~by Michelle

I can’t even remember now how I found out about The Chosen. Have you heard of it? If not, I highly recommend it.

I have been a Christian my entire life. I love the scriptures. I love learning about Jesus.

But I haven’t always understood how, as the scripture say, to let Him carry my burdens or lighten my load. I think this has bee complicated by the fact that I have dealt with dysthymia (low-level depression) and some degree of anxiety for most of my life. I’ve struggled with perfectionism. I have understood about Jesus in my head, but haven’t always known how to access and feel and surrender to His love and help.

This is an ongoing journey for me, and God is continually helping me discover more about what it means to let Jesus into my life more fully.

The Chosen is one of the ways He is helping me.

I just re-watched what may be my favorite episode of the series so far, if it’s possible to have a favorite. Just yesterday, I was having one of those days where heaven felt far away. I have lived long enough now to know that these kinds of days come for me, and they go. As I keep showing up for my days the best I can on any given day, God always has a way of showing up, in His time and way.

Yesterday, He broke through the clouds and let me know I was seen. This sweet experience came through a conversation with a fellow traveler on the road of faith who is also seeking to understand more how to lean on God for healing help. She doesn’t practice a religion, but believes strongly in the Bible and in God. In our conversation, patterns emerged, mostly about having eyes to see — eyes to see ourselves with more love, eyes to see (and ears to listen to) others, and eyes to see how God can turn all things for our good.

So to finish my day, to let that feeling of being seen settle a little more in my heart, I watched “I Saw You” (Season 2, Episode 2). As has been the case throughout the series, I felt things beyond words, and was taught and nurtured by God’s Spirit. I’d forgotten some of what was in this episode (it’s been several months since I last watched it). It felt good to remember.

I’m grateful to those who use their talents to share their faith, to bring art like The Chosen to the world. I’m especially grateful for how this unique show helps me see and feel and experience more of what it could have been like to walk with Jesus when He was on earth — and to understand more what it can feel like to let Him walk with me in my life now.

p.s. While I was looking up the video to embed, I discovered that tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (1:00 a.m. on Monday, GMT) there will be an update on The Chosen‘s holiday plans. Last year’s Christmas special was incredible, and this year, from what I have heard, they have more gifts to share. I won’t be able to attend the special in-theater experience for health reasons (please be sure to mask up if you go), but I look forward to see how and when they will, as they always do, bring what they have created, to their app and YouTube channel.

Note: I receive nothing for posting about The Chosen. It’s just something I want to share.

The post What’s your favorite episode from The Chosen? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Shawna

When I was 15 years old, I studied the Book of Mormon in my sophomore seminary class [a released-time religious study class for youth ages 14-18). I gained a testimony of its truthfulness and learned to love it. I’ll never forget when I read the following verse in 3 Nephi, chapter 11:

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified should come into the world.”

Every prophet [on the American continent, as had Jesus Himself in John 10:16] had prophesied of this moment, and every believer had looked forward to it – and finally –here it was. Here He was, and I think it’s significant that the first thing He said was that His coming was a fulfillment of prophecy. This is a major theme of the Book of Mormon – that the Lord will fulfill every prophecy and every promise. Whether He gives them Himself or through the mouths of His prophets.

In 1986, President Ezra Taft Benson gave a promise about the Book of Mormon. He said:

There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of it. You will find greater power to resist temptation…and avoid deception…you will find life in greater and greater abundance.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1986/10/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-of-our-religion?lang=eng

President Benson also quoted Marion G. Romney, who promised that reading the Book of Mormon would increase love and respect in our homes.

That year, our oldest boys were 5, 4 and 1. My husband and I decided to begin a very simple study of the book with them. We just read and briefly talked about a few verses a day, which made for very slow progress. After an
entire year, we were only halfway through the book. The few minutes we spent were often chaotic, and I’m
sure I wondered: Why are we doing this?

Then one day, my son challenged me to a game of Memory. He said he’d been practicing, and he thought he
could beat me. He got his competitive spirit from me, and I’m ashamed to admit that I did a little bit of
trash-talking. To my 5-year-old. I’ll never forget his response: “Mom, the of Book of Mormon says you’re
not supposed to say you’re better than other people.”

