Plan of Salvation, Personal Growth
You are always offending someone- either God or Satan."
"If we want joy in our hearts-if we want the spirit of the Lord in our lives-let us forget ourselves and reach out." —President Hinckley
The lord gave is life for us and atoned for our sins and everyday he had the spirit with him and served. He showed us the way and we should always strive to be like him.
-Annelise Mckendrick
“Water from a Basin” By Randall T. Hall
Third Place All-Church Poetry Contest
Randall T. Hall, “Water from a Basin,” Ensign, Mar. 1978, 44
How differently the sound of water falling into water,
As it drops from hands just dipped into a basin,
Can approach the ear.
Pilate,
Masquerading in his crimson robes,
In that instant
That fell for him forever out of time,
Heard the water splashing flatly
With a thickness that to him resembled blood,
And knew that it would never cleanse him.
And he shuddered
As the water twitched and quivered
In the basin made of gold,
Mocking and distorting the judicious unconcern
He had carefully arranged upon his face.
Jesus,
Laying aside his garments and taking up a towel
And with the water in a basin made of clay,
Washed the world’s gray-colored dust
From the feet of his apostles
And heard the holy music
Of the dropping water
Echo sweetly through the universe
And saw the ripples spread in perfect circles
Far beyond the stars
And through the Spirit felt the approbation
Of the Father: “Thou art my beloved Son.”
To Any Who Have Watched For a Son’s Returning
By Mary Lyman Henrie
1983 Poetry Contest Third Place Winner
Mary Lyman Henrie, “To Any Who Have Watched for a Son’s Returning,” Ensign, Mar. 1983, 63
He watched his son gather all the goods
that were his lot,
anxious to be gone from tending flocks,
the dullness of the fields.
He stood by the olive tree gate long
after the caravan disappeared
where the road climbs the hills
on the far side of the valley,
into infinity.
Through changing seasons he spent the light
in a great chair, facing the far country,
and that speck of road on the horizon.
Mocking friends: “He will not come.”
Whispering servants: “The old man
has lost his senses.”
A chiding son: “You should not have let him go.”
A grieving wife: “You need rest and sleep.”
She covered his drooping shoulders,
his callused knees, when east winds blew chill, until that day …
A form familiar, even at infinity,
in shreds, alone, stumbling over pebbles.
“When he was a great way off,
His father saw him,
and had compassion, and ran,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
(Luke 15:20)
Posted by Lisa Dryden
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Salvation does not come all at onc; we are commanded to be perfect even as our father in heaven is perfect. I will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond this grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fullness of the fathers glory. I believe the lord meant just what he said: that weshould be perfect, as our father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like god.
Neal A Maxwell
I speak, not to slackers in the kingdom, but to those who carry thier own load and more; not to those lulled into false secuirty, but to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, through laboring devotedly in the kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short... The first thing to be said of this feeling of inadequacy is that it is normal... Following celestial road signs while in telestial traffic jams is not easy, especially when we are not just moving next door- or even across town. The Revenge of Gaia by James Lovelock
There is a classic short story by Robert Sheckley, the American science-fiction author, which tells of a group of settlers who land on a distant planet. There they begin their work: levelling mountains, changing the atmosphere and ploughing up wild places to make new homes for mankind.
Then things go wrong. Overnight, the land rises up and swallows their great earth-moving machines. Storms destroy their newly installed chemical plants. Chains of volcanoes erupt. The planet fights back. In panic, the settlers contact Earth, only to find their own home world, and all the other planets mankind has colonised, are being similarly assailed. Nature has suffered enough indignities at our hands. Humanity is getting the heave-ho.
By Dallin Saurey
Plan of Salvation
In the premortal existence, Heavenly Father prepared a plan to enable us to become like Him and receive a fullness of joy. The scriptures refer to this plan as "the plan of salvation" (Alma 24:14; Moses 6:62), "the great plan of happiness" (Alma 42:8), "the plan of redemption" (Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:30), and "the plan of mercy" (Alma 42:15). The plan of salvation is the fullness of the gospel. It includes the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and all the laws, ordinances, and doctrines of the gospel. Moral agency, the ability to choose and act for ourselves, is also essential in Heavenly Father's plan. Because of this plan, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fullness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last throughout the eternities.
lds.org/portal/site
Submitted by Chelsea Ames
Here is a poem written by Elder Orson F. Whitney.
