibilities, and opportunities in this wonderful time of life. I admire you and respect you for your worthiness and preparations in being here at BYU-Idaho.


Be wise in what you are learning. In today's environment, you need to know how to think, adjust, and mold yourself to a changing world.

Sept. 17- 24 The Way To Fulfillment

Song:                   Text:  Steven K. Jones  Music:  Sam Cardon

                                                      clilk here for printed lyrics

Talk:  by Lawrence E. Corbridge

Ponder:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

He said, “I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world.”

He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

He said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

He said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

He said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Jesus Christ is the Way. He is Light and Life, Bread and Water, the Beginning and the End, the Resurrection and the Life, the Savior of the world, the Truth, and the Way.


There is only one way to happiness and fulfillment. He is the Way. Every other way, any other way, whatever other way, is foolishness.

Life is hard, but life is simple. Get on the path and never, ever give up. You never give up. You just keep on going. You don’t quit, and you will make it.

                       

September 10-16

Scripture:

Song:

Talk: A Loving, Communicating God by Marion D. Hanks click here 

Ponder: 

But much that happens to us in this life we cannot control; we only respond. Knowing what God has promised can provide the courage and faith we need. We are assured in the scriptures that we may know of a surety that the Lord does visit his people in their afflictions. (See Mosiah 24:13–14.) And that “whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.” (Alma 36:3.)

Song: Hymn # 226

Talk: A Successful Life by Lowell M. Snow

Ponder:

"How can you live a successful life?" asked Elder Lowell M. Snow of the Seventy during a campus devotional at BYU-Idaho on June 7.

One's definition of success changes over time, he noted. For youth, success might include doing well in school, being popular, becoming independent. As a missionary, success might mean finding, teaching and baptizing investigators. Then as an adult, he said, it is tempting to gauge success according to worldly goods.

"Obviously, success means different things to different people but one thing is clear: for all of us today, those who truly desire to be disciples of Jesus Christ must somehow come to understand and embrace His definition of success for us, which to me seems to be embodied in His words: 'therefore, what manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am' " (3 Nephi: 27:27).

REXBURG, IDAHO

"How can you live a successful life?" asked Elder Lowell M. Snow of the Seventy during a campus devotional at BYU-Idaho on June 7.

One's definition of success changes over time, he noted. For youth, success might include doing well in school, being popular, becoming independent. As a missionary, success might mean finding, teaching and baptizing investigators. Then as an adult, he said, it is tempting to gauge success according to worldly goods.

"Obviously, success means different things to different people but one thing is clear: for all of us today, those who truly desire to be disciples of Jesus Christ must somehow come to understand and embrace His definition of success for us, which to me seems to be embodied in His words: 'therefore, what manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am' " (3 Nephi: 27:27).

Some people are content with merely appearing successful, Elder Snow said. He compared this appearance of success to reality television where "lives are often filled with more drama than direction."

"[Virtual success is virtually no success at all — especially in the context of being a disciple of Jesus Christ," Elder Snow counseled.

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ means more than being a spectator, it means being a participant, Elder Snow said. It means to " 'come to Christ' not just 'come to Church.' " Latter-day prophets have counseled that the Church must be in members' lives and the gospel in their hearts. Elder Snow referenced Preach My Gospel: "Our Father's plan for us to be successful in this life and to return to live with Him is called the gospel of Jesus Christ, with Jesus' Atonement at the center of that plan."

To be successful in this life one must follow the example of the Son to return to the presence of the Father.

"It is the level of our commitment to pursue a course that is pleasing to God that determines whether we will be successful in this life," Elder Snow advised.

Elder Snow referred to Moses 7:32-33 and recounted the conversation between Enoch and the Lord. As they viewed the people of the earth, the Lord wept because of their poor choices and what they were becoming. The people had not observed the commandments to love one another and to choose the Lord.

"Our choices reveal our true nature and we will become what our choices reveal us to be … and it is only through choosing Him that we can become like Him."

Elder Snow spoke of Will Hopoate, a Church member and a star in Australian rugby who made a choice to leave professional rugby at the end of the season and serve a mission for the Church. In a press conference, he told the media, "This is who I am and this is what I want to do."

"Those words ought to be part of every important decision you and I make in this life," Elder Snow said.

"In one way or another you and I will inevitably face a decision like Will Hopoate faced a few weeks ago," Elder Snow told students. "Such choices are an essential and inevitable part of God's great plan for us to discover for ourselves whether or not we will choose Him."

When individuals choose to love one another and follow the Lord they will see that these commandments will lead to a successful life, he declared.

"When we choose Him, He asks us to love one another as He loves us," Elder Snow said. "We become like Him by choosing Him and the way He wants us to choose Him is by loving one another."