Defend the family

“Many of the social restraints which in the past have helped to reinforce and to shore up the family are dissolving and disappearing. The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.

“… There are those who would define the family in such a nontraditional way that they would define it out of existence. …

“We of all people, brothers and sisters, should not be taken in by the specious arguments that the family unit is somehow tied to a particular phase of development a moral society is going through. We are free to resist those moves which downplay the significance of the family and which play up the significance of selfish individualism. We know the family to be eternal. We know that when things go wrong in the family, things go wrong in every other institution in society” (Spencer W. Kimball in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, 3–4; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, 4).

Refining of priorities

The more sadness, infidelity, addiction, abuse, and confusion I see in the world, the more my priorities for whom I seek as a companion and how I spend my time and energy shift towards a grounding in deep character based upon a commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Certain things may appear exciting or pleasurable to experience, and may even by harmless in and of themselves, but in the long run it is a commitment to love, service, faith, selflessness, and sacrifice that will bring happiness.

Come to the source of true cleansing

It is easier for a worldly person to come to a healing change of his life, or even to the top of perfection, than a tired saint who is fallen from his first enthusiasm, because the worldly man will go through pain and agony and, sooner or later, he will not be able to stand it any longer, and will rush in the depths of depression to the source of true cleansing. But, when somebody has begun to pollute his name as a saint, without joyfulness and enthusiasm, he will still feel safe and, therefore, will not recognize what he is missing and, therefore, he is not easy to be taught. He will say in his heart, I’m blessed. I know it all and need nobody. [Johannes Cassian, Spannkraft der Seele (Freiburg: Herder, 1981), pp. 149­50; or see John Cassian, Collations (Conferences) 4:19, translation courtesy of F. Enzio Busche]

What separates us from the Holy Spirit?

In my humble understanding, it can be said that there are only two elements that separate us from the Holy Spirit: First, our lack of desire to repent, and, second, our lack of desire to forgive. (F. Enzio Busche, Unleashing the Dormant Spirit, BYU Devotional, 14 May 1996, read the full talk at http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=7908)

Intend to be a disciple

If you will here stop, and ask yourselves, why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it. [William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (London: J. M. Dent; New York: E. P. Dutton, 1920), p. 13]

Immediate repentance

We often view repentance as a slow process. It isn’t. Change is instantaneous.  It is not changing that takes so much time. If you are determined, you can change immediately.

 

 

DiscipleWalk

DiscipleWalk is a blog about spiritual truth and the quest to follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.