Our son had drawn a real-life application from the story of the Zoramites and the Rameumptum. It was a small
thing, but it was also a great thing (see Alma 37:6). I am certain that unlimited real-life applications could be drawn from the Book of Mormon. No other book contains more truth or inspires more righteous living. No other book has more power to lead us to Christ. The Book of Mormon has been a help to me through all stages of my life. And I know many of my friends feel that same way.

In 2017, President Russell M. Nelson gave a conference talk on the Book of Mormon. In it, he asked the following
questions: “What would your life be like without the Book of Mormon? What would you not know? What
would you not have?”

I asked several friends to weigh in. Here are a few of their responses:
K: Without the Book of Mormon, I would not understand who Jesus Christ is!
J: I would not know the comprehensiveness of Christ’s atonement and mission.
F: I would be lost without the comforting knowledge that I can live with my Heavenly Father again
someday with no pain, no frustration and no contention.
C: Without it, I would still be searching for truth!

Others shared the following:

N: “I would not have the reassurance, every single time I read it, without fail, that life has a
purpose and all will be okay.”
L: “I learned to love the Book of Mormon in my youth, and I believe it prepared me for the greatest
sorrow of my life [her son was murdered]. Because of it, I have the peace of the promised glorious future for me and my family.”
S: “Without it, I expect I’d just be wandering, like many other people.”
And finally, M: “I would not have the answer I got that the Book of Mormon is truly what it claims to be, and to have that witness from God gives me an anchor that helps keep my feet planted in the Church of Jesus Christ.”

Why is the Book of Mormon such a powerful influence in our lives? Because it testifies of Jesus Christ. Scholars have suggested that Christ is referenced every 1.7 verses. That’s nearly 4000 times (see, for example, https://bookofmormonevidence.org/christ-in-the-book-of-mormon/). He is on every page, in every story.

That brings me to my answer to President Nelson’s question: Without the Book of Mormon, I would not know
how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, and how involved they are in our lives. An unchanging
God could not be involved in the details of the lives of the people in scripture, but not ours.

The Lord was there to show Nephi where to find ore so he could build a ship, and He will help us find our way,
as well. He was there to change the hearts of King Benjamin’s people, and He will change our hearts as we
turn to Him. Like Alma the Younger, He can carry us from the darkest abyss into the marvelous light of God.
He will make our burdens light and deliver us from the bondage of sin and addiction. Like the 2000
inexperienced stripling warriors, He will help us fight battles we don’t know how to fight, and He will protect
us. Like He touched sixteen small stones and turned them into light, He will touch our lives and our efforts and
make them shine. He will also light our way every day. He has compassion on us, as He did on them, and He
will heal us and bless us – and He will bless our children.

I believe that when the story of each of our lives has been completed, we will find Jesus Christ on every
page, in every day, in every story. We will find that He was more involved in our lives than we knew.

In President Nelson’s talk, He reminded us that the book was written for us. He said, “Its prophets saw our
day and selected the truths that would help us most. This is the book that will help prepare the world for the
Second Coming of the Lord. The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide.”

I would like to tell a story about one way in which it has become a latter-day survival guide for me.
Last year, on March 11, 2020, we gathered with our children and grandchildren at a restaurant in town to
celebrate my husband’s birthday. We were there for two and a half hours, and – wonder of wonders! – none of us
were on our cell phones. So when we emerged from that restaurant, we discovered that the whole world had
changed.

I’m sure you remember that day as well. And maybe you watched, as I did, too much of the 24/7 news
coverage of the worldwide pandemic, then later, footage of riots in the streets, political and social unrest –
and some things you never expected to see in the United States of America. And maybe those reports kept
you up at night, like they did me. Truth is, I obsessed over the flow of bad news.

One day I asked my husband, who had recently retired from a job where he worked closely with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what he thought those leaders were doing. He said, “Well, I know what they’re not doing. They’re not standing around wringing their hands.” I took that as a bit of a suggestion.

And then, in July or August, when we were in Alma in our Come Follow Me study, and as I studied, I could see
parallels in what I was reading and what I was watching play out in the news. There in the books of Alma and
Helaman were wars and rumors of wars, the teachings of Korihor and other enemies of Christ, the earmarks
of a society in decline, the chilling evil brought about by secret combinations, and, on the other hand, the
courageous battle of the righteous to preserve their homes and their families.

