Increasing Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.”

~Luke 17:5

The apostles of Jesus Christ made perhaps the greatest request of all when, in Luke 17:5, they “said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.”

While this was a direct request, possibly made with the hope that Christ would give his disciples a free gift of greater faith, the Lord instead answered his servants as if they had asked a question, leaving them with a parable that would lead them to increased faith through their own actions.

President Hinckley has said that, “of all our needs, I think the greatest is an increase in faith.” Because of this, the topic that I will be addressing today: how we can increase our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. As I studied and pondered, I came up with four things that I feel would be most beneficial in increasing our faith.

The first step in increasing our faith is to have the desire to do so. It is not enough to envy the faith of others or hope that someday we can have a higher level of faith, we must yearn for that and do all in our power to achieve it. When looking in the dictionary, I learned that desire has many more entries as a verb than it does as a noun. This indicates to me that desire requires action. It has been made clear in the scriptures that “…faith, if it hath not works, is dead…” (James 2:17) Generally we take this scripture to mean that, in addition to faith, we need to perform works for our salvation; I suggest that it also means that we cannot obtain faith without working towards it. If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we have to work at it. Having a true desire for greater faith will guide us through the other steps needed to gain greater faith.

Second, we need to keep the commandments of the Lord in order to increase our faith. Bruce R. McConkie said that, “Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness.” With every commandment we are given, we are also given an accompanying blessing for keeping the law. Like all blessings from God, faith is obtained and increased through individual obedience and righteous action. In order to enrich faith to the highest degree obtainable, covenants must be kept. There is no faith where there is no obedience; likewise, there is true obedience only where there is faith.

Third, in order to have a deeper faith in Jesus Christ, we need to come to know who He really is. We cannot have faith in Him if we know nothing about Him; we cannot have faith in Him unless what we know about Him is true; we cannot have true faith in Him until we know Him personally.

The ways that I will mention to come to know Jesus Christ could all be expanded on individually as to how they help us increase our faith in Him; instead I will just mention them here in hopes that by practicing them with the goal to know Christ better, our faith will be increased also. We have been taught all these things repeatedly, but I still feel that they are important to mention. This is my list of ways to get to know the Savior better:

1. 
   
   Study the scriptures. By diligent study, we can learn of the Savior’s life, His teachings and His dealings with God’s children on earth. In John 5:39, He told us to “search the scriptures…they are they which testify of me.”
   
   
2. 
   
   Attend church meetings. We receive instruction about the Savior and His teachings at our church meetings; also by worthily partaking of the sacrament during our services on the Holy Sabbath, we can have his spirit to guide us daily.
   
   
3. 
   
   Listen to and read the words or the living prophets. There is no better way to learn directly the will of the Lord than through our prophet, the mouthpiece of God on the earth. As we listen to and read these words, we learn of God’s will for us today.
   
   
4. 
   
   Pray to our Heavenly Father. Through prayer, we can gain a testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. We can come to know of the atonement and the power that it can have in our lives; we can come to know that Jesus lives today and is at the head of this great church. All things can be known through prayer; I believe that it is the most powerful way to come to know our savior.
   
   

Finally, in order to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, I believe that we need to increase our faith in ourselves. I fear that too often, we do not take advantage of the atonement because we do not see ourselves as worthy of that great gift. Utilizing the atonement and allowing it to work miracles in our lives brings us closer to Christ and our Heavenly Father and will ultimately bless us with a great faith. We need to remember that we are all children of God; He loves every single one of us. Christ has already experienced our pains and our sins; for us to not rely on Him because we feel unworthy would be to insult His sacrifice. We all need to try to improve daily but also remember the reality that we will not be perfect in this lifetime.

In order to build faith in ourselves, we need to first learn to love ourselves. In Matthew, when the Lord is asked which is the great commandment, he answers, “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matt 22:37-39) We often use these verses as a reference about loving others, but I feel that is important that in order to love others as ourselves, we need to first learn to love ourselves.

