Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Be Prepared

1 Nephi 18:6

Theme- Be Prepared

What
 6 And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the  ship, with our wives and our children.

They prepared as well as possible for this journey across the ocean. They had a supply of food to last them for the journey and seeds to plant when they got there. Apparently, they engaged everyone, young and old in this preparation.

Why
They prepared because they were commanded to prepare and because they knew that it would be a long journey across the ocean. There would be not much chance to obtain other food on the way.

Pattern

Ezekiel 38:7

    7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
    8 But behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the instructions of Moroni.

Alma 37:46

    46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.
    6 Now the leaders of the Lamanites had supposed, because of the greatness of their numbers, yea, they supposed that they should be privileged to come upon them as they had hitherto done; yea, and they had also prepared themselves with shields, and with breastplates; and they had also prepared themselves with garments of skins, yea, very thick garments to cover their nakedness.

Ether 12:32

    32 And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared.
    28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

Doctrine and Covenants 29:8

    8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.
    29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he shouldprepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

Hebrews 11:7

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Genesis 7:9
 9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

The kingdom of God on earth is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (D&C 65). The purpose of the Church is to prepare its members to live forever in the celestial kingdom or kingdom of heaven. However, the scriptures sometimes call the ...


Christ
Jesus came to the earth prepared to do the work He was sent to do.

Ether 3:14

14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters

Conference
11/2011 Ian S. Arden
A Time
To Prepare.
Alma spoke of priorities when he taught that “this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God” (Alma 12:24). How to best use the rich heritage of time to prepare to meet God may require some guidance, but surely we would place the Lord and our families at the top of the list. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminded us that “in family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e” (“Of Things That Matter Most,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2010, 22). I testify that when help is prayerfully and sincerely sought, our Heavenly Father will help us to give emphasis to that which deserves our time above something else.
The poor use of time is a close cousin of idleness. As we follow the command to “cease to be idle” (D&C 88:124), we must be sure that being busy also equates to being productive. For example, it is wonderful to have the means of instant communication quite literally at our fingertips, but let us be sure that we do not become compulsive fingertip communicators. I sense that some are trapped in a new time-consuming addiction—one that enslaves us to be constantly checking and sending social messages and thus giving the false impression of being busy and productive.


11/80 Ezra Taft Benson
Prepare for the Days of Tribulation
For over forty years, in a spirit of love, members of the Church have been counseled to be thrifty and self-reliant; to avoid debt; pay tithes and a generous fast offering; be industrious; and have sufficient food, clothing, and fuel on hand to last at least one year.
Today there are compelling reasons to reemphasize this counsel. We heard it done effectively in that great welfare meeting this morning. May I add just a word.
...More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a “back to basics” program for temporal and spiritual welfare.
Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?
I bear you my testimony that President Heber J. Grant was inspired of the Lord in establishing the Church Welfare program. The First Presidency was inspired when they made the first public announcement in 1936 and declared the prime purpose of Church welfare was “to help the people help themselves” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, p. 3). I bear witness to that inspired counsel from 1936 to the present day that the Saints lay up a year’s supply of food. When President Spencer W. Kimball persistently admonishes the members to plant gardens and fruit trees and produce our own food, he is likewise inspired of the Lord.
Be faithful, my brothers and sisters, to this counsel and you will be blessed—yes, the most blessed people in all the earth. You are good people. I know that. But all of us need to be better than we are. Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well.
May God bless us to be prepared for the days which lie ahead, which may be the most severe yet. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Apply
Life is a journey. We plan and work for a better future but we do not know what our circumstances will be . We are guided by prophets to receive revelation for the membership of the church. We have scriptures and local leaders who guide and help us and we have our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ who love us and watch over us. They know us far better than we know ourselves.
They have given us guidelines sot that we can be prepared for the troubles that will most certainly beset us during this life. The wise thing to do is to prepare ourselves in every way that we can. Spiritually, mentally and physically.
What are we preparing for? The future of course!. Ultimately, we are preparing for our home beyond this life. Life goes on after we leave this one. He has prepared a mansion for us if we have prepared ourselves to be in it.

Doctrine and Covenants 72:4

    4 For he who is faithful and wise in time is accounted worthy to inherit the mansions prepared for him of my Father.
    2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
    6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.
These mansions are real. Just as real as the house you live in now! Relationships are real and lasting. That is if we are prepared for them through divine ordinances.

If we have faith in Him and truly believe in Him, then we will have peace in our hearts and be able to prepare everything that is needed.

For most of us, the journey is long and we are tossed around all over the place but, He an calm the seas.
Let us plan and prepare with our families, for our future in this life so it will mesh seamlessly with that future home with family across the veil.

I love this quote from Eliza R. Snow
I will go forward, I will smile at the rage of the tempest, and ride fearlessly and triumphantly across the boisterous ocean of circumstance and the testimony of Jesus will light up a lamp that will guide my vision though the portals of immortality. “

Hymn
226 Improve The Shining Moments.
Alma 34:32-33
 32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of  this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
 33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not  procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

Children
166-A Young Man Prepared






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