To me, those parallels were evidence of the Lord’s love. I was reminded that He knows the beginning and the
end, and all that is transpiring has been prophesied. If His promises are sure – and I know they are – we can
say, like Alma: “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and
their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.”

I wrote in the margins of my Book of Mormon: Because of what I know, I ought to be one of the most
hopeful, happy people on earth!

After that, I watched the news less. I worried less. I was less discouraged. I would remind myself – okay – this
is happening – but hey – I know the end of the story. It’s been prophesied and written in this book. And I
know this book is true. So I can stop wringing my hands and fretting over every new piece of bad news.
I have spoken a lot about several promises today. But to me, the most powerful promise of the Book of
Mormon is the promise that we can know it’s true. If we ask God with a sincere heart, with real intent, having
faith in Christ, he WILL manifest the truth of it unto us, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And of course, when we know that the Book of Mormon is true, we know it’s all true: We know Joseph Smith
was a prophet of God, and the restored Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again.

We know that Christ is who He says He is. We know His promises are sure. Including this one:

“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing;
persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of
God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime,
swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great
Jehovah shall say the work is done.” -Joseph Smith

Every time I study the Book of Mormon –- every time — I am encouraged, strengthened and uplifted. It is the
best remedy I know for anxiety and fear.

I want to share one last great promise from the book of Helaman [chapter 5, verse 12]:

“Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must
build your foundation, that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind,
yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag yo
down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure
foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

The post The Impact of the Book of Mormon appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Hino: Creio em Cristo: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/i-believe-in-christ?lang=por

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=por

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias no Brasil: https://br.aigrejadejesuscristo.org/

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias no Portugal (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/IgrejadeJesusCristoPortugal/

The post Vídeo: Pessoas que buscam Jesus Cristo nas suas vidas appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This is quite a story. Five siblings — the Faylor quintuplets — received their “mission calls” (assignments to serve as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) at the same time.

Young people who choose to serve a mission fill out paperwork, get a doctor’s okay to serve, and wait to find out where they will spend the next 18-24 months of their lives. Missionary service can range from local service opportunities in one’s home community to assignments around the world. In this case, the siblings are serving in different places around the United States.

This appears to be the first time in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that five siblings have received mission calls on the same day. But then again, it’s not every day that quintuplets are born!

1 day, 1 family, 5 mission calls: The Faylor quintuplets prepare for missionary service

You can see a video of the Faylor siblings talking about their baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints below.

And for fun, here’s a video of triplets opening their mission calls a few years ago. According to the article linked above, “Three sets of quadruplets have served missions concurrently, while 57 sets of triplets have served simultaneously, according to the Church’s Missionary Department.”

The post Called to teach about Jesus Christ: Quintuplets receive missionary assignments on the same day appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Some people who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share some of their thoughts in response to this question.

This video from Latter-day Saints in Canada includes several people’s thoughts, including youth and children.

What brings you peace? Missionaries in Australia share some of their thoughts and invite people to do the same.

“Before I decided to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I had faith, but it wasn’t very strong. My life was not as happy. I had happy moments, but didn’t have that lasting peace that faith in Jesus Christ brings. I remember the day that I decided I was going to start growing that faith.I was going through a rough time in my life, and wanted a change. I started by praying every day. It was difficult at first, remembering to pray in the morning, but I found that as I continued to pray my faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ, was strengthened. I then wanted more so I started reading the scriptures, both the Bible and the Book of Mormon….I am [a] different person than I was five years ago, and I would never go back to who I was. I know that it’s all because of my faith in Jesus Christ.” Sister C

Krista shares how a reminder about trusting in God when struggling when family members have made hurtful decisions has allowed her to show more love to her family, and brings her peace regardless of the choices others make. “Putting trust in God, that’s having faith….I’m so thankful to know about Jesus Christ, about God. I’m so thankful for my faith, because that’s what makes life beautiful.” [Krista’s thoughts start at about 2:30 in the video]

A family from Canada shares this: “The gospel [of Jesus Christ] has brought direction and guidance to our family during these difficult times. The song, “there is peace in Christ” is one that our children really enjoy singing. The gospel and our Savior have brought peace to our family. In our everyday, we often face little challenges and family prayer has helped us spiritually and brought peace into our home. We are especially grateful for the plan of salvation which allows all families to be together forever.”

Other young missionaries share experiences that have strengthened their faith here.

