INSIGHTS FROM ACTS 2, SIGNS OF THE SEVOND COMING

Last night I read Acts 2:19 “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:” this is a sign of the times, signs that are happening  before the second coming.

I is important to me because we have had a vapor a smoke for several days. It’s so bad that even though I am staying in the house my eyes burn, and I have a cough.

We are having signs in the heavens (the recent comet, and more). Then entire western coast is on fire, Australia was on fire last year. We have blood in our streets with the civil unrest. We are having hurricanes and earthquakes one right after the other! 

I feel really strongly that we are in the last days. I woke up this morning and I read that chapter again from verse 19 on and for the first time I understood what Peter was talking about.

One of the scriptures that stood out to me was that when Jesus was crucified that the grave could not hold him. It fills me with wonder that Jesus Christ is our creator and he has all power over the earth, and that the earth could not hold him The plan is that he would be resurrected and come again in the last days. The apostles were a witness of the resurrected Christ. 

The New Testament and the Book of Mormon are both a witness of Jesus Christ, of his birth, his teachings, his death and his resurrection  

In that scripture Peter refers to David and the promise that was given to David that Christ would come through his lineage and that he would come and be crucified and rise again. I am filled with wonder that Christ came to earth for me and all mankind and was willing to suffer the pains of death not only that I could live again, but he willingly took upon himself my sins, my pains, my sorrows and my loneliness. If I come unto him and have faith, be baptized and follow his teachings I can be saved. I can receive the promised  gift of the Holy Ghost!

The teachings of Peter pricked the hearts of the people who then asked,  “men and brethren, what shall we do”?  In our day when we read the Scriptures and we listen to the conference talks, are we pricked in our hearts, do we ask what shall we do?

One of the things that the brethren consistently say to do to prepare for the second coming is to repent and to gather Israel.  For me, I feel like that means family history and temple work. Also teaching and gathering my family.

As a family and as individuals, we are all so busy. We need to ask ourselves “what am I doing to draw near to the savior Jesus Christ? Am I following him and doing what he would have me do? 

INSIGHTS FROM PRESIDENT NELSON'S OPENING ADDRESS IN APRIL 2020

I have recently watched and re-watched a Youtube video about Daniel and Revelation about the second coming by  Jodi Stoddard (sp). Since watching that I have been praying an pondering about what I need to to.  I have had the impression that I want to share the messages and thoughts that I have which I feel are important.  I really don't have a venue for that.  I have also had the impression to only post uplifting and edifying things on Face Book.

Another thing that I feel that I should do is study the last conference talks.  I feel that our leaders have been trying to prepare us for the Second Coming, but as President Ezra Taft Benson said a long time ago, "there will be no general warning". I take that as we really have to be looking for it to catch it. Today I studied President Nelson's first talk and found quite a few things.

He said, "Our ultimate quest in life is to prepare to meet our Maker. We do this by striving daily to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.² And we do that as we repent daily and receive His cleansing, healing, and strengthening power. Then we can feel enduring peace and joy, even during turbulent times. This is exactly why the Lord has implored us to stand in holy places and “be not moved.”3

D&C 87:8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

Earlier this morning I was watching a video that referred to Section 87, I take this as a second witness that I need to pay attention. This scripture sounds to me like the prophet is telling us to pay attention. to stand in holy places (which for now is our homes) and he is coming quickly. Also that if we are prepared we shall not fear.

He encouraged us to "hear Him". They had prayed for the spirit to be there in rich abundance and that the messages would bring us peace, healing and that  illuminate our minds and help us know what to do to move forward.

SCRIPTURE POWER ALMA 32-34

I am reading along with the Come Follow Me program in the Book of Mormon. Last week we read Alma 32-34. These have long been some of my favorite chapters. 32 is that great chapter on faith, I thought that I really understood it, but no, I really haven’t!!!!  I follow “Book of Mormon Central”, they have amazing insights. I really recommend them!!!!!

What I learned this week was the connection between faith and mercy. Those two words are used so many times in those chapters. Basically stated: when we exercise our faith unto repentance in Jesus Christ, we receive his mercy. The Abrahamic Covenant is what the Lord Promises us and the Mosaic Law is what we need to do.

Alma 34:31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.

I just listened to the talk Russel M Nelson gave the conference after his wife Danzel passed away. He quoted the next scripture: 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.

