That you can dowload an audio recording of the Ensign each month? So if you feel like you are too busy or you like to multi-task, follow this link and download January's Audio Edition of the Ensign to your MP3 Player!!
http://www.lds.org/mp3/display/0,18692,8474-1,00.html
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
It's a New Year!
Ensign, January 2009This month’s issue includes powerful testimonies of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose teachings continue to be the course of study in Priesthood and Relief Society. Be sure to read “Witnesses of the Prophet Joseph Smith” and “Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ.”
Looking to enhance your knowledge of the Doctrine and Covenants? To help prepare for this year’s course of Gospel Doctrine study, see “Doctrine and Covenants Revealed,” “Enriching Your Study of the Doctrine and Covenants,” and “Treasuring the Doctrine and Covenants.”
Several articles in the January issue teach that Heavenly Father is always aware of us, even in difficult times in our lives. See “Left with a Violin and a Hymnbook,” “Gardenias in January,” and “Bipolar Disorder: My Lessons in Love, Hope, and Peace.”
Excerpt from the Ensign Home Page
Let Us Raise Our Voice of Warning
By President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency Witnesses of the Prophet Joseph Smith
The prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, has blessed countless lives through his teachings and his example. Here, members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles bear testimony of the prophet and share what they have gained—and what we can gain—from seeking a personal witness of him.
Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ
By Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander Of the SeventyAdapted from a presentation to the Seventy.
Drawn to the Temple
When Aric Finucane learned that he could enter the Washington D.C. Temple by joining the Church, he embraced the gospel with a determination to receive his endowment.
Faith to Ford the River
“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy” (Psalm 18:16–17).
Rafael Mateo and his son, Whalincon (known as “Whally”), paused in the darkness of a stormy afternoon and eyed the rushing waters of the rain-swollen river. Rafael, first counselor in the branch presidency, and Whally, the branch elders quorum president, were returning home after a Sunday full of meetings at their chapel in San José de Ocoa in the Dominican Republic.
They were already drenched from ...
Confidence in the Presence of God
As we increase our faith and commitment, we will draw nearer to our Father in Heaven.Michael John U. Teh, “Confidence in the Presence of God,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 28–30
The story of the Prophet Joseph Smith seeking to know which church to join amid the “contests of … parties of religionists” (Joseph Smith—History 1:11) is a story of inspiration and hope for all honest seekers of truth. What a relief it must have been to Joseph—
Peaches, Pruning, and Spiritual Progress
Like pruning away the unnecessary limbs from a tree, we need to prune away those activities that might weaken our testimonies or lead us astray.
I felt heartsick as I crested the hill toward our house and saw boards and tree branches scattered everywhere across the side of our yard. We had been gone only a couple of hours, yet that was long enough for one of the infamous east winds in our area to do its damage. It was really my fault though—
My Guilt Was Swept Away
I left the family history class upset. I felt I had done enough, yet a stirring within my soul told me there was something more I could do.
A couple of years ago in a Sunday school class, the teacher encouraged us to do our family history research. He directed the message to everyone in the class, but I felt singled out. I felt I had done my duty and more. My family lines were traced back as far as possible;
Putting My Hand in the Lord’s
After my husband died suddenly, I looked at my five children and my future and asked the Lord one question: “How?”
Diane Terry Woold, “Putting My Hand in the Lord’s,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 36–39
When I was 36, my husband, Bryan, drowned in a hunting accident on Utah Lake, near Provo, Utah. He was two and a half years out of a surgical residency. I was pregnant with our fifth child. Our home teacher drowned searching for his body,
Doctrine and Covenants Revealed
Most of the sacred revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants were received through the Prophet Joseph Smith and came in answer to prayer. Following are a few of the sites where sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were revealed or where related events took place.
Kenneth R. Mays, “Doctrine and Covenants Revealed,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 40–45
Enriching Your Study of the Doctrine and Covenants
This year presents the wonderful opportunity for each of us to receive great blessings by studying the Doctrine and Covenants—a marvelous book of revelation that was written in our day and for our day.
A. Roger Merrill (center), president; Daniel K Judd (left), first counselor; and William D. Oswald, second counselor.
Treasuring the Doctrine and Covenants
This latter-day scripture is a rich source for personal revelation and inspiration. It unlocks spiritual insights for those who earnestly study and ponder its teachings.
Steven E. Snow, “Treasuring the Doctrine and Covenants,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 50–53
Steven E. Snow, “Treasuring the Doctrine and Covenants,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 50–53After moving with their mother to Independence, Missouri, in the fall of 1831, young sisters Mary Elizabeth and Caroline Rollins soon learned of the hardship and persecution the Saints faced there. One night an angry mob...
Nourishing the Soul through Institute
By helping students draw closer to Heavenly Father, make friends, and set priorities, institute strengthens testimonies and changes lives.
“Nourishing the Soul through Institute,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 54–57
Left with a Violin and a Hymnbook
When our van burst into flames, we thought we had lost everything.
Linda Rehart, “Left with a Violin and a Hymnbook,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 58–59
As night descended, our family set out on a long-awaited vacation to Utah, a trip that would include taking two of our daughters to college. Our minivan was filled with suitcases, boxes, dishes, a violin, a computer, and more—Gardenias in January
A few years ago I purchased a lovely gardenia plant. I kept it in a large pot and tended it with care, enjoying the fragrant blossoms that came once a year. Gardenias typically bloom mid-spring and lie dormant the rest of the year.
One year the plant did not produce many blossoms. I wondered what was wrong. I took...
One year the plant did not produce many blossoms. I wondered what was wrong. I took...
Stand Strong and Immovable in Faith
Teach the scriptures and quotations that meet the needs of the sisters you visit. Bear testimony of the doctrine. Invite those you teach to share what they have felt and learned.
Mosiah 5:15: “Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life.”
Bipolar Disorder: My Lessons in Love, Hope, and Peace
Receiving the diagnosis was devastating. What kind of future would I have?
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a college student, shortly after returning from my mission. Receiving the diagnosis of mood highs and lows was devastating. I was already in a deep depression, and the news sent me reeling. I reevaluated my sense of self-worth and wondered how I was going to reconcile my expectations for my future with this illness. As I learned more about bipolar disorder, I began to question everything in my life. Fortunately, ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)