My email inbox has been bombarded over the last couple of days with 
messages wishing me a Happy New Year. The messages haven’t come from friends, though, who almost exclusively send their messages via Facebook nowadays. No, these email well-wishing messages Continue reading
Tag Archives: Faith
Christmas Hope
Today is the 5th day of Christmas. In our culture and in our day the Christmas celebrations are largely finished by the end of Boxing Day, but that is not the case in many parts of the world. In parts of Central America, for example, rather than Father Christmas bringing presents on Christmas Eve, it is the Three Wise Men Continue reading
Christmas Bells
Amongst those of us like me who aren’t very well educated in literature Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is perhaps best known for his short poem; 
There was a little girl,Who had a little curl,Right in the middle of her forehead.When she was good,She was very good indeed,But when she was bad she was horrid.
But he also wrote the Christmas carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Continue reading
Developing Charity
The talks in our Church meetings today were on the subject of charity. They were all excellent, and gave me the opportunity to again consider this important quality I need to better develop. A couple of months ago I was asked to speak on this topic at Church too, and have posted that talk below.
It is interesting I think to note that “the Pure Love of Christ” could refer to the love which Christ shows for me (its ultimate expression being through the Atonement), the love which Christ shows to all people (which I need to attempt to emulate), and the love which Christ enables me to show to others (again through His atonement). Continue reading
Grasping the Meaning of Christmas
As we get closer to Christmas I thought I would look for some quotes that help to remind me of the real meaning of Christmas. This one is from Hugh W Pinnock.
James, the Lord’s half-brother (see Galatians 1:19), thoughtfully wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift [the Atonement] is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). This being true then, we must help others to grasp the true meaning of the Atonement and Christmas, which is Christ.
Think of the influence you…can have on parents, siblings, friends, and relatives by helping them to think about Jesus even more this year than perhaps they have on earlier occasions. You will never forget this Christmas if you do.
(Hugh W Pinnock, BYU Speeches, 9 December 1997)
Heart, Might, Mind and Strength (4 of 5)
This post considers how deficient we all are in our intellectual efforts, and how we need to rely on Christ to make us whole in this part of our being, as in all parts of our being. It is the 4th post in the series, with the first overview found here, the second part on how the Saviour heals our Hearts here, and the third on how He heals our Might (or emotionalise) here.
“I think therefore I am”. So said Descarte. Of course, we all think differently. My logic is different from someone else’s logic; my rational thought processes come to different conclusions from someone else’s rational thought processes. In truth we are all different – and deficient – intellectually. Continue reading
With His Arm Around our Shoulders
“Our Savior wants us to really love Him to the point that we want to align our will with His. We can then feel His love and know His glory. Then He can bless us as He wants to….
“I believe that if we could have the privilege of walking physically with the Savior, that we would feel His arm draped over our shoulder…. Like the disciples heading toward Emmaus, our hearts would “burn within us” (Luke 24:32). This is His message: “Come and see” (John 1:39). It is personal, inviting, and embracing in its invitation to walk with His arm around our shoulders.”
Elder Terence M Vinson
Heart, Might, Mind and Strength (3 of 5)
This is the third post in a series about how, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we gain power within each part of our beings: our Heart, Might, Mind, and Strength. The first post, found here, is an overview and explains how I understand these principles. The second post, found here, looks at how He helps heal our Heart – or as I have understood it our spiritual selves.
This third part looks at how, through Jesus Christ, our Might – or the emotional parts of our being – are made whole.
In the LDS King James version of the Bible, the Topical Guide, under the heading for pain, refers also to the words: Affliction, Anguish, Distress, Grief, Sorrow, Suffering, Torment. Emotional pains are some of the most intense we suffer during our mortal lives. Continue reading
To Mend Our Souls
This following quote is from the October 2013 General Conference. I love the phrase towards the end about how the Saviour seeks to “mend our souls and heal our hearts”. It reminds me that above all else, our Saviour is a healer.
“Jesus Christ heals body, mind, and spirit, and His healing begins with faith….
“As we draw near to Him, we realize that mortality is meant to be difficult and that “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11) is not a flaw in the plan of salvation. Opposition, rather, is the indispensable Continue reading
Under His Wing
“Under His Wing” © Jay Bryant Ward, used with permission
A few years ago, I was given for my birthday a print of a painting by Jay Bryant Ward entitled “Under His Wing”. It portrays a young girl of perhaps 6 or 7 years of age. In the painting we see that someone is standing next to her, but all we see of this adult at her side is half a waist, and a right arm which is protectively behind her – not touching her, but in place to ensure that she would be quickly secured in the event of need.
There is an obvious implication in the painting that the adult at this small girl’s side is keeping close and constant watchful care of her. Although we can’t see the face, we know the identity of this adult, because we see the hand placed carefully to ensure this small girl’s safety, in the middle of which is the unmistakeable mark of a nail having pierced it. In many ways this is a very simple picture, but for me it is profound beyond measure. Continue reading
All Things Witness 