Mercy.

Here is a statement from J. Reuben Clark. He served in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a brief summary of the Lord's incomprehensible mercy. "When the Lord metes out punishment, he will mete out the least possible punishment that it is possible to mete out and satisfy the demands of justice; and when he metes out rewards for the good things we have done, for keeping the commandments, he will mete out the greatest possible number of blessings for that which we have done that is right What is repentance? It is turning away from sin and turn to God. How? It is to stop doing those bad things and to start doing those good things. There are so many ways we can return to God. And doing those things brings forgiveness. 1. Do missionary work – D&C 30:5; D&C 61:33-34; D&C 62:3; 2. Bear testimony – D&C 62:3 3. Confess – D&C 64:7 4. Ask for forgiveness – D&C 64:7: D&C 90:1; 5. Repent – D&C 68:24 6. Remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you – D&C 84:61 7. Forgive men their trespasses – 3 Nephi 13:14 8. Purified by hope – 1 John 3:3 9. Hear the word of God from the mouth of God’s servants – D&C 50:36 10. Become clean by receiving the word of Christ – John 15:3 The beauty comes in knowing the WHY. Why does doing all sorts of good things bring forgiveness? All these things bring the Holy Spirit into our lives. The Holy Spirit is the one who cleanses us of our mistakes, 3 Nephi 19:13. If you do this, you will grow closer to God as you do what He would do if He were here.

Sunday Sermon (2/19/12)

2/19/12 Today I want to share some of my thoughts on modesty. ... 1. What is modesty? 2. Why does the modesty matter in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? ... What is modesty? That seems like a simple one. Cover up, right? I have learned that modesty is more than that. So much more. If we understand the “why” of modesty then it’s easier to understand what modesty is. Nearly everything I am about to suggest comes from Susan Bednar, wife of Elder David A. Bednar. She gave a talk on September 16, 2001 at BYU-I. http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/transcripts/devotionals/2001_09_16_bednarsusan.html ... First: The “Why” of modesty. The world falsely believes that Mormons have a dress code to: 1. Control women 2. Help men control their thoughts. ... The Church seems to say, and Sis. Bednar pointedly says, there are three reasons why we, men and women, should be modest. 1. To receive companionship of the Holy Ghost 2. To reverance womanhood. 3. To send a message to others that you are a daughter of God. ... What am I trying to say? Modesty in the Church is not because of men. If modesty was because of men, and if men were infallible, then modesty would … go away? Modesty does help men so much when we live up to our potential. Modesty (actions, words, appearance) is about helping you reach your divine potential! ... Susan Bednar said, “We seem to need constant reminders that we should treat our bodies as temples of God.” Again, modesty is for you, as child of God. Your purity benefits others. Things we say, do and wear can make it difficult to keep companionship of the Holy Ghost. The men struggle. The women can help. The body is sacred. Treat your body like the sacred gift from your Father in Heaven that it is. Treat other people’s bodies sacredly, too. ... Second: The “What” of modesty: Susan Bednar quotes the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 2, to define modesty: “A quality of mind heart, and body; modesty is an attitude of humility, decency, and propiety that may be evidenced in thought, language, dress, and behavior.” Be clean in action, words and appearance, and by so doing you can reverence womanhood, have the Holy Spirit with you and send an unmistakable message about who your Heavenly Father knows you are.

I am a Mormon. A father. A husband. And now I have some thoughts to share. Stay tuned ...