WORDS OF WISDOM FROM ELDER SOMMERVILLE

President taught in the last zlc after reading Helaman 5:12 that the winds will come. He said they might come with doubt, temptation, trying to cut corners with your job, whatever it might be, but that everyone has to have that trial. He said I know you can't even imagine possibly doubting what you know and preach to be true, but when those days come the Lord will test just how deep your roots are planted in gospel sod. That principle scares me, because I know a trial will have to come some day, 'cause I feel like I haven't really had a trial by fire, and I say that with the most humility possible. But I love this gospel, and it's amazing what it can do for you....

"If we can pattern our life after the Master, and take his teachings and example as the supreme pattern for our own, we will not find it difficult to be consistent and loyal in every walk of life, for we will be committed to a single, sacred standard of conduct and belief." --Howard W. Hunter, "Standing As Witnesses of God", Ensign, May 1990, 60

OBEDIENCE

I have been thinking a lot about obedience lately. Mostly, I think, because the Long Beach Mission stresses 100% obedience constantly. When Brett bore his testimony to us during his Christmas phone call, the two things he said he has learned most on his mission is the power of obedience and the power of the Book of Mormon and its ability to change lives. I came across this quote in my daily studies and I just wanted to share it:
"Regardless of our age and stage in life, daily obedience to gospel principles is the only sure way to eternal happiness. President Ezra Taft Benson put it most poignantly when he said, 'When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.'” - Elder Donald L. Staheli, May 1998 Ensign

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It is important that you have oil in your lamps so that when you say to the Lord, "Here am I; send me," you are prepared and qualified to be sent. We are all heaven sent, but what we are able to accomplish in the Lord's work depends to a large extent on our willingness and ability." --James E. Faust, "You Are All Heaven Sent", Ensign, Nov. 2002, 110

PLEASE TAKE ACTION!!

If you love the United States of America as much as we do, we would encourage you to take the following action. This comes from the Web site glennbeck.com, however, we wanted to post it on our Blog for our family and friends, and, of course, for any Blog stalkers out there that happen to stumble upon our Blog:

GLENN: So I'm going to just ask you right now just to think of these things and just answer out loud. Just say to yourself yes or no. Yes or no. Is this who I am? Is this what I believe? Because I believe you and I agree on most of these.

1) Yes or no: Do you believe America is a good place, that we've lost our way over the years, that we have done bad things but generally speaking we tried hard. We try to make amends. We have tried to do the right thing. Just like everybody else, we fail from time to time and we have truly lost our way in the last 20 years. But gosh, if you look at America, she's good and our founders were good and our founding documents are good. We've just strayed too far away from them. Yes or no.

2) Yes or no: I believe in God. I may not go to the same church or synagogue or mosque as the majority of people in America, but I believe in God and he is the center of my life, and God does not tell people to behead others or to persecute others that see God in a different way. As long as that god is not telling them to persecute others.
Yes or no.

3) Yes or no: It is my responsibility to try to be better and a more honest person than I was yesterday. Sometimes I fail, I'll make mistakes, but it's my main mission to be better than I was personally than I was yesterday.

4) Yes or no: The family is sacred. I and my spouse are the ultimate authority under God when it comes to my family. I raise my family, and that comes with a grave responsibility. If I fail, I answer to God.

5) Yes or no: If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6) Yes or no: I have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that is not a guarantee of equal results.

7) Yes or no: I work hard for what I have, and I will share it with others that I choose when I choose, should I choose. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8) It is not un-American for anyone to disagree with my opinion, but my opinion or others' opinions may be anti-American. Anti-American rhetoric would be anything that is destructive to the Constitution and our country as our founders understood it.

9) And the last one is the government works for me. The government answers to me. I do not answer to the government.

How many are there? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. There are nine of them. Do you agree with seven of them?

Here's what I want you to do. Step one: No matter where you are right now, I want you to take a picture of yourself. I want you to take a picture, and I ask you and you'll understand as we go in the next couple of weeks, I ask you if you could bring these and ask your children -- can we post these please on the Internet, on the website? I want you to ask as many people as you know, do you believe in these things? Just seven out of nine. Do you believe in them? Then will you please take a picture of yourself. If you ask your family and you ask your children tonight, do you believe in these things. Take a picture of your spouse. Not as a family. Take them one at a time and send them to me, e-mail them to me at Wesurroundthem@gmail.com. This is how much I believe that you are not alone.

Glenn Beck will be having a special on his TV show in the next couple of weeks regarding this "we surround them" movement. It will be a way for those who believe in our Founding Fathers' principles, and believe in preserving the freedom of our country, to have our voices heard!!