Taking your spiritual life more seriously.

I love Sundays. I really do.

Today I felt inspired by this blog article on the Church's website:

My Heart-to-Heart with God

It inspired me to do two things:

1) Change my sunday habits
2) Have a heart-to-heart with God

I haven't had a heart-to-heart with God for a while. I think I am afraid to. God is so powerful and all knowing. Every time I approach him he presents me with a huge challenge or test. I know he wants me to grow but sometimes I am shy or afraid and I can't get myself to ask or listen.

On Sunday I did a few visits with the missionaries. We we able to make two visits, both with less active members. As they asked them questions, they knew every answer. It became clear that their absence at church was not for a loss of testimony or a loss of understanding. They knew exactly what they should be doing but they weren't doing it. Why do we do that??

I do the same thing on a different scale. Though I go to church every Sunday, sometimes it is only out of habit. I choose to go because I know it will be good for me. I know it will have a positive influence on my week entirely. Sometimes I wake up with out a desire to go because I forget how much I love it. Then when Sunday comes to an end I already miss it. I know I can do better. I should be preparing better during the week for my calling (ward pianist). I should be practicing everyday. I should have more meaningful prayers and read the scriptures everyday. I know these things. Why don't I just do it? It seems so easy yet I put it off and don't get it done.

The following scriptures are a good lesson for me:

Psalms 31:24 "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding"

Psalms 115:11 "Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield"

I think the first step to bettering my spiritual life is to develop a friendship with the Holy Ghost. Sometimes we hear him whisper and we ignore it for the benefit of leisure or convenience. For example he might say "Get up and read the scriptures" and we might reply "I will once this movie on Netflix ends". We often procrastinate whisperings of the spirit when we shouldn't. Or we can be so overwhelmed by life's tasks that we do not hear him.

In a talk by Troy W. Carlton, he quoted Brigham Young saying "The spirit is the privilege of the Latter Day Saints, but they do not enjoy it as much as they might; consequently it is right to talk about these matters, and to instruct the people."

How do we know if it is from the Holy Ghost? It is simple:

Moroni 10:6 "And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is."

I know that heavenly father loves us and has a plan for each and every one of us. If we listen to the guidance of the Holy Ghost we can change through the atonement. I encourage you to develop good habits. When Weekly church attendance, daily scripture study, and daily prayer become a habit they will happen automatically and you will receive a constant flow of blessings and enlightenment.

With love,
Erin