Alot of soul searching

The analogy is of a soul—a human soul, with all of its splendor—being placed in a beautifully carved but very tightly locked box. Reigning in majesty and illuminating our soul in this innermost box is our Lord and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the living Son of the living God. This box is then placed—and locked—inside another, larger one, and so on until five beautifully carved but very securely locked boxes await the woman who is skillful and wise enough to open them. In order for her to have free communication with the Lord, she must find the key to and unlock the contents of these boxes. Success will then reveal to her the beauty and divinity of her own soul and her gifts and her grace as a daughter of God.

For me, prayer is the key to the first box. We kneel to ask help for our tasks and then arise to find that the first lock is now open. But this ought not to seem just a convenient and contrived miracle, for if we are to search for real light and eternal certainties, we have to pray as the ancients prayed. We are women now, not children, and we are expected to pray with maturity. The words most often used to describe urgent, prayerful labor are wrestle, plead, cry, and hunger. In some sense, prayer may be the hardest work we ever will engage in, and perhaps it should be. It is pivotal protection against becoming so involved with worldly possessions and honors and status that we no longer desire to undertake the search for our soul.

Patricia T. Holland

Thank you to a person who has committed their time and energy to help others get by. To give the people a chance to heal and give wisdom and let the people vent and cry and not judge them as they do so. Thank you for making room when their time is packed with others. Thank you, you know who you are.... And yes you are good, I wish there was more like you to help those like me.

Hymn 130

Be thou Humble in they weakness
and the Lord thy God shall lead thee
Shall lead thee by the hand
and give thee answer to thy prayers
Be thou humble inthy pleading
and the Lord thy God shall bless thee
Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm
assurance that he cares.

Be thou humble in thy calling
and the Lord thy God shall touch thee
To serve his children gladly
with a pure and gentle love
Be thou humble in thy longing
and the Lord thy God shall take thee
Shall take thee home at last to
ever dwell with him above.

Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.

–President Thomas S. Monson

I was talking to my sister last night and one thing that she stressed was that I need to make sure that as a family we are reading our scriptures and praying but not only that but reading and praying on my own. It is the things that are so simple that we forget to do. I am grateful for that little reminder.

In order to do our part as women under the Lord's plan, we must stand strong and immovable in faith, strong and immovable in family, and strong and immovable in relief.

–Julie B. Beck
Relief Society General President