A family from Australia shares this: “When the world is full of discontent and strife. I am grateful for my little family, and our home where the cares of the world disappear and we can enjoy our times together. We find peace reading from the holy scriptures each day and and discussing our eternal natures. We especially love watching the Tv series, The Chosen together. The life of Jesus is brought to life with his teachings and miracles put into real life scenarios. One of the greatest teachings that gives us peace and hope for the future is knowing that we can live together eternally. The Son of God conquered death and offers eternal life to his true disciples. If I can teach my children anything I hope they can learn that they have a Father in heaven who they can rely on. And that by following the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings they can find true joy in living this life and eternal life in the world to come.”

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~by Victoria

This is an adaptation of a talk that Victoria gave in her local ward congregation (a congregation of young single adults) before beginning her service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you will read below, Victoria joined the Church two years ago, and now she is teaching others about it. If you are curious to know more about the Church, see https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist

I am overjoyed to say that I am about to leave on my mission to serve our
Savior, Jesus Christ. I could not be here without all of the love, kindness, and support of so many people, and the way you inspire me to be better through the strength of your characters and testimony.

I have wanted to be a missionary since I was investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Less than two years ago, I was blessed to be confirmed a member of the Church, and since then, my life has never been the same. Such a transformation is something I could never have predicted, and has changed the course of my life in eternally beautiful and incredible ways, as well as just making every day a thousand times more sweet and meaningful and fulfilling. Life with and without the Gospel of Jesus Christ is starkly different. So to everyone, my friends and family all over, thank you, because you have been an instrumental part of that exponential increase of joy in my life. I know that watching someone
change and choose a new path can be difficult, so for those especially who knew me before and still love me today and are so so supportive, thank you.

As a matter of fact, for all of us, throughout life, we are met with the unexpected, whether it is for me, joining a new church and then serving a mission for that church, or unexpected changes, losses, or successes, and all of these things can throw us if we do not have an eternal perspective only gained through faith. Psalm 61:2, says, “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” When in the midst of trials, or difficulty like experiencing a global pandemic and mourning the loss of so many people and moments, I am so grateful to know that I trust in Christ as my rock in the midst of life’s ever raging storms.

Learning to trust in the Lord and His plan can be a difficult journey full of humbling experiences. But Christ assures us in Matthew 11:30 that “His yoke is easy and His burden is light.” All we need to do is be willing to take it upon ourselves, to desire to become more like our Savior, and to begin taking steps, no matter how small, towards Him. As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “if you trust the Lord and obey Him, His hand shall be over you, He will help you achieve the great potential He sees in you, and He will help you to see the end from the beginning.” In order to follow Christ, we have to first believe that He is, trust that He can heal our wounds, and strive to
emulate His example by letting God prevail in our lives.

First, to trust in the Lord, we must have faith that He is. Having faith does not need to be a complicated process, we simply need to give space to believe, even, as Alma says in chapter 32 of the Book of Mormon, a seed of faith, just giving place that the word of God could be true, and allowing that seed to grow within you as you nourish it. For me, this is the story of my
conversion. I did not believe in Christ before I found this church, and I did not have a real desire to, either. It was not until I opened my heart and humbled myself, allowing myself to be teachable, to believe that I could be wrong and to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit, that I could plant my mustard seed of faith that has now grown into a small tree. Now, I could never think to deny Christ.

Developing faith in Christ, even just a mustard seed worth, unlocks the
power of God in our lives. As the prophet Moroni says in the Book of Mormon, God “worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men.” In Alma 32:27 it says “behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle
of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” The Lord does not ask for our faith to be perfect, He simply asks us to try to believe, and by the power of that effort, His
work is manifest in our life.

Second, we will all make mistakes along the path of life, so to trust in the Lord means to trust that He can heal our wounds, that He can love us despite our many imperfections, and that salvation is possible in and through Jesus Christ, essentially to trust that we are redeemable, and
worth redeeming. I remember as an investigator in the Church, I often felt like I could not be good enough to be a member, I saw all those around me as perfect, and myself in all my sins and imperfections.