Elect of Elohim
In solemn council sat the Gods;
From Kolob's height supreme,
Celestial light blazed forth afar
O'er countless kokaubeam.
And faintest tinge, the fiery fringe
Of that resplendent day,
'Lumined the dark abysmal realm
Where Earth in chaos lay.
...........................................
"Father!" the voice like music fell,
Clear as the murmuring flow
Of mountain streamlet trickling down
From heights of virgin snow.
"Father," it said, "since One must die,
Thy children to redeem
From worlds all formless now and void,
Where myriad life shall teem;
"And mighty Michael foremest fall
That mortal man may be;
And chosen Savior yet must send,
Lo, here am I--send me!
I ask, I seek no recompense,
Save that which then were mine;
Mine be the willing sacrifice,
The endless glory Thine!"
..................................................
Still rang that voice, when sudden rose
Aloft a towering Form,
Proudly erect as lowering peak
'Lumed by the gathering storm;
A presence bright and beautiful,
With eye of flashing fire,
A lip whose haughty curl bespoke
A sense of inward ire.
"Send me!"-- coiled 'neath his courtly smile
A scarce-concealed disdain--
"And none shall hence, from Heaven to Earth,
That shall not rise again.
My saving plan exception scorns.
Man's will?--nay mine alone.
As recompense, I claim the right
To sit on yonder Throne!"
Ceased Lucifer. The breathless hush
Resumed and denser grew.
All eyes were turned; the generl gaze
One common Magnet drew.
A moment there was solemn pause--
Listened Eternity,
While rolled from lips omnipotent
The Father's firm decree:
"Jehovah, thou my Messenger!
Son Ahman, thee I send!
And one shall go they face before,
While twelve they steps attend.
And may more on that far shore
The pathway shall prepare,
That I, the First, the last may come,
And Earth my glory share.
.....................................................
"Go forth, thou chosen of the Gods,
Whose strength shall in thee dwell!
Go down betime and rescue Earth,
Dethroning Death and Hell.
On thee alone man's fate depends,
The fate of beings all,
Thou shalt not fail, though thou art free--
Free, but too great to fall.
"By Arm divine, both mine and thine,
The lost shalt thou restore,
And man, redeemed, with God shall be,
As God forevermore.
Return, and to the parent fold
This wandering planet bring,
And Earth shall hail thee Conqueror,
And Heaven proclaim thee King."
'Twas done. From congregation vast,
Tumultuous murmurs rose;
Waves of conflicting sound, as when
Two meeting seas oppose.
'Twas finished. But the heavens wept;
And still their annals tell
How One was choice of Elohim,
O'er One who fighting fell.
submitted by Kim
The Atonement is central to our Heavenly Father’s Plan for His children. The Plan would not have been made possible if it were not for our Savior. This poem is a reminder to me of the worth and love that the Savior sees in each of us. He willingly atoned for our sins. We should each remember that we our Heavenly Father created this plan for each of us, His children.
The Touch of the Master’s Hand
By Myra B Welch
It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile. "What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three," But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings. The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow. "One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he. The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand." And many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
Submitted by Celeste Olsen.
I found very few short stories on the plan of salvation and even fewer that were meaningful and an example of traditional literature. So I decided to use this world famous sermon given by Jonathon Edwards in the 1700s. It is called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Although it is not directly related to the plan of salvation, it brings up several differnt points that I find interesting and can be connected to the plan of salvation. I encourage everybody to read this story, it's not that long, and ask themselves, how would this story be differnt if the authour was aware of the plan of salvation? How and would it change the way he wrote it and what he says? I think it is full of both symbolism and irony, see if you can pick up on some of these when you read it.
http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/edwards/sinners.html
Submitted by Cari Berrett.
We do not see Him with our eyes at first, we feel Him with our hearts.
As we feel Him gently pulling at our life's torn emotions, this is the place that it starts.
As He takes our life that was once battered and shattered and dreams
that seemed to be no more. That's when He gently whispers,
I am here, please open your heart's door.
As your heart is filled with sorrow, and your eyes are filled with tears
from pains past. He holds the tissue of comfort and wipes away your tears at last.
Then He holds you in His arms like a newborn babe,
gently rocking you whispering, "My Child"
for all things past they are forgave.
For you did not have to bare it, it was I who bore your shame.
But I could not release you, until unto Me you came.
For I bore all things, past and present, and future don't you see.
For the only way to the Father is through Me.
