If An Angel Came To Speak to You...

Hello everyone! So if an Angel of God came to visit you, how do you think he/she would speak to you?
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So recently I gave a training on learning the tongue of Angels. We as children of God have a great power in the way we use words. I think I realized that at a young age, because I have always made a conscious effort to not get into bad habits of saying crude phrases or bad words. I never liked the feeling that I felt when I heard or said those things. Words have such a deeper impact on us than many of us think! Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an Apostle of the Lord, realized this and was inspired to give a beautiful talk on "The Tongue of Angels".

When God created the World, He used words. He said, "Let there be light", and the light appeared. Elder Holland said, "Like all gifts 'which cometh from above' words are 'sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit.'" 

In the Bible, James explains how we can become "perfect" in this area of our lives. He said:

"For in many things we ^aoffend all. If any man ^boffend not in^cword, the same is a ^dperfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the ^agovernor listeth.

  Even so the tongue is a little member, and ^aboasteth great things. Behold, how great a ^bmatter a little fire kindleth!

 And the ^atongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell

 ...Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith ^acursewe men, which are made after the ^bsimilitude of God.

 Out of the same ^amouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

<sup>I love that. My brothers and sisters, these things ought not so to be! It is so true that what we say effects our spiritual and physical well being. I personally don't believe in the phrase "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me". Just like how words can be uplifting and loving, they can also be offensive and abusive. They can lead to joy and confidence if used to strengthen and bless, or they can lead to depression and hate if used to break down and curse. There is opposition in all things, even words.

I may not have been the best at this when I was in school, but now all I can say is how important it is to me now to be so respectful and kind to my family and my peers. I love my family and cherish them, and want to be with them forever. I also love and respect my friends and those whom I work with. We should show our loved ones what they mean to us by the way we speak to them.</sup>

To give an example of the importance of words, as missionaries, we are literally representing the Savior, Jesus Christ. We are serving the children of God and teaching them the Gospel. Think about how crucial it is for us to be Christlike in our speech, to be pure in thought and word. If we want to have the Spirit to speak the words of Salvation, we have to speak with the tongue of Angels. Thus it should be with all children of God!

<sup>Maybe one may not be so bad at saying inappropriate words, but another way we can misuse the power of words is by how we speak about ourselves and others. I can tend to complain when I'm having a rough day and I definitely am not nice to myself... I realize I am not perfect in this aspect, but I know I can control my tongue and choose not to verbalize my thoughts. If my thoughts are pure and positive, so will be my words! I notice when I am positive when I speak, my confidence is stronger. I am happier. I am at peace with everyone! However the opposite, when I am being negative I feel burdened and feel a loss of purpose; even I can become physically sick. I know the Lord is pleased when we chose to share the light that comes from uplifting and loving words, and it allows Him to bless us.

"Let thy abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy cconfidence wax strong in the dpresence of God.." -Doctrine and Covenants 121:45
So, I have made it a goal to refine my speech and to not say bad things about myself, especially the phrase "I'm so fat". :) It will be a process, but I know the Lord made it possible for us to become perfect, even in this area of our lives.

So my friends, what are you going to do to purify your speech this week?

Read or watch all of Elder Holland's Talk below! It's amazing--well worth your time! Have a great day!</sup>

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/the-tongue-of-angels

Our Purpose

Have you ever thought there must be something more to life than just living day to day? Let me tell ya-- there is. We all have a divine purpose. So I had another epiphany.

It hit me very recently, that my whole purpose in being a converted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is to always do the Lord's will. In the scriptures it says that the whole purpose of God is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". -Moses 1:39

I love that. The Almighty, All-knowing, All-seeing God is happy when we are happy. As our Spiritual Father, He knows exactly what's best for us. He knows what will make us have lasting happiness.

So, if God has a purpose, as His children, that must mean that we have a purpose to fulfill as well! This all just has been so fascinating to me. If we want to help our Heavenly Father to fulfill His purpose, we too have to fulfill ours. So as we fulfill our purpose in life, we are fulfilling God's purpose.

^"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:27

So let's talk about our purpose.

Obviously we weren't sent here to Earth to be rocks. We are here to experience, feel, love, learn and reach our divine potential. I love this scripture in the Book of Mormon which states our purpose very simply:

"For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors." -Alma 34:32

So we have a work to do! Our faith should lead us to action. The Savior taught us by example what exactly we need to do to fulfill our purpose as heirs to the Kingdom of God. Our purpose in life is to keep His commandments, so that we can be worthy to return to live with Heavenly Father after we die.

As missionaries, our purpose is to, "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end."

So basically our purpose is to help others fulfill their purpose, which in return fulfills God's purpose. So simple, but it has seriously blown my mind! I hope you can feel the power of purpose.

Mormon.org says:

"God, your Heavenly Father, has prepared a marvelous plan for your happiness. When you realize that God has a plan for you, it is easier to understand why you are on this earth. God wants all of His children to progress and become more like Him. This time on Earth provides opportunities for you to grow and progress. Coming here allows you to:

• Receive a physical body.
• Exercise agency and learn to choose between good and evil.
• Learn and gain experience that will help you become more like your Heavenly Father.
• Form family relationships that may become eternal.

By following our Heavenly Father’s plan, you—like all of His children—can someday return to live with Him and with your loved ones. You can have greater peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come."

Brothers and Sisters, Life is GOOD. Heavenly Father loves us. Jesus Christ loves us. They are standing with us to accomplish our purpose in this life on Earth. Let's strive to become more like the Savior. Rejoice that we have the gift of Repentance, so that we can continually be fixed on fulfilling our divine purpose. To end, here are the lyrics to one of my favorite Hymns, "More Holiness Give Me":

1. 1.More holiness give me,
   More strivings within,
   More patience in suff'ring,
   More sorrow for sin,
   More faith in my Savior,
   More sense of his care,
   More joy in his service,
   More purpose in prayer.
2. 2. More gratitude give me,
   More trust in the Lord,
   More pride in his glory,
   More hope in his word,
   More tears for his sorrows,
   More pain at his grief,
   More meekness in trial,
   More praise for relief.
3. 3. More purity give me,
   More strength to o'ercome,
   More freedom from earth-stains,
   More longing for home.
   More fit for the kingdom,
   More used would I be,
   More blessed and holy--
   More, Savior, like thee.

Have A Great Purpose Filled Day!