Watch and Pray Always

This past week has been pretty interesting for me and I feel like Mark 14:38 is very good advice. I've realized that as we make big decisions in our lives, we need to make sure that we are preparing ourselves for an attack. Not only do we have to be keeping all the commandments to receive revelation about what we should do, we also need to be putting on our armor. Mark 14:38 says, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."

I'm getting married soon, and I've realized as I've gotten closer and closer to my wedding date, that Satan is working very very hard to stop this from happening. This is reassuring because it means that I'm doing the right thing but it also hard because it means that I have to be at the top of my spiritual game. It reminds me of Doctrine and Covenants 27, where the Lord talks about the armor of God. In verse 15, He says, "Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand." He then goes on to list all of the pieces of armor that we need to have. If even one of these pieces are missing, then we become vulnerable. It's a scary idea because the adversary is only getting stronger. But I know that if we strive to obtain the whole armor of God, then we will be protected. He will have no power over us, but only if we watch and pray always. 

Another way that Satan gets to us is through doubt. All good things come from God and all bad things come from somewhere else. Doubt is not and never will be a good thing. I think so that sometimes we don't consider it to be from Satan, just something that happens to us. But it is definitely not from God. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. Keep on believing and watch and pray always.

Oil In Our Lamps

Jesus's prophecies about the last days reminded me of the story of the 10 virgins and how it relates to us. This has always been one of my favorite parables in the Bible. I love it because it shows that we are accountable for ourselves at the last day. The five wise virgins brought extra oil for their lamps and they were prepared. When night fell, the five foolish ones weren't prepared and they asked for oil from the five wise. Of course, they couldn't share their oil because then there might not be enough for their own lamps. We need to use our time wisely and prepare ourselves, build up our testimonies. The first time I read that story, I thought it was so unfair. But now that I've grown up a little bit and gone though the temple and served a mission, it all makes sense. We can't give people our testimonies or faith even if we want to. It's just ours. We go through the temple the first time, it is just for us. When we bare our testimonies to people, we can help them feel the spirit but it's up to them if they want to believe. 

While we're here on this earth, we need to be preparing ourselves. Like Christ said in Mark 13, "Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch" (verses 35-37)

We need to share our beliefs with others as often as we can. 

This week has been a sad one for me. Two of my friends from my mission have died in the last two days. They were both young, one a 17 year old preparing to serve a mission, and the other a 24 year old that was a school teacher and had a loving boyfriend. I am so grateful for my knowledge about the Plan of Salvation. I know that both of them are where they are needed. They are doing the Lord's work for those who need it on the other side. I know that they are both at peace and that they are where they are supposed to be. 

In church today, we watched the new LDS video for Easter. It was perfect and exactly what I needed to see. 

https://www.mormon.org/easter/hallelujah

That's the link to it. It's an amazing video that is so simple but so powerful. I know that God has a plan for us and that He loves us. He is sad when we are sad and happy when we are happy. He knows what is best for us.