I believe these scriptures. I also believe that the second coming is getting very close. We are seeing a lot of prophecies being fulfilled very rapidly.

ONE WIDOW'S JOURNEY

I have been a widow for 31 months, and almost every day something happens that reminds me that Glenn is gone.  There are many things that I am getting used to doing by my self, but I still miss Glenn; things like filling the gas tank, checking the tires, getting the lawn mowed, working out in the yard.

Today at 5:45 it hit me that I hadn't gone to the pool place to buy the chlorine for the pool that I was supposed to get on Monday.  I called "Hot Spring and Spa" and told them that I was coming and that I was going to try to get there before it closed at 6:00.  As I was driving down there I was thinking of how this was something that Glenn would have taken care of and I wouldn't even have given it a second thought.

That is just on small part of my journey!

MY FATHER, J DOYLE JENSEN

15 years ago today my father, J Doyle Jensen passed away just 5 weeks before his 90th birthday. I have always been proud to be his daughter. He loved his wife, his children, and his God. He loved nature, farming, watching things grow, sunsets, fishing, and the cows that he milked twice a day. He was an honest man who practiced what he preached. He was a leader in our church and in our community. When he was young, he played basket ball on his high school team and that is how he met my mom. He lived most of his life in the Lost River Valley in Idaho. He served an LDS mission as a young man and again after he retired from farming. He served his second mission in Fiji with my mom and that was a high light in his life. He was a quite, smart, happy, kind man. I am thankful that he is my dad forever! I love him and miss him very much.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

A couple of weeks ago I went with my son Seth to a City Managers Conference in Seattle.  The Keynote speaker was Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage.  You can view a potion of his talk here. He was fun, funny and very informative.

The idea behind his Harvard research is that we think we will be happy when...X...(fill in the blank)

Research shows that happiness helps us achieve ...X...(fill in the blank)

In other words, that is the reverse of what many of us think.  Being happy helps us be more creative, think more clearly, be more productive and many more benefits.  Being happy will help us be more successful in our pursuits in family life, work, and social interactions.

He suggests 5 things that we can do every day to be happy in the now and will help with long term happiness:

1. Write down 3 new things you are grateful for.
2. Journal 1 positive experience you have had, journaling will help your brain remember it. Doing these two things will retrain your brain to be on the lookout for the positive rather than the negative.
3. Exercise: it will tell your brain that your actions matter.
4. Meditation: concentrate on your breathing for 5 minutes, keep your mind from wondering. Meditation will help slow you down from the rush of multitasking and will help you be less stressed and better able to focus.
5. Random, conscious acts of kindness.  Compliments, paying for someone's meal, opening the door, writing an email.  Any kind thing you consciously do will lift your mood.

Doing these things hardly takes any time and they will lift your baseline of happiness if continued on a daily basis.

Day 14 From Vera Cruz to Mexico City and Teotacan

Waiting to get our luggage

and board the bus in Mexico City.

These little maps are fun, my 

son Jeremy was following me

on "find my friend"  I love it!

 I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the stairs that I climbed.  Here I am looking across at these from the top of the ones I climbed.  We had flown in from Vera Cruz and we got on the bus to go to Teotacan and we all slept!  I thought I would be too tired to do anything, but I was energized and really enjoyed the climb.

I am still at the top of my "temple" looking 

around and down.

 These two wonderful people let me hold

onto each of them as I climbed up the stairs.

You have to love people who are that sweet.

Thank you Chad and Stephanie Walters.  I had 

to sit on my bottom to get down, it was worth it!

I am sure some one has pictures of the whole thing, 

but I haven't seen them.  We keep asking to share, 

but I am sure everyone is busy.  Plus some

of those people took thousands!

 More temples ahead and shops all along

the sides, it gets exhausting to get past them.

I did buy a fabulous red bracelet and ear rings here.

 There are all kinds of levels to these ruins!

Here I was on ground level and these people 

were lower (like a basement).

 We went to a Catholic "Square" with many

buildings.  This one was slanted forward many

feet, it had huge cracks in the walls from

earthquakes, it was scary!

 Another building in the square.  The whole square 

was rough tile, no grass anywhere.  They say some

penitents walk across them on their knees.  Ouch.

This square really makes me appreciate my own

church's churches and temples. 

 Another building in the square.