Now that you have sought Me with the very depths of your heart.
I have come to give you freedom, a new life for you to start.
Now open your eyes my child, for now you can see.
The path that is set before you is now light and there you shall always find Me.
I will never leave you nor forsake you, for My Father in Heaven and I are one.
Now that you know Me, He shall call you daughter, He shall call you Son.
For I do not promise you a life without sorrow, nor heartache or pain.
But I can promise you a life where you shall never be alone again.
For each day I shall be there to greet you with the warmth of a brand new day.
Listening for the sound of your voice, to hear all that you have to say.
And as the sun shall set, in the dark of the night. Once again I shall be with you,
hearing your prayers as they are sent into heavens flight.
Written by Ellen Underwood
A Whispering Voice
"I am so tired . . . .”
A whisper said "Come to Me for rest."
"I can't find You . . . . "
A whisper said "I am right beside you."
"But I am nothing . . . . "
A whisper said "You are special to Me."
"Forgive me," I plead.
A whisper said "I already have."
And warmth surrounded me and filled my soul with loving acceptance and I was home.
By Barbara Aldrich ldscompanion.org
YOU WILL FEEL HIS LOVE EACH DAY
3-19-01 Marv Taufer
God loved us, so he sent his son.
That we could be saved, each and every one.
Believe in him, and endure to the end,
Eternal life will be yours my friend.
Accept him in your life today.
Just get on your knees and pray.
He’ll forgive you all your sins,
He’ll forget them, like they’ve never been.
His love pours down on us each day.
Heed the words he has to say.
That still small voice whispers in your ear.
The Holy Ghost is always near.
Just ask and you shall receive,
The truth of things you can’t conceive.
Amazing love will fill your soul,
As you approach you heavenly goal.
You will feel his love each day,
If you get on your knees and pray.
By Marv Taufer
The Road to Heaven
The road to heaven, on which life extends,
Has no known beginning, and never ends.
To His children, it’s a forever love, God sends.
Hoping that we learn to forgive, making amends.
Following the plan of happiness, is our choice.
Knowing we can return home, makes a heart rejoice.
We can get help, listening to the still small voice.
Its up to us to make, these humble efforts hoist.
The Savior’s atonement, will help lighten our load.
His life He freely gave, is more precious than gold.
If we will but follow Him, rich blessing will unfold.
Learning to obey His will, along life’s winding road.
A road full of stumbling blocks, or stepping stones,
Challenges that result, in many moans and groans.
Heartfelt moments sometimes felt, inside our homes.
Thundering clouds of despair, felt through our bones.
Submitted by Chelsea Ames
Here is another picture that shows the Plan of Salvation. One of my religion teachers used it for one of his discussions on the Plan of Salvation. One of the key things about this picture that is different from we commonly see in our LDS community are the three pillars representing the creation, the fall, and the atonement. (I couldn’t find who created this picture)
Submitted by: The Preston’s
I went out and borrowed a book from Celeste entitled The Holy Temple, by Boyd K. Packer. Although while reading it we may feel that temples do not speak much on the topic of The Plan of Salvation, however they are living symbols on the earth which teach us of the process of how we can obtain exaltation. Knowledge and spiritual insights concerning our purpose here on earth can only be extracted as we ponder upon what is read letting the spirit be our guide.
Submitted by Aaron Olsen
Here is a link to a short story that somewhat deals with the Plan of Salvation as it relates to sharing our life with another when we are married. It is called The Story of an Hour. I thought that is was quite interesting and very well written. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_an_Hour
Here is a link to a conference talk by President Thomas S. Monson titled "Becoming Our Best Selves". Jesus Christ is the perfect example for us. I know that by striving to always be like Jesus we will always be striving to do our best and we can be great examples to others. By following Christ’s' example we will grow personally, and grow closer to our Heavenly Father.