A hymn that I love says, “Come ye sinners, poor and needy, bruised and broken by the fall. Jesus ready, stands to save you, full of pardoning love for all. He is able, He is able, He is able, doubt no more.” None of us are perfect, but there is one who sacrificed Himself in His perfect glory to allow us to be freed from every mistake. However, it was then that I realized, as Elder Gerrit W. Gong highlighted in his recent General Conference talk, that there is room for all in Christ’s Inn, or His Church, and we are not meant to come perfect, but rather to come as we are. Or as Elder Renlund says, quoting from a mother of a convert in the Church, “the Church is like a big hospital and we are all sick in our own way.’” No member of this church is yet perfect, we are all sinners climbing the paths of repentance and singing the song of great redeeming love together. Through thinking like this, I realized it is okay to come to Christ broken, in need of repairs, and actually, this is exactly how we should come to Christ, for as it says in Isaiah 53:5 and Mosiah 14:5, “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.” Indeed, I have learned in my life that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is not only to heal us from sins and return us to who we were, but to change us into new and better people through repentance. The Atonement is part of God’s plan for each of us, not just because God knew we would make mistakes, but because He knew those mistakes were vital to our progression. In Ether 12:27 it says, “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” Our weaknesses, our very sins and trials and challenges are all a part of God’s plan for us, to help us to grow, for if we were perfect, we would have no need for a Savior, if we were perfect, none of us would be here. Sometimes our greatest trials, the very sins and weaknesses that bring us to our knees begging for forgiveness, later help us to minister and have compassion on our brothers and sisters. We become the hands and feet of the Savior, being able to better empathize and love one another as He does. All by the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our greatest shame can change into the foundation of an unshakable testimony and love for the Gospel and the Savior.

Finally, we must follow Christ by learning to become like Him, by using our agency, or ability to choose, to follow God’s plan for us. Christ is our greatest exemplar in this matter, for He knew the end from the beginning and still He chose to allow His will to be swallowed up in the will of the Father, to atone for the sins of all mankind and think not of His own self. For “The
Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19), for “I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Ne. 11:11). Furthermore, as our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson said, “only by aligning our wills with God’s is full happiness to be found. Anything less results in a lesser portion (see Alma 12:10–11).” So, how can we better follow Christ’s example and truly align our will with God’s, trusting that His plan is better than our own, or President Russell M. Nelson would say, to “let God prevail” in our lives. As we have faith and repent, we
can better come to know the Savior, to draw nearer to Him, and to better Hear His voice in our lives. This allows us to know God’s will for us that we may follow it.

However, sometimes it may feel like despite our best efforts to seek the will of the Lord, we cannot discern His will. This is not by accident. At times, we have to make our own decisions, to use all that the Lord has taught us to find His will and to follow it, in a way, to show that we are growing into
independent, self-sufficient children who do not need to be constantly lectured in order to do the right thing. The lord provides us the gift of revelation, the scriptures and other tools to help us on the way. He never leaves us comfortless or directionless, and has provided His Holy Spirit to be our constant companion and guide in this life, and to send course corrections when we lose our way. Think of all the beautiful covenants we make with the Lord while on this earth, think of the beautiful temples in which those covenants are made in, as well as the blessings we receive,
inside or outside the temple, and the way all of those things help us remember Him, hear Him, heed Him, and most importantly: trust in Him. It can be difficult when we can’t see the end from the beginning, but we must always trust that there is one that does. And not if, but when we make a mistake, we can trust that through the healing and perfecting power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become not only whole again, but better than we were before. By learning about the Lord’s will for us and aligning our will with His through everyday actions of increasing our faith in Christ and His Atoning Sacrifice, we can learn to make everyday decisions that are
aligned with the will of God. This state, also referred to as “waiting on the Lord” was described by President Ballard and Elder Gong as a state of action, and even in Elder Gong’s talk, a state of holiness.

To me, this makes perfect sense: because having to seek out answers and make decisions for ourselves is a position where we learn to better hear the Savior’s voice in our lives as we strive to learn of His will. As Young Single Adults (YSAs), many of us are in this state of waiting on the Lord, perhaps hoping to get a job, an education, get married and start a family, or many other righteous goals, as well as determining our priorities with how much time we will devote to the Lord in our day to day. These decisions impact the rest of our lives. If we aren’t feeling guided or we feel certain blessings are not being fulfilled quick enough, it is vital to remember that the Lord knows the end from the beginning, and His wisdom is far greater than ours.
For me, I waited over a year to be baptized into the church, and during that time I would sometimes be sad as I watched friends go on temple trips or enjoy other similar blessings, feeling somewhat left out or left behind; it felt unfair. However, I later learned that that time would bless me in unforeseen ways and have prepared me to be a missionary and a compassionate friend, and have equipped me with a testimony I will never forsake.