“Each of us will have our faith tried. We may even believe that the Lord has not noticed our faith and obedience. We may feel that He is far away, has not seen our trials and will not answer our prayers. When these times come, it helps to realize that our faith is being tested. If we persevere with patience and continue to do what is right, we will be given strength to overcome our trials. We will be rewarded for our faith and obedience.” (The Latter-day Saint Woman, part A, pg 10).

I know that through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can overcome all obstacles.

* *Rae **

"Big Love" receiving no love from Church members

I am sure most readers already know about this; it is, after all, all over the internet by this point. 

LDS Temple secrets? 'Big Love' TV episode angers Mormons

TV show to air Sunday reportedly depicts faith's endowment ceremony

By Vince Horiuchi

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 03/10/2009 01:33:48 PM MDT

BIG LOVE: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Bill Paxton, Chloe Sevigny.

"Big Love," HBO's television drama about a polygamous Utah family, will air an episode March 15 depicting a sacred and private LDS temple ceremony, prompting an official response from the church criticizing the network.

According to a TV Guide interview with series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer published in this week's magazine, both said the episode will include the depiction of an endowment ceremony within a Mormon temple. Only LDS members with a temple recommend and in good standing may witness such ceremonies.

"We go into the endowment room and the celestial room, and we present what happens in those ceremonies," Olsen told TV Guide . "That's never been shown on television before."

In order to portray the ceremonies accurately, Olsen and Scheffer said they "researched it out the wazoo" and hired an "ex-Mormon consultant" for help in the scenes, including sets and costuming. HBO confirmed the episode's scenes Monday. "But it's not for shock value," Olsen said. "It's really a very important part of the story."

News of the episode hit the Internet last week, prompting talk of boycotts of the network and e-mail chains to church members to cancel their subscriptions to AOL, which along with Time Warner, owns the pay cable network.

Olsen and Scheffer were editing the season finale Monday and unavailable for comment. They are expected to release a statement about the controversy today.

In response to the upcoming episode, which has not been seen outside the network, the LDS Church issued a statement Monday criticizing depictions of the church generally in the news media and Hollywood, and specifically in "Big Love."

"Now comes another series of 'Big Love,' and despite earlier assurances from HBO, it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show's fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints."

The series stars Bill Paxton ("Titanic") as Bill Henrickson, the owner of a chain of hardware stores, who is married to three wives, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin.

For three seasons, the show has depicted the trials of running such a complicated household, including various depictions of mainstream Mormon characters and practices.

"Before the first season of the HBO series 'Big Love' aired more than two years ago, the show's creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn't be about Mormons," the LDS statement read. "However, Internet references to 'Big Love' indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous."

The creators of this show say they are not doing this for shock value-that it is an intricate part of the plot; while it may be a crucial plot point, there are always ways around showing sacred ceremonies. These things do not need to be shown in order to effective. In fact, any film or book lover can testify that sometimes the elements that are not shown have the greatest impact.

So, what can we do about this? Sadly, the answer is nothing. While letters to the station, and even measures such as canceling all affiliated services, will help our voices to be heard, they will ultimately not stop this from happening. Whether it is intended for shock value or not, that is the effect these scenes will get. Viewers (and non-regular viewers alike) are curious about what happens in our temples; they want to know what goes on in our sacred buildings. This alone is likely to drive viewers to the show. Regardless of the numbers of complaints HBO gets, it is a TV station that is trying to be successful. More viewers is better for business. When it comes to the cut and dry, the "shock value" of these scenes equals more money for HBO and "Big Love". More money means they will not be pulling this episode for all the uproar the Church can muster. 

We need to stand up for what we believe in, but at the same time, we need to be respectful of others. What is happening here cuts us deep; it exposes the things we hold most sacred and shows them to the world-a world that mocks, a world that ridicules, a world that soils holy things. Of course this hurts. Of course one may get the urge to lash out at the station and show for the things that are happening. We can not do this. 

