I thoroughly enjoyed this last week the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was so nice to get to hear from our Modern Day prophet, and his councilors. They truly are fully-awesome. My favorite talk was President Uchdorfs on how you only ruin Christmas if YOU ruin it. It's about what Christmas is about to you. If we have a true understanding of the real nature of Christmas, then Christmas will never go bad. Because Jesus Christ will never go bad. A brilliant concept, that is so eternal. That's the thing about the Gospel that I love, is that it's unchanging.
One of the Brothers in the Fairfield Branch said something that stuck out to me in Gospel Doctrine- in 1 John it talks about how no commandment given is necessarily "new", it's always been given from the very beginning. But somewhere, some place in our lives that principle really sticks out to us, and hits us. It sounds 'new' to us. All the principles in Conference are repeated continually, but the key factor is that somewhere somehow what is being said in that moment will stick out to someone in need of that Gospel. The principles stick out "unto men... unto their understanding." God teaches us according to our needs, and so we WILL learn; if we listen.
I love when Elder Jeffery R. Holland in the April 2011 conference said in his talk "If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance." That is how the Lord teaches, and that is how we must listen- by the Spirit. He is all-knowing, and we can be all-learning.
This morning I had a great study on the principle of "Pure Intent". Throughout the Book of Mormon we hear several mentions of "real intent". What does it mean to have PURE intent.
I read up Helaman 3:35
Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.
this helped me to feel close to what Pure Intent really is. But I still did not feel it was quite there. But through other impressions and the guidance of the Spirit I was led to Jeremiah 9:3,8
3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord
To have Pure Intent to have the true desire, to be like Jesus Christ, and to teach WHOLE TRUTH. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about our opinions, or what we want out of it. It's about truth! It's about what Jesus Christ said! He IS the Great Teacher, He sets forth the Doctrine. I know that that is true, I have felt the spirit testify of it, and I testify of it.
May we teach pure and whole truths throughout this Christmas Season, with pure intent, for what this Season is really and truely about- Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God, the Holy One.
Merry Christmas!
Elder Prows
2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!"
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