In my life, I have come to many decisions where I did not feel a strong impression one way or the other, but had to first act in faith, even for large decisions like where I would attend college or how to make a mission possible in my life. I had to first put in the leg work myself, learn all I could, pray all I could, and seek counsel from trusted sources, until ultimately, I just had to make a decision and trust in His correcting influence to steer me right if I got it wrong.

Oftentimes, as (D&C 88:118) states, we must “seek learning even by study and also by faith.” In those moments when we feel we do not know the will of the Lord, let us give thanks that He is trusting us to make a decision, and let us trust Him that He will correct us in our mistakes.

And a word of caution, while the Lord will immediately correct us when we steer wrong, we have to be listening and be humble enough to accept those corrections. And when He tells us we have chosen well, that does not mean we will not face challenges along the way, because trial is an essential ingredient of growth. Trust in the revelations you have received and do not doubt when the winds begin to howl.

I would like to conclude by bearing my testimony that the Savior lives, that He loves us and that we are all children of God.

Yo sé que Jesucristo es amoroso, que Él es misericordioso, y
que Él es la cabeza de la iglesia. Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios, y es nuestro Rey. Estoy agradecida por saber que soy una hija de Dios, y que Jesucristo es mi Salvador. Truly, the Savior loves each and every one of us and we all have a place in His Church. However bruised or broken we feel, however far, OR close to the path, each one of us can take daily steps to better align our will with His.

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Eu estudei mais sobre Jesus Cristo como nosso Criador. Eu amo que eu posso olhar em volta e ver Jesus Cristo em minha vida. Sei que Jesus Cristo é a luz e a vida do mundo.

Doutrina e Convênios 88:7 diz, “Verdade essa que brilha. Essa é a luz de Cristo. Como também ele está no sol e é a luz do sol e o poder pelo qual foi feito.

Translation:

…The Creator

“Today I studied more about Jesus Christ as our Creator. I love that I can look all around and see Jesus Christ in my life. I know Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:7 says, “Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.”

Outras escrituras sobre Jesus Cristo como o Criador:

Other scriptures about Jesus Christ as our Creator:

2 Kings. 19:15 

Acts 14:15

Mosiah 4:2

3 Nephi 9:15

Doctrine and Covenants 14:9

Job 38:4

Isaiah 40:28

Isaiah 44:24

Jeremiah 51:15

Amos 4:13

John 1:3 

Colossians 1:16

Revevaltion 4:11

John 1:10

Doctrine and Covenants 93:9

Acts 7:50 

Mosiah 4:9

Ephesians 3:9 

Helaman 14:12

Jacob 4:9

Mosiah 3:8 5:15; 

Mosiah 26:23

Mosiah 3:8 

Mosiah 5:15

Mosiah 26:23

Mosiah 4:12.

Alma 5:15.

Ether 3:16 (Editor’s note: This scripture — like many from Old Testament times) was recorded by prophets speaking for, about, or with Jehovah (Jesus’ name before He was born to earth, or His covenant name). In this case, Jehovah is and a prophet named Jared (who lived at the time of the Tower of Babel but was guided to leave the Old World and come to what is now the American continent). You may already know about the accounts of His resurrection in the Bible. But did you know He also appeared to many others after His resurrection? See a compilation of scriptures about His resurrection.)

D&C 29:31.

D&C 38:3

Moses 1:33

Moses 2:1

Abr. 3:24

The post Jesus Cristo é nosso Creador, a luz e a vida do mundo appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Book of Mormon is a central part of our faith. It is another testament of the Savior, Jesus Christ — just as the Old Testament and New Testaments teach of Him (as Jehovah in the Old Testament and Christ, the Messiah in the New Testament).

The Church is creating new live-action videos to represent stories and doctrines from the Book of Mormon. Sharing this marvelous book with the world is one of the things that is central to the Church’s mission. Why?