What we need to remember here is this: with few exceptions, the people who are doing this do not know better. Yes, they have been told of the sacred nature of the things they are taking lightly; they have been informed that we wish for them not to show such ordinances, but at the core, they do not know better. Until one has a testimony of God's work, until one really knows of the sacredness of these ordinances, we cannot judge them for what they are doing. We need to show them love and tolerance.

But remember: while we need to show tolerance for people, we do not need to tolerate their actions. We need to turn away from this show and make it clear to those who will inevitably ask after viewing that these ordinances are sacred and we will not share what goes on with those unprepared. 

* *Rae* *

Pray for the missing in Bozeman

Some of you may know this already, but I feel it important to post nonetheless. Yesterday morning, there was a natural gas explosion about a mile from my house in downtown Bozeman, Montana. It completely leveled one business and destroyed five others. Two more will have to undergo extensive repairs to reopen. The blast was felt and heard for miles away; windows of buildings and cars parked for two blocks were blown out.

While there have been no reports of injuries or confirmed casualties, there is one woman who is unaccounted for. The scene was too dangerous for officials to enter buildings and begin a search all day yesterday and through the night (when a second building collapsed); the fire continues to burn this morning.

The city of Bozeman has been placed in a state of local emergency and the Montana National Guard has been called in to help secure the scene and protect those who live or work in the area.

Please pray for Heavenly Father's help in this situation.

* *Rae* *

Below is a slideshow of the scene, courtesy of MontanasNewsStation.com

Alcohol and Cancer

I found this article interesting. If you are one who follows things like this, you already know that there are more contradictory studies on such subjects than one would think possible. Even with this in mind, I think this one is a good one for us to read--if nothing else, it will give readers a little fire power whenever a person tries to negate the word of wisdom by preaching the health benefits of drinks such as red wine. Enjoy.

More Evidence Links Alcohol, Cancer in Women

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

WASHINGTON  —  A study of nearly 1.3 million British women offers yet more evidence thatmoderate alcohol consumptionincreases the risk of a handful of cancers. British researchers surveyed middle-aged women atbreast cancer screening clinics about their drinking habits, and tracked their health for seven years.

A quarter of the women reported no alcohol use. Nearly all the rest reported fewer than three drinks a day; the average was one drink a day. Researchers compared the lightest drinkers — two or fewer drinks a week — with people who drank more.

Each extra drink per day increased the risk of breast, rectal and liver cancer, University of Oxford researchers reported Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The type of alcohol — wine, beer or liquor — didn't matter.

That supports earlier research, but the new wrinkle: Alcohol consumption was linked to esophageal and oral cancers only when smokers drank.

Also, moderate drinkers actually had a lower risk of thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and renal cell cancer.

For an individual woman, the overall alcohol risk is small. In developed countries, about 118 of every 1,000 women develop any of these cancers, and each extra daily drink added 11 breast cancers and four of the other types to that rate, the study found.

But population-wide, 13 percent of those cancers in Britain may be attributable to alcohol, the researchers concluded.

Moderate alcohol use has long been thought to be heart-healthy, something the new research doesn't address but that prompts repeated debate about safe levels. U.S. health guidelines already recommend that women consume no more than one drink a day; two a day for men, who metabolize alcohol differently.

"You have to balance all those things out," said Dr. Philip J. Brooks, who researches alcohol and cancer at the National Institutes of Health. "This kind of information is important for people to know and to consult with their physician about the various risk factors they have."

To The Women of the Church

Gordon B. Hinckley was the first prophet I had ever known, and as such will always hold a special place in my heart. I joined the church seven years into his ministry as president of the Church. Many friends and family members had spoken negatively to me about the Church, focusing specially on the role of women in the church, trying to deter me from my path. I was raised as a strong, independent woman, and many of my acquaintances tried to use this aspect of my personality to convince me not to be baptized. Luckily, I did not take their word for it and instead sought out the words of church leaders about women. 

President Hinckley always spoke with the highest regard about the women of the church; this article is no exception.

Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you.

Someone has said: “Be kind to the women. They constitute half the population and are mothers to the other half.”

