Can we say WOW?!

Can we say WOW?!

The 181^st Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was AHHHHMAZING!!! And I only was able to participate in the Sunday sessions so far. Sad, I know! No more internet use at work and when I went to the library after work, the wifi started acting all kinds of funny. Thankfully it was after President Monson’s opening remarks, so I heard the announcement of the three new Temples! Yay! I LOVE Temples! I’ll have to watch Saturday’s sessions tomorrow, which is okay by me, at least I do get to watch them and receive some more insight on me life.

Now onto the amazing “light” I received today.

A few weeks ago, I was reading again in 1 Nephi chapter 17. Instead of just reflecting on the same versus about “finding my ore”, the Spirit also gave me a sweet perspective while I was reading verse 13. I was only originally encompassing versus 7-10 when I started my blog, so I never really looked past 10 for that much insight. Boy was I wrong for not delving and looking further into the scriptures, but the Lord knows how I learn, He knows how to teach me and He gave me time to be prepared for said sweet perspective. So here is the verse and see if you can figure out where I am going with it…

13. And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

Well, it’s not a hard one to figure out, but I want to expound on it with all the amazingness that I felt in Conference. Also, I received the answers to my questions... I might delve in to those specifically in a later post, but for now, broader picture of learning… Here goes.

Jesus Christ is leading each of us towards the “promised land”, as we read in the above verse. (Remember I said in a previous post that the “promised land” is Eternal life with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in this little analogy, okay, really in every analogy it can be seen as eternal life. Hmmm. That’s pretty cool!)

Anywho, I was sitting in the chapel for the Sunday morning session and was in awe that each talk I could personally apply to my “finding my ore” analogy. The first three speakers, President Uchtdorf, Elder Johnson, and Bishop Burton all used the word REFINE at some point during their talks. Even Elder Christofferson used REFINE in his talk during the afternoon session.

Service and consecration REFINES our spirits, the furnace of affliction helps to REFINE us, Christ will bless, REFINE, and exalt each of us as we do the same for those we serve, and one of the three purposes of correction is to REFINE.

I looked up REFINE in the Index of the Book of Mormon and went to the scripture in 3Nephi 24:2-3 which tells us that Jesus Christ is “a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap” and that He “shall sit as a refiner and purifier…”

I then went to the Bible Dictionary and looked up Refiner: A man who separates the precious metals from the dross with which in nature they are usually found mixed. Part of the process consists in the application of great heat, in order to bring the mass into a fluid state, hence the term “refiner’s fire.” Christ is the great Refiner.

Say it with me: CHRIST IS THE GREAT REFINER!

It is only in and through Him that we can be purified. How amazing it is to think that the dross or the “natural man” can be refined out? I think that because of mortality, aka “nature” (which is the plan of our Father in Heaven), that the dross and the precious metals will always be mixed. The combination of those things is Ore.

We are the ORE folks! And each of us has the chance to choose Christ, to let go of the natural man and be REFINED so that we can be exalted! It will be done by heat! Lots and lots of heat! We are told that we are refined through keeping His commandments, service and bearing our affliction well. Going back to verse 13 we also see that He will be our “light in the wilderness; and [He] will prepare the way before you…”

Again, back to good ole GC, now what Elder Bednar said (not direct quotes folks, the Ensign will come out next month if you want word for word, but for now, you should get the idea.)

Elder Bednar spoke about light (I think if we can even apply verse 13 to this, but that’s not where my thinking is going, but you go right ahead and expound on it if you wanna *grin*)… he spoke about light being revelation and he actually referenced Nephi and ship building! He talked about how Nephi was instructed slowly and by the teaching of line upon line, precept upon precept.

It was awesome and made me realize that to be able to build a ship, an eternal family, I have to be ready because the Lord will more often than not, be giving me revelation, line upon line and precept upon precept. Elder Bednar also emphasized that a sincere desire and personal worthiness invites revelation into our lives. We need to be worthy to receive the “light” of revelation when it comes our way and have a sincere desire to heed it when it comes!

I see that the Lord LOVES me and is bringing me comfort from the words of His Apostles and Prophets. I really did get other amazing insights from each of these talks, REFINING just jumped out at me at this moment in my life a little bit more. I feel really blessed that I can see the Lord specifically speaking to me in a few of the talks. The Lord knows that preparing for my ship building is a big part of my life and any “light“ He is willing to share with me before the blessing of building that ship is completely welcome.

Finally, there is one last thing I want to touch on from the morning session and that was President Monson’s closing talk about Temples! He even referenced MINING! Funny, right? I received some good perspective to remember from his talk. He said, mining requires a lot of digging, it will have heavy loads, and is back breaking work… but by mining, we can make it to the Temple!

I am thankful for the perspective that we, my ore and myself; are both being REFINED. That truth does make it easier and even more important to find the right ore, someone who is willing to be REFINED in the REFINER’s FIRE with me. It is going to require some hard work because living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not always easy, there will be heavy loads and sometimes be back breaking work. I know it’s worth it though, because it will allow both of us, as President Monson said, to make it to the Temple. Where we will make covenants with our Father in Heaven and be together forever.