Being outgoing is a very good trait when you are looking to further your career and be more successful. You have to make sure that you are doing all that you can to use your social skills to make you have better luck at anything that you do. You will need to work on these skills because they are going to help you along in life as you go. When you are more outgoing, you will be able to take on pressures of everyday life and all that goes along with them. If you are looking to become more outgoing, you can do a few things to help you make this happen. You will want to pay attention to all the help that you can get for being more social. There are ways that you can get all this valuable information so that you are not left behind when it comes to social skills. You want to be outgoing and out front so that you are able to be more interesting and get to do more things. If you are trying to be more outgoing for work or for your education, you will want to make sure that you are doing all that you can to be a great success at it. You have to be willing to make the most of your life and with this, you need to be productive in all the different ways. You need to make sure that you are socially ready to make the next step in your life and able to function correctly. When you are serious about being more outgoing, you should think about a few things. Are you currently shy? Is this holding you back with your family and friends? If so, you have to work on ways to be more socially active. This may mean that you need to go out more and meet more people. Having friends is always a good way to boost up your self-esteem. You want to feel as if you can talk to anyone and feel comfortable no matter where you are or what you are doing. Having self-confidence is going to go along with being more outgoing. You need to make sure that you are doing all that you can to boost up your self-esteem and the way that you feel on a day-to-day basis. Do not let anything stand in your way of being more successful with not only your career but your everyday life too. Think of the way that you want to feel. Do you need a little pick me up with your style? Maybe you need to do some shopping. This can give you the energy boost that you are looking for to help you maintain a good and productive lifestyle. Giving yourself credit is going to go along way. You should not feel as if you are not good enough or that you are not doing something the right way. You have to make sure that you are giving it your all and getting where you need to be in life. Do not let being shy stand in your way. You have to be willing to make a strong effort when it comes to being more productive in the things that you do. Do not be afraid of failing because if you are you will never really succeed. You have to try before you know what is going on and how you are going to be able to deal with things. Once you do this, you will feel better and have a better outlook on life in general. This article is about becoming more outgoing. I, for one, find it difficult to be outgoing in certain settings. This article has brought new knowledge to how i could work on my shyness. It says that being outgoing takes practice. We have to be willing to practice being outgoing, just as we have to practice being a Latter-day Saint. Being faithful, and gaining a testimony does not come very easily. It is a continuous process in which, you have to keep working at it. Submitted by Elisa Guzman found a Christian poem, written by a Christian author by the name of Reverend Charles G. Finnery. This poem talks about the plan of salvation and how we will be judged. The poem is short, but to the point. It explains how when we come to meet face to face with Christ, we will show him if we accepted his plan and the divine scheme of it. We will be held accountable for our actions and what we did on this earth to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Although this poem, does not contain all of the gospel truths of the Plan of Salvation, it still explains to one how divine the plan is and that because of the plan we have free agency and that God will judge us on our actions and the intentions of our heart. "Divine Scheme" and tell Him what you think of His plan, when you are some thousands of years older than you are now, Will you not adore that Wisdom that manages this scheme, and the Infinite Love in which it had its birth? amazing condescension that brought down Jesus to your rescue! Say, Christian, have you not often poured out your soul before your Saviour in acknowledgment of what you have cost Him ... And there seemed to be a kind of lifting up, as if the very bottom of your soul were to rise? And if any earthbound one had seen you, they would have wondered what had happened to you ... That had so melted your soul in gratitude and love. Submitted by Melissa Mortensen For this theme i thought it would be interesting to see how others outside our faith see the plan of salvation. I found a story called God's Simple Plan of Salvation. In it a discussion is going on between two friends. The one friend explains what the Plan of Salvation is based upon how his religion teaches it. I find it interesting on how the Bible can interpreted differently and in some cases to the extreme. I now understand why we are told to gain a testimony on each topic and to not just believe what is being told from the pulpit. It is from this story that makes it very evident as to why this should be done http://www.earnestlycontending.com/gspos.html Submitted by Kendall George Ephesians 1:4-10 "According as he hath chose us in him before th foundation for the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven , and which are on earth; even in him:" I think its important to remember one of the most important things. We lived before we came to this mortal life, we all have a purpose here on this earth and were forordained. We all have missions to do while we are here. It is up to us to find out what they are. we need to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to show us what it is and to help prepare us for what is to come. We are all fighting with Satan and need his help to overcome our trials. We also have the responsibility to share the gospel with everyone and lift others burdens. Danielle RowLee The Plan of salvation is the perfect plan. The church video Together forever. This is great video that answers the questions of where did we come from? Where are we going? Why are we here? It gives hope and comfort to those that have lost a family member and explains through the plan of Salvation we can be with our families again for eternity. Though a little dated I do enjoy this video it brings peace of mind to my soul knowing that there is a plan for me and my family. Jeff Tobler
by Charles G. Finney
When you come to see Him face to face,
O, what will you then say of that
Reverend Charles G. Finney
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