My dear sisters, you marvelous women who have chosen the better part, I stand in great admiration for all that you do. I see your hands in everything.

Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one’s full time.

You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have.

You are housekeepers. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.

You are shoppers. Until I got older I never dreamed of what a demanding responsibility it is to keep food in the pantry, to keep clothing neat and presentable, to buy all that is needed to keep a home running.

You are nurses. With every illness that comes along, you are the first to be told about it and the first to respond with help. In cases of serious sickness, you are at the bedside day and night, comforting, encouraging, ministering, praying.

You are the family chauffeur. You are driving your children about on paper routes, taking them to athletic events, driving them on ward outings, hauling here, there, and everywhere as they pursue their busy lives.

And so I might go on. My children are now all grown. Some are in their 60s. But when they call and I answer the phone, they say, “How are you?” And before I can answer, they ask, “Is Mother there?”

She has been their strength all of their lives. Since they were babies they have looked to her, and she has always responded with affection, guidance, teaching, blessing their lives in every way.

Now we have granddaughters who are mothers. They visit us, and I marvel at their patience, at their capacity to calm their children, to stop them from crying, and it seems to me to do a thousand other things.

They drive cars, they run computers, they attend the activities of their children, they cook and sew, they teach classes, and they speak in church.

I see their husbands, and I feel like saying to them: “Wake up. Carry your share of the load. Do you really appreciate your wife? Do you know how much she does? Do you ever compliment her? Do you ever say thanks to her?”

Well, you dear women, I say thanks to you. Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities.

You serve so well in the Church. You think it is so demanding. It is. But with every responsibility fulfilled, there comes a great reward.

Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient.

We all feel that way. I feel that way as I speak to you tonight. I long for, I pray for the power and the capacity to lift you, to inspire you, to thank you, to praise you, and to bring a measure of gladness into your hearts.

We all worry about our performance. We all wish we could do better. But unfortunately we do not realize, we do not often see the results that come of what we do.

I remember going to a stake conference in the East many years ago. On the plane coming home, I felt that I had been a total failure. I felt I had not touched anyone for good. I was miserable with a sense of inadequacy.

Then, some years later, I was at another conference in California. At the conclusion of the meeting a man came up to me and said, “You were at a conference a few years ago in such-and-such a place.”

“Yes,” I said, “I was there, and I remember the occasion.”

The man said: “You touched my heart. I came to that meeting out of curiosity. I really had no interest. I was on the verge of leaving the Church. But when it was announced that one of the Twelve Apostles would be there, I decided to go.

“You said something that started me to think. It touched me and stayed with me and stirred me. I decided to alter my course. I turned my life around. I am now living here in California. I have a good job, for which I am grateful. I hope I am a good husband and father. And I am now serving as a counselor in the bishopric of my ward. I am happier than I have ever been at any time in my life.”

I thanked him, and when I left him I said to myself, shaking my head: “You never know. You never know whether you do any good. You never know how much good you do.”

Now, my dear sisters, that is the way with you. You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price.

Now, we have a very diverse group to whom I am speaking. This includes young women who are still in school or who are working. You are single. You are hoping to catch that perfect man. I have yet to see one who is perfect. Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honor you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he will give you freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, if he knows how to work and earn a living, if he is honest and full of faith, the chances are that you will not go wrong, that you will be immensely happy.

Some of you, unfortunately, will never marry in this life. That turns out to be the case sometimes. If that happens, do not spend your life grieving over it. The world still needs your talents. It needs your contribution. The Church needs your faith. It needs your strong, helping hand. Life is never a failure until we call it such. There are so many who need your helping hands, your loving smile, your tender thoughtfulness. I see so many capable, attractive, wonderful women whom romance has passed by. I do not understand it, but I know that in the plan of the Almighty, the eternal plan which we call God’s plan of happiness, there will be opportunity and reward for all who seek them.