First of all, the Book of Mormon teaches even more about Jesus Christ. It talks of God’s dealings with people who lived on the American continent, witnessing that even anciently (long before the interconnected world we now live in) God was engaging with and speaking to prophets and others in parallel to what He was doing in Biblical, Old World settings. The Book of Mormon is written for Jews and for Christians, for any and all who want to understand more about the Bible, about the purposes of the law of Moses, about God’s grand vision for His children and their eternal well-being.

The pinnacle of the book records Jesus Christ’s interactions with the people on the American continent, after His resurrection and ascension into heaven. It’s an amazing account that spans several chapters, and includes various visits of Christ — to a multitude of people, to 12 disciples He chose to teach truth, and a particularly poignant account of His interactions with the children who lived around this area.

The Book of Mormon is also a book that simply — yet profoundly — impacts the lives of individuals. As Elder Robert D. Hales once said (paraphrasing), God so often speaks to us individually as we study and ponder scriptural texts. This is true of the Bible, and it is true of the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon also is the vehicle for people to experiment with what Mormons believe about latter-day prophets, the restoration of priesthood authority, and the reality of life after death.

You can request a free copy of the Book of Mormon. If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would like to share how the Book of Mormon has influenced your life, please comment below.

Learn more about the Book of Mormon videos below.

The post New Book of Mormon videos in the works appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

There was a day that this cross stitch (and another similar one — both possessions of my grandma who passed away in 2000) just caused pain. As much as I ached for all my years as a single adult to be a mom, in truth, I wasn’t naturally suited to motherhood in many ways. And the early years — actually, easily more than a decade — were fraught with paralyzing guilt and fear. At times, I truly believed that my kids “deserved better” (after all, I loved and cared about them so much and knew myself and my weakness so well — how could I as such a weak mortal be what these precious children deserved?)

I remember one day where I was neck-deep in the chaos and exhaustion of young motherhood when I called a treasured friend of mine, a mother of nine. I expressed my fears and guilt and concerns to her.

She said something like this:

Your children are alive, and you know how to dial 911 [emergency number]. You are doing awesome!

I still laugh at her words, but of course she wasn’t just trying to be funny.  She was telling me that all I was agonizing over simply wasn’t worth agonizing over. I was never supposed to be all that (whatever that was in my head).

As my relationship with God has deepened over the years, I’ve come to realize that God’s love, however IS all that and more. The Savior really fills in the gaps where I fall short, and then some (times eternity). And now that I’ve been doing this mothering thing for nearly 18 1/2 years, I see how God has sent so many other nurturing souls, both male and female, into my children’s lives.

I am grateful to say that now I can enjoy Mother’s Day in the safe arms of my Savior’s love and His compensatory power that makes my motherhood enough. God’s plan was for His precious children to be sent to imperfect parents.

We are told to be like a little child. I hope this beautiful Mother’s Day song, intended to reflect the pure, simple beliefs of a child, can bring peace and love from God to your heart on this Mother’s Day. And I’d like to invite you to think about how you enjoy expressing love to your children? If you do not currently have children of your own, I hope you will consider and know how your influence makes such a difference. (Such a difference!)

I hope you will have eyes to see what you are doing, especially today, and trust that God is always working in the background of our lives and the lives of our children. We were never meant to be enough without Him.

p.s. Many thanks to Shawna Edwards for her mother heart and the love she extends to so many through her music.

The post More Than Enough: A Mother’s Day song appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

It was a wonderful General Conference weekend! If you missed any or all of the conference, or just want to enjoy the messages again, there are multiple ways to do that.

See the April 2017 General Conference link for videos of all the talks on the LDS.org General Conference page. You can also listen to all the music from the General Conference sessions (such as the hymn that inspired the title of this post, “Rejoice the Lord is King!”).

You can also listen to/watch the April 2017 General Conference via the following links:

LDS General Conference YouTube channel

Mormon Channel YouTube channel

Transcripts will be available in a couple of days, and conference files will be available for the Gospel Library app shortly as well. (You can already access the Women’s Session on the Gospel Library App.)

We would love to hear what stood out to you from conference messages.

Messages about love, light, building on the simple foundation of the gospel plan and principles, faith not fear, and staying centered in Christ are some of the messages rolling around in my mind and heart. After hearing President Monson talk about the Book of Mormon, we started the book over as a family. I’m more committed to focusing on the good in the world and using social media in that positive way.

It was also exciting to hear about five new temples announced.

The post Rejoice! #LDSConf links appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.