Skip to main content

Be Present


Only those who believe deeply and actively and, in the family, will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.
President Spencer W Kimball (Anchorage, Alaska, regional conference, 18 June 1995).

I know I that I am feeling the gathering of evil more than ever, and more than ever am I feeling the attack on the family starting with the husband and wife.  I’m not sure if it has always been like this and only now my eyes are being opened as I watch those close by to me who either have struggling marriages or some failed marriages. Which have started with temptations or the desire for more of what the world offers for happiness. Evil is also at our fingertips with how much is available through social media , I know there is also so many great things about technology including the ability to connect with loved ones. It reminds me of a talk by Elder Bednar
“I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls”.
From a Church Educational System fireside address delivered at Brigham Young University–Idaho on May 3, 2009.

 Image result for be present
So what specific types of things will I do to preserve my family?  For me it all starts with “being present” too many times I have looked around my home and there are many heads down on their phones. I have even had phones at the dinner table, which I quickly put an end to. Life is busy I know and there are only so many times we are all together. That’s why in those times we need to make them count by “Being present”. When we are present we have teaching moments, we make memories and laugh together. Elder Bednar posed some questions to ponder about our time spent on technology here are two of them :
1. Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?
2. Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?

On top of being present I need to constantly remember I don’t have to do it alone. Although there is evil gathering around us from the adversary, there is also help and guidance available to us from the lord as we earnestly pray and seek him through study of the scriptures.
President Nelson our beloved prophet sent alarming bells to me in his April 2018 conference address “In coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost”.  These words made me feel an overwhelming responsibility to do all I can to teach my children and for us all to be more present focusing on those things that will strengthen our family.

References:
PresidentSpencer W Kimball
October 1980 General Conference
"families can be Eternal"
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1980/10/families-can-be-eternal?lang=eng

Elder David A Bednar
Church Educational System fireside address delivered at Brigham Young University
–Idaho on May 3, 2009

 President Russell M Nelson
April 2018 General conference
Revelation for the church, revelation for our lives

 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives.p24?lang=eng




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That ugly Pride

 I am a mum of 4 with a husband who is very forgiving of my issues including my need to be right over and over again, I figure he is just living true to the motto happy wife happy life. Ok all jokes aside this has actually been yet another lesson we have had to learn in our marriage   how it isn’t always about who is right and how we need to choose our battles .I remember a quote from President Monson “ never  let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved” . Sometimes I feel this to be true in marriage the problem being the argument or matter that is drawing you to the point of not letting your pride down to see the other side of the story or, to see or even acknowledge that maybe just maybe you are in the wrong in this battle.  I have spoken about this before on my blog of the years and years long battle I have had with my husband about where to live. He wants to live in America and I want to stay in Australia , there is good...
Post a Comment
Read more

gridlocked

gridlocked Gottman said when talking about working on gridlocked marital issues “Understand that working on these issues will take time. You may find that when you first begin to recognize and acknowledge your dreams, the problems between you seem to worsen rather than improve . Be patient. Acknowledging and advocating for your dreams is not easy . The very nature of gridlock means that your dreams appear to be in opposition, so you’ve both become deeply entrenched in your positions and fear accepting each others influence and yielding”.   The gridlocked disagreements share four characteristics You’ve had the same argument again and again with no resolution Neither of you can address the issue with humor, empathy or affection The issue is becoming increasingly polarizing because it would mean selling out – giving up something important and core to your beliefs, values or sense of self. So of course it seems only logic to avoid gridlock in the first place and enjo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Keep the wolves away!

                                            —Marrying and raising children can yield the most valuable religious experiences of their lives. Covenant marriage requires a total leap of faith: they must keep their covenants without knowing what risks that may require of them. They must surrender unconditionally, obeying God and sacrificing for each other. Then they will discover what Alma called “incomprehensible joy.” Elde Hafen Covenant Marriage Ensign Nov 1996 This is an amazing talk about marriage being based on a contract or a covenant , meaning do we look at marriage as a contract we can just tear up or walk away from at any time when it gets to hard or difficulties come our way . Or do we look at marriage as a covenant a promise that we will invest all we can to keeping and staying together. Elder Hafen quotes Marriage is by nature a covenant, not just a private co...
Post a Comment
Read more