To you young women with small children, yours is a tremendous challenge. So often there is not enough money. You must scrimp and save. You must be wise and careful in your expenditures. You must be strong and bold and brave and march forward with gladness in your eye and love in your heart. How blessed you are, my dear young mothers. You have children who will be yours forever. I hope that you have been sealed in the house of the Lord and that your family will be an everlasting family in the kingdom of our Father.

May you be given strength to carry your heavy load, to meet every obligation, to walk side by side with a good and faithful and caring man, and together with him rear and nurture and bring up your children in righteousness and truth. Nothing else you will ever own, no worldly thing you will ever acquire will be worth so much as the love of your children. God bless you, my dear, dear young mothers.

Then we have you older women who are neither young nor old. You are in the most wonderful season of your lives. Your children are in their teens. Possibly one or two are married. Some are on missions, and you are sacrificing to keep them in the field. You are hoping and praying for their success and happiness. To you dear women I offer some special counsel.

Count your blessings; name them one by one. You don’t need a great big mansion of a house with an all-consuming mortgage that goes on forever. You do need a comfortable and pleasant home where love abides. Someone has said that there is no more beautiful picture than that of a good woman cooking a meal for those she loves. Weigh carefully that which you do. You do not need some of the extravagances that working outside the home might bring. Weigh carefully the importance of your being in the home when your children come from school.

Mothers, take good care of your daughters. Be close to them. Listen to them. Talk with them. Lead them from doing foolish things. Guide them into doing the right thing. See that they dress in a comely and modest fashion. Safeguard them from the terrible evils that are all about them.

Nurture your sons with love and counsel. Teach them the importance of personal cleanliness, of neatness in their dress. Sloppy ways lead to sloppy lives. Instill in them a sense of discipline. Keep them worthy of service to the Church as missionaries. Give them things to do so that they may learn to work. Teach them to be frugal. Labor and frugality lead to prosperity. Teach them that nothing really good happens after 11 o’clock at night. And do not spoil them. If they go on missions, they may be compelled to live in circumstances that you would not wish for them. Do not worry about them. Give them encouragement.

Stir within your children the desire for education. This is the latchkey to success in life. And at the same time, teach them that as President David O. McKay was wont to remind us, “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”

Now I speak to you single mothers whose burdens are so heavy because you have been abandoned or have been widowed. Yours is a terrible load. Bear it well. Seek the blessings of the Lord. Be grateful for any assistance that may come out of the quorums of the priesthood to help you in your home or with other matters. Pray silently in your closet, and let the tears flow if they must come. But put a smile on your face whenever you are before your children or others.

Now to you dear grandmothers, you older widows, and older lonely women. How beautiful you are. I look upon my dear wife, soon to be 92 years of age. Her hair is white; her frame is stooped.

I take one of her hands in mine and look at it. Once it was so beautiful, the flesh firm and clear. Now it is wrinkled and a little bony and not very strong. But it speaks of love and constancy and faith, of hard work through the years. Her memory is not what it once was. She can remember things that happened half a century ago but may not remember what happened half an hour ago. I am like that, too.

But I am so grateful for her. For 66 years we have walked together, hand in hand, with love and encouragement, with appreciation and respect. It cannot be very long before one of us will step through the veil. I hope the other will follow soon. I just would not know how to get along without her, even on the other side, and I would hope that she would not know how to get along without me.

My dear friends of the Relief Society, whatever your circumstances, wherever you may live, may the windows of heaven be opened and blessings come down upon you. May you live with love one for another. May you reach down to lift up those whose burdens are heavy. May you bring light and beauty to the world and particularly into your homes and into the lives of your children.

You know as I do that God our Eternal Father lives. He loves you. You know as I do that Jesus is the Christ, His immortal Son, our Redeemer. You know that the gospel is true and that heaven is near if we will cultivate it in our lives.

You are the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is no other organization to equal it. Walk with pride. Hold your heads up. Work with diligence. Do whatever the Church asks you to do. Pray with faith. You may never know how much good you accomplish. Someone’s life will be blessed by your effort. May you know the comforting, rewarding embrace of the Holy Spirit, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.