Happy New Year, everyone! 2011 has now passed, and once again I'll find myself scribbling out and re-writing the last number of the year on all of my checks for the next couple of months. No doubt 2012 will prove eventful: learning C++, a presidential election, my sister's wedding, oh and the world ending, just to name a few items. Life certainly never gets boring!
I do, however, want to start the year off with a (worthwhile) goal. I guess I have "unofficially" done so already, but I'd like to "officially" (I love how posting this makes it official) make 'seeking the Lord's guidance' the theme that defines my actions this year. Consider the words of the Lord given in the beginning of this dispensation:
"1 ...[v]erily, verily, I say unto you, that assuredly as the Lord liveth, who is your God and your Redeemer, even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that you shall receive...
"2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.
"3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.
"4 Therefore this is thy gift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou, for it shall deliver you out of the hands of your enemies..."
-Doctrine & Covenants 8:1-4
Isn't this incredible?! A model that shows us how to "receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that you shall receive" from He who created all! How wonderful! As the scripture explains, such was the spirit that moved upon Moses to part the Red Sea, and such is the spirit that guides and encourages positive change in each of us. As we "[apply] unto" this gift of revelation God will give us the guidance needed to help us change our hearts, and will make us to walk in paths of truth and peace that lead to everlasting happiness in this life and the life to come.
Following the Lord's counsel has blessed me with a deep, abiding and profound happiness I have never experienced elsewhere, and I expect this year to be even better than 2011 as I continue honing my spiritual receiver. I know that even in today's modern age of Wikipedia, sophisticated academics, and scientific research, Father still communicates with us personally (just as He has for thousands of years) through the directions of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and through the promptings of His Holy Spirit, guiding us in His higher paths as we attempt to navigate the difficult pitfalls of our earthly existence. May we all listen a little more closely as the Lord teaches us to change our hearts, and even to part great waters, one precept at a time :)
My next post will be more entertaining, I promise
http://www.mormon.org
